Centers and Institutes Operations Partner

Howard University

1d•$118,171 - $140,000

About The Position

The Centers and Institutes Operations Partner will serve as a senior coordination professional supporting the successful launch, growth, and operational continuity of Howard University’s Centers and Institutes. This role will work across university administrative offices to help Centers and Institutes build and sustain the infrastructure needed to operate effectively. The position will focus primarily on onboarding new Centers and Institutes, cross functional coordination, escalation management, operational playbook development, annual training and readiness support, budget planning coordination, service level oversight, space planning support, and stakeholder communication. This position currently has no formal supervisory responsibilities; however, supervisory duties may be assigned in the future based on organizational needs. The incumbent will coordinate work across multiple offices and will influence progress through collaboration, follow through, and relationship management rather than through direct authority. The incumbent serves as the central operations coordination point for assigned Centers and Institutes during periods of high operational demand, including launch, early-stage development, expansion, and transition. The Operations Partner helps move work across administrative functions, tracks progress, escalates issues when needed, supports operational readiness, and provides clear updates to stakeholders. This role does not approve transactions, authorize expenditures, make hiring decisions, or direct the work of functional staff. Budget decisions, hiring approvals, procurement authorizations, and programmatic decisions remain with Center and Institute leadership and the appropriate functional offices.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business administration, higher education administration, public administration, organizational leadership, or a related field.
Five to seven years of progressively responsible professional experience in higher education administration or another complex institutional environment.
Demonstrated experience coordinating work across multiple functional areas such as Human Resources, Finance, Procurement, operations, facilities, or technology services.
Experience managing projects, operational workflows, or cross functional initiatives that require collaboration across organizational lines.
Experience developing process documentation, operational guidance, training materials, or similar tools that support consistent service delivery.
Working knowledge of Workday or a comparable enterprise resource planning system, including transaction processing, status tracking, or related administrative workflows.
Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to engage effectively with a broad range of stakeholders.
Demonstrated ability to work effectively across a wide range of constituents and to build trusted relationships with faculty, directors, administrative staff, and university leaders.
Strong knowledge of administrative operations within a complex institution, with the ability to navigate processes involving Human Resources, Finance, Procurement, Facilities, and technology services.
Excellent project management and coordination skills, including the ability to manage multiple concurrent requests, organize follow-through, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
Ability to move work forward across organizational boundaries without direct authority by using sound judgment, clear communication, and strong relationship management.
Strong analytical and operational problem solving skills, with the ability to identify process gaps, remove barriers, and improve coordination across units.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate complex operational issues into clear, concise updates for diverse stakeholders.
Ability to develop practical tools, guidance, and training materials that improve operational consistency and user understanding.
Ability to maintain discretion, exercise sound judgment, and manage sensitive information appropriately.
Strong attention to detail and commitment to documentation, recordkeeping, and operational consistency.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and the ability to work effectively in Workday or a comparable enterprise resource planning environment.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in a relevant field.
Professional experience at Howard University or at a peer institution, particularly in an environment with complex academic or administrative structures.
Experience supporting the launch, growth, or administration of a research center, academic institute, or similar entity.
Familiarity with budget planning, restricted funds, grant related administration, or sponsored program support in a higher education setting.
Experience in organizational effectiveness, change management, administrative transformation, or service delivery improvement.
Experience supporting orientation, training, or readiness efforts for faculty, staff, or administrative stakeholders.
Familiarity with fundraising support processes and coordination between programmatic units and Development and Alumni Relations.
Space planning, facilities coordination, or workplace planning experience in a university or similarly complex environment is preferred.

Responsibilities

Serve as the central operations coordinator for assigned Centers and Institutes, ensuring that administrative work moves efficiently across Human Resources, Finance, Procurement, Enterprise Technology Services, Facilities, and other relevant offices.
Coordinate onboarding for new Centers and Institutes so that operational infrastructure, documentation, approvals, systems access, and foundational administrative processes are in place to support day one readiness.
Review incoming requests for completeness and quality at intake, helping ensure that documentation is sufficient before routing begins and reducing delays caused by incomplete submissions.
Track requests that involve multiple administrative functions, identify where items are stalled, follow up with the appropriate offices, and escalate issues when timelines exceed expected service levels.
Provide intensive coordination support to established Centers and Institutes that are expanding programs, increasing staffing, adding new funding streams, or taking on more complex administrative activity.
Develop, maintain, and refine operational playbooks for Centers and Institutes that document required processes, roles, decision points, timelines, and key administrative requirements to support consistency and continuity.
Conduct annual training and orientation sessions for Center and Institute directors and staff to strengthen understanding of administrative processes, submission requirements, service expectations, and available support resources.
Partner with Development and Alumni Relations and other relevant offices to support fund activation and related administrative readiness so that newly funded activity can begin without unnecessary delay.
Support annual budget planning by coordinating with Finance and Center and Institute leadership to identify operational considerations, surface potential misalignments, and provide timely information to support sound decision making.
Support space planning and facilities coordination for Centers and Institutes by partnering with relevant university offices to identify needs, facilitate planning discussions, and help advance operational requirements related to physical space.
Monitor service performance for operational requests, maintain visibility into work in progress, and communicate priorities, status, and next steps to Center and Institute leaders and administrative partners.
Maintain accurate records of requests, decisions, and outcomes to support reconciliation, audit readiness, institutional reporting, and continuity of service.
Perform other related duties as assigned in support of the Centers and Institutes Service Model.
Leverage data and technology tools to identify process improvement opportunities, support operational decision-making, and enhance service delivery for Centers and Institutes.