Operations Manager

The Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust (LP&CT) is a private, non-profit land trust operating within the City of Lowell, MA. Our mission is to improve the quality of life for the people of Lowell through education and through the creation, conservation and preservation of parks, open spaces, and special places. This small, dynamic organization has six staff, a nine-member Board of Directors, and a strong membership base. Our programming is diverse, including land protection, environmental education, historic preservation, and urban forestry. Are you interested in helping this dynamic organization grow?

The Operations Manager is the core of internal operations at LP&CT. We seek an individual who can ensure that effective systems are in place, maintained, and carried out. This person is a proactive, self-motivated, and collaborative manager. This position is essential to LP&CT effectiveness in fulfilling its mission, therefore requiring someone who is self-motivated, organized, and able to fulfill complete tasks with minimal direction. The Operations Manager will work directly with the Executive Director to perform a wide range of duties, including bookkeeping and payroll, budget tracking, financial reporting, addressing daily office needs, and overseeing administrative needs of LP&CT. Examples of specific activities are shown more completely below:

Administration

• Act as point person for facilities, equipment, insurance, and administrative records.
• Support a diverse team of talented staff to provide high-quality services.
• Promote an organizational culture that inspires and motivates staff.
• Ensure that recordkeeping policies are followed; manage documents for land trust accreditation.
• Manage supply procurement, contracts, vendor relations.
• Track inventory of supplies, hardware, software, and licenses.
• Manage office systems: internet, phones, back-ups.
• Maintain calendar for renewal of contracts with vendors, service providers, and annual registrations and filings.
• Assist Executive Director and perform additional duties as assigned.

Bookkeeping

• Support human resources and payroll activities.
• AP/AR, deposits, in-kind ledger, maintenance of accounting files.
• Support Membership Coordinator to retain separation of duties in managing donations.
• Prepare and submit timely grant and government contract reports and invoices.
• Support annual audit activities.
• Update and implement business and accounting policies to improve accountability and efficiency as needed.
• Ensure discretion, confidentiality, and security in execution of all duties.

Qualifications:

While the qualifications below may indicate a successful candidate, we understand there are valuable areas of lived and professional experience that you may have and that we may not have captured here. We encourage you to apply, even if you are not certain you possess all the qualifications below.

• Previous office support experience.
• Strong commitment to urban conservation and the mission and programs of LP&CT.
• Excellent organizational skills and able to create effective administrative systems; demonstrated experience in developing systems for a small company or another non-profit office.
• Strong ability to be proactive, multi-task/prioritize and provide attention to detail and follow-up.
• Proven strengths in financial management, including developing and managing budgets, and financial reporting.
• Experience in bookkeeping/accounting. This role will have significant responsibility managing regular and auditable transactions.
• Computer Skills: strong familiarity with Microsoft Excel, Word; database use; QuickBooks (desktop), Google Workspace, WordPress, payroll systems.
• Strong writing and editing skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with colleagues and partner organizations.
• Ability to balance, prioritize, and manage multiple competing projects and deadlines.
• Excellent communications skills.

Preferred:

• Demonstrated success in invoicing and submitting reports for state or federal grants.
• Bilingual or ability to communicate in both English and either Spanish or Khmer.
• Non-profit experience, including non-profit accounting experience and working with a board of directors.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Driver’s license preferred (job requires some travel in and around Lowell).
• Experience with payroll and benefits administration.
• Knowledge of, and interest in, the Lowell community.

Working conditions: Primarily indoor office work. Occasional outdoor events and field work, sometimes in inclement weather, during which sufficient mobility is required to navigate uneven terrain. This position will require some evening/weekend hours. We are serious about our work, but do not take ourselves too seriously. We treat each other with care and respect and there are ample opportunities to take personal initiative on projects of interest.

Compensation rate is $50,000 to $60,000 dependent on experience and qualifications, based on 40 hours/week. Benefits include accrued paid time-off, holidays, workers’ compensation insurance, free parking, exercise gym on site, access to a 403b account, and a stipend for health insurance.