Operations Specialist

ECMC Group is a nonprofit corporation focused on helping students succeed. Headquartered in Minneapolis, ECMC Group and its family of companies provide financial tools and services, as well as funding for innovative programs to help students achieve their academic and professional goals.

Job Summary

The Creative Operations Specialist Senior serves as the primary point of contact for managing projects for a broad range of audiences across ECMC Group companies. This role is accountable for the intake, day-to-day management, tracking, documentation, and coordination of projects for internal and external communication channels.

This role requires building and maintaining relationships with internal business stakeholders, as a trusted advisor and a liaison for the Communications Team. Responsible for scheduling, organizing, and recording project decisions and action items, while managing projects from beginning to end. Success in this position requires exceptional written and verbal communication skills, the ability to work both independently and collaboratively and a commitment to maintaining high standards of quality, confidentiality, and organizational alignment.

This position is classified as hybrid and requires attendance in Minneapolis on designated in-office days.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Facilitate project intake, evaluation, and forecasting, including scheduling kickoff meetings as needed; understand and own the documentation of takeaways for project goals and objectives

• Plan, coordinate and adjust project schedules, adapting as needed to changes during the project life cycle, while managing priorities across all projects

• Coordinate review and approval cycles with stakeholders, Communications team members, legal/compliance partners, and other subject matter experts as needed.

• Facilitate project meetings by preparing agendas, documenting decisions, capturing action items, and following up with owners.

• Serve as the primary point of contact for business stakeholders, answering inquiries and proactively addressing concerns, while seeking appropriate direction from leadership and key partners

• Investigate, troubleshoot, and resolve concerns as the intermediary between stakeholders and the Communications Team

• Support documentation and reporting mechanisms tracking the effectiveness of communication strategies and channels, providing data and feedback to drive continuous improvement

• Monitor project outcomes and stakeholder feedback to recommend improvements for future creative services support

• Performs other duties and responsibilities as assigned

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in marketing, communications or related field or additional 2 years of relevant communications experience in lieu of degree

• 5+ years of creative project management and account support experience in a corporate, agency, or non-profit setting

• Demonstrated ability to leverage strong interpersonal skills to build trust-based relationships and work effectively both independently and as part of a team

• Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams and internal stakeholders to deliver integrated communications solutions

• High proficiency in MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)

• Hands-on experience with project management applications (Asana, Basecamp, Monday.com, Workfront, Wrike, or similar tools)

• Familiarity with communication metrics and continuous improvement processes

• Experience handling confidential information with discretion

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience delivering process and workflow improvement; works to identify gaps and recommend improvements or new processes

• Practical experience managing or supporting events for internal or external audiences

• Project Management (PMP) certification

• Experience working in an agency-style environment with multiple stakeholders, projects, deadlines, and creative deliverables

• Experience applying change management tactics to develop clear, timely communications that support stakeholder understanding, adoption, and engagement

• Familiarity collaborating with UX/UI teams for Web development

• Experience partnering with and/or coordinating work with third-party vendors and contractors

• Experience working with or for government agencies, nonprofit/education sector, financial services and/or student loan industry

The pay range for this position is $80,000 - $95,000. Actual compensation may vary based on factors such as relevant experience, peer and market benchmarks, and geographic location.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

ECMC Group also provides a comprehensive benefits package:

• Health & wellness benefits:Medical, dental, and vision insurance plan options, with a generous employer subsidy. Company paid life & disability insurance, pre-tax flexible spending accounts and robust wellness programs.
• Financial benefits:Generous 401(k) plan with a company match up to 6% and additional discretionary contribution potential, holiday time off, paid time off accrual starting at 20 days/year and commuter subsidy.
• Education benefits:Tuition reimbursement up to $10,500/year for approved programs and student loan payment reimbursement up to $4,800/year.Up to $5,250 of qualifying education benefits can be reimbursed pre-tax.