Program Operations & Data Systems Manager, AI for Nonprofits Sprint

Description

AI for Nonprofits Sprint | Fund for the City of New York

Location: Hybrid (2-days in office per week))

Compensation: $55,000 - $70,000 / year based on experience

Duration: Full-time through March 2027, with potential to extend

Reports to: Associate Director, AI for Nonprofits Sprint

About Us

The AI for Nonprofits Sprint is helping democratize AI literacy across the nonprofit sector. In our first year, we worked with 139 organizations and trained 38,000 nonprofit staff—far exceeding our initial goals. Now we're scaling dramatically: in 2025-2026, we're bringing basic AI literacy to 100,000 staff across 1,000 nonprofits.

We're a startup within an established nonprofit (Fund for the City of New York). We're building fast, experimenting constantly, and scaling rapidly. If you're the kind of person who loves making systems work smoothly so others can focus on impact, this could be a great fit.

The Role

As Program Operations & Data Systems Manager , you're the backbone of the Sprint. While others focus on relationships and content, you make sure all our systems, data infrastructure, and workflows are scalable, reliable, and continuously improving.

You will own and optimize our core tech stack (Airtable, Zoom, Zoho, spreadsheets, and integrations), while also identifying opportunities to strengthen how our systems connect and scale over time. This role sits at the intersection of operations, data, and technical implementation.

This role is perfect for someone who loves to build and evolve infrastructure, maintain data integrity, and wants to grow systems and learn about new tools.

What You'll Do:

• Manage and evolve our tech infrastructure: Own Airtable databases, Zite, Zoom settings, Zoho, Google Workspace, and other platforms. Ensure systems are scalable, well-structured, and reliable.
• Design and improve data systems: Maintain high-quality, well-organized datasets across member organizations, Fellows, facilitators, and program engagement.
• Generate reports and dashboards: Pull data from multiple sources to create clear reports tracking engagement metrics, survey responses, and program progress. Make the numbers tell a story.
• Handle administrative coordination: Manage invoicing for member organizations, coordinate team scheduling, process payments, and keep administrative workflows moving.
• Build and optimize systems: Don't just maintain what exists—proactively identify inefficiencies and build better processes. Automate where possible, simplify where needed.
• Support the team: Provide tech support and training to team members. Make sure everyone can use our systems effectively. Act as a go-to resource for troubleshooting and improving workflows.
• Track program data: Maintain databases of member organizations, Fellows, facilitators, and participation metrics. Ensure data accuracy and completeness.
• Special projects: You report to the Associate Director and receive most tasks from them, but you’ll also work on smaller projects directly with the Director.

You'll Be Great at This If:

• You think in systems, data structures, and workflows, not just tasks.
• You are comfortable working across tools and figuring out how they connect.
• You have experience building or significantly improving databases, CRMs, or operational systems.
• You understand automation and integrations, and look for opportunities to reduce manual work.
• You already use AI tools regularly. You use ChatGPT, Claude, or similar tools to help with your work—maybe to write formulas, troubleshoot issues, or automate repetitive tasks.
• You work well independently. You don't need constant direction. When you see a problem, you solve it. When something's unclear, you figure it out or ask good questions.
• You have a positive, solution-oriented attitude. Things will break. Priorities will shift. You stay calm, adapt, and keep moving forward.

You Probably Won't Love This Job If:

• You prefer highly visible, externally-facing work
• You get bored with detailed, behind-the-scenes operational tasks
• You need a lot of structure and clear SOPs before starting work
• You're uncomfortable working remotely with minimal supervision

Requirements:

• 3–5+ years of experience in operations, data systems, program management, or similar roles
• Strong experience with database tools (Airtable, Salesforce, or similar) and data structure design
• Experience with automation tools (Zapier, Airtable, APIs, or equivalent)
• Comfort with light coding or technical problem-solving (e.g., SQL, scripts, advanced formulas)
• Experience building reports, dashboards, and data visualizations for decision-making
• Comfortable using AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, etc.) to improve productivity
• Excellent attention to detail and follow-through, especially around data quality and accuracy
• Good communication skills
• Ability to work independently in a remote environment
• Comfortable with a role that runs through March 2027 (not a permanent position, though could evolve)

Bonus Points For:

• Experience designing or improving data architecture across multiple systems
• Background in nonprofit operations and technical/data-focused roles
• Experience supporting programs at scale (multi-org, multi-cohort environments)
• Familiarity with AI-assisted workflows or process automation using AI tools
• Experience mentoring or training others on systems and tools

Why This Role Matters

Programs don't scale without great operations. As we grow from 139 to 1,000 organizations, the difference between success and chaos is whether we have systems that actually work.

Your job is to build the infrastructure that lets a small team punch way above its weight. When our systems run smoothly, our team can focus on helping nonprofits adopt AI instead of fighting with technology. That operational excellence directly translates to mission impact.