ONG (Setor Social)
Programs & Operations Manager
Detalhes
Descrição
The Many Brains Project | employment@manybrains.net
Remote (U.S.-based. Eastern Time Zone Preferred) | Full-Time
About The Many Brains Project
The Many Brains Project is a nonprofit organization focused on advancing cognitive and behavioral science through scalable digital assessment tools, scientific infrastructure, and open research resources. We develop and support the TestMyBrain platform, including TestMyBrain cognitive assessments, public educational and research resources, and the TestMyBrain Digital Lab. Our work supports researchers, clinicians, educators, and organizations around the world through scientifically rigorous cognitive testing, large-scale behavioral data collection, and research collaboration. We also serve as the technology lead for major research initiatives, including the Open Measurement Network Initiative for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (OMNI ADRD) — a major project funded by the National Institutes of Health that spans 50 research teams across 25 sites nationwide, focused on developing the next generation of digital tools for early detection and monitoring of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Projects like OMNI ADRD depend on the kind of open, scalable infrastructure we specialize in building.
We are mission-driven, collaborative, and deeply committed to rigorous science, long-term thinking, and meaningful real-world impact. We believe scientific infrastructure matters, and we are building tools that help advance research and improve understanding of human cognition and behavior.
About the Role
We are seeking a highly organized, adaptable, and proactive Programs & Operations Manager to help expand the organizational capacity of Many Brains.
We are currently a small and growing team. As a result, every team member has meaningful ownership, significant autonomy, and opportunities to contribute across many aspects of the organization. We are actively expanding our team and organizational capacity, creating opportunities for individuals who enjoy helping shape systems, processes, and the future direction of a growing mission-driven organization.
This role is ideal for someone who enjoys helping organizations function effectively, takes pride in solving a wide variety of problems, and wants to play a meaningful role in a small mission-driven team. Candidates may come from backgrounds such as nonprofit operations, program management, project management, research administration, startup operations, academic administration, partnership management, or related fields.
As a small nonprofit organization, we rely on team members who are versatile and willing to contribute across a wide range of activities. No two weeks are exactly alike. One day you may be coordinating a custom research study, the next you may be updating website content, preparing materials for a conference, improving an internal workflow, assembling grant documentation, or helping solve an unexpected operational challenge.
This role is designed for someone who finds that variety energizing, takes pride in helping organizations succeed, and is motivated by accomplishing meaningful work regardless of whether a task is strategic, operational, administrative, or logistical.
The Programs & Operations Manager will work closely with organizational leadership and will play a central role in supporting researcher partnerships, developing research studies, public resource dissemination, organizational operations, and a variety of evolving organizational priorities. We are looking for someone who can independently own complex work, exercise sound judgment, identify what needs to happen next, and help ensure that important organizational priorities move forward without requiring detailed day-to-day direction.
Our most successful team members combine initiative with humility. They are willing to lead projects, take responsibility for outcomes, and contribute wherever needed. No task is considered beneath anyone. Success in this role requires someone who is equally comfortable leading a new initiative, coordinating a complex research project, preparing Board materials, updating website content, organizing documentation, or handling routine administrative and logistical work.
Successful candidates will be thoughtful, detail-oriented, resourceful, and comfortable working independently in a collaborative environment that values flexibility, communication, continuous improvement, and a strong team-first mindset.
Who Thrives Here
Successful team members at Many Brains tend to:
- Enjoy solving a wide variety of problems
- Take initiative without needing detailed instructions
- Value mission and impact over hierarchy and titles
- Adapt comfortably as priorities evolve
- Take ownership of outcomes rather than specific tasks
- Exercise good judgment when managing competing priorities
- Find satisfaction in helping a small organization succeed
- Are equally willing to tackle strategic projects and routine operational work
Responsibilities
Research Programs & Partnerships
- Manage research studies from initial inquiry through project completion
- Serve as a primary point of contact for external researchers and organizational partners
- Coordinate project timelines, deliverables, communications, and documentation across multiple stakeholders
- Monitor study progress and proactively identify potential issues or delays
- Support implementation of new research collaborations and organizational initiatives
Public Resources & Communications
- Support dissemination and maintenance of public-facing educational and research resources
- Coordinate website updates, announcements, newsletters, and outreach materials
- Assist with conference preparation, presentations, and organizational communications
- Help ensure public-facing materials remain accurate, current, and accessible
Operations & Organizational Support
- Develop, improve, and maintain internal systems, workflows, and operational documentation
- Help ensure organizational priorities and projects move forward effectively
- Support grant administration, reporting, and compliance activities
- Coordinate vendors, contractors, and external service providers as needed
- Assist with board and governance support activities
- Draft, review, and manage a variety of organizational documents and communications
- Help maintain organizational records, documentation, and administrative systems
- Identify operational challenges and propose practical solutions
- Contribute to organizational initiatives and special projects as needs evolve
In Your First Year, You May:
- Become the primary coordinator for custom research studies and external researcher relationships
- Improve project tracking, documentation, and communication systems across the organization
- Expand and streamline dissemination of Many Brains educational and research resources
- Develop new operational processes that reduce administrative burden on leadership
- Support grant reporting, compliance tracking, and administration activities
- Assist with preparation of Board materials, meeting logistics, and governance support activities
- Improve organizational systems, documentation, and workflows
- Coordinate conference, partnership, and outreach activities
- Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, communication, and collaboration across the organization
- Take ownership of additional organizational functions aligned with your strengths, interests, and organizational needs
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience
- 4+ years of relevant professional experience in program or project management, research administration or operations, software/technology project management, nonprofit management or a related field
- At least 2 years of experience independently owning complex projects, programs, or workstreams from planning through completion
- Demonstrated experience managing projects or programs involving research, software/technology development, or other complex technical work
- Experience coordinating work across technical and non-technical stakeholders, such as software engineers, researchers, project leads, external partners, or organizational leadership
- Demonstrated experience simultaneously managing multiple projects or workstreams with competing priorities and deadlines
- Demonstrated experience serving as a primary point of contact for external stakeholders, such as clients, researchers, partners, collaborators, or similar groups
- Demonstrated experience creating, redesigning, or substantially improving an organizational system, workflow, or process
- Excellent professional written and verbal communication skills
- Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail
- Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, and identify what needs to happen without detailed day-to-day direction
- Strong problem-solving skills and a proactive approach to identifying and addressing challenges
- Comfort working across diverse responsibilities and adapting to changing priorities
- Willingness to contribute across both high-level and routine administrative, operational, and logistical responsibilities in support of organizational goals
Nice to Have
- Experience managing research projects that involve software development, digital tools, data collection systems, or other research technology
- Experience supporting academic researchers or research programs
- Familiarity with federally-funded and/or grant-funded projects
- Experience managing external partnerships or client-facing projects
- Experience with project management and collaboration tools
- Experience developing operational workflows and standard operating procedures
- Familiarity with cognitive science, behavioral science, education, or health research environments
Benefícios
Compensation & Benefits
- Salary range: approximately $75,000–$95,000 depending on experience and qualifications
- Fully remote work environment (U.S.-based; Eastern Time Zone preferred)
- 22 vacation days, 11 organization-wide holidays, 1 floating holiday, 2 paid personal days, 8 paid sick days
- 401(k) retirement plan with employer matching after 6 months of employment
- Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits for full-time employees, including employer-supported dependent coverage
- Flexible and supportive remote work culture with established core collaboration hours
- Opportunities for professional growth and long-term career development
- Meaningful ownership and autonomy within a mission-driven nonprofit organization
Localização
Local Associado
Como se inscrever
How to Apply
Please submit the following materials to employment@manybrains.net:
Resume or CV
Please include your current resume or curriculum vitae.
Responses to the Application Questions
Rather than submitting a traditional cover letter, please provide brief responses to the four questions below. Please limit each response to 150 words or fewer.
1.Mission, Motivation & Fit
After reading this posting and learning about Many Brains, what specifically makes this role a good fit for what you want next in your career? What aspect of the role do you think would be most challenging for you?
2.Building Better Systems
Tell us about a system, workflow, or process you personally created or substantially redesigned, ideally in a research, technical, or similarly complex environment. What wasn't working, what did you change, and what was the result?
3.Ownership & Initiative
Tell us about a time you noticed something important needed to be done that wasn't clearly your responsibility. What did you do, why did you decide to step in, and what was the outcome?
4.Prioritization & Judgment
Imagine you begin your workday and discover the following:
- A researcher is waiting for an urgent response.
- A grant report is due tomorrow.
- Your supervisor asks for help preparing materials for an upcoming Board meeting.
- A conference submission deadline has unexpectedly been moved up.
Briefly describe what you would do first, what could wait, what additional information you would seek, and what you would communicate to others. We are less interested in a single "right" answer than in understanding how you think through competing priorities.
Writing Sample
Please include one writing sample of no more than two pages that reflects your own professional writing.
This does not need to be a formal publication. We are interested in seeing an example of clear, organized, professional writing relevant to the kinds of work performed in this position. Examples might include:
- Standard operating procedures (SOPs) or process documentation
- Internal documentation or guidance
- Project plans
- Meeting summaries or minutes
- Research coordination documents
- Training materials
- Grant administration materials
- Reports or proposals
- Communications intended for researchers, collaborators, partners, or colleagues
If necessary, confidential or identifying information may be removed or redacted. If the sample was collaboratively written, please briefly describe your contribution.
Application Requirements
Applicants must be:
- Authorized to work in the United States without current or future employment visa sponsorship
- Available for full-time employment
- Able to regularly work during Many Brains’ established core collaboration hours (9am-5pm ET)
- Comfortable with the posted salary range for this position
Applications that do not include all requested materials or substantially exceed the stated response limits may not be considered. Due to expected volume, we will be unable to respond to every application.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and the position will remain open until filled.
We recognize that strong candidates may not match every qualification listed above. If you are excited about the role and believe your background could contribute to our work, we encourage you to apply.
The Many Brains Project is an equal opportunity employer. We value diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences, and we are committed to building an inclusive and collaborative workplace.
