Program Operations Manager

Location : Remote
Supervisor : Director of Program Operations
Status : Full-time, exempt, 1 year term

About the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation
Founded in 2000, the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, is the national nonprofit partner to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS). Together, we work to protect America’s most treasured ocean and Great Lakes areas — places of extraordinary biodiversity, maritime heritage, and community value.

Guided by our commitment to Waters for All, the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation connects people to the ocean and Great Lakes through education, conservation, and community engagement.

As the official nonprofit partner of NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, we support 18 marine environments from Massachusetts to American Samoa and the Great Lakes to the Florida Keys. We protect these iconic places, care for marine wildlife and habitats, honor our nation’s maritime heritage, and promote the enjoyment of public waters by all Americans.

Through public fundraising and partnerships, we invest in community stewardship and engagement, on-the-water conservation and restoration, education and outreach in visitor centers and gateway communities, and cutting-edge scientific exploration.

For more than 25 years, we’ve strengthened people’s connections to our ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes—our shared history, culture, and maritime heritage—and built partnerships with coastal communities and businesses tied to over 629,000 square miles of public waters that belong to all Americans.

About the National Marine Sanctuaries
America’s national marine sanctuaries are living classrooms, laboratories, and community assets that protect the waters shaping our shared future. Managed by NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS), this network of 18 marine protected areas is multi-use by nature and spans more than 629,000 square miles of ocean and Great Lakes — from coral reefs and kelp forests to historic shipwrecks and whale migration routes.

In partnership with marine research institutions, universities, and private-public partnerships, activities in each sanctuary are sources of solutions to today’s most pressing challenges. Sanctuaries safeguard marine biodiversity, sustain fisheries, power coastal economies, and inspire stewardship through science, education and outreach, and outdoor recreation from boating to fishing. Many sanctuary gateway communities include visitor centers and community partnerships with zoos, aquariums, and museums that extend this impact — serving as hubs for conservation, innovation, commerce, and tourism where people engage directly with the ocean and Great Lakes.

Together, these sites demonstrate how healthy waters and thriving communities are inseparable — and why protecting them is essential.

What We Need
The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that is a leading voice for U.S. protected waters, is seeking a Program Operations Manager supporting the Sanctuary Community Engagement portfolio,a position responsible for the daily management and administration of operations of the assigned portfolio of programs supporting the current national initiative to designate six national marine sanctuaries. The Program Operations Manager will work closely with the Foundation’s staff as well as federal partners in the National Marine Sanctuary System and throughout NOAA to operationalize project work and provide detailed review and sustained analysis for programs and projects under their portfolio, including managing applications and review processes for grant and contract awards made by the Foundation, particularly operationalizing a new grant initiative to support grants to sanctuary community partners.

This position supports the operational and award management aspects of cooperative work with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries for national, regional, and local initiatives that engage the public in the designation process for sanctuaries. The Program Operations Manager will initially support the operational management of and monitor the pace of completion of federally funded projects but is intended to grow to include privately supported programs.

The Program Operations Manager for Sanctuary Community Engagement will play a critical role in growing our restoration programs. You will be expected to troubleshoot program implementation issues, as well as manage the tracking of funds, including developing and executing spending priorities for several funded projects. You will be the point of contact for technical program managers and other staff on program implementation and communicate guidance on compliance and procurement. The Program Operations Manager will help administer the Foundation’s project and award management database to enhance the efficiency of workflow throughout programs and track metrics and results.

The Program Operations Manager for Sanctuary Community Engagement supports the scope of a federal cooperative agreement between the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation and NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries that focuses on public engagement in the designation process of new national marine sanctuaries.

The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation is committed to a culture of inclusion, equity, and belonging. We are dedicated to attracting and retaining a diverse staff. We honor experiences, perspectives, and unique identities, and welcome the contributions that you can bring to the dedicated team. With a diverse team of employees, we can grow and learn better together and achieve our mission to protect the ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes for current and future generations.

What You’ll Do Program and Award Management

• Develop positive relationships and host check-in meetings with program managers and field liaisons to help facilitate program implementation and foster progress toward project completion according to planned timelines, award compliance, and budgetary goals.
• Help identify cross-functional opportunities between internal departments including federal partner programs and privately funded programs.

Program Implementation

• Ensure program implementation, including overseeing competitive grant programs, is compliant with the Foundation’s policies and procedures and aligns with the strategic plan. Supervise procurement, logistics, and administration, and coordinate across divisions and teams as needed to ensure operational support systems including spend plans and metrics for all field activities under portfolio.
• Act as the primary point of contact with grantees, contractors, and subrecipients, maintaining positive awardee relationships, troubleshooting issues, and tracking compliance; develop and track agreement details; conduct risk check-ins as may be required by internal determination.
• Work on special projects that align with organizational, departmental, and project-related goals.

Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning

• Track and analyze reported results from grantees and contractors using a project management database.
• Influence and provide support for annual budget process in relationship to funded projects in portfolio.
• Support coordination with relevant programs and foster growth by recommending to senior leadership partnership and leadership opportunities aligned with strategic goals and objectives.
• Conduct any necessary monitoring and site visits, regular phone/video-conference check ins, and internal document audits of programs and projects in the portfolio.

Compliance & Knowledge Management

• Keep up-to-date with OMB and agency-specific federal financial assistance award procedures and review and update federal award compliance guidance and procedures documents as needed.
• Reviews invoices, agreements, and other field documentation to ensure compliance.
• Work with the project teams to ensure proper document collection and storage.
• Identify needs among the staff related to technology, compliance, procurement, etc., and implement solutions.
• Convey processes and procedures to staff and partners to maintain alignment with award and internal compliance policies.

Supervisory

• Supervise Foundation project employees working in partner agency locations and build an inclusive environment.
• Assist in the development of annual SMARTIE performance and professional development goals, support and monitor progress towards goals, and conduct annual performance evaluations.
• Approve travel requests, timecards, and time off requests.

Who You Are
You are a collaborative team player with a keen interest in supporting the designation of six national marine sanctuaries, a historic effort that will more than double the size of the National Marine Sanctuary System. You show meticulous attention to detail, and are flexible and adaptable, working with a variety of teams, people, and geographies to accomplish project work. You are a key team member in the Program Operations Division who builds positive working relationships with the Foundation’s Conservation team, Finance team, and partner organizations to accomplish your work. For this program operations role, experience with award management, grants and contracts, and budget analysis will be prioritized over experience with policy, regulations, or public relations.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree and at least 3-5 years of experience in grant administration and/or project management, or 5 years minimum experience in lieu of degree.
• Experience working with grant programs.
• Experience with basic financial management including developing and monitoring budgets and financial reports.
• Ability to perform in a cross-functional team approach and job responsibilities.
• Strong organizational skills, with ability to prioritize work, meet deadlines, and produce quality results with attention to detail.
• Personable in-person and phone demeanor, diplomatic disposition balanced with ability to defend positions and policies.
• Fluency in computer software programs (i.e. Microsoft 365, Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and databases) required.
• Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing; experience producing reports and proposals.
• This is a remote position; however, candidates must be located in the DMV (District of Columbia, Maryland, or Virginia) or in one of the following states: California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Texas, Washington, or Wisconsin.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with federal financial assistance award Uniform Guidance compliance and procurement.
• Experience managing database programs (prior work on SmartSimple or similar platforms like Knack) as well as intermediate-advanced Excel spreadsheet capabilities.
• Some familiarity with government partnership programs.
• A sincere interest in, and commitment to, our mission.

Why You Will Love Us
The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation (“Foundation”) is a leading voice for U.S. protected waters, working with communities to conserve and expand those special places for a healthy ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes. The Foundation works in close partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to increase stewardship of our ocean and Great Lakes through on-the-water conservation projects, education and public outreach activities, and by support for research. Together, we safeguard species and the places they call home and support coastal communities and economies.

• Dedicated and passionate staff committed to marine and Great Lakes Conservation
• Generous leave policy, plus paid time off the week between December 25 and January 1; and 12 paid holidays
• Health benefits: Medical with an FSA option; dental, and vision
• Foundation paid Life and Disability Insurance
• Preparing for the Future: 403(B) with employer contribution after one year of service
• Commuter Benefits

Compensation and Benefits: $67,000 - $73,000/year based on experience. The Foundation offers a competitive benefits package.

Apply through the Foundation’s online portal. A resume, cover letter, and three professional references are required . Applications must be received by October 14, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET.

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The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws. This commitment applies to all employment practices within our organization, including hiring, recruiting, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, leave of absence, compensation, benefits, and training. The Foundation makes hiring decisions based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time.