Interim Operations Manager

Position Overview

The Interim Operations Manager is considered the administrative leader of the organization that handles a broad range of day-to-day administrative and operational duties. This is a crucial position that ensures the smooth and compliant functioning of the organization. This role maintains close communication with the Directorate, senior staff, and other staff. This position requires on-site attendance.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Financial and Administrative Management

• Business Management: Maintain all required business licenses, insurance, and tax documents, including business license, tax exemption status, System for Award Management (SAM) registration, and status with other regulatory bodies
• Risk Management: Identify organizational risk, maintain the SLMath Risk Matrix and advise Directorate on risk mitigation
• Business Insurance: Research, manage, and ensure appropriate insurance coverage and limits for all lines of insurance; work with brokers to maintain, revise, and/or add appropriate insurance, including D&O, general liability, umbrella policies, difference in conditions (earth movement), fire, crime, fidelity, fine arts, workers comp, and the like
• Compliance: Responsible for researching, interpreting, and ensuring compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, including those related to employment practices, nonprofit law, health and safety codes, and the like
• Legal: Manage relationships with the SLMath legal team of attorneys (Employment Law, Nonprofit Law, Trademark, Real Estate, ERISA, and Title IX), and consult with them on behalf of the Institute as needed
• Procurement: Manage the entire procurement process: authorize purchases, create purchase orders; author and post RFPs, review proposals, lead and participate in the selection process and negotiate terms
• Contracts: Review, negotiate, and revise all contracts to ensure they are beneficial to the organization; serve as the signatory of 98% of all contracts (within the position’s spending authority); write new contracts and memorandum of understandings (MOUs) as needed
• Finance: support with bi-monthly payroll process; assist the Controller in budget preparations and preparation of financial reports; work with the Controller to review and sign-off on bank reconciliations and journal entries, as well as approve governmental grant payments
• Policy: Create, revise and/or approve organizational policies

Human Resources

• Maintain employment law compliance (postings, mandatory trainings, employee classifications, etc.)
• Lead Benefits Administration for health, dental, vision, and similar plans
• Serve as the Retirement Plan Administrator
• Serve as the Disability Officer responsible for ADA Compliance, reasonable accommodation requests, infectious disease prevention and safety, etc.
• Audit and maintain compliant and orderly personnel files, including preparing and/or revising job descriptions to ensure they are accurate and up-to-date
• Support hiring process, as needed
• Manage annual performance review process; assist with goal setting
• Lead the Institute’s Collegiality, Discrimination and Harassment efforts; perform thorough and confidential investigations, as needed; resolve complaints and issues, as appropriate
• Manage employee lifecycle from onboarding to offboarding, including any employee relations matters that may arise
• Advise on immigration matters and manage SEVIS

Leadership and Management

• Serves as an integral member of the senior management team
• Provides thought partnership to the Directorate on a variety of cross-functional organizational matters offering data-driven and practical recommendations or solutions to complex matters
• Provides coaching, feedback, and general management support to staff

Other duties as assigned.

Job Requirements

The emphasis is on team work, leadership, interpersonal skills, and excellent communication. Demonstrate strong management and financial knowledge. Strong organization skills and the ability to multitask are also key competencies. In addition, they must possess a positive and productive disposition when interacting with all members of the SLMath community (staff, members, and participants) and demonstrate a proactive and thoughtful approach in responding to members’ needs as they arise. This position requires availability to work on some evenings and weekends during special events and Board meetings.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience; MBA or advanced business degree or certificate preferred, but not required
• Minimum of 5 years of nonprofit management experience; experience with academic environments strongly desirable
• Prior experience serving as the operational leader of a CA nonprofit organization, including the leadership of HR, benefits, and payroll functions
• Professional risk management experience
• People management experience is a plus
• Proficient at multitasking, organizing, attending to detail, meeting deadlines and delegating appropriately
• Advanced computer and typing skills, including proficiency using software like Zoom, Microsoft Office 365 suite, G suite, and other desktop publishing applications
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Foreign language(s) capabilities desirable, but not required

About SLMath

The Simons Mathematical Sciences Institute (SLMath) is an internationally renowned mathematics institute that was founded in 1982 as an independent non-profit corporation located on the campus of the University of California at Berkeley. Its fundamental purpose is to further research in the mathematical sciences through major programs of a semester or a year, through workshops and through post-doctoral training. The Institute hosts an average of 80 researchers in residence at any given time and holds approximately 25 workshops per year with 60-140 participants per workshop. SLMath also engages in outreach to other sciences, to the public, and to various efforts in education, and it is active in encouraging diversity in the research population.

This position is partially funded through a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF)

Position Details

• Pay range: $70K - $95K (0.75 FTE pay rate)
• Benefits: This position offers full health benefits (group health, dental, and vision plans), a retirement plan, and a competitive and robust benefits package that includes generous time-off.
• Timeline: approximately July 2025 - March 2026
• Location: On-site position (not remote) at Berkeley office