Manager Program Operations

Disclaimer:

- Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the United States. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.

- Full-time positions at the Institute for Humane Studies (IHS) require periodic travel for in-person team gatherings, typically several times per year. Locations may vary.

Job Summary The Manager, Program Operations is responsible for the end-to-end planning and execution of IHS convenings across a portfolio of in-person and virtual programs. The role owns operational delivery – including event logistics, event technology, and event design – and serves as the primary operational coordinator across academic, communications, and development teams, translating program goals into executed events.
Supervisory Responsibilities
- None.

Duties & Responsibilities Event Planning & Execution

- Own and lead a portfolio of in-person and virtual convenings (approximately ten annually) from concept through close-out, ensuring each meet IHS standards for quality, logistics, and participant experience.

- Develop and maintain detailed project plans for owned programs, including task assignments, milestone tracking, and cross-functional dependencies.

- Direct pre-event logistics for owned programs, including venue sourcing and coordination, room setup, A/V configuration, catering, run-of-show development, and on-site staffing plans.

- Staff and oversee on-site and virtual delivery of owned programs, serving as the primary operational point of contact and resolving issues in real time. Travel up to approximately 25% to staff and oversee programs on-site; on-site responsibilities require the ability to lift 20 pounds or more.

- Provide operational and logistical support for additional programs led by other staff, as needed — including registration setup, technology configuration, and on-site staffing.

Event Technology

- Administer the event and operations technology stack – including registration and virtual event platforms (Cvent), CRM (Salesforce), project management (Asana), travel booking (Egencia), and mass communications (MassMailer) – configuring registration workflows, attendee communications, and data capture, and troubleshooting platform issues in real time during program delivery.

- Evaluate emerging event technology and recommend tools or process improvements that enhance operational efficiency or attendee experience.

Event Design & Participant Experience

- Lead event design in coordination with program leads and stakeholders – including agenda structure, session formats, attendee flow, networking opportunities, and environmental elements – developing scalable solutions across diverse program types and audience profiles aligned to program goals.

- Ensure participant-facing communications and materials reflect IHS brand standards and provide a cohesive attendee experience from registration through follow-up.

Internal Stakeholder Management

- Serve as the primary operational liaison between the Program Operations team and internal partners (academic faculty, development, communications, executive leadership), leading recurring cross-functional program meetings, managing expectations, communicating status, and flagging and escalating risks as needed.

- Prepare and distribute internal briefings, logistics memos, and post-event recaps for leadership and partnering teams.

Operations & Continuous Improvement

- Maintain and refine program templates, checklists, standard operating procedures, and institutional documentation to support team-wide consistency and knowledge transfer.

- Conduct after-action reviews and identify cross-program patterns to drive process improvement and scalable practices.

- Operationalize new and experimental program types, applying existing organizational process assets while piloting new approaches.

Required Qualifications

- 4+ years of experience in event management, program operations, or a closely related fie