Operations, Programs, and Policy Manager

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About the Cornell Center on Democracy

The Cornell Center on Democracy strengthens democracy through rigorous research, democratic and civic education, and public engagement. Rooted in Cornell's founding mission to enhance lives locally and globally, the Center advances applied, objective, and globally relevant ideas to improve democratic institutions and practices in the United States and abroad.

Through targeted research, education, and public engagement, we aim to bolster democracy worldwide. We are home to a far-reaching, multidisciplinary faculty of 100+ Cornell scholars working in collaboration to advance new frontiers of democratic thought and action.

The Opportunity

Join the Cornell Center on Democracy as our Operations, Programs, and Policy Manager, where you'll help transform ambitious ideas into impactful programs, partnerships, and initiatives that strengthen democratic engagement. The Cornell Center on Democracy is seeking a collaborative, dynamic, and entrepreneurial professional to serve as the Operations, Program and Policy Manager. The OPPM core role is the executive management of the Center’s activities. This executive managerial and programmatic role includes leading operations and administration to facilitate Center functioning, supporting the Center Director, Faculty, Research Associates, Fellows , and Students to execute the research, education, and engagement mission. The OPPM will work with faculty leads to design and implement the core research pillars of the Center, execute the communications strategy of the Center, coordinate internal and external partners in collaborative research and applied projects, and disseminate research findings applicable to policy and practitioner partners along with outreach and dissemination strategies.

This role is ideal for someone who:

• Loves creating systems and order around complex projects and multi-faceted teams.
• Enjoys building programs, partnerships, and new ways of working from the ground up.
• Naturally leaves meetings with a plan, brings the right people together, and ensures important work moves forward.
• Gets energized by helping mission-driven people accomplish more together.
• Sees ambiguity as an opportunity to create solutions.
• Is building on subject matter expertise around democracy, civic engagement and education.
• Wants their work to have a visible impact on research, public policy, and democratic engagement.
• Enjoys moving seamlessly between big-picture strategy and hands-on execution.

Why this opportunity is exciting:

This is an opportunity to help build one of Cornell's newest interdisciplinary centers at a pivotal moment. Working alongside world-class faculty, researchers, policymakers, and community partners, you'll help transform research into real-world impact by building programs, fostering partnerships, and helping shape the future of democratic engagement.

This role requires a leader who can balance multiple project teams and manage operational demands while building and maintaining critical partnerships across academia, democracy partners in society, philanthropy and corporate relations, and government officials at the local, national, and global level.

Reporting to the Director of the Cornell Center on Democracy, and working with Center staff team and faculty affiliates, the OPPM will identify project objectives, lead implementation and project management, and support research design. The OPPD will ensure efficient and effective operations, and manage Center administration, outreach, dissemination, and partner relations in order to align with objectives and produce project deliverables. The individual will lead initiatives to catalyze the Center’s interdisciplinary and thematic research outputs, expand scholarly and policy reach, cultivate relationships with key stakeholders, and develop impactful engagement activities. This position will focus on enhancing the Center’s influence and capacity through project management across the research pillars, oriented toward impactful outputs and dissemination in applied democracy practice.

In addition to the three research pillars, the OPPM will be charged with establishing and coordinating the Democracy Action Research Hub, coordinating with democracy organizations and projects to bring research to bear to meet acute questions surrounding democratic practice and institutions. To realize this coordinating capacity, the OPPM will be the connection point and project manager for community engagement projects supported by academic research.

The OPPM will support the Center Director and staff team, faculty, external stakeholders, and administrative partners within Cornell University to build upon and grow our democracy network with external partners to serve as an academic partner and achieve applied policy engagement and curricular innovation in civic education. The OPPM will play an instrumental role in spearheading partnerships, building interdisciplinary collaborations, and managing research to practice operations that amplify the impact of the Center’s initiatives and visibility in supporting democracy.

The essential job duties span the following functional areas:

• Strategic Management and Program Development (50%),
• Manage Operations Including Event Planning and Administrative Management (20%), and;
• Policy Work / Outreach / Communications / Relationship Management (30%).

The ideal candidate will have significant experience in applied research project management, democracy supporting activities, proven leadership in developing programs, and the ability to cultivate partnerships across sectors. This role demands a proactive leader capable of navigating a start-up-like atmosphere and driving the Center towards long-term sustainability and excellence.

Success Factors

You will be considered competitive if you demonstrate:

• Exceptional program and project leadership. You have successfully transformed ambitious ideas into well-executed initiatives by creating systems, coordinating complex projects, managing competing priorities, and ensuring work moves from concept to completion.
• The ability to build partnerships and bring people together. You thrive as the connector across faculty, researchers, students, community organizations, policymakers, philanthropic partners, and institutional leaders. People trust you, enjoy working with you, and rely on you to move collaborative work forward.
• Strong operational leadership in dynamic, entrepreneurial environments. Rather than waiting for established processes, you enjoy creating them. You are energized by building new programs, developing organizational systems, bringing structure to novel projects and innovations, and helping organizations grow.
• Outstanding communication and relationship management skills. You are an exceptional writer, presenter, facilitator, and listener who can translate complex research into meaningful conversations with diverse audiences while representing an organization's mission with professionalism and credibility.
• An understanding of public policy, democracy, civic engagement, applied research, or closely related fields. You map the subject area landscape to connect researchers, practitioners, and policymakers while advancing mission-driven work.

Hours and Location

The Operations, Programs, and Policy Manager is performed through a flexible hybrid work arrangement. While much of the work may be performed remotely, occasional on-campus attendance is expected to support Center events, courses, meetings, and other in-person activities. The frequency of on-campus work will be determined in collaboration with your supervisor based on the needs of the Center.

What We Need

• A cover letter and resume outlining your interest and how your experience and goals align with the potential for mutual success in the role are required for consideration.
• Master’s degree (PhD welcome but not required) in public policy, law, political science, sociology, communications, behavioral science, or a related field.
• 5 or more years of professional experience building and leading organizations and projects.
• Understanding of democracy issues, specifically related to fostering democratic practice and institutions.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively interact with community partners, academic units, funders, and government agencies.
• Collaborative team player that aligns Center mission with work ethos to achieve deliverables.
• Attention to detail and a willingness to participate in a start-up atmosphere.
• Demonstrated success in project management, operations administration, team leadership, and organizational strategy.
• Demonstrated success in building networks and creating partnerships and alliances.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with an emphasis on developing public relations efforts, stakeholder engagement, and disseminating project findings to varied audiences.
• Ability to interpret and implement university and grantor policies, address complex issues, and make recommendations to leadership.
• Strong organizational skills with a track record of planning and executing complex programs with multiple contributors.
• Experience in and/or demonstrated commitment to supporting diversity, equity, access, inclusion, and wellbeing.
• Ability to cultivate and develop inclusive and equitable working relationships with students, faculty, staff, and community members.
• Experience in and/or demonstrated commitment to supporting diversity, equity, access, inclusion, and wellbeing.

Suggested

• Network of professional contacts, particularly with policymakers, advisory groups, researchers, and organizations within the democracy domain.
• Prior experience in academia, think-tanks, civic organizations, policy institutes, government, civic education or other democracy engagement activities.

Rewards and Benefits

• This position is performed in a hybrid format designed to provide flexibility while supporting meaningful in-person collaboration. Most work may be performed remotely, with occasional travel to Cornell's Ithaca campus for meetings, courses, events, and other activities that benefit from in-person engagement. The university reserves the right to modify, suspend, revoke or terminate the hybrid work arrangement at any time. Cornell receives national recognition as an award-winning workplace for our health, wellbeing, and sustainability.

• Our benefits programs include comprehensive health care options, generous retirement contributions, access to wellness programs, and employee discounts with local and national retail brands. We invite you to follow this link to get more information about our benefits: Understand Your Benefits | Working at Cornell.

• Our leave provisions include health and personal leave, three weeks of vacation and 13 holidays: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, and an end of the year winter break from December 25-January 1. To offer greater flexibility for observing faiths and traditions we also offer two additional floating holidays. Learn more about our generous leave provisions: Holiday and Accrued Time Off | Working at Cornell

• Cornell's impressive educational benefits include tuition-free Extramural Study and Employee Degree Program, tuition aid for external education, and Cornell Children's Tuition Assistance Program. Learn more about our extensive educational benefits: Education Benefits | Working at Cornell

• Follow this link to learn more about the Total Rewards of Working at Cornell:Total Rewards | Working at Cornell.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Cornell is an equal opportunity employer. For more information, visit hr.cornell.edu/eeo.

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Cornell University is an innovative Ivy League university and a great place to work. Our inclusive community of scholars, students and staff impart an uncommon sense of larger purpose and contribute creative ideas to further the university's mission of teaching, discovery and engagement. With our main campus located in Ithaca, NY, Cornell's far-flung global presence includes the medical college's campuses on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and Doha, Qatar, as well as the Cornell Tech campus located on Roosevelt Island in the heart of New York City.

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