Position: Operations Manager — Exempt

Reports to: Director and Deputy Director

Location: Mathematical Sciences Research Institute
17 Gauss Way
Berkeley, CA 94720-5070
Telephone: 510-642-8226
Fax: 510-642-8609

Summary

The Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI) is an internationally renowned mathematics institute. MSRI was founded in 1982 as an independent non-profit corporation located on a hillside overlooking the campus of the University of California at Berkeley. Its fundamental purpose is to further research in the mathematical sciences through major programs of a semester or a year, through workshops and through post-doctoral training. The Institute hosts an average of 80 researchers in residence at any given time and holds approximately 25 workshops per year with 60–140 participants per workshop. MSRI also engages in outreach to other sciences, to the public, and to various efforts in education, and it is active in encouraging diversity in the research population.

MSRI is recruiting for an Operations Manager. The candidate will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Institute. The candidate should have a strong leadership background, great communication skills, must know how to handle problems quickly and efficiently, must be a good financial planner, and a strategic thinker who will help the directorate in planning for the future of the institute.
The Operations Manager is a key member of the MSRI management team and will report directly to the Director and Deputy Director. He/she will also be available to work with ‘Members’, defined as post -PhD mathematicians, in attendance at MSRI during their research.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Oversight
•Provide leadership and vision to the Institute by assisting the Board of Trustees, the Directorate, and senior staff with the development and implementation of long range and annual plans and with the evaluation and reporting of progress on plans.
•Formulate and implement policies to ensure a smooth running of the Institute.


HR management
•Increase management’s effectiveness by recruiting, selecting, orienting, training, coaching, counseling, and monitoring staff; communicating values, strategies, and objectives; assigning accountabilities; planning, monitoring, and appraising job results; developing incentives; developing a climate for offering information and opinions; providing educational opportunities.
•Provide a work environment that engenders creativity and teamwork among employees and departments.
•Work with attorneys on employment laws and compliance with regulatory reporting.
•Research and make recommendations on Medical, Dental, Vision, and FSA plans for employees.
•Oversight of the Institute’s retirement plans: TIAA-CREF and Standard;
•Year-end Compliance test and 403B test, annual form 5500 and 8955, annual distribution of retirement accounts to current and former employees.
•Keep Employee Handbook current.
Facilities and IT management
•Oversight of facilities operation and IT management; facilities coordinator and head of IT team report directly to the Operations Manager.
Financial management
•Work closely with the controller to provide vision regarding the overall financial health of the Institute.
•Provide vision and leadership in long-range fiscal planning to ensure the continuity and solvency of the Institute.
Administrative management
•Establish and maintain an efficient filing system of documents (electronic and paper).
•Establish and maintain general oversight and ensure accuracy of records including researchers’ and donors’ addresses.
•Oversee preparation of the governance meetings.


Job Requirements
The emphasis is on leadership, planning, supervisory experience, interpersonal skills, and excellent communication skills both written and verbal. The requirements include strong management and financial knowledge and excellent computer skills in order to supervise IT.

Qualifications
•MBA or equivalent
•A minimum of 7 to 10 years of experience in business management, planning, and financial oversight
•A minimum of 5 years of experience in personnel management, including hiring, supervision, evaluation, and benefits administration
•A minimum of 3 years working with a board of directors and trustee committees
•Excellent interpersonal verbal and written communication skills
•Demonstrated ability to manage and supervise staff
•Effective problem-solving and mediation skills
•Demonstrated ability to share skills and knowledge with others
•Proven ability to cope with conflict, stress and crisis situations
•Proficient at multi-tasking, organizing, attending to detail, meeting deadlines and delegating appropriately
•Advanced computer skills, including MS, Access, MYSQL, word processing, Excel spreadsheet, and desktop publishing computer applications
•Experience with enterprise software applications, preferably Financial Edge (non-profit Accounting).
•Basic knowledge of taxation a plus
•Foreign language knowledge desirable, but not a must

Compensation
This is a full-time exempt position with a competitive benefits package. Salary will be commensurate with experience.

Applying for this position
Please submit, in MS Word or Adobe Acrobat file format, the following 5 items
of information addressed to Personnel by email to personnel-hr@msri.org:
•Cover letter
•Resume
•Three business references
•Salary history
•Date Available

Please note that only complete applications will be considered