Description

About Us 

We are an independent research firm supporting equitable learning through innovative design work and rigorous empirical research. We are a dynamic team of researchers, committed to improving learning opportunities for all youth. 

Our organization maintains strong relationships with a network of researchers, practitioners, and specialists, contracting with them on a project-specific basis. Together, we work on projects that bring together communities of practice committed to addressing shared challenges. Our work attends to the impact of local context through implementation and partnership-based research methods. We are also deeply involved with the field of educational assessment and measurement, catalyzing conversations around transforming systems to better support learning for each and every student. 

We are dedicated to building a diverse and equitable workplace. We actively seek to recruit, develop, and retain talented individuals from all backgrounds. Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is essential to achieving our mission. 

All of our employees work remotely, and always will.

Job Description 

We seek an experienced Operations Manager with experience in project management, operations management, and financial communication to manage the ins and outs of our complex educational research and evaluation projects. Our work environment is highly dynamic and client-facing, and this role will interact a lot with both our internal team and our clients. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in project management with excellent organizational skills, a passion for improving education, and the ability to navigate ambiguity and pressure with grace.

We hope that over time, the person hired as the Operations Manager will be promoted to join the executive team as a thought partner in moving the company forward, and potentially be a personnel manager. As such, this role will be key to our ongoing growth and success. 

This is a full-time regular role which will be located from your home office anywhere in the United States. Unfortunately, we will not be accepting international applicants at this time.

This role pays $140-160k/year. You will be eligible for company-sponsored benefits, as well as a generous PTO and holiday schedule. 

Responsibilities 

Project Management

• Budget oversight to determine the resources allocated to each project, and track when projects approach or reach their budget limits
• Manage, update, and monitor all client contracts
• Track project progress, scope creep, and milestones
• Assign projects to contractors, including hours and timelines for project work
• Create and maintain project forecasts
• Identify and manage project risks, keeping principals apprised of work progress and developing mitigation strategies as needed
• Support principals in managing expectations and maximizing stakeholder satisfaction throughout project lifecycles
• Contribute to management of multi-stakeholder research projects, including facilitating engagement with education practitioners, leaders, product designers, and project funders

Operational Management 

• Manage the subscription renewals for software and programs
• Create/improve data file structure, ensuring that all employees and contractors understand how to file documents, where to retrieve information, and who has access to various file types
• Manage document storage and organization, maintaining a comprehensive document library for all projects. Our goal is to promote a culture of continuous learning and improvement by encouraging knowledge sharing and documentation
• Manage CRM systems to track stakeholder interactions and relationships; support data collection processes, ensuring adherence to research protocols and timelines
• Review company efficiency and effectiveness, and drive positive change. This will include developing and implementing company-wide SOPs, improving internal communication practices, and researching and implementing process automation
• Ensure that projects and staff have their operational needs met in order to meet deadlines using the available resources in the company
• Automate processes - too many of these processes are still manual, so the person in this role will determine best practices and create accurate automations

Finance and Accounting

In collaboration with the CFO and Controller, act as translation between Operations and Finance to ensure that finances and contracts are congruent. This includes:

• Ensure financial communication across the organization
• Create and deliver monthly financial reports
• Contribute to the monthly Finance meeting
• Send out client invoices

Requirements

Required 

• 7+ years of experience in project management with a proven track record of successfully managing multiple complex projects simultaneously
• Experience in efficiency/process improvement
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and leadership skills with a strong proficiency in project management tools and methodologies
• Ability to work in a dynamic, fast-paced environment, coordinating across many projects, stakeholders, and teams
• Commitment to conducting educational research and development in ways that reflect and support educational equity

Preferred 

• PMP certification or equivalent.
• Knowledge of CRM systems and document management tools.
• Experience working in education research settings, and/or within education systems with teachers, leaders, and other school, district, or state-level partners.
• Experience with participatory, design-based, and mixed-methods research approaches. Familiarity with qualitative and quantitative data analysis techniques.