The Search for Our Next Operations Manager

Do you believe in the transformational power of higher education and have a passion for helping Maine’s young people reach their full potential during their college years and beyond? Are you committed to increasing the likelihood that young people from every community in Maine will aspire to, pursue, and achieve a college education? Do you have a passion for using technology to organize and optimize data? Are you skilled with developing and managing systems and processes to realize efficiencies?

The Mitchell Institute welcomes applications from proactive systems-oriented individuals seeking to become the Operations Manager at Maine’s premier higher education scholarship organization. Learn more about the opportunity to organize and manage the Mitchell Scholarship application process and provide administrative support to the Mitchell Institute team by exploring the links below.

The Operations Manager optimizes team-wide operations and serves on the frontlines of the office. Working closely with the Scholarship Director, the Operations Manager ensures the execution of the scholarship selection process and scholarship programs. Primary duties include managing office logistics, Scholar selection operations, Scholar onboarding and enrollment verification, and overseeing the integrity of the Mitchell Institute’s databases. Additional duties include staffing events and providing individual support to Scholars. The Mitchell Institute is a fast-paced and collaborative office where additional responsibilities and tasks are assigned when needed to advance the mission.

  • Proactively identify and assess ways to improve operational effectiveness and adoption of technologies
  • Partner with the Scholarship Director to ensure the successful execution of all aspects of the scholarship selection process, including conducting constituent outreach, responding to inquiries, coordinating materials for all levels of selection, and training readers
  • Manage databases (Scholar and Alumni) and document collection, ensuring accuracy and integrity of data, processing Terms of Award documents, and generating operational reports
  • Manage and update online scholarship and fund applications
  • Provide support to fundraising initiatives, including gift entry/acknowledgment, and the selection of Scholars for specific recognition opportunities
  • Oversee the annual enrollment verification process, coordinating with Finance Director to ensure accurate and timely scholarship disbursement
  • Provide staffing support to Scholar programs and assist Scholars where needed
  • Partner with the Scholar Research and Grants Manager to review annual survey responses, update databases appropriately, and maintain data integrity
  • Provide front-line service for incoming calls, general email, and visitors.
  • Coordinate monthly office supply orders and logistics for all-staff meetings
  • Supervise interns or temporary staff on an ad hoc basis
  • Performs other duties as needed or assigned
  • Bachelor’s degree
  • Experience in a higher education setting and/or working with college-aged students preferred
  • Working knowledge of student- or client-facing record and operation systems, and ability to implement, leverage and document trainings for new software and technologies
  • Professional communication skills and ability to build trust with internal and external constituencies
  • Ability to manage detailed tasks simultaneously and prioritize projects effectively; high level of organization and collaboration skills
  • High proficiency with data-driven systems; technical applications; Windows Office and Microsoft Suite; Constant Contact/MailChimp, and Adobe Creative Suite
  • Interest in and a passion for higher education
  • Must support organization’s policies and procedures, including a high degree of confidentiality
  • Manual dexterity, visual acuity, hearing acuity, and flexibility
  • Able to sit for moderate periods of time, using a keyboard. Moderate walking. Off-site events may require prolonged periods of standing or walking
  • Ability to lift and carry up to 30 lbs. Some reaching and bending necessary
  • Participates in events that may require occasional evening/weekend hours or travel
  • Staff members are encouraged to participate in outdoor retreats, which may involve more rigorous physical activity
  • Salary range: $54,000—$60,000
  • 5% employer contribution to retirement
  • Health insurance with a 100% employer-paid option
  • Employer-paid life and disability insurance
  • 12 paid holidays + 3 weeks of paid vacation time
  • Parking permit for a lot near 75 Washington Ave.
  • Professional development opportunities  

Applicants are invited to apply by submitting a letter of interest, professional resume, and three references* to president@mitchellinstitute.org.

Review of applications will begin Friday, January 3, and the application window will remain open until finalists are identified.

*References will be contacted at the finalist stage of the search and with advance notice to candidates.

About the Mitchell Institute

Through nearly three decades of experience and evidence-based research, we know that student success in college depends on more than money. Additional support and guidance during college increase Mitchell Scholars’ chances of attaining a degree, finding meaningful employment in Maine, and strengthening their communities long after college. The Mitchell Institute offers Scholars a broad range of wraparound supports and resources during and after college to help them hone leadership skills, find and pursue career exploration opportunities, and develop networks that are vital to finding satisfying and purposeful work.

Learn more about our signature programs and supports.

Learn about our founder, Senator George J. Mitchell.

Since 2000, we have conducted longitudinal scholarship research to learn about the experiences of Mitchell Scholars and Alumni. Our research on Mitchell Scholars demonstrates that our methods work: While 44% of recent Mitchell Scholars were the first in their families to attend college and 75% came from households earning less than Maine’s median family income, they graduate at a rate 30 percentage points higher than the national average. Over 50% achieved earnings early in their careers that were higher than their entire family household income at the time they applied for the Mitchell Scholarship.

Learn more about the measures of our impact.

Headquartered at 75 Washington Avenue in Portland, the Mitchell Institute’s nine full-time professionals are committed to the organization’s mission — to increase the likelihood that young people from every community in Maine will aspire to, pursue, and achieve a college education. We work with young people from every corner of Maine who face uphill battles on their way to college, and we level the playing field for them by providing financial resources and a broad range of supports. Through our work, we help Mitchell Scholars graduate from college at a rate that far exceeds the national average.

Learn more about the Mitchell Institute staff.