Operations Manager

Role Details

• Project/Division: Operations

• Start date: As soon as possible

• Visa sponsorship: Considered for exceptional candidates

• Work location: In-person in Cambridge, MA

• Reports to: Director of Operations

• We will review applications on a rolling basis.

The role

SecureBio is a pioneering biosecurity nonprofit dedicated to protecting society from catastrophic biological risks. We collaborate with leading experts across academia, industry, and government to develop novel technologies and forward-thinking policy proposals to delay, detect, and defend against the most dangerous biological agents, both natural and engineered. Our key initiatives include the Nucleic Acid Observatory for early warning of catastrophic biothreats and our AI and Biotechnology Risks effort.

Our programs are expanding rapidly, and we are growing the organization as a result.

We seek an experienced Operations Manager with strong organizational, project management, and communication skills to support our operations and strategic development. This is a generalist position that will contribute to or directly own responsibilities across multiple operational domains, including:

• Supporting the programmatic delivery of our Nucleic Acid Observatory and AIxBio teams, including by taking ownership of key external relationships and deliverables;

• Maintaining and building out our critical IT infrastructure, with a particular focus on automation and security

• Key operations workstreams like fundraising/grant applications, treasury, HR, strategy development, hiring, and stakeholder management

• Managing our portfolio of leased office spaces

This is a demanding role for a seasoned professional with a proven track record as a high-agency problem-solver who is enthusiastic about taking on challenging workstreams and owning them with a large degree of autonomy. You are expected to develop into a core contributor to the organization’s growth and development. There is flexibility to take on greater ownership within particular programmatic domains, or support other operational domains depending on your interests and skills. Regardless of your background, you need to demonstrate refined organizational skills and the ability to oversee and execute complex projects. Prior professional exposure to biosecurity is a plus, but not a strict requirement. However, enthusiasm for the field and clear evidence of strong eagerness to learn and adapt to new fields are indispensable.

This is an in-person role, reporting to the Director of Operations, based in our office in the Kendall Square area of Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Responsibilities

• Provide program management and other operational support for specific project teams

• Help build and maintain our IT infrastructure

  • provide general tech support,

  • work on special IT projects (like improving security for remote staff or running our ISO auditing);

• Support and project manage yearly financial filings and audit requirements

• Support the implementation of policies and procedures across staff

• Contribute to our internal and external communications

• Lead onboarding and offboarding processes across systems, projects and key infrastructure

• Expand our current office space into a thriving coworking space

• Develop and maintain relationships with external stakeholders and vendors (e.g. bookkeepers, auditors, lawyers, and certain funders)

• Lead talent acquisition and retention efforts

• Support the contract management process, such as drafting and negotiating service agreements (inbound and outbound), handling the signing process, etc.

Role Expectations

Required:

• 4-5+ years of work experience, ideally 3 years in operations roles

• Strong generalist who is comfortable working across several functions

• Systems thinker with strong analytical capabilities who enjoys finding ways to optimize and improve processes to make organizational performance more efficient

• Ability to develop scalable solutions for cross-functional problems (e.g.: identifying opportunities to outsource or automate tasks, or finding better software solutions)

• Strong written and oral communication abilities

• A fast and motivated learner, comfortable with diving into new areas, skilling up quickly, and seeking out advice when needed

• Comfort with giving and receiving frank and honest feedback, including asking for help when needed and quickly raising and resolving interpersonal issues

• Discreet & trustworthy with confidential or sensitive information

Strongly Preferred

• 2+ years of experience in consulting, engineering, finance, or high-growth startups

• Hands-on experience in designing & building automated solutions to tricky operational problems

• Demonstrated experience in deploying bespoke AI/LLM solutions to drive productivity gains

• Familiarity working in a research and laboratory environment, and interacting with senior personnel conducting frontier research

• Prior exposure to business development, partnership acquisition, lead generation, fundraising, and similar outreach functions

If you are unsure whether you are a good fit, we strongly recommend that you apply anyway.

Benefits

Our employee benefits reflect our belief in investing to build the strongest possible team, in which everyone receives the trust and support they need to excel. Some of our benefits include:

• 401(k). Employer 401(k) match up to 4% of total salary.

• Comprehensive Healthcare: Comprehensive healthcare coverage, including health, dental & vision insurance, as well as a yearly mental health allowance for every employee.

• Flexible work schedule: Flexible work hours; unlimited paid time off (PTO) for all employees; and minimum 12 weeks fully-paid parental leave.

• World-class office: An exceptional working environment in our Kendall Square office, including high-quality ergonomic office equipment, snacks, and drinks.

• Daily catered lunches. Enjoy team lunches from a varying rotation of local restaurants.

• Relocation & commuter support. Free commuter benefits, plus a generous relocation allowance for employees who move to the Boston area.

Application process

We will review applications on a rolling basis, and are looking for someone to start as soon as possible.

After considering your written application, we may invite you to a short work trial and screening interview. High-performing candidates may be invited to further interviews and/or paid trial tasks. We will also require up to two reference checks.

We’re committed to fostering a culture of inclusion, and we encourage individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply. We especially encourage applications from women, gender minorities, and people of color who are excited about contributing to our mission, and are happy to consider applicants from overseas. We’re an equal opportunity employer.

If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, or have any other questions about applying, please contact [email protected].