Operations Lead

Outer Coast Operations Lead Position Description

Outer Coast aspires to be a two-year liberal arts college in Sitka, Alaska built on the pillars of academics, service & labor, and self-governance. We seek an Operations Lead to guide our administrative systems and structures. We offer an innovative model of higher education that bridges Indigenous and European ways of knowing and serves not only students but also families, elders, and community members. Our vision is to create a new pathway for students to unlock the promise of higher education: empowering young people whose talents could go unrealized, bridging the gap between high school and four-year institutions that match students’ potential, serving as a launchpad for their educational and career aspirations, and giving them the tools to transform their own lives, their communities, and the broader world. In August 2024, we launched our two-year undergraduate program as our next step toward realizing our vision. To date, we have run six academic programs for high school graduates and eight Summer Seminars for current high schoolers, serving more than 230 students from across Alaska and the globe. For more on Outer Coast, see outercoast.org.

Outer Coast

Our model is founded on the pillars of academics, service & labor, and self-governance, inspired in part by Deep Springs College in California. Outer Coast fosters a culture of excellence in liberal arts teaching and learning which extends beyond the abstract, cloistered, and didactic and into the concrete, place-based, and practical. Students are immersed in the real world rather than isolated from it by bearing responsibility for and contributing to the interconnected community of Sitka and Lingít Aaní, the land of the Tlingit people. An Outer Coast education does more than teach critical thinking and grant degrees: it provides students with the purpose, skills, and mindsets to tackle challenging problems. As co-creators and stewards of the institution, they develop the agency and ability to make decisions that have meaningful consequences for our world at large.

About half of all Outer Coast students are Alaskan—most of whom are Alaska Native and/or from rural Alaska. We meet 100% of demonstrated financial need for all students. After two years at Outer Coast, students are in a position to transfer, with the support and guidance of Outer Coast staff, to four-year institutions to complete their undergraduate education.

Operations Lead Role and Responsibilities

The Operations Lead is responsible for stewarding the complex, interrelated systems that allow Outer Coast to function smoothly as both a school and a nonprofit. This role sits at the center of the institution’s operational life, holding together administrative, financial, authorization and accreditation, admissions, and program systems.

The Operations Lead brings a high level of detail-orientation, proactivity, and composure to a fast-moving and evolving environment. They are someone who can track many moving parts without losing sight of the whole; who designs and maintains systems and prevents things from slipping through the cracks; and who approaches logistics and problem-solving with steadiness, clarity, and thoroughness. This role involves close collaboration with all Outer Coast community members—faculty, staff, and students—to help ensure the institution runs smoothly.

The Operations Lead is a primary collaborator on the Outer Coast operations team and reports to the Chief Operating Officer.

Key responsibilities include:

Institutional Systems & Operations

• Build, maintain, and continually refine the behind-the-scenes systems that keep Outer Coast running smoothly (e.g. Airtable bases, student records, donor data, insurance and liability policies, and other core infrastructure)
• Create, organize, and steward essential forms and documentation for staffulty, students and parents, visitors, and partners—ensuring information is easy to find, up to date, and handled with care
• Steward the organization’s financial health by managing expenses, revenue tracking, invoices, check-writing, subscriptions, and accounts with maximum precision
• Manage legal, insurance, HR, and administrative requirements
• Support institutional compliance and reporting for postsecondary institutional authorization; support our pathway to attaining independent accreditation
• Oversee the Outer Coast website on WordPress and guide the direction of our public presence and communications—ensuring all pages are kept up-to-date, preparing stories and other copy, and strengthening our web design

Academic Administration, Tuition, & Student-Facing Operations

• Manage student enrollment processes, forms, surveys, and course registrations across multiple terms and partner institutions
• Coordinate backend logistics and event planning for gatherings, visiting groups, and program milestones
• Oversee tuition and cost of attendance processes, including creating student invoices, managing billing, supporting students and families in making payments, and maintaining the internal tuition data information system
• Support student recruitment and admissions processes for the undergraduate program and summer seminar

This role offers a unique learning experience and the chance to shape the DNA of Outer Coast as a groundbreaking higher education model. It’s an immersive, fast-paced position that demands dedication and a detail-oriented mindset.

Individuals interested in this position should familiarize themselves with the Outer Coast website and these media articles (Alaska Beacon, EdSurge, New York Times, KCAW Raven Radio, Inside Higher Ed, and the Economist)

Required Qualifications

• Alignment with and commitment to Outer Coast’s mission
• Strong systems thinking
• Exceptional attention to detail
• Calm, steady, and proactive approach to high-stakes projects
• Excellent written communication skills
• Impeccable integrity and discretion when handling confidential information
• Ability to work independently while remaining deeply collaborative and responsive to team needs

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in higher education and/or nonprofit operations
• Familiarity with accreditation, compliance, or other regulatory processes
• Advanced comfort with Excel, Airtable, CRMs, SIS (student information system), or other data management tools
• Experience living or working in Alaska, or demonstrated familiarity with Alaska Native communities and contexts
• Experience managing complex administrative, operational, or logistical systems with a high level of precision

We especially encourage applications from Alaskans and Alaska Natives, as well as other identities representative of the students we seek to serve.

Salary & Benefits

• The starting salary for this position is $50,000.
• Outer Coast provides staff with health insurance, including dental and vision coverage.

Application Requirements

To apply to the Operations Lead position, please submit the following materials as a single PDF:

• Statement of purpose addressing why you are interested in this position and which experiences (work, volunteer, community) have prepared you for this role
• Resume including all relevant work experience
• Three references to be contacted

Please submit all application materials to Rachel Thomson (rachel@outercoast.org) with the subject “[Name of Applicant]: Outer Coast Operations Lead Application”. The position is open until filled. Questions? Email rachel@outercoast.org.

Outer Coast provides staff with health insurance, including dental and vision coverage.