Operations Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Operations Manager

Location: Washington, D.C.

Reports to: Chief Operating Officer 

Status: Full-time, individual contributor role 

Compensation: $72,000–$100,000, depending on experience and other factors, plus competitive benefits

About Recoding America: Recoding America is a small, non-profit organization. We envision an American government that reliably delivers outcomes in a fast-changing world. We are building a cross-ideological movement to create a more effective operating model for government.

The Opportunity: Keep a Small, Fast-Moving Organization Running Well

Recoding America is looking for an Operations Manager to be the person who makes the organization work day to day: managing the operational processes that support our grantmaking portfolio, providing executive and scheduling support to our CEO and leadership team, planning and executing our convenings and events, running our D.C. office, and serving as the primary administrator for the software and tools we use every day. 

We are a small team doing ambitious work with state and federal governments and a growing coalition of partners. That work depends on a lot of practical things going right: that grants move efficiently from approval through execution and closeout; that we have the software and tools needed to do our work; that events and convenings are well organized; that internal communication is clear; that scheduling is done efficiently so that time is well spent.

The right person takes satisfaction in keeping complex processes moving, a well-run event, a clean inbox, a calendar that holds, and a team that never has to wonder whether the logistics are handled. You will work closely with the COO and have ownership of your areas, with room to improve how we do things as the organization grows.

What You'll Do

This role is dynamic and the weight of activities may shift over time. 

Grantmaking Operations 

• Oversee the operational aspects of our entire grantmaking portfolio, including partnering with our programmatic teams, Head of Finance, accountants, and external partners to ensure that grants move smoothly from ideation to execution to close out 
• Maintain our system of record (AirTable) so that we know the current status of all contracting processes
• Spot and proactively address issues before they become bottlenecks or blockers, ensuring that we are moving contracts forward swiftly and being responsive to grantees and internal stakeholders 
• Develop and improve our internal grantmaking operations processes and systems, helping us make these processes more efficient and effective over time 

Executive Partner and Support 

• Partner with the CEO and leadership team to manage calendars, providing scheduling and administrative support to the leadership team as needed: helping ensure that important topics receive the focus and attention needed
• Use AI to make scheduling and administrative work as easy as possible, freeing you up to focus on the bigger picture judgment calls and decisions
• Prepare briefing materials and updates to ensure that leadership team members enter new contexts prepared
• Serve as an extension and confidante to the CEO and leadership team 
• Serve as the CEO's day-to-day coordination point: triaging inbound requests, drafting correspondence, and making sure commitments made in meetings are tracked and closed

Systems Administration 

• Serve as the primary administrator for the software we run on day to day (Google Workspace, Slack, Airtable, Zoom, and other SaaS tools): managing accounts, permissions, and settings
• Provision and deprovision licenses and accounts as part of onboarding and offboarding, and keep a current inventory of tools, licenses, and renewal dates
• Handle IT and equipment logistics for staff, including device ordering and setup
• Keep our tools documented and usable: maintain how-to guides and standard setups, and be the first stop for staff questions about our systems

Events & Convenings 

• Plan and execute events for the organization, including convenings, roundtables, dinners, and partner events in D.C. and occasionally elsewhere, from venue sourcing and contracting through run-of-show, catering, AV, materials, and day-of management
• Own event logistics end to end: budgets, vendor management, invitations and RSVPs, travel coordination for guests, and post-event follow-up
• Build reusable event playbooks, checklists, and vendor lists

Team Rhythm & Flex Capacity 

• Help keep the organization's internal rhythm running: own the agenda and coordination of our biweekly All Hands meetings; support important cultural touchstones such as Holiday Party and Team Retreat
• Take on special projects and provide flex capacity where it is needed

We expect this role to be dynamic, and the amount of time spent on any one of the categories above will flex up or down depending on the needs of a given week. Your manager (the COO) will be a partner to you in developing your priority list and balancing among competing needs.

What We're Looking For

You are reliable and stay on top of everything. You don’t need to do everything all at once, but you do need to make sure that things don’t slip through the cracks and apply judgment to know where and how to prioritize.You have strong attention to detail, write clearly, and close loops. People who work with you do not have to check whether something got done.

You have an operations mindset. You notice what is broken, fix it quickly, and keep finding ways to do more with the same time and resources. You are at your best when you own a set of things and make sure they simply work.

You are a strong executive support partner. You have supported a senior leader or executive team, manage calendars with judgment rather than just availability, and are comfortable handling confidential information with discretion.

You have run events. You have planned and executed events, convenings, or meetings from start to finish and know what the week before and the day actually look like. 

You are organized and you follow through. You are a utility player. You are comfortable moving between different areas of work, and are energized by a small team where everyone pitches in.

You are comfortable being the go-to person for our tools. You have administered SaaS tools such as Google Workspace or Slack, or can pick that up quickly, and you like keeping accounts, licenses, and access tidy.

Experience

• 4+ years of experience in operations, events, executive support, office management, or a similar role, ideally in a nonprofit, philanthropic, or startup setting
• Demonstrated experience planning and running in-person events
• Experience and command of Google Workspace, Slack, and AI-powered productivity tools, and an aptitude for learning new systems; experience with Airtable a plus
• Experience administering SaaS tools (user accounts, permissions, license management), or a clear aptitude for becoming the go-to person for them
• Based in Washington, D.C. or able to relocate; able to work in person from our D.C. office 2-3 days per week

We encourage anyone who is interested in this role to apply, regardless of whether you feel you meet 100% of the qualifications. The top candidates will bring their own perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds from a variety of sectors along with many but not necessarily all of the qualifications listed above. We especially encourage candidates who feel they would bring ideological diversity to the team to apply.

Working at Recoding America

This role reports to the Chief Operating Officer and works closely with th