Associate, Operations

Organizational Overview

Smile Train is the world’s leading cleft focused organization. Our goal is to transform the lives of every person impacted by a cleft lip or palate. We train and support doctors and medical professionals to provide our patients with free, life-changing, comprehensive cleft treatment. Our sustainable model has allowed us to reach more than 2 million children in 90+ countries in the past 25 years, and we still feel like we’ve just started.

We are truly changing the world one smile at a time!

Make a Difference!

Smile Train is seeking an Operations professional with proven experience supporting an active organization. As Smile Train’s Associate, Operations, you will serve as the lead for office administration and operational support. You will assist all aspects of the Operations team, including Human Resources, Legal, Finance, Executive, and Technology. In this position, you will provide support to a global organization and work closely with other departments and coworkers locally and around the world.

As the Associate, Operations, you will oversee the functioning of Smile Train’s headquarters office, including cleanliness of the office, welcoming guests, managing deliveries, assisting with events and ensuring supplies are well stocked. This role blends office management, administration, and light executive assistant coverage, requiring exceptional judgment, discernment, and the ability to pivot with a no-task-too-small or too-big mindset.

This is a full-time staff position based at our headquarters in New York City. The selected candidate will be expected to work from our office under a hybrid schedule, with four days per week spent onsite.

Reports To:

Chief Operating Officer & General Counsel

• Manage office operations including supply management, facilities coordination, vendor relationships, shipping and receiving, and document and file management
• Act as the first point of contact for staff and external visitors, managing office access, greeting visitors, coordinating logistics, and arranging meeting rooms
• Maintain a polished and welcoming front-office presence while handling inquiries and sensitive information with discretion
• Work closely with Vice President, Human Resources to onboard and offboard staff and to plan and execute staff events in the NYC area
• Assist the Human Resources Department in the coordination of training schedules
• Assist with select travel and visa arrangements
• Assist with general administrative workflows and special projects
• Provide executive assistant coverage for senior leaders when needed, including calendar support, meeting notes and action items, and communication follow-through
• Act as the representative of the organization with building management, liaising regarding events and issues and participating in governance and meetings as they arise
• Coordinate and assist with office repair and renovation needs ranging from vendor selection and negotiation to project oversight and completion
• Manage expense processing and invoicing

The ideal candidate is highly organized, energetic, and enthusiastic about office support. Strong communication skills are a necessity.

• Bachelor’s Degree (Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent professional experience)
• A minimum of 4 years of office administration, operations, or reception experience
• Organization, problem-solving skills, and attention to detail are critical
• Ability to work independently and be a self-starter
• Must be able to produce clear, structured written communication
• Ability to manage multiple projects
• Outstanding communication skills
• Ability to work comfortably on PCs, especially with Microsoft Office Suite
• Ability to work under pressure with significant time constraints and high workload volume at peak times

• Warm professionalism
• Approachability
• Emotional intelligence
• Cultural sensitivity
• Ability to engage respectfully across levels

• Ownership of Outcomes:
  Take full responsibility for one’s own performance, ensuring alignment with Smile Train’s vision and objectives.
• Transparent Communication:
  Communicate…