Head of Operations - Shift Project : Job Details

Head of Operations

Type of Employment: Full-time employee (40 hours/week)

Starting Salary Range: $105,000 - $120,000 (US Northeast)

Exact compensation will vary based on skills, experience, and location.

Location: Shift will consider candidates located in the US Northeast with existing permission to work in the US. All Shift team members work remotely, with occasional in-person engagement.

Deadline for Application: Sunday August 24, 2025, 11:59 EST

About Shift

Shift is the leading center of expertise on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Shift's global team of experts works across all continents and sectors to challenge assumptions, push boundaries and redefine corporate practice in order to build a world where business gets done with respect for people's dignity.

Shift is a charitable and educational nonprofit organization with a principal place of business in New York, NY. Shift's mission is to shape the legal standards, market incentives and leadership practices that embed respect for human rights into business. Shift works with businesses, financial institutions, governments and civil society stakeholders to help put their commitments to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights into practice. Visit shiftproject.org and follow us on LinkedIn at @shiftproject to learn more about our work.

The Role

As the Head of Operations, you will be the driving force behind Shift's operational excellence, ensuring that the organization's infrastructure supports its mission and growth. In this strategic leadership role, you will design, refine, and implement scalable systems, policies, and processes that enhance efficiency, drive innovation, and foster an engaged high-performing culture.

You will report to Shift's President and engage regularly with the Executive Team. You will forge a well-functioning, efficient Operations Team with the Head of Finance and HR Manager to optimize cross-functional collaboration across all Shift's programmatic areas and ensure alignment with our strategy and long-term vision. As well as overseeing human resources and finance, you will lead a range of key operational functions, including IT, internal communications, contracts/legal and compliance. As a champion of the organization's values, you will cultivate a dynamic, inclusive, and results-driven workplace where all team members can thrive and achieve their full potential.

The Head of Operations must demonstrate Shift's values in their internal and external interactions:

What You Will Do

The Head of Operations must carry out the following essential functions of this role:

Operational Leadership & Strategy

• Align operations with strategy – proactively assess the organization's evolving needs based on Shift's organizational strategy, identifying the policies, processes, and best practices that will drive efficiency, impact and scalability, in consultation with the Executive Team.
• Think and act systemically – develop solutions and frameworks that account for the interconnectedness and interdependencies of all parts of the organization. Build systems that not only drive efficiency but also shape how employees experience their work—what they know, how they feel, and how they take action.
• Drive continuous improvement – identify and implement process enhancements that streamline operations, leveraging technology and outsourcing strategically to optimize efficiency and impact.
• Measure and refine performance – establish data-driven systems and key metrics to monitor, evaluate, and enhance operational effectiveness, ensuring alignment with organizational goals.

Oversight of Human Resources & Talent Management

• Ensure accountability and oversight for human resources management in line with Shift's strategy, organizational values and team well-being.
• Provide thought partnership and support to the HR Manager in furtherance of their effective management of recruitment, onboarding, performance management, professional development, alignment with relevant labor laws, and to foster a workplace culture that promotes diversity, equity, inclusion and engagement.

Oversight of Financial Management

• Ensure accountability and oversight for sound financial management in line with Shift's strategy, annual budgets and internal controls.
• Provide thought partnership and support to the Head of Finance in furtherance of their effective management of budgets, financial planning, scenario planning, forecasting and reporting.
• Ensure the provision of financial context to strategic decision-making.

Governance, Compliance and Legal

• Ensure the timely preparation of Board meetings from logistics to agenda and Board packet preparations, in liaison with the organization's Secretary and President.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for legal matters, regulatory issues, and insurance.
• Ensure compliance with local and international regulations, donor requirements, and internal policies.
• Support Shift's leadership with organizational risk management, including maintaining the risk register..

Management of Contracts and Grant Processes

• Ensure the timely preparation, review and negotiation of all routine contracts and grant agreements in line with agreed organizational priorities and in liaison with relevant relationship managers within the Shift team.
• Collaborate with external counsel on more complex contracts, in liaison with Shift's Vice President and Co-Founder.
• Lead or support the identification of potential new grant providers and the preparation of grant proposals and reports, in liaison with the Executive Team and relevant team members.

IT and Administration

• Oversee the implementation of Shift's policies on IT administration, infrastructure, data security and digital tools to support remote and in-person work.
• Manage Shift's Information Technology, including the relationship with external IT providers.
• Manage day-to-day organizational administration, ensuring smooth daily operations.
• As relevant, develop, improve and oversee key systems and processes necessary to support effective programmatic delivery.

Internal Communications

• Lead communication on internal organizational matters – optimize channels to enhance collaboration, ensure employees stay informed on key policies and updates, and facilitate the timely, transparent flow of organization-wide information.
• Drive effective change management - facilitate smooth change management by proactively addressing concerns, reinforcing key messages, and fostering alignment across the organization, working closely with the Executive Team, the HR Manager and others, as appropriate.

Operations Team Leadership

• Build an efficient and effective Operations Team with strong communications and shared problem-solving capabilities.
• Supervise the Head of Finance and HR Manager, providing support, guidance and coaching, as needed, and advancing their professional development.
• Raise any matters requiring Executive Team discussion in a timely manner to facilitate their effective resolution.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Competencies

The person in this role will demonstrate the following competencies:

Analytical:

• Approaches a complex task or problem by breaking it down into its component parts and considering each part in detail.
• Can identify the information needed to clarify a situation, seek that information from appropriate sources and use appropriate questioning to draw out the information that is needed.
• Can analyze information and viewpoints and effectively identify the pros and cons of different courses of action to reach reasoned decisions.

Results-Oriented:

• Operates with a bias for action.
• Develops comprehensive strategies to meet objectives, setting a clear direction for self and team and measuring their progress against targets.
• Plans and monitors own work activities, schedule and quality targets for key tasks.
• Communicates effectively with both internal and external stakeholders on task and project progress as appropriate.

People-Focused:

• Demonstrates an ability to listen actively and respectfully to others, understand their perspectives and see opportunities to respond to their interests.
• Explains issues or tasks clearly and concisely, ensuring an accurate understanding, and adapts their communication style to the audience.
• Acts with integrity and demonstrates sensitivity to the interests and needs of others to build trust with team members.
• Actively builds and maintains a network of contacts to help achieve progress on core organizational objectives.

Adaptable:

• Open to feedback from colleagues and partners and can see the merits of perspectives other than their own.
• Demonstrates resilience and an ability to adapt to changing situations.
• Approaches new issues or tasks with curiosity and a desire to learn.

Supervisory Responsibilities

This position supervises the Head of Finance and HR Manager.

What You Bring to the Team

• A bachelor's degree as well as fluency in business/organizational fundamentals.
• 7+ years of experience managing the operations of high-growth organizations, companies or startups, in either the non-profit or private sector.
• 8+ years of experience leading small, dynamic and growing operational teams.
• Strong financial acumen and previous experience owning a P&L.
• Demonstrated experience managing legal matters, including contracts, and collaborating with legal counsel on legal aspects of operations.
• Significant experience building or overseeing human resources systems to unlock the unique possibilities and skills of individuals and teams.
• Experience overseeing IT and operational metrics.

Other Duties

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change as needed and assigned by the President.

What Shift Can Offer You

Benefits include:

• 39 days of paid leave for full-time employees: includes 4 weeks of vacation leave, a 2-week office closure at the end of each year, and at least 9 public/floating holidays. (Leave is prorated for part-time schedules.)
• Paid sick leave and parental leave.
• Employer pension contribution of 5% p/a.
• Professional development allocation.
• Remote work support package, including support for co-working space.

At Shift, we believe we can most effectively accomplish our goals with a team that brings a variety of skills, expertise, and life experiences to the work we do every day. We strongly encourage applications from qualified candidates from all backgrounds. We aim to foster a welcoming environment that respects each person's perspective and values each person for who they are.

Shift is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, age, disability status, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, national origin, pregnancy, socioeconomic

status or any characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

Shift is committed to maintaining a respectful workplace that is free from all forms of harassment, including in all engagements conducted on behalf of Shift.

How to Apply

Please submit a 1-page (maximum) letter of interest and CV for consideration. Finalists for the position will be asked to provide three professional references.

Deadline for Applications: Sunday August 24, 2025, 11:59pm ET

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