Manager, Executive Office Projects & Operations

Ocean Conservancy; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work environment

Job summary

Ocean Conservancy in Washington, DC is seeking a Manager, Executive Office Projects & Operations to own a wide range of projects, written communications, and logistics for the Executive Office, including board workflow. Reporting to the Senior Director, Executive Strategy and Integration, the role combines strong writing, disciplined project management, and the ability to coordinate meetings and events across hybrid settings.

Board relations experience is a plus.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 3 to 5 years of experience in project management, executive support, communications, or a related operations role.
• Experience planning and executing in-person meetings and events, including logistics, budget, and vendor management.
• Experience working in partnership with senior leaders and executives.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality of highly sensitive information.
• Solutions-oriented mindset, proactive in identifying needs, opportunities, and challenges and addressing them with initiative.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to distill information into clear and concise messaging.
• Board relations or nonprofit governance experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of Executive Office projects from start to finish, including Board workflow management: build a plan, identify steps, and see it through with minimal oversight, proactive communication, and collaboration.
• Serve as a reliable owner for tasks delegated by the Senior Director, providing updates on status, next steps, and blockers.
• Support cross-department coordination and special projects on behalf of the Executive Office as assigned.
• Partner with Senior Executive Assistant to support maintenance of master Executive Office calendar that weaves together board management within the Executive Office and Development.
• Partner with the Senior Director and Senior Executive Assistant on Executive Office-wide initiatives and priorities as needed.
• Lead for planning, scheduling and executing Board of Director and associated meetings.
• Support Board committee administration: agendas, minutes, and tracking deliverables to completion.
• Maintain accurate, confidential Board records, partnering with Development on shared record-keeping in Raiser's Edge.
• Partner with Development colleagues to effectively manage Board solicitation and stewardship cycles.
• Support the Board recruitment and onboarding process, partnering with Development on candidate sourcing and qualification.
• Coordinate the transition of outgoing directors to emeritus status.
• Responsibly manage Board-related spending and invoicing.
• Support the Senior Director in tracking the Board budget.
• Plan, schedule, and execute logistics for in-person and virtual meetings and events across the Executive Office, including Board meetings and retreats, and Executive Leadership Team or Senior Leadership Council gatherings as needed.
• Manage on-the-ground logistics for global and domestic meetings and events with equal care whether staffing them in person or coordinating remotely: venues, vendors, contracts, travel, and materials.
• Project manage materials prepared in advance of major meetings (for example, board books), partnering with the Senior Executive Assistant and other Executive Office colleagues.
• Draft clear, accurate written communications on behalf of the CEO and Executive Office, namely for the Board of Directors. Drafting for other audiences as needed.
• Bring strong copyediting skills and sound judgment to anything drafted for senior leadership, with an understanding of how much accuracy and clarity matter.

Skills

Project management

Executive support

Communications

Operations

Confidentiality

Attention to detail

MS Office

Virtual meeting platforms

Travel flexibility

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

POSITION TITLE

Manager, Executive Office Projects & Operations

DEPARTMENT/PROGRAM

Executive Office

REPORTS TO

Senior Director, Executive Strategy and Integration

STATUS

Regular, Full-Time, Exempt

LOCATION

AK, CA, DC, FL, MD, OR, TX, VA, WA or WV

About Ocean Conservancy

For more than 50 years, Ocean Conservancy (OC) has delivered effective, evidence-based solutions for the ocean and all who depend on it. Today, we continue to unite science, people and policy to protect our ocean from the greatest challenges it faces: climate change, plastic pollution and biodiversity loss. We are a 501(C)3 headquartered in Washington, D.C. that inspires a worldwide network of partners, advocates and supporters through our comprehensive and clear-eyed approach to ocean conservation. Together, we are securing a healthy ocean and a thriving planet, forever and for everyone.

Position Summary

The Manager, Executive Office Projects & Operations is a versatile member of the Executive Office who takes ownership of a wide range of projects, written communications, and logistics on behalf of the Executive Office, including a meaningful share of managing the Board of Directors workflow. Reporting to the Senior Director, Executive Strategy and Integration, the Manager is a proactive individual with exceptional self-awareness and an ability to thrive in a dynamic environment. The Manager is someone who can see tasks and projects through while keeping key collaborators informed and engaged.

The ideal candidate is a strong writer and a disciplined project manager first. They bring the judgment and care to write on behalf of senior leaders, the organizational skill to manage the details of meetings and events whether in the room or coordinating from a distance, and the initiative to take on a variety of Executive Office priorities as they arise. Board relations experience is a plus. The Manager is skilled at interpersonal interaction and can build relationships internally to achieve their goals and support Ocean Conservancy’s mission. The Manager leverages effective communication, relationships, and collaboration to drive impactful outcomes and consistently deliver high-quality results.

Primary Responsibilities

Executive Office Project Management

• Take ownership of a wide range of Executive Office projects from start to finish, including Board of Directors workflow management: build a plan, identify the steps needed to reach completion, and see it through with minimal oversight, proactive communication, and intentional collaboration.
• Serve as a reliable owner for tasks the Senior Director delegates, providing clear updates on status, next steps, and any blockers.
• Support cross-department coordination and special projects on behalf of the Executive Office as assigned.
• Partner with Senior Executive Assistant to support maintenance of master Executive Office calendar that weaves together board management within in the Executive Office and Development.
• Partner with the Senior Director and Senior Executive Assistant on Executive Office wide initiatives and priorities as needed.

Board Management

• Lead for planning, scheduling and executing Board of Director and associated meetings.
• Support Board committee administration: agendas, minutes, and tracking deliverables to completion.
• Maintain accurate, confidential Board records, partnering with Development on shared record-keeping in Raiser's Edge.
• Partner with Development colleagues to effectively manage Board solicitation and stewardship cycles.
• Support the Board recruitment and onboarding process, partnering with Development on candidate sourcing and qualification.
• Coordinate the transition of outgoing directors to emeritus status.
• Responsibly manage Board-related spending and invoicing.
• Support the Senior Director in tracking the Board budget.

Meetings & Event Management

• Plan, schedule, and execute logistics for in-person and virtual meetings and events across the Executive Office, including Board meetings and retreats, and Executive Leadership Team or Senior Leadership Council gatherings as needed.
• Manage on-the-ground logistics for global and domestic meetings and events with equal care whether staffing them in person or coordinating remotely: venues, vendors, contracts, travel, and materials.
• Project manage materials prepared in advance of major meetings (for example, board books), partnering with the Senior Executive Assistant and other Executive Office colleagues.

Written Communications

• Draft clear, accurate written communications on behalf of the CEO and Executive Office, namely for the Board of Directors. Drafting for other audiences as needed.
• Bring strong copyediting skills and sound judgment to anything drafted for senior leadership, with an understanding of how much accuracy and clarity matter.

Required Skills/Qualifications/Experience

The ideal candidate will bring many of the experiences and qualifications below, but need not possess them all for consideration:

• Minimum of 3 to 5 years of experience in project management, executive support, communications, or a related operations role.
• Strong project management skills: the ability to take a task from assignment to completion with minimal supervision, and to say clearly what is done, what is next, and what is blocked.
• Experience planning and executing in-person meetings and events, including logistics, budget, and vendor management.
• Experience working in partnership with senior leaders and executives.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality of highly sensitive information.
• Solutions-oriented mindset, proactive in identifying needs, opportunities, and challenges and addressing them with initiative.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to distill information into clear and concise messaging.
• Comfort managing a variety of workstreams and stakeholders at once; naturally organized and detail oriented.
• Proactive and solutions-oriented, able to work independently once given a task.
• Board relations or nonprofit governance experience preferred.
• Technologically savvy, including Microsoft Office and virtual meeting platforms, in a hybrid environment.
• Ability to travel several times per year and work flexible hours, including occasional evenings and weekends, as needed.

EDUCATION/TRAINING

Bachelor’s degree in a related field or an equivalent combination of education and relevant work experience.

Compensation

Ocean Conservancy is committed to fair pay practices and posts expected salary ranges for each of its positions. Compensation will be commensurate with the candidate’s specialty skills, years of experience, location, and unique background. The expected starting salary range for this role is $90,000 - $100,000 annually. We would welcome the opportunity to connect with potential candidates whose salary requirements may be outside of the expected range.

HYBRID WORK ENVIRONMENT

Ocean Conservancy embraces a hybrid work environment, which allows our staff the flexibility to work virtually and in-person while building strong connections across the institution.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Ocean Conservancy provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

We encourage applicants who have a diverse level and range of relevant skills and experiences to apply. A 100% match is not required. We want to support employees’ career growth and in return, our employees help Ocean Conservancy grow into a stronger, more inclusive institution.