Senior Manager of Operations and People

The Center for Ecoliteracy is seeking a Senior Manager of Operations and People to join our small and dynamic team that includes educators, former school nutrition professionals, food systems experts, advocates, and parents.

About this Role

The Senior Manager of Operations and People drives the day-to-day operational and administrative functions of the organization. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys building strong organizational systems while working closely with colleagues across the organization. You'll spend your days balancing strategic thinking with hands-on implementation—solving operational challenges, supporting staff, strengthening internal processes, and helping create the conditions for our mission-driven work to thrive. 

This role reports to the Director of Strategy and Innovation and will be onboarded in close partnership with the retiring Deputy Director of Finance and Operations to provide a seamless transition of responsibilities, continuity of institutional knowledge, and ensure the organization’s long-term operational sustainability. This is a full-time, exempt position.

Who We Are Seeking 

You are a relationship-driven leader who fosters and equips teams with seamless, accessible tools to deliver excellent outcomes with joy and purpose. Operational excellence and a sharp attention to detail show up in everything you touch, paired with the sound judgment and discretion needed to handle sensitive matters. In a mission-driven environment, you know how to balance structure with flexibility, holding systems and standards firm while staying responsive to the realities of a small, dynamic team. A systems thinker with a continuous-improvement mindset, you naturally look for ways to streamline, document, and modernize how the organization operates.

Our Workplace Culture

The Center for Ecoliteracy supports a culture that prioritizes integrity, high professional standards, and working successfully with diverse colleagues, program beneficiaries, and community partners. This includes active participation in promoting a healthy workplace culture through organizational diversity and program assessment for equity and inclusion. We strive to build a culture of cooperation and mutual support and value flexibility, resilience, optimism, curiosity, and a sense of shared purpose.

Responsibilities

Operations and Administration

• Lead the day-to-day operational functions that enable the organization to run smoothly, efficiently, and in alignment with our values, ensuring staff have the systems and support they need to do their best work.
• Anticipate operational needs before they become problems by identifying risks, improving processes, and building systems that help the organization scale effectively.
• Manage relationships with key vendors and service providers—including IT, payroll, benefits, insurance, and facilities—to ensure responsive service and organizational continuity.
• Design, document, and continuously improve internal systems, workflows, policies, and procedures to increase clarity, consistency, and organizational effectiveness.
• Coordinate contract administration and maintain organized tracking systems for organizational agreements and renewals.
• Partner with the Executive Director and leadership team on operational planning, organizational capacity, and risk management, bringing proactive recommendations and solutions.
• Oversee the organization's technology ecosystem—including hardware, software, user accounts, and IT vendors—and serve as the primary internal point of contact for technology support.

Human Resources and People Operations

• Lead the full employee lifecycle, including recruitment, hiring, onboarding, offboarding, performance management processes, and staff transitions.
• Serve as the organization's primary HR resource by managing HR vendors, maintaining the employee handbook, interpreting policies, and responding to employee questions with consistency and care.
• Administer benefits, payroll coordination, leave tracking, and compliance with federal and California employment law.
• Partner with leadership to cultivate an inclusive, collaborative, and values-driven workplace culture.
• Coordinate and help implement staff learning and professional development opportunities.

Compliance and Risk Management

• Monitor and maintain organizational compliance with employment laws, nonprofit requirements, grant obligations, insurance policies, and internal procedures.
• Coordinate recurring HR and operational filings, certifications, insurance renewals, and required reporting in partnership with finance, as appropriate.
• Maintain organized records and systems that ensure readiness for audits, funder monitoring, and organizational reviews.

Cross-Functional and Leadership Support

• Work closely with the Executive Director and leadership team to strengthen organizational systems, improve decision-making, and support long-term organizational health.
• Collaborate with finance on payroll administration, budgeting inputs, forecasting, and operational planning while maintaining clear ownership boundaries between finance and operations.

Transition and Knowledge Transfer (First Month)

• Shadow the Deputy Director of Finance and Operations to learn existing systems, vendors, and institutional practices.
• Follow a defined transition plan to assume ownership of operations, HR, and administrative functions.
• Assess existing systems and recommend opportunities to simplify processes, strengthen documentation, and modernize operations while preserving valuable institutional knowledge. This will go beyond the preliminary transition period.

Required Skills and Experience

• 5–8+ years of experience in nonprofit operations, HR, or administration.
• Demonstrated experience managing nonprofit processes and compliance, ideally in California.
• Proficiency in nonprofit technology and digital security best practices, including Apple hardware, Google Workspace, and other cloud-based systems.
• Strong organizational skills and comfort managing multiple systems and deadlines.
• Excellent communication skills and a collaborative, service-oriented approach.
• Experience working with remote or hybrid teams.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience supporting small-to-midsize nonprofits with technology and digital security.
• Proficiency in communications software, including Slack, Zoom, and Gmail.
• Experience in finance, invoicing, payroll, budgeting, and forecasting.

Location and Travel

The Center for Ecoliteracy has a hybrid work environment in the landmark David Brower Center in Downtown Berkeley, California. This role follows a hybrid schedule (in-office Tuesday and Thursday, remote Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) and requires occasional travel to support events and engagements within California.

Salary

This is a full-time, exempt position. The salary is based on experience and ranges from $90,000 to $105,000 annually. A comprehensive benefits package is included. Benefit details can be provided upon request.

How to Apply

Please email your resume and a personalized cover letter that includes your most recent relevant career experience and an example of your contributions to workplace culture to jobs@ecoliteracy.org with the subject line “[Last Name, First Name]: Senior Manager of Operations and People Application.” Interviews will be conducted in July–August 2026.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Center for Ecoliteracy is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, age, veteran status, or disability.

Our Commitment to Equity and Racial Justice

The Center for Ecoliteracy pursues change in TK–12 education and school food systems to provide a more just, sustainable, and equitable experience for students and the people who nourish them. We recognize the harm that systemic racism, gender bias, and structural inequalities create in our public education, food, and labor systems, and strive to mitigate the health and educational inequities affecting low-income households and children of color. We amplify the voices of people who are marginalized and shape our work according to their messages. By listening and taking action to identify and include missing voices, we seek to shift power in both policy and decision-making. We are privileged to learn from our partners and will continue to grow and evolve our work to embody this commitment.

About the Center for Ecoliteracy

The Center for Ecoliteracy is reimagining school food as a pathway for learning and change.

For 30 years, we’ve transformed education in classrooms, cafeterias, and gardens—partnering with hundreds of school districts, supporting thousands of educators, and ensuring millions of children have access to nutritious meals at school.

Our core initiative, California Food for California Kids®, inspires schools to serve fresh, locally-sourced meals and engage students in the connections between food, culture, health, and the environment.

Together, we can build a healthier, more hopeful future for our children.