Program and Operations Manager (WtC)

Widen the Circle; Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 60,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Widen the Circle seeks a highly organized and detail-oriented Program and Operations Manager to support the growth and expansion of its program portfolio. The role requires travel to Germany and coordination with the Obermayer Foundation in Berlin, with most work conducted from the Boston area.

You will manage annual awards calendars, oversee program operations, and support communications, fundraising, and intern supervision, ensuring alignment with the ED and contractors.

Qualifications

• Experience in nimble, mission-driven program or consulting role.
• Strong project management and ability to supervise multiple tasks.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills; presentation delivery.
• Experience with or ability to learn key operational systems (file mgmt, expense tracking, Slack, CRM).
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office; basic website management; familiarity with AV editing, email marketing, or accounting software if possible.
• Experience collaborating on complex projects remotely.
• German knowledge would be a plus.

Responsibilities

• Develop and refine the annual Obermayer Awards calendar and deadlines.
• Support the awards jury and Berlin ceremony weekend.
• Track projects and timelines, including capacity building with awardees in Germany.
• Manage the Visiting Program to Berlin for awards weekend.
• Contribute to Listening and Dialog tours linking US Civil Rights and German reconciliation efforts.
• Track organizational goals and metrics across programs and operations.
• Supervise interns, fellows, and contractors; coordinate with ED and contractors.
• Support fundraising and partnership development; follow up with funders.
• Create email campaigns and stakeholder updates; manage social media strategy.

Skills

Project management

Communications

Operations & systems

Technology

Remote collaboration

German language

Tools

Microsoft Office

Website management

CRM

Job description

Widen the Circle (WtC or widenthecircle.org ) is a nonprofit with a variety of programs focused on widening the circle of tolerance, reconciliation, and intercultural understanding, particularly in places where there is a history of extreme persecution of one group by another. Our mission is to combat prejudice by fostering a shared understanding of the past that promotes healing, as well as opens the path to dialogue and mutual trust moving forward.

Currently, WtC has a small, nimble team based in the Boston area. We have a broad range of partners, advisors, contractors, and volunteer experts, including many in Germany.

Widen the Circle seeks a highly organized and detail-oriented Program and Operations Manager (POM) to support the growth and expansion of an exciting program portfolio that has ambitious aims to have a positive impact on the world.

This position will be based in the greater Boston area. In close partnership with the Executive Director, the POM will have responsibilities in four areas: the annual awards, programmatic initiative/operations, administrative operations, and communications support. While many of our activities occur in Germany, the majority of them can be managed in English from the United States. Candidates will need to be able to travel roughly one week each quarter.

Annual Obermayer Awards program in Berlin

• On an ongoing basis, develop and refine the annual award calendar of activities and deadlines.
• Manage and carry out activities that are part of the annual cycle including supporting the needs of the awards jury and the award ceremony weekend in Berlin.

Programmatic Initiatives and Operations

• Track a broad range of projects and initiatives, and their timelines, including capacity building work with select awardees in Germany.
• Manage the Visiting Program, which builds bridges to potential U.S. allies by bringing them to Berlin for the awards weekend and ensuring a profound and transformational experience.
• Contribute to development and manage implementation of a Listening and Dialog tour to bring together members of the U.S. Civil Rights community and Germans working on reconciliation issues.

Administrative Operations

• Track key organizational goals and metrics.
• Manage the team’s overall work plan and ensure individual work plans are aligned for the Executive Director, technology/digital contractors, expert volunteers, and other.
• Recruit and supervise interns, fellows, and certain contractors.
• Support the Executive Director by following up with potential funders and partners.
• Create email campaigns and regular updates for stakeholders.
• Manage social media strategy and its implementation.

Qualifications and Skills

Significant experience in a nimble, mission-driven program or consulting role.

Skills

• Project management: Experience in highly collaborative environments and in the management of workflows, work plans, deadlines, and priorities. Experience supervising contractors, interns, or fellows, a plus.
• Communications: Excellent written and oral communication skills; facility with presentation development and delivery.
• Operations and systems: Experience with or ability to rapidly learn key operational systems such as file management, expense tracking, communications (e.g., Slack), and CRM.
• Technology: Facility with Microsoft Office and basic website management; pluses: experience with audio/video editing, email marketing, accounting software.
• Remote Experience: Experience collaborating with others on complicated projects remotely.
• German: Knowledge of German language, as well as familiarity with German culture is not required, but would be a big plus.

Qualities

• Exceptional organizational skills; demonstrated ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously and meet deadlines
• Self-motivated, self-starter, with strong problem-solving abilities, "can do" style, a strong attention to detail, a willingness to pitch in as and where needed, and a demonstrated ability to work without hands‑on supervision.
• Quick learner: Ability to learn and apply new skills at a rapid pace.
• Demonstrated ability to partner and collaborate with diverse individuals and groups of people (academics, experts, students, consultants, interns, etc.)
• Passion for and commitment to the mission of Widen the Circle and the Obermayer Foundation.
• Flexible: Ability to work well independently, as well as in teams.
• High level of integrity.

Compensation

Compensation is in the $60,000-$70,000 range; benefits are competitive. To learn more about our organization, please go to widenthecircle.org .

About Widen the Circle

Widen the Circle ( widenthecircle.org ) is a recently established division of the Obermayer Foundation that oversees the foundation’s programs and initiatives related to tolerance, reconciliation, and intercultural understanding, including the Obermayer German Jewish History Awards. For two decades, the Obermayer German Jewish History Awards have raised awareness of Germans who have done extraordinary work to breathe new life into the once‑vibrant Jewish culture in their communities. Now in their 20 th year, the awards are the main formal observance of International Holocaust Memorial Day at the Berlin Parliament and are given out in a formal ceremony in the plenary chamber.

Currently, Widen the Circle ( widenthecircle.org ) is working to establish a second award in Germany that honors extraordinary work to fight prejudice (including anti‑Semitism) and increase intercultural reconciliation. We are developing projects in Germany to build networks and extend the impact of our awardees, as well as to document their stories and use their examples to inspire similar work elsewhere in the world. In addition, Widen the Circle is exploring ways to create connections between organizations in Germany with U.S. civil rights organizations to enable them to develop and share approaches to a number of similar challenges they face.