Operations Associate / Operations Manager

We are seeking an Operations Associate/Manager to help manage and grow the operational infrastructure of the 501(c)(4) Global Shield, its partner 501(c)(3) organization Global Shield Institute, and our current and future global offices. Since Global Shield is a young organization, this will be a fast paced job, working directly with the Chief of Staff to address ever-changing organizational needs. However, we know that good operational systems are needed for an organization to grow and thrive, so this role will also help design and implement improvements to the foundations of our operations that are compatible with our ambitions of global scale. Because employees are located in multiple countries, a willingness and desire to adapt to multiple time zones, labor and employment laws, and cultures of work is required.

We are seeking someone with both a keen eye for detail and an interest in the big picture of nonprofit operations. The successful candidate will be a proven task/project manager who can ensure nothing slips through the cracks, will bring real-world experience in nonprofit operations best practices to our young organization, and will have an interest in shepherding the growth of a complex global organization. A personal and professional understanding of change management is necessary particularly in an ever evolving environment. This is an exciting opportunity for a mid-career operations professional to grow alongside the organization, taking on increasing autonomy and responsibility for our global operations over the coming years. A more senior hire (in the Operations Manager role) would be expected to provide additional strategic planning capacity to the organization and function in the role with less guidance and oversight.

Key Responsibilities

Operations and administration (about 40% of time)

• Lead the completion of day-to-day operational tasks.
• Become the “point person” for all our subscriptions and service providers, managing access and liaising with providers.
• Track important compliance requirements and deadlines, coordinating with others across the organization as needed.
• Help the Chief of Staff and the Executive Director manage the administration requirements of both our 501(c)(4), Global Shield and 501(c)(3), Global Shield Institute.
• Provide general operational support to country offices.
• Support strategic initiatives like events or special projects as they arise.
• Identify inefficiencies and gaps in our operations and help plan and execute on improvements.
• Understand our changing organizational needs and help us anticipate and plan for future growth and course corrections.

Systems and infrastructure (about 30% of time)

• Lead our organization’s cybersecurity efforts. Depending on prior technical experience, this can be heavily supported by a technical consultant, to be managed by this position.
• Support organizational efforts to improve workflows and project management within and between our teams.
• Assist the organization with key internal tasks like knowledge management and internal communications.
• Help ensure Global Shield has the appropriate systems and infrastructure in place to operate at a larger scale over time.

People operations (about 20% of time)

• Serve as the organization’s liaison for our PEO and EOR providers (Justworks and Globalization Partners), and manage key annual processes with these providers, like benefits enrollment and end-of-year reporting. We do not expect this hire to have prior HR experience nor is it necessary; project management skills are the key requirement for these tasks.
• Help keep the company handbook and other key internal documents up to date as Global Shield grows and changes, especially as we add new country offices.
• Assist with the hiring process, including applicant management and questions related to our PEO and EOR providers.
• Assist hiring managers with onboarding, especially for items related to operations. Over time, create a standardized onboarding process for new hires.

Global expansion and team management (about 10% of time)

• Work alongside the Global Growth and Development Manager to research and eventually set up new country offices for Global Shield. The operational requirements of each location will differ, but we expect that the Operations Associate / Operations Manager will come to be an “expert generalist” in global nonprofit operations over time.
• Lead the planning and logistics of our annual in-person team retreat.

What we’re looking for

We are looking for an individual who resonates with our organizational values and possesses the audacity to tackle global challenges. Global Shield expects its staff to align with our organizational values; we are influential, collaborative, creative, effective, and audacious. The candidate must also demonstrate a range of important qualities:

Required Skills and Experience

• Experience in nonprofit operations and administration: You bring real insights on how to manage the operations of a nonprofit in rapidly changing policy and political environments and know the importance of operations to achieving our mission. This likely looks like 3+ years of professional experience in operations, administration, project coordination, or a similar role
• Top-notch organizational skills: Proven experience as a project manager working with the ability to prioritize across multiple workstreams and meet deadlines
• Experience with a dynamic environment: Experience in a complex, ever changing organizational and operating environment
• Attention to detail: Very little gets by you, and you’re organized in your approach to both big and little tasks
• A focus on task completion: The ability to get things done in a fast paced environment.
• Independent: Demonstrated experience managing competing priorities and following through on tasks with minimal supervision
• Comfort with ambiguity: While we strive to bring order across the organization, the reality of working at a startup requires flexibility, especially as we approach new country offices
• Discretion and tact: Sound judgment when handling sensitive or confidential information
• Communication skills: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
• Collaborative and culturally aware: Ability to work effectively with colleagues and partners across time zones and cultures
• Proficiency with standard office and collaboration tools: Comfort with Google Workspack, Slack, Zoom, Monday.com, and shared drives, plus the ability to learn new tools quickly
• Education: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Desired Skills and Experience

The desired candidate may also offer the following attributes:

• Comfort working with numbers (e.g., budget tracking, expense reports, basic spreadsheets)
• Experience with 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) management and administration
• Experience at a nonprofit organization with global offices
• Experience working in or liaising with government
• Experience working in a remote or distributed team environment (or clear evidence of ability to succeed in one)
• Proficiency in a second language other than English, especially an official NATO language, is a plus