The Ohio River Valley institute (ORVI), an independent nonprofit providing research and solutions for a more sustainable, equitable, democratic, and prosperous Appalachia, is hiring for the newly created position of Operations Manager.
Ohio River Valley Institute Operations Manager Job Opportunity
The Operations Manager will join a high-performing team committed to excellence and working to ensure that our communities throughout Appalachia can thrive. This position is critical to the long-term success of the organization, adding much needed capacity to our administrative team at a time of exciting growth and ensuring it is running smoothly and efficiently. Specific responsibilities include supporting organizational development, financial management, and administrative operations.
We seek candidates with at least 3 years of program or office operations and financial management experience, experience and aptitude building out brand new systems and platforms, and strong prioritization, relationship management, and communications skills.
We don’t believe in a “perfect” candidate. If you believe this is a role that you’ll be excited to work in each day, want to be part of a supportive team culture, and are excited by the chance to contribute to the growth and impact of an organization like ours, please apply!
Join us in building a more prosperous, sustainable, and equitable Appalachia!
SALARY: $55,000 – $70,000 DOE; includes generous benefits package
Applications submitted by December 3, 2023 will be given full consideration. Applications will be reviewed as soon as they are received; initial screening calls are anticipated to begin as early as the week of November 20, 2023. Early applications are strongly encouraged.
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About the Ohio River Valley Institute
Founded in 2020, the Ohio River Valley Institute supports communities in the region working to advance a more prosperous, sustainable, and equitable Appalachia. The Institute produces data-driven research and proposes policies to improve the economic performance and standards of living for the greater Ohio River Valley, with a focus on shared prosperity, clean energy, and equitable democracy.
With nine full-time staff members, our organization is fully remote and operates as a program of the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies. Our work covers the Appalachian states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky, and after just three years in operation our team has already made a significant impact, bringing the challenges and opportunities facing our region to national audiences. Our work has been featured in the media hundreds of times, including high profile stories at NPR’s StateImpact, Forbes, ProPublica, The New Republic, and CNN.
The Institute is engaged in boundary-pushing, cutting-edge work in some of the most challenging and exciting sectors, including: building shared prosperity and clean energy; hydrogen and carbon capture; natural gas; petrochemicals and plastics; and repairing the damage from fossil fuels. Our research portfolio includes long-form reports and informative blog posts, and our communications team ensures that this work reaches the audiences who need it most through traditional and social media channels.
Our organizational culture is one of collaboration and excellence, with deep respect for one another and an openness to new perspectives.
Organizational Commitment to Equity
As an independent research center, the Ohio River Valley Institute (ORVI) is committed to ensuring that our work accurately incorporates learnings from, and contemplates the potential impact on, people with a broad range of backgrounds and experiences in the region. We recognize that where equity is absent, there are no strong communities, thriving economies, or healthy environments.
The Ohio River Valley Institute has contributed to equity in our communities in two key ways: shining a light on the false economic promises made by the fossil fuel industry and examining the cost to working families in the region if we do nothing to shift our policy landscape and economic development strategy to better support the working people of the region.
Position Opportunities
In this role, you will have the opportunity to join a professional, high-performing team committed to excellence and working to ensure that our communities throughout Appalachia can thrive. This position is critical to the long-term success of the organization, adding much needed capacity to our administrative team at a time of exciting growth. Working directly with the Executive Director, the Operations Manager will have visibility into all functions across the organization and will be a collaborative partner in streamlining internal organizational processes and improving our overall performance and growth trajectory.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities
The Operations Manager is a new position that will promote ORVI’s ability to fulfill its mission by ensuring it is running smoothly and efficiently. The Operations Manager will report to the Executive Director and work in close collaboration with the entire staff team as well as the organization’s fiscal sponsor, the Community Foundation of the Alleghenies.
The Operations Manager will hold the following responsibilities:
Organizational development support
- Help build and refine team and organizational processes and systems.
- Identify, integrate, and improve technology, software, tools, and processes that enable efficient and effective operations, communications, and collaboration.
- Anticipate problems and proactively pursue solutions that promote operational efficiency and effectiveness; this could include securing professional support services for specific organizational needs.
- Actively participate in sustaining a healthy and active team culture and remote work environment.
Financial management support
- Track financial activity and support accurate and timely financial reporting.
- Collaborate with ORVI’s fiscal sponsor to ensure accurate and timely payment of invoices and tracking of expenses.
- Assist with tracking grant deadlines, including proposals, grant reporting, and other compliance requirements from ORVI’s funders.
- Work closely with the Executive Director to track budgets and help develop budget scenarios to inform decision-making.
Administrative and operations support
- Provide logistical support for ORVI convenings, meetings, travel, and other organizational events.
- Support various HR tasks, including the onboarding of new staff and maintenance of HR systems and protocols provided by ORVI’s fiscal sponsor.
- Maintain organizational files and documents.
- Support other daily and weekly operational tasks and projects for both internal and external facing relationships, as assigned.
Ideal Candidate Qualifications
We seek candidates with many of the following qualifications and who are able to identify where they will need to further develop. If this job posting piques your interest, we encourage you to apply!
- Candidates must share our commitment to building a more prosperous, sustainable, and equitable Appalachia.
- Minimum of 3 years experience in program or office operations and administration, especially in a fast-paced rapid-growth environment.
- Ideal candidates will have experience envisioning, creating, and maintaining organizational systems and structures.
- Essential skills include fluency using spreadsheets (in Excel and Google Sheets) to generate financial reports and budget projections.
- Strong candidates will have excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to proactively communicate individual needs effectively and an openness to receiving feedback.
- Able to think quickly and effectively manage and proactively prioritize day-to-day projects and tasks.
- Able to operate both independently and collaboratively, balancing independent judgment and decision making with seeking clarification, collaboration and following existing processes when needed and available.
- Exceptionally well organized with high attention to detail.
- Holds themselves to a very high standard of professional integrity, including confidentiality and dealing with sensitive information.
- Strong commitment to social justice and fluency with equity practices.
- Bring a customer service mindset to both internal and external relationships, building and nurturing rapport and trust, and placing high value on relationship management is desired.
- Experience with grant administration and grant reporting is desired but not required.
- Current or past lived and/or work experience in the Ohio River Valley region of the United States is a plus.
Compensation and Benefits
This is a full-time salaried remote position, requiring a willingness to work some evenings and weekends and does include occasional travel throughout the Ohio River Valley region as well as the country. The annual salary range is between $55,000 – $70,000 depending on qualifications and experience.
Through our program host, the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies, the Institute offers generous benefits including health, vision, and dental care coverage as well as paid holidays and vacation time and a match toward your 401K retirement plan.
Equity-Based Hiring
The Ohio River Valley Institute, a program of the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies, is an equal employment opportunity employer. People of color, LGBTQIA people, and women are strongly encouraged to apply. We believe that a diverse workforce and inclusive workplace culture enhance our ability to fulfill our mission. Employment and promotional opportunities are based upon individual capabilities and qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, sexual orientation, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic as established under law.
How to Apply
Online applications only, please no email or paper submissions. Click here to apply via Clover Search Works. You will be asked to upload a cover letter and resume.
In your cover letter, please describe as specifically as you can:
- Your interest in and connection to the goals, mission, and vision of ORVI
- How your experience aligns with the job responsibilities and ideal qualifications described in this announcement.
Applications received by December 3 will be given full consideration; early applications are strongly encouraged! All applications will be acknowledged via an email receipt. Consideration will be given to applications as soon as they are received; initial screening calls are anticipated to begin as early as the week of November 20.
Benefits
This is a full-time salaried remote position, requiring a willingness to work some evenings and weekends and does include occasional travel throughout the Ohio River Valley region as well as the country. The annual salary range is between $55,000 – $70,000 depending on qualifications and experience.
Through our program host, the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies, the Institute offers generous benefits including health, vision, and dental care coverage as well as paid holidays and vacation time and a match toward your 401K retirement plan.