Associate Director, Operations

The Learning Accelerator (TLA) is a national nonprofit building an education field where everyone learns faster and changes systems together to ensure every child reaches their unique potential. TLA helps practitioners, leaders, and policy-makers learn faster from success and innovation and apply that knowledge to improve how we are educating students. We research and investigate; we document and publish; we connect, collaborate, and build coalitions. We help school systems improve and offer expertise in areas including emerging technologies, school models, and systems of support. What we are, most of all, is visionaries, not for incremental change, but for a revolutionary shift in how students are educated and how we work together to make that happen.

TLA is searching for a new teammate to join our dynamic nonprofit as the Associate Director, Operations, reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer (COO). The Associate Director, Operations, manages TLA’s internal human resource, compliance, organizational coordination, finance and administration functions, enabling the organization to maximize its resources for programmatic impact and achieve its broader organizational mission. Working closely with Chief-level leaders, the Associate Director:

• Leads, improves, and executes effective human resource and compliance activities, including monitoring, reporting, vendor selection and management, and policy and process development and implementation.
• Supports, improves, and executes effective and streamlined financial and administrative activities, including vendor selection and management, annual and ongoing budget support, disbursement and control of funds, risk management, and policy and process implementation.
• Improves the overall function of the team through collaboration, information-sharing, tool provision, and skill-building to ensure compliance with and ongoing execution of finance, HR, and administrative policies and tools across projects.

Key Responsibilities

Administrative Human Resources and Compliance (40%)

• Lead annual and ongoing selection, performance assessment, and day-to-day management of external providers and vendors, including professional employer organization (PEO) and other team- and board-related insurance and benefits providers. 
• Develop, administer, report on, and improve key HR policies, including managing all aspects of employee benefits, handbook, and onboarding/offboarding.
• Serve as the main point of contact and problem-solver for the organization on all administrative HR processes, questions, issues, and requests, including leadership of administrative onboarding, conflict of interest disclosures and monitoring, and complaints. 
• Proactively monitor changes and ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and requirements set by funders, partners, and government agencies, such as reporting to state unemployment agencies and various annual filings.
• Regularly monitor and analyze internal and external data and market information to ensure TLA’s HR practices, policies, vendor decisions, and operating structures represent the best possible value for the organization, effectively balancing TLA’s external mission needs with goals for culture. 
• Develop processes and tools for regular reporting to leadership and TLA’s external partners. 
• Develop and oversee shared systems and policies for recruitment and hiring processes.

Organizational Coordination and Program Support (30%)

• Oversee technology for the organization, including tracking all technology accounts and renewals, providing ongoing technical support for the team.
• Contribute to the development of and effectively leverage internal knowledge management structures, including TLA’s Google Drive and Monday.com workspaces.
• Lead and coordinate logistics for meetings, events, and team-wide offsites, including preparing materials and scheduling; ordering refreshments for meetings as needed (with attention to various dietary restrictions); obtaining meeting and lodging spaces; vendor management; setting up conference rooms with audio, visual, and conference call needs; taking and distributing notes and minutes; and ensuring proper follow up. 
• Provide advisory guidance, vendor selection, and budgetary tracking support for programmatic events.
• Manage and ensure up-to-date rights and licensing for TLA brand assets, including registered trademarks, logos, and web resources.
• Track and manage important celebrations and holidays across the team.
• Take on special projects at the request of the leadership team.

Finance Support (30%)

• Supports the execution of annual, periodic, and day-to-day financial and business activities, including organization budget management support, processing of payroll, expense reports, expense reimbursements and payments, and vendor invoices.
• Support with the creation and execution of key financial processes, including annual and project budget development and reporting, support development of necessary tools for the team, coordination of reporting schedules, communication with stakeholders, and/or creation or compilation of relevant materials and data. 
• Support with developing, reviewing, and managing agreements and contracts, including sending, receiving, and processing invoices.
• Update, document, and implement all necessary business policies, financial controls, cash management, and other key accounting practices.
• Support with the coordination and management of the annual audit.
• Ensure compliance with all sources of funding, including, but not limited to, public funding and private grants, and all regulatory requirements.
• Create and execute systems for individual donations, including timely acknowledgment of gifts.

Requirements

• Relevant operations experience, with demonstrated knowledge and experience related to administrative HR, reporting and compliance, finance, and day-to-day operational needs of a fast-paced, high-performing team. Nonprofit experience preferred. 
• Adept at using and learning a variety of technology platforms, including GSuite, payroll and benefits administration portals, project management programs, expense reporting software, and accounting programs (Quickbooks, Bill.com, and Expensify experience a plus). 
• Dedicated to upholding TLA’s professional brand and reputation while interacting with all levels of staff, board, and external stakeholders across the education and philanthropic sectors.

• Exceptional interpersonal skills — including a strong ability to communicate in written and oral formats — demonstrating leadership, collegiality, and empathy to maintain credibility, trust, and support.
• Commitment to quality, detail orientation, proactivity, organization, and accountability.
• Passion for TLA’s mission to improve learning and alignment with our core values.
• Commitment to and modeling of practices that support diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Experience and/or comfort with remote work in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.

Benefits

This is a full-time, salaried position with competitive benefits and the opportunity to work in a culture- and mission-focused professional environment. TLA is an unlimited paid-time-off (PTO) and four-day internal meeting week organization. Compensation is commensurate with skills and experience; however, the anticipated salary range for this position is $70,000-80,000.