Senior Operations Manager, Executive Office (Job ID: 2024-3444)

Overview

Join one of the most influential, most quoted and most trusted think tanks!

The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, DC. Our mission is to conduct in-depth research that leads to new ideas for solving problems facing society at the local, national and global level.
 
We bring together leading experts in government and academia from all over the world, rooted in open-minded inquiry and representing diverse points of view, who provide the highest quality research, policy recommendations, and analysis. Research topics cover a full range of public policy issues in economics, foreign policy, development, governance and metropolitan policy.
 
With fair and transparent business practices, clear communication, mutual respect, and a collaborative atmosphere that offers both professional and personal development opportunities, Brookings offers an inclusive and welcoming workplace that values the efforts of all contributors.

The Executive Office (EO) moves the Brookings mission forward by supporting and guiding the research programs, external affairs, and business operations of the Institution. The EO consists of the President’s office and the President's support team and aims to communicate regularly and transparently with Brookings staff about what’s happening at the institutional level.

Position Location: This position requires three to five days a week in the office, depending on the needs of the of the office.


Responsibilities

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The senior manager oversees the day-to-day operations of the executive office (EO) and is a close thought partner to and implementor for the vice president of executive affairs (VPEA). The senior manager helps the vice president lead their portfolio of activities, including EO-sponsored special projects, management of the president’s priorities, team, and activities. The senior manager is a key liaison from the EO to the Brookings community and external stakeholders; provides program management and coordination for special projects, administration, and outreach efforts in the executive office; manages project progress against objectives; identifies, and resolves obstacles or challenges; and as needed, represents the VPEA on administrative matters

Executive Office Management

• Manage the executive office’s (EO’s) budgets, operations, and engagment of key institutional stakeholders.
• Manage EO business processes and ensure the executive office works effectively with research programs and across central functional areas including finance, HR, IT, general counsel’s office, communication, and development.
• Manages and prepares, in close cooperation with the VEPA, timely and thoughtful agendas for executive leadership team (ELT) meetings and retreats – and Brookings management team meetings – including topic tracking, vetting, and sequencing potential agenda items, providing research, and preparing advance materials.
• Staff ELT meetings, providing meeting logistics support, note taking, and tracking after-meeting action items.
• As needed, support the president and VPEA on engagment with research vice presidents, including research on topics of shared interest and prioritizing and sequencing topics for discussion.
• Manage other EO-sponsored staff engagement efforts, such as Talkbacks, Town Halls, executive lunches, and other ad hoc EO-sponsored staff events, including developing programming and messaging, preparing participants, screening content, and ensuring logistics are addressed.
  

Chief Executive Support

• Work with VPEA and executive assistant to the president (EA) to track, assess, and respond to inquires for president’s time.
• Contribute situational awareness and insights while working closely with VPEA, EA, and other stakeholders as need to track and evaluate requests for president’s time, ensuring thoughtful decision making.
• Work with VPEA, EA, and speechwriter to ensure the president receives timely, quality briefings and event preparation, and that post-meeting follow up is clear and actionable.
• Work closely with the vice president and chief development officer (VPCDO), the central and research program development staff, and EO staff to ensure the president is prepared to shape and/or support fundraising efforts as needed, across the institution.
• Work with the VPEA to coordinate board of trustees engagement among the VPCDO, their staff, and the EO staff, including those who oversee board governance.
  

EO-lead Institutional Efforts

• Develop and project manage EO-sponsored special projects, working closely with the VPEA on the planning, socialization, and launch of programmatic or operational initiatives, including scope, budgets, and workplans including stakeholder engagement and staffing.
• Assist VPEA and the vice president and chief human resources officer with executive team recruitments, as needed.
• Other duties as assigned.