Project Operations Manager, our client, Across the Aisle
Colleague Executive Search · Washington, DC
Apply & track with Apply EdgeProject Operations ManagerAcross the Aisle - the nonpartisan nonprofit aimed at solving our nation's biggest fiscal challengesWashington, D.C. (in-office 5X a week)About the OrganizationSince 2016, Across the Aisle™ — a nonpartisan, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization — has been providing young Americans (ages 14 to 35) with opportunities to learn, lead, and find bipartisan solutions to our country’s biggest challenges. Our client works with experts from both sides of the aisle to empower voters with reliable facts and a framework to make their own informed decisions. Their leadership programs identify and prepare students and early-career professionals from both parties for decision-making positions on Capitol Hill, in the executive branch, and in other public service roles. Their core policy areas include fiscal issues like the national debt and the federal budget, as well as entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare.Position DescriptionWe’re looking for an organized Project Operations Manager with 5+ years of experience managing competing tasks and workflows, and working with people across functions. In addition to a strong professional project management background, the ideal candidate has a positive attitude, thrives in a fast-paced environment and wants to be an integral part of keeping a growing creative team of designers and communications professionals organized and on track. They will report directly to the Creative Director and will partner with creative, communications, policy, and operations leaders. ResponsibilitiesProject Intake & Operational WorkflowOrganize and manage the project intake process for all incoming creative initiatives.Oversee the project pipeline, ensuring clear visibility into upcoming work, timelines, and resource needs.Lead initial project intake and coordination with team members, ensuring all project requirements are clearly captured and documented.Establish and maintain project setup standards within project management platforms (Asana strongly preferred), including timelines, task structures, and team assignments.Process Development & OptimizationDevelop, document, and continuously refine operational processes that support efficient project delivery across the organization.Create scalable workflow frameworks, documentation, and best practices to support a growing internal team.Identify inefficiencies and proactively implement process improvements that streamline project execution and communication.Own and enforce standard operating procedures for project delivery, communication, and documentation.Project Management OversightProvide guidance on timelines and budget considerations.Support resource planning and allocation — including staffing — across the creative, communications, program, and policy teams.Ensure projects stay on schedule, within scope, and aligned with leadership’s expectations.Manage relationships and communication with vendors, including with event production vendorsMeeting Leadership & DocumentationDevelop structured meeting agendas and run project meetings with our teams.Capture and distribute clear documentation, action items, and next steps.Ensure teams remain aligned and accountable through effective meeting facilitation.Knowledge Management & DocumentationBuild and maintain a highly organized, shareable repository of project documentation and resources.Develop training materials, guidelines, and onboarding resources to support new processes and ways of working, and the training of new employees.Lead internal process training and knowledge-sharing sessions to drive adoption across teams.Qualifications5+ years of experience in an operations/project manager role. Marketing/communications agency experience or strong client services background preferredTop-notch project and time management skills — excellent organization, communication, flexibility and a very strong attention to detailThe ability to anticipate and effectively communicate and solve practical problems or issuesProfessional demeanor; ability to work well with people at all levels and ability to navigate relationships with internal stakeholders and partnersAwareness of pre-production, production, and post-production processes for various types of creative projects Candidates should be motivated, enthusiastic, resourceful, news-aware, hard working and have the ability to switch gears quicklyProven success interacting with clients and accurately assessing client needsStrong Asana and Google Suite skillset4-year degreeSalary commensurate with experience.