Board Governance Manager

Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP); Houston (TX); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP) seeks a Manager for Board Governance and Operations responsible for ensuring effective governance of the AMPP and its Global Center. This role includes managing board operations, compliance with bylaws, and stakeholder communication.

The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor's degree, five years of relevant experience, and strong skills in nonprofit governance principles. A hybrid work environment is offered with potential travel for meetings.

Qualifications

• Minimum five (5) years of experience in board governance or association management.
• Exceptional ability to manage high-stakes priorities and confidentiality.
• Strong judgment in low-margin-for-error situations.

Responsibilities

• Manage operations for board meetings, including logistics and compliance.
• Ensure adherence to AMPP bylaws and governance protocols.
• Build relationships with board members and senior executives.

Skills

Nonprofit governance principles

Written communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Financial fluency

Microsoft 365 proficiency

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft SharePoint

Microsoft Teams

Job description

The Manager, Board Governance and Operations supports the integrity and effectiveness of AMPP and AMPP Global Center governance structures by providing expert operational, administrative, and policy support to the Board of Directors and its standing committees. This role operates at the intersection of governance rigor, executive-level stakeholder management, and organizational policy, requiring high-stakes judgment, impeccable discretion, and a standard of precision that leaves no room for error.

Reporting to the Sr. Director, Board Relations, Governance & Legal Affairs, this position holds direct accountability for ensuring that board and committee operations comply with AMPP bylaws, charters, and governance best practices. The Manager is a trusted steward of board integrity and serves as a visible operational partner to board leadership, executive staff, and outside governance advisors.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Board and Committee Operations

• Manage end-to-end operational support for all AMPP and AMPP Global Center Board of Directors and Board Committee meetings, including agenda development, logistics, materials preparation, and post-meeting follow-through.
• Ensure rigorous adherence to parliamentary procedure and governance protocol at all board and committee meetings.
• Prepare and distribute accurate, legally defensible meeting minutes in accordance with established timelines and governance standards.
• Maintain current, audit-ready Board and Committee rosters, ensuring all changes meet eligibility criteria established in governing documents.
• Coordinate the full lifecycle of board meeting logistics, including venue contracting, AV, room blocks, security, social events, and VIP attendee services for board members, Past Presidents, and Chairs.
• Monitor the Board Relations department budget, tracking actuals against approved annual targets and flagging variances proactively.

Governance, Policy, and Ethics Compliance

• Serve as the primary operational steward of AMPP's organizational Charters and Bylaws, ensuring requirements are understood, consistently applied, and enforced across all member bodies and staff operations.
• Identify governance policy gaps, make recommendations for policy language for review and approval by Sr. Director and legal counsel as needed.
• Oversee the application of governance policy in both routine and exceptional circumstances, escalating complex or ambiguous situations through appropriate channels.
• Support the administration of ethics-related board processes, including conflict of interest disclosures, recusal procedures, and code of conduct compliance, with a high degree of sensitivity and procedural consistency.
• Proactively monitor governance risks and flag emerging issues before they reach escalation threshold.

Stakeholder Management and Executive Support

• Build and maintain trusted working relationships with board members, committee chairs, executive staff, and external governance advisors, communicating at all times with the highest standard of tact and professionalism.
• Direct procurement operations for the Executive Office, in accordance with internal controls, working with the Procurement Department to oversee vendor selection, contract administration, and audit-ready documentation throughout the purchasing cycle.
• Lead coordination of specialized attendee groups including VIPs, Board members, Past Presidents, and Chairs at all AMPP governance events.
• Provide direct operational and administrative support to the Sr. Director, Board Relations, Governance & Legal Affairs and Chief Executive Officer as it relates to board affairs.
• Maintain the highest level of confidentiality across all board, committee, and governance matters, including personnel matters, strategic deliberations, legal issues, and sensitive member affairs.

Performance Monitoring and Budget Management

• Administer survey instruments to assess board meeting effectiveness and member satisfaction, analyze results, and develop and implement improvements on a continuous basis.
• Track action items, governance commitments, and follow-through obligations arising from board and committee meetings, ensuring accountability and closure.

Qualifications

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Deep knowledge of nonprofit or association board governance principles, including parliamentary procedure, bylaw interpretation, and committee operations.
• Demonstrated ability to manage competing high-stakes priorities under significant time pressure without sacrificing accuracy or attention to detail.
• Exceptional written communication skills, with the ability to produce legally precise meeting minutes, board reports, policy documentation, and executive correspondence.
• Proven ability to handle ethics-related and highly confidential matters with professional discretion and zero tolerance for error.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate with tact and diplomacy across board leadership, C-suite executives, and external stakeholders.
• Financial fluency sufficient to manage departmental budgets and interpret spending reports.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft 365, with comfort in SharePoint, Teams, and document management practices.
• Demonstrated sound independent judgment in high-ambiguity, low-margin-for-error situations.

Travel Requirements

This role requires domestic and international travel of up to 30%, primarily for board meetings, committee sessions, and AMPP's Annual Conference. A valid passport is required.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Minimum five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in board governance, executive administration, legal operations, or association management.
• Direct experience supporting a Board of Directors or senior governance body required; nonprofit or trade association experience strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with nonprofit governance frameworks (OnBoard, BoardSource, AGB, or equivalent) preferred.
• CAE designation or active pursuit a plus.

Work Environment

This position operates in a hybrid professional environment per AMPP policy. The role involves extended periods of stationary work, intensive document production, and occasional event‑floor presence during governance meetings. The pace is fast and deadline-driven, particularly during board meeting preparation windows. Reasonable accommodations will be made for individuals with disabilities.

Equal Employment Opportunity

AMPP is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.