Operations Specialist

About the Foundation

Headquartered in Montreal, the McConnell Foundation is a private Canadian foundation that strives for a resilient, inclusive and sustainable society that can successfully address its complex challenges. The successful candidate will join a dynamic team that supports diverse and innovative approaches to community resilience, reconciliation and climate change. We do this through a variety of means: financial contributions and investment, capacity building, consultation and collaboration with the public, private and non-profit sectors.

Location

Hybrid – Must reside in Montreal

Employment type

Full-Time, Permanent

Supervisor

Chief Operating Officer

Department and Team

Operations

Hiring Salary Range

$68,000 – $75,000 according to experience

Start Date
May 6th, 2024

Position summary

Reporting to the COO, this position provides direct support to the COO on Foundation-wide initiatives and projects, as well as supports the Foundation’s continuous improvement to operations efficiency and effectiveness.  

The Operations Specialist works collaboratively with the multiple teams of the Foundation to execute, implement and monitor procedures regarding the Foundation’s operational projects and processes, including communication and training, administrative management, process mapping, continuous improvement and building business intelligence capacity within the Foundation. 

Main responsibilities

Project Coordination and Support (50%) 

• Act as a key resource in operational projects by coordinating a portfolio of projects with the COO, by following organizational project management practices, tracking the progress of projects, and executing key aspects of projects. 
• Coordinate, collaborate and follow-up with relevant internal and external parties on the status of work and project timelines, and information. 
• Prepare and draft documents related to project coordination and status updates, including summary reports and memos, project dashboard, documenting processes and drafting related policies and guides.  
• Support the Operations team in initiating projects and closing projects, by organizing and facilitating planning, brainstorm, and project post-mortem sessions, and by ensuring the transfer of knowledge by organizing and providing training on tools, reports, information, and other enhancements. 
• Identify and implement continuous improvement projects with the Foundation’s senior leaders. 
• Support the project coordination and implementation of business intelligence initiatives to drive decision-making and develop and maintain related dashboards and reporting. 
• Coordinate and support the development of and become a key support of the Foundation’s contact and relationship management database (CRM) and its consistent use across the organization. 
• Build on the existing process mapping exercise and recommendations by prioritizing, assessing, testing, and implementing optimization and automation action items.  

Crosscutting Operational Support (30%)

• Play a key role in new staff onboarding by providing training and orientation to new staff, and by supporting the People & Culture Manager in onboarding procedures. 
• With the COO and IT Manager, develop and maintain the organizational information system and process maps, review the technology and process proposals for relevance and return on investments, and assess and document privacy and regulatory compliance. 
• Support the IT Manager as an additional resource in monitoring internal IT service requests, and by resolving basic or recurring IT support issues.  
• Support efficient office administration and procedures, by ensuring procedures are documented, and that filing systems (physical and virtual) are designed and followed.  
• Support the development of a vendor management process, including updating the procurement and expense policies, and become a key resource in vendor management and procurement at the Foundation.  
• Provide backup and ad-hoc support to various operational demands, deadlines and projects. 

Organizational Responsibilities (20%)

• Support the drafting/writing and proofreading of operational, organizational documents and communications. 
• Support the development and preparation of reporting packages for senior management and Trustees.  
• Provide training to staff on various operational aspects and platforms, including Sharepoint, SAGE Intact, SAP Concur, etc.  

Position requirements

• 3-5 years of experience in coordinating operations 
• Knowledge acquired either by relevant college or university studies or by professional experience acquired in operating complex systems.  
• Functional bilingualism with excellent oral and written skills in either English or French.  
• Experience facilitating and training groups 
• Experience in understanding and analysing market research 
• Experience coordinating operational and IT projects  
• Experience in process mapping and root cause analysis 
• Knowledge of internal controls and basic financial accounting 
• High proficiency with standard office software 
• Exceptional interpersonal, written, and oral communications skills across diverse audiences. 

Professional skills and attributes

• A change adept person with a desire to apply their interests and experiences to a variety of exciting new projects. 
• Attention to detail 
• Multitasker, flexible 
• Autonomy and proactivity 
• Fluent in articulating policies, practices and procedures in a written and visual format 

Assets

• Understanding project management principles (CAPM ®, PMP) 
• Knowledge of the philanthropic sector 
• Familiarity with a wide variety of technical tools, platforms and services. 
• Familiarity or basics of coding and advance Excel 
• Experience with process mapping 

Benefits

• Generous, fully paid benefits and a health spending account from day one.
• Simplified pension employer matching (6%).
• Holiday granting and charitable donation allowances.
• Employee Assistance and Virtual Medicine programs.
• Hybrid working conditions and home office allowance.
• Immediate vacation access, 4 weeks per year, and a paid week in December.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The McConnell Foundation is working towards strengthening our culture of inclusion and strives to build a team that reflects our mission for a more inclusive, resilient and sustainable society. We welcome and encourage applications from Indigenous people, Black people, racialized people, women, non-binary and gender-nonconforming people, people from the 2SLGBTQQIA community, people with disabilities (visible and invisible) and newcomers to Canada. Our recruitment team will consider equity status throughout the recruitment process, so we invite members from equity deserving groups to self-identify in their application. Our work environment and hiring process is inclusive and accessible to anyone with unique needs in terms of accessibility and accommodations. We will support you throughout the life cycle of your employment with us. We ask that all applicants identify their accommodation needs by sending an email to accessibility @mcconnellfoundation.ca so that we can create the necessary conditions so that you can participate fully in the hiring process. All information received in relation to equity status and accommodation will be remain confidential.

How to Apply

Please submit a resume and a cover letter to the attached link before the deadline of April 8, 2024, with interviews taking place the week of April 15, 2024.