Operations Director, Research Center

Urban Institute; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Disability Insurance

Life Insurance

Paid Time Off

Retirement Plan

Commuter Benefits

Job summary

Urban Institute seeks a Director of Center Operations to lead the Lab and Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy operations. You will guide project management, budgeting, and coordination with researchers, center leadership, and external partners.

You will mentor staff, drive process improvements, and ensure timely, accurate proposals and financial reporting. This is a high-impact role based in Washington, DC, with a strong emphasis on collaboration and inclusion.

Qualifications

• Seven+ years of operations and/or management experience with increasing levels of scope and responsibility.
• Strong organization, relationship management, and communication skills.
• Ability to take initiative and drive process improvements in a dynamic environment.
• Experience preparing and analyzing budgets and financial reports; managing foundation or federal proposals.
• Experience managing a small team and collaborating across units.
• Advanced skills in Excel, Word, Outlook, and Salesforce; JAMIS/Workday experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Lab and CNP operations work with project management and budget oversight.
• Direct and mentor the operations team; supervise a direct report.
• Advise center staff on Urban policies, procedures, and best practices.
• Develop and refine center processes to respond to changing priorities.
• Monitor center performance metrics: budget, fundraising, hiring.
• Oversee proposal development, budgets, and submission timelines.
• Coordinate with project leads to keep deliverables on track and on budget.
• Facilitate relations with centers, business units, and senior leadership.
• Support timekeeping, reimbursements, invoices, subawards, and procurement.

Skills

Budgeting & Financial Analysis

Project Management

Team Leadership

Stakeholder Management

Advanced Excel

CRM (Salesforce)

Word/Outlook Suite

Tools

JAMIS

Workday

MS Word

Outlook

Job description

Urban Institute seeks a Director of Center Operations to lead the Lab and Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy operations. You will guide project management, budgeting, and coordination with researchers, center leadership, and external partners.

You will mentor staff, drive process improvements, and ensure timely, accurate proposals and financial reporting. This is a high-impact role based in Washington, DC, with a strong emphasis on collaboration and inclusion.