Operations Director

Operations Director

The Michigan League of Conservation Voters (LCV) — one of Michigan’s largest, most impactful political advocacy organizations tackling drinking water contamination, the rapidly-worsening impacts of climate change, and efforts to undermine our access to the ballot — is seeking a full-time Operations Director to lead organization-wide planning to keep us on track and focused, provide financial oversight, ensure that our offices are highly functional, establish policies and practices that foster a positive and inclusive workplace culture, and ensure that the organization has the resources it needs to expand its impact over time. 

The ideal candidate will be a critical thinker who grasps our long-term goals and the dynamics that shape our work in the political, environmental, and non-profit space, while understanding the day-to-day execution necessary to deliver on our mission. They will have a strong sense for and a hunger to learn more about what makes highly-functioning organizations tick. They will understand the critical function that human resources serves in an organization. They will know how to catch big ideas, turn them into actionable plans, practices, next steps, and then organize a team to act on them. They will enjoy managing a variety of projects, and they will have the organizational skills necessary to stay on top of that scope of work. They will thrive in a fast-paced, campaign-like environment and bring with them an inclination to solve problems creatively and a positive management style. This position offers the opportunity to join the leadership team of an organization committed to delivering on a mission that really matters. 

About the Michigan League of Conservation Voters

The Michigan League of Conservation Voters is a statewide political organization whose mission is to elect pro-conservation candidates to office and to hold all decision makers accountable for protecting Michigan’s drinking water, attacking climate change, and expanding access to the ballot. We work closely with elected officials, business leaders, partner organizations, and advocates from across the state, and we have built a reputation as the leading, non-partisan political voice for Michigan’s land, air, and water.

Michigan LCV is an equal opportunity employer. We assure equal treatment in hiring selection, promotion, transfer, compensation, benefits, training, discipline, and other personnel practices and terms or conditions of employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, height, weight, marital status, genetic testing status, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender status, or any other protected class established by all applicable federal, state and local laws and ordinances.

Job Responsibilities 

This position reports to the Chief of Staff, is ideally based in Southeast Michigan, and is responsible for the following: 

• Direct day-to-day organizational operations so that time and energy are directed in the most impactful place and in line with our goals. This includes leading work related to human resources, offices, finance and technology, as well as organization-wide collaboration, facilitation, and troubleshooting.
• Design and lead planning processes to provide the organization with financial and programmatic plans that align with our Strategic Plan, equipping and empowering staff with the direction they need to reach long-term goals, and create a shared understanding of our work.
• Develop and direct human resources programs, policies, and practices that serve the organization’s goals, support staff, are compliant, and contribute to a positive workplace culture. This includes acting as the point person for discipline conversations with staff members and their supervisors, ensuring effective communication, proper documentation, and compliance with our collective bargaining agreement and employee handbook.
• Serve as a member of the organization’s leadership team, which includes prioritizing the organization’s interests, approaching issues strategically, analyzing the potential impacts of decisions on the staff and administrative processes, proactively communicating about opportunities and challenges, and providing administrative support to leadership.
• Serve as the primary management-side staff member engaging with the staff union, preparing for and participating in bargaining table meetings, ensuring compliance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement, acting as the main point of contact for the union, and communicating with all staff about related policies and procedures.
• Design and drive the daily work of the Operations team, which includes recruiting, managing, and helping develop staff by fostering collaboration, holding them accountable for goals, providing regular feedback, and supporting their professional development.
• Work closely with the Finance Director to provide oversight as well as checks and balances to financial processes. This includes facilitating organization-wide financial processes (e.g. budgeting), collecting and reviewing financial data (e.g. timesheets, reimbursements, expenses), and communicating with the Finance team on hiring, benefits, and other items that affect the organization’s budget.

• Research, propose, and implement improved administrative processes to establish a standardized, strategic, transparent, equitable, and efficient approach to core organizational functions.

• Participate in Michigan LCV’s political election work — doing the hard work of campaigning, which means door-to-door field canvassing, text and phone banking, and/or attending campaign events.

 

Qualifications

We are seeking candidates who are tenacious, self-starters, problem-solvers, innovators, and who will live our mission every day. You should have: 

• Leadership Skills: A minimum of 3 years of experience serving in an organizational leadership role, ideally in a non-profit, and the skills that accompany that experience:

• Brings vision, innovates, and thinks strategically. Adapts to the evolving needs of the organization and thinks 3 (or 30) steps ahead to develop solutions that achieve goals. Approaches leadership with a mindset of “power with” rather than “power over” and regularly includes others in planning and decision-making. Able to make and communicate difficult decisions in the best interest of the organization. Has the emotional maturity to have difficult conversations.

• Quickly grasps the subtleties of complex issues and identifies patterns in challenges. Comes up with insightful, pragmatic, equitable, and sustainable ways to tackle common challenges and produce positive change.
• Approaches work with honesty, integrity, compassion, kindness, and humility. Actively listens. Resolves conflict, takes accountability, and acts with the organization’s best interests at heart.
• Able to reflect on and describe the impact of one’s own identities—and those of others—in a given situation, decision, or process. Advances equity outcomes by identifying decisions, policies, or practices that have disparate impacts, and then takes action to address.
• Management Skills: A minimum of 2 years of managing high-performing teams of staff and the skills that accompany that experience:
• Inspires and motivates others to take action and meet goals. Delegates skillfully. Holds people accountable and acknowledges opportunities for growth in self and others. Uses coaching, training, and feedback to develop others and support problem-solving.
• Communicates clearly and directly with colleagues, keeping expectations clear and working to match intent and impact in interactions. Builds and sustains robust, authentic, and productive working relationships with colleagues across difference.
• Keeps tasks from slipping through the cracks. Juggles competing demands. Prioritizes in order to most efficiently and effectively reach goals. Takes concepts from idea to implementation. Plans backwards to make deadlines. Asks for help when needed. Manages upwards, down, and sideways. Does not get rattled by pivots in a fast-paced work environment.
• Administrative Skills: A minimum of 5 years of experience working in administration and management, ideally with at least 2 of those years serving in a human resources role, and the skills that accompany that experience:
• Develops and implements organizational policy. Ensures compliance with labor laws. Manages budgets and financial procedures. Uses tools and technology to support internal communication and operations (e.g. Google Suite, project management software, and Slack).

• Jumps into project planning and execution with minimal direction. Overcomes challenges and leverages resources to creatively solve problems, proposing solutions to issues without much guidance. Proactively anticipates problems  and course-corrects where needed.

• Notices and fixes errors that others might overlook. Acknowledges mistakes and turns them into learning opportunities. Takes initiative to leave things better than when found. Researches best practices and proactively identifies potential improvements.
• Pluses but not requirements: Working knowledge of laws governing 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4) and state Political Action Committee (PAC) operations. Experience working with internal unions and collective bargaining. Experience administering the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS).
• Reliable access to the internet, a phone to use for work purposes, and transportation for travel across the state as well as the ability to participate in campaign activities, either phone banking or canvassing.

 

Compensation & Benefits

Step 1 (<6 years of paid and direct experience): $89,000

Step 2 (7+ years of paid and direct experience): $94,000

Michigan LCV offers a benefits package that includes health, dental, and vision coverage, long-term and short-term disability coverage, life insurance coverage, a retirement savings program, reimbursements for business-related travel, a generous paid time off policy, and a team of smart, funny, and kind colleagues working together to deliver on a mission that matters.