Operations Associate

The Operations Associate is an entry-level role on the People & Operations team. This person will support the day-to-day administrative, logistical, and systems work that helps Cypress and Grove run well. This is a great role for someone who is highly organized, dependable, curious, and excited to learn how nonprofit and movement infrastructure works behind the scenes.

The Operations Associate does not need to come in knowing everything about fiscal sponsorship, compliance, HR, or finance. We are looking for someone who can follow processes carefully, ask good questions, keep track of details, and help make internal systems clearer and easier to use.The Operations Associate will work closely with the and will support staff across the organization. This role will touch many parts of the organization, including finance administration, hiring logistics, onboarding, staff systems, policy documents, Asana projects, vendors, office supplies, retreats, and governance support.

Key Responsibilities

Finance and NEO Support (25%)

• Prepare invoices, reimbursements, contracts, and supporting documents for submission to NEO.
• Maintain accurate trackers for payments, reimbursements, vendors, and required paperwork.
• Check forms and documents for completeness before submission.
• Help staff understand NEO deadlines, forms, and next steps.
• Prepare notes, follow-up lists, and materials for NEO-related meetings.
• Flag missing information, delays, or process issues to the COO.

HR, People, and Culture Support (10 %)

• Support hiring logistics, including job postings, candidate communication, interview scheduling, and hiring materials.
• Help coordinate onboarding for new staff, including schedules, welcome materials, system access, and first-week logistics.
• Maintain HR folders, personnel documents, PTO/leave records, and people-related files according to NEO and internal policies.
• Support mid-year and annual review logistics, including forms, reminders, calendar holds, and filing completed materials.
• Track professional development budgets and help process related reimbursements.
• Support logistics for retreats, team meetings, wellness activities, celebrations, staff surveys, and internal follow-up.
• Document team agreements, protocols, norms, and action items as directed.

Operations and Internal Systems (25%)

• Support day-to-day administration of internal tools, including Google Workspace, Slack, Asana, shared drives, email lists, and permissions.
• Keep standard operating procedures, templates, folders, and trackers updated and easy to find.
• Build and maintain Asana templates for recurring operations projects.
• Help translate repeated tasks and informal practices into clear checklists, workflows, and shared systems.
• Support staff in finding the forms, documents, tools, and information they need.

South Carolina Office, Facilities, and Vendors (40%)

• Serve as the day-to-day point person for the South Carolina office.
• Keep the office clean, stocked, organized, welcoming, and ready for staff, partners, guests, and in-person meetings.
• Manage mail, packages, office supplies, snacks, materials, equipment, and shared office technology.
• Coordinate with building management, maintenance vendors, cleaners, internet providers, and other office-related vendors.
• Support setup and breakdown for office-based meetings, coworking days, staff gatherings, donor visits, retreats, and partner convenings.
• Maintain office calendars, room reservations, visitor logistics, access procedures, and shared space protocols.
• Track office equipment, furniture, technology, supplies, vendor invoices, renewal dates, and facilities-related expenses.
• Flag repairs, access issues, safety concerns, facilities needs, or vendor problems to the COO.
• Help ensure the office reflects Cypress and Grove’s values of care, accessibility, hospitality, and movement-rooted welcome.

Qualifications

We do not expect candidates to have done every part of this job before. This is an entry-level role for someone who is organized, dependable, willing to learn, and excited to support the daily operations of a small movement organization.

Required Qualifications

• Lives in or within daily driving distance of Columbia, South Carolina, and is able to work from the Cypress office on a daily basis.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks, deadlines, reminders, and follow-up items.
• Clear written and verbal communication.
• Comfort using or learning tools like Google Workspace, Slack, Asana, and shared drives.
• Ability to maintain accurate records, trackers, folders, and files.
• Good judgment with confidential information related to staff, finances, governance, and organizational operations.
• Willingness to ask questions, follow processes, and learn new systems.
• A respectful, service-oriented approach to supporting staff, partners, vendors, and guests.
• Interest in Cypress and Grove’s mission to build power for BIPOC-led social justice movement work in the Carolinas.

Helpful, But Not Required

• Experience in administrative, office, operations, nonprofit, customer service, scheduling, or coordination work.
• Experience supporting a physical office, shared workspace, events, or meetings.
• Experience with invoices, reimbursements, contracts, vendors, or basic finance administration.
• Experience with hiring logistics, onboarding, HR files, or people systems.
• Familiarity with nonprofit, philanthropy, fiscal sponsorship, or movement organizations.
• Familiarity with NEO or another fiscal sponsor.

Cypress Fund is fiscally sponsored by Neo Philanthropy. NEO does not discriminate on the basis of actual, perceived or assumed membership or association with any protected status or characteristic, including but not limited to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship or immigration status, age, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, pregnancy-related conditions and lactation), familial status, caregiver status, height, weight, status as a victim of domestic violence, unemployment status, natural hairstyles, criminal history, on the basis of sexual and reproductive health decision-making (including, but not limited to, a decision to use or access a particular drug, device or medical service), gender identity or expression (including transgender status), sex stereotyping, sexual orientation, marital status, military service and veteran status, disability (meaning any physical, medical, mental, or psychological impairment, or a history or record of such impairment), genetic information, protected medical condition as defined by applicable state or local law or any other status or characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws and ordinances.

This is a full-time, non exempt in person position working Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with occasional evening and weekend hours (40 hours per week). Cypress is a hybrid office; you will collaborate with colleagues across the Carolinas. You should be prepared to work at our South Carolina office. The person in this position must be able to communicate with colleagues and partners via phone, including conference and video calls, and written communication, such as Slack and email. Cypress Fund’s fiscal sponsor, NEO Philanthropy, provides a generous full benefits package for this position, including 100% Medical coverage for the employee and 90% Medical coverage for dependents; 100% coverage for Vision, Dental, Life/AD&D, and Long-term Disability. NEO also administers a 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan, Healthcare Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA), Flexible Spending Account (FSA), Commuter Benefits, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), other supplemental benefits, generous Paid Time Off (PTO), and Paid Family Leave.