Director of Operations, NSCORE

Salary: $ - $ Annually

Final date to receive applications: N/A

Reporting to the Executive Director of the National Synthesis Center for Organismal Resilience (NSCORE), the Director of Operations provides strategic and operational leadership for a federally funded research center by directing all aspects of administration, including financial management, grant administration, human resources, operations, communications, academic governance, and institutional partnerships. Reporting to the Executive Director, the incumbent oversees a $2–5+ million annual operating budget, supervises administrative staff, ensures compliance with federal and University policies, supports executive leadership and governance activities, and leads special initiatives that advance the Center’s research, education, outreach, and broader impact objectives.

The Director serves as the primary administrative liaison among faculty, University offices, funding agencies, and external partners, ensuring effective resource coordination, operational excellence, and successful execution of the Center’s strategic priorities.

• Work with A&S and University-wide offices to manage and report on a $2-5M annual operating budget, including monitoring subaward agreements and tracking milestones for partner universities and partnering organizations.
• Develop individualized trackers, summaries, and other documents to help facilitate discussions and decision-making on the Center’s budget.
• Review and approve spending and funding requests; designate the appropriate funding source for spending and purchases; and oversee the budget officer's complex daily, monthly, and detailed annual tracking of these expenditures.
• Oversee annual budgeting and re-budgeting activities and report on financial affairs to the federal agency sponsor on an annual and as-needed basis and communicate sponsor requests and other updates to Executive Committee and University partners.
• Manager reporting on the project to NSF in coordination with the Sponsored Project Finance team and the Controller’s office

• Supervise at least two staff members who support the Center’s financial management requirements and broader impact initiatives, including education, outreach, and knowledge transfer.
• Set performance tasks and objectives, motivate personnel to achieve desired results, review work products, meet regularly for one-on-one check-ins and all-hands staff meetings, and ensure necessary staff support of faculty efforts across research, education, broadening participation, and knowledge transfer.
• Administer the Center’s seed funding program, including overseeing the proposal review process and disbursement of funds to awardees.
• Facilitate the recruitment and supervision of postdoctoral, graduate, and undergraduate researchers, and work-study students.

• Staff the Center’s monthly Leadership Team meetings, quarterly Advisory Board meetings, and staff all other advisory and subcommittee meetings.
• Ensure that Center faculty and leadership have the administrative support necessary to achieve excellence in intellectual activities, societal impact, and overall operations.
• Represent the Center Director’s and Leadership Team’s vision and serve as a liaison to faculty, schools, and administrative units of Columbia University, including senior University leadership, as well as to the partnering Universities.
• Coordinate the engagement, integration, and quality of reporting deliverables from all members of the Center’s team of faculty, trainees, non-academic institutional partners, and administrators.

• Spearhead special projects as directed by the Center Director and Leadership Team, including but not limited to external communications, partnership development, event planning, new program design, and/or personnel recruitment.
• Manage the Center’s internal and external communications with the Educational/Outreach Coordinator, ensuring alignment with the Center Director and Leadership Team’s strategic priorities.
• Oversee Center-wide events, including the annual meeting,…