Operations Director

About the role

The Operations Director is a cross-functional leader responsible for driving strategic talent initiatives and operational excellence across SMASH’s full-time and seasonal workforce. This hybrid role blends human resources leadership with hands-on program operations, ensuring alignment between the organization’s people strategy and programmatic success. This role requires a great deal of cross-departmental collaboration and organizational effectiveness. The ideal candidate is a systems thinker and people-first strategist who thrives in fast-paced, mission-driven environments.

Key Responsibilities

Talent Strategy & Workforce Management - 10%

• Design and lead an integrated talent acquisition and recruitment strategy to attract top-tier full-time and seasonal staff aligned with SMASH’s mission and values
• Oversee recruitment workflows including job description development, hiring timelines, background checks, and I-9 verification
• Develop and manage a seamless onboarding and offboarding experience in partnership with program and department leads
• Establish offboarding protocols including exit interviews, HR systems removal, separation agreements, and asset recovery
• Implement a system for collecting and analyzing performance data for seasonal staff to inform coaching, rehire decisions, and talent pipelines
• Lead the development and facilitation of training for full-time and seasonal staff, ensuring readiness for program implementation and operational consistency

Program Operations - 50%

• Serve as the operational lead for program readiness, ensuring all staffing, training, and compliance elements are in place for seamless program delivery
• Partner with Programs leadership to design and implement systems that support operational excellence, including schedules, logistics, and staff coordination
• Oversee weekly virtual and in-person workspaces for seasonal program staff, ensuring optimal collaboration and productivity
• Coordinate cross-functional debriefs and program team meetings that drive continuous improvement and alignment
• Manage operational aspects of scholarship disbursements in coordination with Finance, ensuring accuracy and compliance
• Monitor survey data collection from scholars and alumni, ensuring high response rates and integration of insights into program design
• Maintain secure and compliant recordkeeping systems to support both HR and program operations
• Work closely with IT, Finance, and Programs teams to align people and program operations for smooth execution
• Develop and maintain clear SOPs, workflows, and knowledge-sharing resources to drive consistency, clarity, and scale
• Champion a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement across departments

Payroll, Benefits & Compliance Oversight - 40%

• Direct the execution of payroll, benefits administration, onboarding, and leave management processes across SMASH’s workforce
• Develop and implement compensation strategies for full-time and seasonal staff in partnership with Operations and Finance
• Lead HR audits and compliance reporting (e.g., PTO tracking, workers’ compensation, classification audits)
• Oversee multistate tax registration and ensure legal compliance across all employment jurisdictions
• Ensure accurate worker classification (e.g., contractor vs. employee, exempt vs. non-exempt) in alignment with labor laws and internal policy
• Ensure schedule compliance for seasonal staff in alignment with labor laws and internal policy
• Deliver trainings and ongoing support for staff using HR tools and systems

Required Attributes

• Collaboration: Exceptional listening, communication, and presentation skills; excellent time management and organizational skills; timeliness and dependability; courageously candid when facing difficult conversations
• Relationship Building: Welcome and embrace individual differences of everyone in the room; humility; patience when navigating situations; ability to listen to multiple perspectives; restorative approach to relationship building and conflict resolution 
• Problem Solving: Remain curious, innovative, iterative, and quickly pivot as needed; keep activities on track, think creatively, and act swiftly in the face of unanticipated events; make data-based decisions
• Resilience: Approach situations with a growth mindset, adapt, and reflect to ensure desired outcome(s) are met

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in people operations, program operations, or a hybrid organizational operations role, preferably in a nonprofit or education-related setting
• Demonstrated experience designing and managing workforce systems and program delivery logistics
• Strong knowledge of HR compliance, payroll systems, and multi-state employment practices
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and deliver results in fast-paced, seasonal environments
• Exceptional communication, facilitation, and change management skills
• Passion for and a deep commitment to SMASH’s mission

Compensation

Salary Range: $100,000 - $115,000

Benefits

SMASH offers competitive compensation, and excellent benefits including medical, dental, vision,

life/disability insurance, 401(k), professional development stipend, paid time off, volunteer time, and flexible spending accounts. Our collaborative office is located in Oakland’s dynamic Uptown District.  We are seeking candidates with a personal commitment to our mission and innovation--values that are embedded in our culture.