Operations Manager

The Regents of the University of California on behalf of their Los Angeles Campus; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

The UCLA Agile Visual Analytics Lab (AVAL) is seeking an Operations Manager to lead administrative, financial, personnel and event functions in support of its mission. This role partners with department leadership to manage a portfolio exceeding $20 million across contracts, grants, and services, balancing multiple priorities in a fast-paced, collaborative laboratory environment.

The ideal candidate will bring strong analytical skills, experience with university information systems, and a

Qualifications

• Demonstrated working knowledge of university financial, business and personnel structures.
• Familiarity with procurement, reimbursement, travel, vendor management systems and related policies.
• Experience with payroll systems supporting faculty and staff across the employee lifecycle.
• Understanding of grants, contracts, and sales and service processes in a university setting.
• Ability to plan, manage and reconcile revenue and costs across multiple awards with accuracy.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills across diverse teams.

Responsibilities

• Oversee financial processes for a large portfolio, including contracts, grants, sales and services.
• Coordinate administrative, financial, personnel and event functions to run efficiently.
• Interpret policies and provide recommendations to leadership across university offices.
• Support award processes and liaise with labs and departments during procurement and contracting.
• Maintain confidentiality and exercise discretion with sensitive information.
• Utilize modern workplace tools to improve operations and collaboration.

Skills

Financial management

Procurement & vendor management

Payroll systems

Grants & contracts

Interdepartmental collaboration

Policy interpretation

Data analysis & reporting

Confidentiality & discretion

Event coordination

Software literacy (MS Office, Google)

Tools

Microsoft Office

Google Workspace

Asana

Slack

Box

Zoom

Notion

Calendly

Eventbrite

Canva

Job description

Department Summary

The UCLA Agile Visual Analytics Lab (AVAL) empowers national, state, and local stakeholders to use data to make more timely and sound decisions impacting children, families, communities, and the workforces that serve them. We do this through 1) putting vital information into the hands of stakeholders in the form of data visualizations that efficiently and effectively meet their diverse and dynamic information needs, 2) implementing utilization-focused and developmental evaluation of programs and policies of mission-driven organizations and systems, and 3) building the capacity of systems and organizations to grow, use, and sustain data ecosystems. In these ways we work with our partners in different capacities, depending on their specific needs, ranging from leading full-scale evaluations to data collection, data management and processing, and data visualization.

Position Summary

The Operations Manager position with the UCLA Agile Visual Analytics Lab (AVAL) is an exciting opportunity for an experienced operations leader to play a central role in a mission-driven, applied research lab within the Luskin School of Public Affairs. The lab’s mission is to empower national, state, and local stakeholders to use data to make more timely and sound decisions impacting children, families, communities, and the workforces that serve them. The Operations Manager will serve as a key partner to department leadership, ensuring the lab’s administrative, financial, personnel, and event functions run efficiently and effectively in support of this important mission. The position is designed for someone who thrives in a fast-paced, collaborative setting and enjoys balancing various operation functions including financial, personnel, events, and vendors and consultants. The Operations Manager will oversee financial processes for a large and complex portfolio of over $20 million in funding, including contracts, grants, and sales and services. The ideal candidate is a highly organized and proactive professional with strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, excellent interpersonal skills, and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams. The role requires demonstrated experience with university information systems, along with the ability to interpret policies, manage competing priorities, and provide thoughtful recommendations to leadership. Successful candidates will also bring a customer-service mindset, attention to detail, sound judgment, and strong communication skills. Experience leveraging modern workplace technologies and related collaboration tools will be highly valued. This is an ideal opportunity for a motivated operations professional who wants to contribute to meaningful work while helping shape and strengthen the infrastructure of a growing and innovative research lab at UCLA.

Salary & Compensation

*UCLA provides a full pay range. Actual salary offers consider factors, including budget, prior experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business considerations. Salary offers at the top of the range are not common. Visit UC Benefit package to discover benefits that start on day one, and UC Total Compensation Estimator to calculate the total compensation value with benefits.

Qualifications

• Ability to perform effectively under conditions of fluctuating workload and pressure, as well as work both independently and collaboratively as member of a multidisciplinary team across cultures and internally within a diverse and dynamic institution. (Required)
• Demonstrated working knowledge of the financial, business, and personnel organizational structure at the university and the functions of its related offices. (Required)
• Demonstrated working knowledge of university procurement, reimbursement, travel, vendor management systems, policies, and procedures to support management of the department's finances, vendors, and consultants in conjunction with relevant university and school offices. (Required)
• Demonstrated working knowledge of university payroll and personnel systems, policies, and procedures to support management of the department's research faculty and staff in conjunction with relevant university and school offices throughout employee life cycle. (Required)
• Demonstrated working knowledge of university systems, policies, and procedures for grants, contracts, and sales and service to act as a liaison between department leadership and relevant university and school offices during the award process. (Required)
• Demonstrated working knowledge of federal and state, and Los Angeles County contract and grant policies and procedures to support and advise department leadership during the award process. (Required)
• Demonstrated experience in applying accounting skills and financial management principles to plan, prepare, analyze, monitor, and project revenue and costs across multiple awards and proposals within a university setting and with a high degree of accuracy. (Required)
• Demonstrated skill to obtain, organize, analyze, and synthesize fiscal/financial and personnel/payroll data from university systems, identify and assess problems, develop alternative solutions, make recommendations, and implement departmental changes. (Required)
• Strong interpersonal skills to establish and maintain professional, effective working relationships to achieve the department’s operational goals and advance its mission. (Required)
• Demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality of information and ability to use discretion in responding to inquires and sensitive information. (Required)
• Ability to plan, coordinate, implement, and troubleshoot complex logistics for events and meetings using a customer-service approach, keen attention to detail, and high-degree of sound judgment and initiative with minimal direction. (Required)
• Demonstrated strong interest and ability to learn, if not advanced skilled in, software and web apps (e.g., Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, Asana, Slack, Box, Zoom, Notion, Calendly, Eventbrite, Canva, and e-marketing platform) as needed with minimal hands‑on training. (Required)

Special Conditions for Employment

• Background Check: Continued employment is contingent upon the completion of a satisfactory background investigation.
• Live Scan Background Check: A Live Scan background check must be completed prior to the start of employment.
• Age Requirement: Candidate(s) must be 18 years or older to be eligible to be hired.

Schedule

8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Union/Policy Covered

CX-Clerical & Allied Services