• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week:
• Standard Work Schedule:
• Building:
• Salary Range: $80,000 - $85,000

Position Summary

The Center for Public Research and Leadership (CPRL) is a partnership of professional schools that prepares students for leadership positions in public education organizations committed to improving the life chances of all children, particularly those of color, from low-income households, or otherwise traditionally underserved. The program brings together upper-level graduate students in business, education, law, and policy from universities across the nation to study and engage in consulting projects serving public- and social-sector organizations undertaking and supporting transformational change in P-12 education and in the public sector as a whole. The program offers graduate students the rigorous, multi-disciplinary, academic, and experiential preparation they need to flourish in exciting leadership, management, and professional positions in those same organizations while simultaneously offering the organizations high-quality, low-cost consulting support.

The Manager of Operations and Administrative Services reports directly to the Deputy Director, Strategy and Operations, and plays a central role in ensuring the effective execution of CPRL’s project portfolio. This role provides comprehensive operational support to CPRL’s large-scale, complex projects, including coordination of events, project management, document and contract management, and support for stakeholder engagement. In addition, the Manager supports core Center operations, including coordination of CPRL’s Seminar and Skills courses and internal systems, to ensure the smooth functioning of the organization. The role works closely with CPRL leadership and staff to strengthen operational infrastructure, improve processes, and support high-quality project delivery aligned to CPRL’s mission.

Responsibilities

Project Operations Support. Provide comprehensive operational support to CPRL’s portfolio of large-scale projects, ensuring strong execution, coordination, and stakeholder engagement.

• Lead operations workstreams for CPRL’s research and consulting projects, including project management, partnership management and tracking, event planning and execution, data collection and management, and ensuring key project documents (deliverables, agreements, etc.) are completed and tracked.
• Manage relationships with diverse stakeholders (e.g., school systems, partners, funders); serve as relationship lead for operations leads at partner organizations
• Coordinate internal team workflows and ensure alignment with project goals
• Plan and execute project-related virtual and in-person events, including convenings, workshops, and stakeholder sessions
• Support the CPRL and Columbia business teams with invoices, expenditures, and expense tracking for projects
• Maintain and improve operational systems that support project delivery, and identify opportunities to streamline workflows, tools, and processes across projects

Center Operations Support. Provide operational and programmatic support to ensure smooth functioning of CPRL’s core programming.

• Plan and execute logistical coordination for CPRL’s Seminar course
• Support leadership team with scheduling, meeting preparation, and internal coordination
• Maintain internal systems, databases, and operational tools
• Support website updates and internal communications as needed
• Organize staff-wide activities and internal events
• Attend all Operations and Student Support meetings, problem-solve operational and student support challenges, and collaborate with team members to carry out all CPRL objectives

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree plus 3-5 years of relevant experience, or relevant advanced degree in business, education, policy, or law plus at least 1 year of relevant experience, required
• Demonstrated commitment to CPRL’s mission to improve the life chances of all children, particularly those of color, from low-income households, or otherwise traditionally underserved
• Demonstrated ability to multi-task and effectively prioritize and manage a high volume of varied projects to ensure timely, accurate, and efficient completion
• Excellent interpersonal, organization, project management, and communication skills
• Excellent writing and editing skills
• Intellectual capacity to think strategically in a fast-paced environment, understand multiple perspectives, learn about new topics, and problem solve and develop responsive solutions under changing circumstances
• Ability to work independently and take initiative and responsibility for complex tasks
• Strong organization skills, keen attention to detail, and ability to work well under pressure
• Ability to respond to and integrate feedback from both peers and supervisors
• Tact and diplomacy and the ability to exercise discretion in matters that are sensitive and confidential
• Facility with Microsoft Office suite, online survey administration experience, and basic data analytic skills preferred
• Must be able to work with diverse constituencies and support an inclusive work environment

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.