Director of Operations

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Emily’s Entourage is looking for an experienced, high-energy, and passionate individual to organize and oversee the daily operations of the organization and advance strategic initiatives as the full-time Director of Operations.

The Position

The Director of Operations leads the planning, implementation, and monitoring of day-to-day business, fundraising, and programming operations to maximize the organization’s success, efficiency and growth.

Working in collaboration with the Emily’s Entourage co-founders, leadership team, and strategic advisors, the Director of Operations leads internal operations, including hiring, training, and ongoing management of staff; cultivating and managing vendors and volunteers; overseeing marketing and communications, data management, and finance and regulatory compliance; and overseeing events.

The area of responsibility for this role is very wide and thus requires the ability and eagerness to learn quickly and manage various company processes. The ideal candidate must be competent and able to manage many kinds of operational activities and priorities. The candidate must be an excellent leader who can discover the most efficient ways to run the business and drive the organization’s success.

The Director of Operations joins a core team of five, including a full-time Director of Marketing and Communication and Manager of Fundraising and Special Events, a part-time Director of Strategic Partnerships, and two co-founders. Additionally, EE is in the process of hiring a Chief Scientific Officer in early 2022. The Director of Operations reports to the organization’s co-founders. The organization is based in Merion Station, PA, but the role is currently virtual.

The Organization

Emily's Entourage is an innovative 501(c)3 that raises funds to advance research for new treatments and a cure for rare nonsense mutations of cystic fibrosis (CF), a fatal genetic disease afflicting the organization’s co-founder, Emily, and many others. Since 2011, Emily’s Entourage has awarded millions of dollars in research grants, launched a CF gene therapy company that has been acquired by a large pharmaceutical company, and led worldwide efforts to drive high-impact research and drug development.

The organization’s work is particularly critical now as revolutionary breakthroughs are available for 90% of the CF population, but those with nonsense mutations fall in the outlying 10% that do not benefit from these major advances. EE is laser-focused on changing that—and doing it fast, so nobody is left behind.

Importantly, the work of EE holds the potential to benefit not only those with nonsense mutations of CF. Roughly 12% of all genetic diseases are caused by nonsense mutations, which means 30 million people worldwide live with a disease caused by a nonsense mutation. The research that EE is spearheading has the potential to have wide-reaching effects, far beyond the CF community.

EE has been featured in the New York Times, STAT, CNN, TheSkimm, People, and more. Emily was named a “Champion of Change” for President Obama’s Precision Medicine Initiative and is the recipient of the 2016 Global Genes Rare Champion of Hope for Advocacy Award and the 2020 Philadelphia Magazine Luminary Award.

Responsibilities

This list of responsibilities is comprehensive and broad. The expectation is that the Director of Operations will work with the co-founders and staff to prioritize primary duties first and, with time, add on secondary duties.

Primary Responsibilities

Operations, Logistics, and Administration:

• Provide support and oversight for fundraising activities and operations
• Provide support for all programs to maintain quality, budget, and timeline adherence including the research grant program, clinical trial matchmaking program, and others as needed
• Lead weekly staff meetings, set agendas, oversee timelines, and ensure staff priorities are set and delivered
• Ensure administrative tasks are done in an effective and efficient manner through daily/regular oversight of staff and improvement of internal systems
• Review and manage all contracts, legal documents, and agreements in conjunction with co-founders, the board of directors and strategic advisors, including lawyers
• Oversee technology, including identification, management, and evaluation of vendors and platforms
• Manage two full-time direct reports and numerous contractors in functions including fundraising, special events, and database management
• Manage and mitigate risk and maintain adequate insurance for the organization

Human Resources and Management:

• Oversee recruitment, hiring, and training of new staff members
• Develop, implement, and manage onboarding program for new hires
• Help to recruit, train, oversee, and steward volunteers
• Administer and oversee employee benefits
• Ensure optimal and efficient utilization of technology and equipment, facilitating training as needed; oversee proper use of office space (when work is occurring in person)

External Relationship Development:

• Develop and oversee relationships with vendors, independent contractors, and service providers
• Promote a positive relationship with all donors and board members and support meetings with materials, preparation, and follow through
• Work with co-founders and staff to develop, manage, and evaluate fundraising initiatives
• Manage protocols and processes to enable staff, the Cystic Fibrosis community, and strategic advisors to play a fundraising role

Secondary Responsibilities

Financial Management and Regulatory Compliance:

• Lead and coordinate work with outside accounting and bookkeeping firms
• Prepare, review, and analyze financial reports with support from CPA and co-founders
• Assist in on-time completion of the annual audit and IRS Form 990 return
• Develop and implement policies and regulatory compliance related to governance, accounting, HR, and other operational matters

Strategic Planning:

• Support and advise the co-founders and leadership in decision-making, keeping them apprised of all critical operational issues
• Work with the co-founders and leadership to create and update a long-term strategic plan ensuring all programs are being executed as planned with specific focus on quality, budget adherence, and time management
• Coordinate development of the annual work plan and budget and regularly track and evaluate performance against individual and organizational goals

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree
• 5+ years of professional experience in operations, nonprofit administration or a related field
• Must be versatile, passionate, capable of juggling many priorities at the same time, and able to wear many hats in a fast-paced environment
• Demonstrated leadership experience and ability to motivate, inspire, and organize
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Meticulously organized, detail- and deadline-oriented
• Must be tech proficient and committed to high quality and style standards
• Passionate about advancing medical and scientific research
• Nonprofit experience is preferred but not mandatory
• Deep appreciation for complexities associated with chronic illness is required; knowledge about issues related to Cystic Fibrosis is a plus but not required

Ideal Candidates

Strong attention to detail, highly organized, and motivated

• Significant experience managing several projects at one time with the ability to anticipate, and plan for, the needs of the organization
• Entrepreneurial abilities aligned with building a successful organization
• Ability to anticipate project needs, discern work priorities, meet deadlines
• Work with initiative, competence, and have good judgment with an attitude of “leading with ‘yes’” and "whatever is necessary" to complete the job
• Team-oriented player able to communicate and work alongside organization leadership and staff, as well as board members, volunteers, and external community

Benefits

Competitive salary offered and determined based on experience

Application Instructions

Interested candidates should submit a one-page cover letter and resume to careers@emilysentourage.org. The cover letter should describe (a) previous relevant experience and (b) why the position is right at this stage in his/her career.

Emily’s Entourage provides equal employment opportunity to all persons regardless of age, race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status or disability.

Interested candidates should submit a one-page cover letter and resume to careers@emilysentourage.org. The cover letter should describe (a) previous relevant experience and (b) why the position is right at this stage in his/her career.

Emily’s Entourage provides equal employment opportunity to all persons regardless of age, race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status or disability.