Director of Operations

About Lannan:

Established in 1960 in Chicago, Illinois, as a private family foundation, the Lannan Foundation operated from Santa Fe, New Mexico, for the last 30 years before closing operations there in 2024. The Foundation focused on four areas – contemporary visual arts, literary arts, indigenous communities, and cultural freedom. In 2022, the Foundation announced its closure by 2032 and decision to deploy all assets in support of the existing mission.

As part of the closing transition, a new operating project, the Lannan Impact Fund, sponsored by the public charitable foundation Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Inc. (RPA), with support from the Lannan Foundation, serves as an independent initiative for new programs and grantmaking. Lannan Impact Fund operates from New York City with a small team. In 2025, its first full year, the Fund partnered on three new collaborative initiatives, including a new shared space for daily work and convenings in downtown Manhattan; a non-fiction media and documentary film partnership; and a new literary arts fund.

Job summary:

We’re looking for an Operations Director who thrives on making things work beautifully — both behind the scenes and in person. You’ll design and run the systems, spaces, and daily rhythms that keep us organized and moving.

This role reports to the Executive Director and collaborates closely with the Director of Grants and Administration. It combines big-picture thinking with a hands-on approach: you’ll help shape strategy one day and move tables or test sound systems the next.

Much of your time will involve planning and implementing all aspects of the operations and events for Lannan’s new office and convening space in downtown Manhattan. This is a creative and collaborative effort, as the open-plan space is collectively shared and produced with four other closely aligned cultural organizations.

What you will do:

Operations and Venue Management (~60%)

• Lead the day-to-day venue operations at the newly-leased office and private convening space (~7,000 square foot loft), coordinating with and supporting the five core partners organizations who are tenants to ensure a highly organized, efficient, and functioning space.
• Plan, implement, and execute all aspects of venue operations – this is a hands-on role (e.g., adjusting temperature, emptying dishwasher, setting tables for meals, hooking up and testing audio for talks).
• Supervise multiple vendor relationships, including cleaning services, building facilities management, indoor plant services, deliveries and couriers, storage, contractors, and equipment maintenance (e.g., HVAC, printers/copiers, IT systems, sound systems).
• Develop and maintain a preferred vendor list aligned with the organization and partner tenants’ values, for daily operations and events.
• Partner with internal colleagues to build, interrogate, refine, overhaul, and operationalize new systems, tools, and processes, including space layout, design, and furnishings and equipment, as well as internal tenant communication protocols related to space.
• Develop and maintain written operating procedures for all partner tenants' use, as well as a detailed, up-to-date database inventory of furniture, supplies, goods, and equipment.
• Order, track, and maintain office, kitchen, and event supplies, aiming to minimize waste and deleterious health and environmental impact.
• Directly operate and maintain, and work with IT contractors and vendors, equipment including printers/copiers, Zoom Room hybrid conferencing setups, sound systems, and digital smart televisions.

Event Production, Logistics & Coordination (~40%)

All on-site events are private, invitation-only, and have limited capacity (<50 people). They include literary readings and salons, sit-down dinners and lunches, team retreats, organizer workshops and labs, board meetings, fundraising receptions, and grantee strategy convenings.

• Develop, review, audit, and operationalize written event guidelines and procedures to ensure all engagements remain aligned with building and organizational policies.
• Act as an event producer for Lannan’s own internal events and sponsored guest events with external partners. Includes managing all event services and details, tracking event progress, conducting walk-throughs, ensuring venue agreements, verifying certificates of insurance, and finalizing room setups, A/V, catering, and security needs.
• Plan and coordinate the overall internal calendar and bookings to ensure a calm day-to-day work environment and manageable event schedule.
• Direct and communicate with expert knowledge of the various event spaces, setups, capacities, and services to guide internal and external stakeholders.
• Act as the primary point of contact for event management with building landlord, space partner organizations, and vendors.

Skills and mindset you will bring:

• A generous and warm host mindset, skilled at anticipating and taking initiative to create an environment imbued with calm and embodying radical hospitality.
• Energetic and DIY punk spirit when it comes to operations and production.
• A proclivity for highly organized, neat, tidy, and clean environments for work and events. You can make swift work with a labeler, know your way around storage containers, learn new software, and have a keen eye for how to arrange space, making it smoothly functioning and beautiful but not stuffy.
• Significant experience and track records in operations – a variety of environments is a plus. Lannan sees operational roles expansively, which could include work in hospitality (restaurants, catering, hotels, clubs), theater, music, and other performing arts, political and campaign organizing, arts and cultural organizations, venue and event management, film festivals, party planning of all kinds, and caring and parenting in family, home, or other care settings.
• Keeping confidences and valuing discretion.
• Ready to plan ahead, set and keep project deadlines and budgets, and show up on time.
• Resourceful at taking the initiative to solve problems and figure things out. You follow up and don’t cut corners.
• Willing to roll up your sleeves and dig in alongside teammates. Calm under pressure.
• Unwavering attention to detail and highly organized – your work is precise and thorough.
• Excellent project management skills – fluidity with spreadsheets, runs of show, vendor databases, and planning materials.
• Comfortable with both cold calls and in-depth, in-person team planning and able to liaise with many people in diverse roles and with a range of experiences. Considerate and polite in your interactions.
• Ability to navigate in a dynamic environment, including the ability to manage multiple work streams with flexibility and adaptability.
• Astute and adroit – spotting and communicating issues early, and offering constructive solutions.

Terms:

• Location: Downtown Manhattan
• Schedule: Although the role offers some flexibility with a 40-hour workweek, it requires a daily on-site presence from Monday through Friday, with availability for occasional special events that may include early mornings, evenings, or weekends.
• Space: Open, shared loft with common areas, three small flex rooms, a communal kitchen, and reception and dining space
• Equipment and Software: Apple systems, Zoom Room conferencing, A/V equipment, scanner/copier. We use standard apps, including Google Workspace, Microsoft Office Suite, 1Password, Airbase, Box, Airtable, Adobe, and DocuSign.
• Physical Demands: This position is mainly sedentary at a desk with extended hours (and breaks) at a computer and keyboard. The position also requires regular movement throughout the space and building, occasional lifting and moving of kitchen and event materials (plates, boxes, supplies, rolling carts), and frequent written and verbal communication with partners. Additional assistance provided for moving or lifting heavier objects.

How to Apply

Please submit your resume via this form by Tuesday, November 4, 2025, at 5:00 PM ET.

All applications are reviewed personally — we don’t use AI in our hiring. Due to our small team, we’re only able to contact candidates who have been selected for interviews.

Full benefits through Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, including:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance (100% covered)
• Paid vacation, sick time, and parental leave
• Office holidays and paid closures
• 401(k) with employer match and contribution
• Commuter benefits and home office support
• Professional development opportunities
• Staff grantmaking program

English fluency