Operations Project Manager

Job Description

At Scholar Leaders, we cultivate Christian theological leaders from the Majority World for lifetimes of impact in churches and societies. Through PhD scholarships, initiatives that strengthen theological institutions, and programs that connect theological leadership with the needs of Church and society, we work alongside leaders and institutions seeking to serve their communities with wisdom, creativity, and faithfulness.

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We are looking for an Operations Project Manager to bring disciplined execution to several of our most important initiatives.

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Depending on candidate experience, the scope of the role would be defined as either mid-level or senior operations and project leadership. It is intended for someone who knows how to take complex work involving staff, external partners, competing priorities, and incomplete information and move it toward clear results. The Operations Project Manager will establish plans and priorities, clarify ownership, set meaningful targets and deadlines, anticipate obstacles, and hold individuals accountable.

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The role will center significantly but not exclusively on BiblioTech and BiblioTech Studio

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( our digital theological resource platform, as well as a new set of portals called Theology Worldwide. Depending on the successful candidate’s capacity and interests, the role will also contribute to other operational priorities across Scholar Leaders.

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We are looking for someone with unusual follow-through and persistence: a person who creates clarity where there is ambiguity, notices when important work is drifting, asks difficult but constructive questions, and keeps work moving to completion.

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The position may be structured at three to five days per week, depending on the qualifications, experience, and interests of the successful candidate, and reports to the Executive Vice President.

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What You’ll Do

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Own BiblioTech and BiblioTech Studio Execution

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• Provide senior project leadership for BiblioTech and BiblioTech Studio, translating organizational priorities into clear plans, milestones, responsibilities, deadlines, and measurable outcomes;
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• Maintain an integrated view of product, technology, content, customer-facing, and operational work so that dependencies, risks, and unresolved decisions are identified early;
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• Serve as a primary operational interface with software development partners, ensuring clear scopes, realistic timelines, transparent communication, and accountability for delivery;
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• Coordinate internal staff, developers, consultants, vendors, publishers, and other partners around agreed priorities and deliverables;
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• Drive resolution when ownership, priorities, timelines, or decisions are unclear so that ambiguity does not stall execution;
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• Establish clear expectations for scope, timing, ownership, and results, and follow up persistently when commitments are delayed or incomplete;
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• Create reliable rhythms that give clear visibility into progress, risks, decisions, and next steps;
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• Identify bottlenecks and unresolved issues, determine what can be solved directly, and escalate decisions that require senior leadership;
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• Help move BiblioTech from reactive problem-solving toward disciplined and sustainable operations; and
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• Identify, evaluate, and guide the transition to a new software developer as appropriate.
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Manage Development of the Theology Worldwide Portals

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• Provide project management for Theology Worldwide, helping move content initiatives from aspiration to sustained execution;
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• Build processes, workplans, and ownership structures that support consistent content creation, review, organization, publication, and maintenance of content;
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• Track progress against goals and intervene when workstreams lose momentum; and
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• Coordinate regional leaders, editorial teams, contributors, staff, and other stakeholders across countries and time zones.
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Strengthen Organizational Execution

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• Help Scholar Leaders translate strategic priorities into operational plans with defined outcomes, owners, timelines, and measures of success;
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• Keep multiple teams and workstreams aligned on agreed objectives;
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• Establish accountability while avoiding unnecessary layers of process;
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• Create systems that make commitments, decisions, deadlines, dependencies, and next steps visible;
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• Facilitate meetings and planning processes that result in clear decisions, ownership, and action;
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• Identify when targets or timelines need to change and ensure that changes are deliberate, transparent, and communicated;
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• Surface operational risks early and help leadership assess tradeoffs and make timely decisions;
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• Bring order and continuity to projects involving numerous stakeholders, shifting circumstances, and competing demands; and
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• Help strengthen Scholar Leaders’ overall capacity to move from strategy to execution.
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Lead Across Relationships, Cultures, and Functions

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• Work closely with Scholar Leaders colleagues across programs, communications, and operations;
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• Build effective working relationships with external project collaborators;
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• Communicate expectations clearly while maintaining the trust and respect necessary for long-term relationships;
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• Exercise sound judgment about when persistence is required, when a plan should change, and when an issue needs senior intervention;
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• Represent Scholar Leaders with professionalism, cultural humility, curiosity, and respect in international and intercultural settings; and
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• Other duties as assigned.
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What We’re Looking For

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• At least three to five years of significant project-management or operational leadership experience, preferably involving complex initiatives with multiple stakeholders;
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• Demonstrated ability to take an ambiguous or under-structured initiative and establish the plans, systems, ownership, and accountability needed to move it forward;
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• Exceptional follow-through, persistence, and a high standard for execution;
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• Strong orientation toward targets, deadlines, commitments, and measurable results;
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• Ability to manage several interconnected workstreams without losing sight of either strategic priorities or operational detail;
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• Confidence holding people accountable to commitments while maintaining productive relationships;
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• Ability to identify risks, dependencies, and bottlenecks early and take appropriate action;
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• Discernment about what requires immediate intervention, what can be delegated, what should be reprioritized, and what needs to be escalated;
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• Ability to communicate complex situations clearly and concisely to organizational leadership;
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• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English;
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• High degree of self-direction and enthusiasm to operate in a small organization where roles often cross traditional functional boundaries;
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• Alignment with Scholar Leaders’ Christian mission, vision, and values, as well as an interest in theological education and the global Church; and
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• Cultural humility and the ability to work respectfully and effectively with colleagues and partners across the Majority World.
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Especially Helpful

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• Experience managing technology products, software-development projects, digital platforms, or technology vendors;
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• Enough technical fluency to ask good questions of software developers, evaluate options, understand risks, and translate between technical and nontechnical stakeholders;
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• Experience identifying, selecting, negotiating with, or transitioning between external vendors or development partners;
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• Experience with content development, publishing, editorial systems, knowledge management, or digital-resource platforms;
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• Experience leading projects across multiple countries, cultures, or geographically distributed teams;
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• Experience in international nonprofit management, theological education, higher education, missions, or another globally networked environment;
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• Professional proficiency in Spanish; and
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• Significant experience living or working in the Majority World.
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Position Structure

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This position may be structured at approximately three to five days per week, depending on the successful candidate’s qualifications, capacity, and interests. The anticipated initial allocation is approximately:

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• Three days per week: BiblioTech and BiblioTech Studio;
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• One day per week: Theology Worldwide; and
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• Additional time, where applicable: broader Scholar Leaders projects and operational priorities.
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These allocations are intended as a starting framework rather than rigid boundaries. As projects develop and organizational priorities change, the portfolio may evolve. The Operations Project Manager reports to the Executive Vice President.

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Compensation

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Compensation will be commensurate with experience, qualifications, and the agreed scope of the position.