Director of Operations

The Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future (CLF) is based at the Bloomberg School of Public Health within the Department of Environmental Health & Engineering. CLF is an interdisciplinary academic center that aims to be a global leader in the application of science and systems thinking to build a healthy, just, equitable, and sustainable food system.

Founded in 1996, CLF maintains a dynamic research, education and practice portfolio of work involving more than 80 faculty and staff members, student research assistants, post docs and doctoral fellows. Within the School, CLF has a distinctive profile for an academic center in terms of its mission, focus and the special emphasis it places on the practical application of scholarship to solve problems. Successful implementation of CLF’s practice-oriented work requires an exceptional level of operational, financial, and administrative capacity to conduct the type --and/ or scale of activities that, while uncommon for an academic center, must be implemented in alignment with the established polices and protocols of the School.

CLF is seeking aDirector of Operations (DO). This leadership position serves as a core member of Center’s Leadership Team, guiding the overall development and operations for the successful implementation of the Center’s strategic plan. As envisioned, the DO position directly addresses capacity building needs within the Center to enable the successful implementation of its strategic plan. The position is designed to help bridge the implementation of CLF’s research, education, and practice activities in alignment with the School’s various financial and administrative policies and systems.

The DO position is multifaceted and involves a range of demanding responsibilities that require multiple skills and knowledge areas. The DO contributes advanced knowledge, skills, and expertise in defining and implementing the strategic direction of the Center and leads initiatives that effectively leverage resources and staff to achieve strategic goals and objectives. Other responsibilities include overseeing several day-to-day operational, administrative, and financial activities that enable the Center to conduct its work in research, education, and practice. The DO is also responsible for developing new operational methods and approaches that refine/change protocols and processes to strengthen the Center’s capacity to function with agility and efficiency. This responsibility is tied directly to a priority center-wide initiative embedded within CLF’s Strategic Plan.

Successful performance in this position requires excellent problem-solving skills, and the ability to apply a systems thinking approach in identifying, analyzing, and addressing opportunities to improve CLF operations center-wide. Possessing strong skills in bridging programmatic objectives and challenges with appropriate operational, financial, and administrative solutions is an important aspect of this position.

Specific Duties & Responsibilities:

Leadership Central to CLF

• Serve as a core member of CLF’s Leadership Team to guide the overall development and operations of the Center to the successfully implement its strategic plan.
• Contribute advanced knowledge, skills, and expertise in defining and implementing the strategic direction of the Center.
• Works closely with other members of CLF’s Leadership Team and assumes a leadership role in designing and implementing activities that engage CLF’s Executive Team, project team leads, working groups and committees to translate the broad strategic vision and goals into short-range and long-term plans.
• Lead activities to build /strengthen staff capacity to make strategic decisions that are informed by sound and insightful operational, administrative, and financial practices.
• Maintain a central leadership and management role to ensure efficient and effective operations, financial management and administration of CLF activities.
• Provide ongoing counsel and advice to CLF’s Leadership Team re. strategic direction, as well as the operational, administrative, and financial aspects of the Center.
• Provide expertise, guidance, and support to CLF Leadership in navigating complex issues, challenges, and problems for the center –and identify opportunities and problem-solving approaches to address them.
• Provide CLF leadership and program colleagues with synthesized insights reflecting data and analysis, benchmarking, and other key information to inform the evaluation of CLF progress in achieving its strategic goals, and in identifying requiring further attention and/or improvement.
• Serve as catalyst in developing high priority projects/initiatives on behalf of the Center directors (e.g., major new initiative proposals, business plans, significant partnership opportunities for the center).
• Provide projections and analyses of long-term trends in overall budget for the center, including analysis of expected changes in teaching, research and professional practice activities, fellowship and scholarship support, staff size and composition, organizational development as well as analysis and resolution of short-term issues.
• Steward funding support and facilitate strong and productive donor relationships.
• Maintain ongoing awareness and responsibility for CLF’s operational actions in partnership with the leadership team (Director, Managing Director, etc.).

Leadership in Day-to-Day Operations

• Oversee day-to-day operational, administrative, and financial activities associated with the Center’s research, education, and practice portfolios.
• Direct and oversee CLF administrative and financial staff in support of the Center’s goals.
• Supervise senior financial staff and oversee fiscal management for sponsored research funding and other accounts: gifts, endowments, and student fellowship/scholarships committee work, new initiatives, etc.
• Oversee management of gift and endowment accounts.
• Oversee all aspects of administrative management for CLF’s full-time faculty, staff, student employees, post docs and doctoral fellows.
• Maintain ongoing vigilance in advancing the center’s priorities, anticipating emerging issues, informing center leadership and staff, and working closely with CLF colleagues to develop creative options and solutions in resolving issues and complex problems.
• Lead the execution of critical center administrative and financial activities in close collaboration with relevant practice, project, and academic leaders.
• Oversee all operational aspects of CLF facilities, building/space needs, resources, etc.
• Lead the development of the Center’s standard operating procedures (SOP) and ensure maintenance and timely updates.
• Ensure timely responses to requests for regular and ad hoc reports from Directors, faculty, department administrator, School and University administration, and sponsored research agencies.
• Work closely with CLF leadership and other relevant teams, establish criteria and guidelines for the Center’s directed research, innovation grants, etc. --including ensuring fiscal management of the grants as awarded internal and external to JHU.
• Ensure compliance with University policies and procedures and all applicable legal rules, regulations, and Sponsor guidelines.

Leadership in Program Development

• Work collaboratively with center leadership and staff to translate broad directions into concrete goals and accomplishments.
• Provide senior-level project management leadership, meshing substantive organizational development goals with sensitivity to the interests and concerns and accomplishments of the center’s staff, faculty, and students.
• Lead the design and implementation of activities that engage CLF’s Executive Team, project team leads, working groups and committees in translating the broad strategic vision and goals into short-range and long-term plans.
• Develop and support CLF staff capacity to make strategic decisions that are informed by sound and insightful operational, administrative, and financial practices.

• Play a center-wide leadership role in workplan development to advance implementation of CLF’s Strategic Plan.
• Identify and address administrative needs to facilitate and support CLF’s research and practice productivity and efficiency. Leading and delegating as needed, the DO fosters optimal work environments by implementing proper administrative support that can greatly impact productivity of research and practice teams and enable colleagues to better focus on the science / work.

• Communicate regularly with the senior staff and project leads across the Center to ensure compliance across the board and to develop financial plans for each project and the Center as a whole.
• Advise the program and project leaders on resource needs and financial risks facing the center in order to anticipate and address challenges and opportunities

Leadership in Human Resources & Organizational Development

• Develop new methods and approaches that strengthen CLF’s operational agility and promote efficiency and optimization by changing organizational protocols and processes.
• Lead center-wide efforts to develop, maintain and improve operational policies and procedures that align with our Department, School and University

• Identify, engage, leverage, and allocate appropriate and knowledgeable staff to implement new projects according to skills, knowledge, and experience.
• Work actively with other CLF leaders to develop talent from within CLF and recruit talent from outside as needed to implement our strategic plan.
• Lead initiatives to effectively leverage resources and staff to achieve strategic goals and objectives.
• Serve as CLF’s lead on, human resources, organizational development, cultivating management and leadership capacity at all levels, and facility/space planning.
• In collaboration with other CLF leaders, establish and implement CLF Postdoc cohort funded by multiple endowments.
• In collaboration with Managing Director, develop a Visiting Student Program that embodies the Center’s goal to attaining equitable, diverse, and culturally sensitive workforce and programs with participants that lived in one of the center’s primary focus area a community with industrial farm animal production.

Minimum Qualifications (Mandatory):

• Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, or other related field or at least 10 years of demonstrated experience in progressively responsible professional-level positions.
• Such positions must have involved roles and responsibilities in operations, administrative and/or financial and resource management (monetary or non-monetary resources) of an organization, department, center, or unit including 7 years supervisory experience and 7 years financial management experience.
• 15 years of experience in managing people and teams of people.
• A strong background of demonstrated experience in applying strong analytical and strategic thinking skills.
• A strong background in performing leadership roles and responsibilities.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's Degree in a related field may substitute for required experience and additional experience may substitute for education, to the extent permitted by the JHU Equivalency Formula.
• 10 years of experience in performing senior leadership roles and responsibilities, including decision-making to support and facilitate organizational development and strategic growth.
• Proven leadership skills, expertise, and experience in a multifaceted and fast-paced environment
• 10+ years of experience working in academic environments, with strong preference for JHU-specific experience.

Special Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

Successful performance in this position also requires the following special skills and knowledge:

• Skills, expertise and demonstrated experience in in applying both a systems thinking approach and problem-solving skills to effectively bridge program activities with operations, finance, and administration solutions.
• Knowledge of and familiarity with public health programming and an understanding of food systems issues.
• Excellent planning skills in strategy development, work plan development, etc.
• Excellent skills working directly with a range of colleagues and stakeholders at CLF, including senior JHU staff and faculty, donor organization leadership, VIPs, etc.
• Excellent communication skills in conveying thoughts and requests in multiple formats.
• Strong skills and knowledge needed for successful proposal development, especially regarding the relationship between proposed program ideas and the operational, finance and administrative implications.
• A demonstrated talent and skills for finance and budget development.
• Outstanding ability to multi-task, and superior interpersonal skills.

Supervisory Responsibility:

• Two, Sr. Finance Analysts.

JHU Equivalency Formula: 30 undergraduate degree credits (semester hours) or 18 graduate degree credits may substitute for one year of experience. Additional related experience may substitute for required education on the same basis. For jobs where equivalency is permitted, up to two years of non-related college course work may be applied towards the total minimum education/experience required for the respective job.

Classified Title: Director Program Operations
Working Title: Director of Operations
Role/Level/Range: L/04/LC
Starting Salary Range: ​​​​​​​$82,110 - $112,890 annually (commensurate with experience)
Employee group: Full Time
Schedule: Mon-Fri 7.5
Exempt Status: Exempt
Location: ​​​​​​​JH at 111 Market Place
Department name: ​​​​​​​Center for a Livable Future
Personnel area: School of Public Health

The successful candidate(s) for this position will be subject to a pre-employment background check.

If you are interested in applying for employment with The Johns Hopkins University and require special assistance or accommodation during any part of the pre-employment process, please contact the HR Business Services Office atjhurecruitment@jhu.edu. For TTY users, call via Maryland Relay or dial 711.

Johns Hopkins has mandated COVID-19 and influenza vaccines, as applicable. Exceptions to the COVID and flu vaccine requirements may be provided to individuals for religious beliefs or medical reasons or because the individual is pregnant or attempting to become pregnant. Requests for an exception must be submitted to the JHU vaccination registry. For additional information, applicants for SOM positions should visit https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccine/and all other JHU applicants should visit https://covidinfo.jhu.edu/health-safety/covid-vaccination-information/.

The following additional provisions may apply depending on which campus you will work. Your recruiter will advise accordingly.

The pre-employment physical for positions in clinical areas, laboratories, working with research subjects, or involving community contact requires documentation of immune status against Rubella (German measles), Rubeola (Measles), Mumps, Varicella (chickenpox), Hepatitis B and documentation of having received the Tdap (Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) vaccination. This may include documentation of having two (2) MMR vaccines; two (2) Varicella vaccines; or antibody status to these diseases from laboratory testing. Blood tests for immunities to these diseases are ordinarily included in the pre-employment physical exam except for those employees who provide results of blood tests or immunization documentation from their own health care providers. Any vaccinations required for these diseases will be given at no cost in our Occupational Health office.

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