"Research Initiatives Operations Manager"

This position has been deemed critical by the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability Dean’s Office and is exempt from the hiring pause.

This position is based on Stanford’s main campus with consideration given to the option for a hybrid work schedule (partially onsite and offsite), subject to operational need. Interested candidates must include a resume and cover letter to be considered for this position.

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa.

About Us

The Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability (SDSS) strives to create a future when humans and nature thrive in concert and in perpetuity. The school is made up of a three-part structure to drive global impact: Our academic departments and programs educate students and create new knowledge across areas of research that are crucial for advancing the long-term prosperity of the planet and people; Institutes bridge scholarship at Stanford and beyond, bringing multiple viewpoints to bear on urgent challenges; the Sustainability Accelerator drives new policy and technology solutions through a worldwide network of partners who work with our teams to develop solutions at a global scale. The school is dedicated to creating and supporting a community with the richness of experience and background needed to generate solutions that benefit all people, particularly those most affected by environmental damage and climate change.

For more information on the school, click here.

The Research Initiatives team is supporting a number of rapidly growing units including Solution Area - Integrative Projects grants, the new Sustainable Societies Initiative, the new Stanford Center for Just Environmental Futures, and the Arts & Sustainability program.

The Operations Manager will have proven skills and experiences in a broad range of functions including finance, event planning, and general administration. This role reports to the Assistant Dean for Research Initiatives and will directly support each programmatic team. This is an opportunity to be a part of a highly collaborative startup environment and help build and scale new research programs in the Doerr School.

Your Responsibilities will include

• Independently implement, administer and evaluate day-to-day activities for the team and contribute to design, problem solving, and evaluation for new program implementation. Design and implement a new project management system.
• Collect and analyze data, create reports and presentations for program leaders
• Ensure compliance with and effectively navigate Stanford and Doerr School policies and procedures related to finance, procurement, human resources, and other administrative functions.
• Manage and track budgets for multiple units under University requirements; monitor and approve expenditures; perform financial forecasting for grant funding programs and provide recommendations that determine the budget.
• Initiate and lead meetings with stakeholders to plan scope and format of a variety of Stanford events (complex meetings, workshops, conferences, seminars, and large events), establish and monitor budgets, and/or review administrative procedures and event progress. Oversee and/or perform duties associated with events such as scheduling, organizing, and working the event.
• Plan outreach strategy for events, write & edit high quality marketing materials, plan and execute social media and network development.
• Responsible for ownership and management of digital channels, develop content and unit web pages.
• Manage hiring processes for staff, temporary staff, contractors and postdocs including coordinating interview processes, develop onboarding, and working with SDSS HR team hiring documentation and systems.
• Liaise with facilitates and space planning teams for Research Initiatives office space needs.
• May support the leadership teams through select administrative services including complex multi-party scheduling, travel planning, financial reimbursements and meeting support for advisory councils and external partners.
• Lead staff or supervise day-to-day work of student and/or temporary workers, including scheduling, assigning, and prioritizing workloads, setting appropriate deadlines, reviewing work for quality and timeliness, and providing performance review input.
• Represent the team and programs as the key contact and administrative subject matter expert within the team
• Liaise and communicate with external collaborators inside and outside the University.

The job duties listed are typical examples of work performed by positions in this job classification and are not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Specific duties and responsibilities may vary depending on department or program needs without changing the general nature and scope of the job or level of responsibility. Employees may also perform other duties as assigned.

To be successful in this position, you will need

Education & Experience:

Bachelor’s degree and three years of relevant experience, or combination of education and relevant experience.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Demonstrated ability to prioritize own work and multi-task.
• Demonstrated excellent organizational skills.
• Demonstrated ability to take initiative and ownership of projects.
• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
• Ability to routinely and independently exercise sound judgment in making decisions.
• Demonstrated experience working independently and as part of a team.
• Demonstrated experience with basic accounting and budgeting
• Ability to direct the work of others, for jobs requiring supervision.

In addition, preferred qualifications include:

• Demonstrated success in a senior administrative or operations role of a new or growing organization.
• Knowledge of Stanford University financial, human resource, procurement and communications systems and policies.
• Aptitude and disposition for defining and accomplishing measurable results towards organizational goals.
• Experience with project management, including project-management software.
• Experience conceptualizing, designing, and drafting slide presentations.
• Proficiency with and ability to learn and apply technologies and software such as large language models, Canva, Google suite, Smartsheets, etc to stated responsibilities.
• Demonstrated ability to build and sustain productive working relationships across organizations in a decentralized professional setting.
• Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities and support for different teams.
• Proactive communicator with excellent written, visual, and oral communication skills.
• Flexible, open-minded, and collaborative mindset with ability to navigate an ambiguous environment.

Consistent with its obligations under the law, the University will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact Stanford University Human Resources by submitting a contact form.

The expected pay range for this position is $100,023 to $124,516 per annum.

Stanford University provides pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of the salary or hourly wage the university reasonably expects to pay for a position upon hire. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal equity, geographic location and external market pay for comparable jobs. At Stanford University, base pay represents only one aspect of the comprehensive rewards package.

At Stanford University, base pay represents only one aspect of the comprehensive rewards package. The Cardinal at Work website (https://cardinalatwork.stanford.edu/benefits-rewards) provides detailed information on Stanford’s extensive range of benefits and rewards offered to employees. Specifics about the rewards package for this position may be discussed during the hiring process.

How to Apply

We invite you to apply for this position by clicking on the “Apply for Job” button.

Stanford is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.