Director of Operations and Strategy

The Catholic University of America•Washington, DC

46d•$85,000 - $90,000

About The Position

The Director of Operations & Strategy (DOS) will play a pivotal role in ensuring the smooth execution of CLUNY's mission and grant objectives. Reporting to the Deputy Director, the Director of Operations & Strategy will oversee day-to-day operations, manage budgets and vendors, and coordinate major events and initiatives with our events team. This role combines strategic oversight with hands-on execution - ideal for a highly organized professional who thrives in complex, mission-driven environments. The DOS implements systems and processes, coordinates administrative functions on a daily basis both internal to the university and outside of it, and supports the Director and Deputy Director to ensure smooth execution on all of the project's many initiatives. The DOS must be an excellent, clear, and direct communicator above all, and be willing to navigate complex systems in order to accomplish organizational objectives.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree a plus.
Minimum 1 year of experience in operations, project management, or related role preferred.
Demonstrated success managing budgets, vendors, and complex multi-stakeholder initiatives.
Excellent organizational and time-management skills.
Strong written and verbal communication abilities.
Proficiency with project management tools (Asana, Slack), budgeting software, and CRMs.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with academic, nonprofit, or religious contexts a plus.
Passion for interdisciplinary dialogue and innovation.

Responsibilities

Lead project operations, helping Cluny grow smoothly, and ensuring alignment with grant deliverables and deadlines.
Efficiently and effectively lead team meetings.
Detailed Project Management using Asana software, insisting on organizational buy-in and overseeing scheduling and task completion both internally and externally, enforcing deadlines and communicating clearly and efficiently with all stakeholders.
Reconciling expenses related to the Cluny Project for all stakeholders in university system.
Manage overall budget, reconcile expenses, and oversee grant reporting (quarterly and annually).
Develop systems for vendor accountability and coordinate relationships with up to 12-15+ external partners, negotiating contracts and working with university partners to ensure prompt payments upon execution and delivery of work in alignment with project goals.
Maintain project databases, CRM, and internal reporting systems.
Work with Director and Deputy Director to improve overall organizational efficiency.
Manage our event vendor and team; on-site at most Cluny events to ensure smooth operations and vendors on-task, oversee sound checks, ensure people know where they are supposed to be, and coordinate with vendor to ensure successful events.
Help plan and execute annual CLUNY conference, including budget, vendor management and oversight, and on-site operations; coordinate speaker invitations, travel, and participant logistics.
Support mini-events (dinners, retreats, international encounters) by managing guest lists, venues, catering, and reports, and working with our event planner to ensure smooth execution.
Prepare post-event evaluations and improvement recommendations, write-up operational post-mortems.
Manage implementation of the Foundations of Agency workshop, including facilitator recruitment and participant engagement.
Oversee logistics, technology, and feedback systems for workshops and broader Cluny Academy offerings in the future.
Support the administration of strategic prizes, scholarships, and grants, for Cluny Capital.
Oversee operational development of journal, educational video series, and social media content, by working closely with multiple vendors.
Coordinate with social media and media partners to track engagement metrics.
Support branding and marketing strategy, ensuring consistent messaging across platforms.
Keep CRM up to date and user-friendly.
Work with Director and Deputy Director to submit grant proposals.