Manager, Governance and Operations

As the Manager, Governance and Operations, you will provide critical project management, coordination, and communications support to strengthen the organization’s corporate governance and operational alignment. Reporting directly to the COO and Corporate Secretary and working closely with the Associate Director, Partnerships, this role will serve as a central anchor for board and advisory board logistics, documentation, and engagement, while also supporting internal planning, communications, and strategic alignment across the operations team.

The Role

As part of Co-Impact team, core responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

Board and Governance Project Management

• Lead project planning and task tracking for all governance-related activities; ensure visibility and clarity across teams for content production and engagement with program partners.
• Coordinate logistics and scheduling for in-person and virtual meetings and retreats of the Board of Directors, Advisory Board, and relevant committees.
• Set agendas and serve as the main coordinator for internal governance team meetings.
• Collaborate with the Associate Director of Partnerships on Board and Advisory Board engagement strategies, onboarding, and information flow for one-on-one meetings, including managing the completion and collation of all new Board member onboarding documentation.
• Collaborate with the Executive Assistant to the CEO to ensure alignment of schedule and agendas for the CEO’s one-on-one meetings with Board members.
• Review, and format all meeting materials, ensuring professional presentation and timely distribution.
• Maintain and update the board portal, including uploading and organizing all records.
• Provide recommendations and insights to the COO and other senior leaders to enable informed decision-making on governance and operational matters.
• Support the COO in recordkeeping and documentation of minutes and key materials.

Operational Alignment and Strategic Communications

• Partner with the COO to drive annual Organizational Objectives and Key Results (OKRs), ensuring tracking and alignment across teams.
• Develop and maintain the annual Operations team work plan.
• Coordinate the process of updating and publishing the quarterly operations dashboard.
• Coordinate internal communications for the Operations team, including scheduling of Operations team meetings, weekly updates, contributions to internal newsletters, reporting milestones, and periodic Operations surveys.
• Lead the planning of virtual and in-person Operations retreats.
• Draft and manage the operations-focused narrative segments of donor reports and proposals.
• In collaboration with the rest of the Operations team, maintain our internal resource hub on Gitbook.
• Serve as liaison for incoming mail via Co-Impact’s remote mail service provider.

Special Projects

• Support cross-functional projects or strategic initiatives as assigned by the COO, offering high-quality execution and coordination.
• Other responsibilities as directed by the COO.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, finance, or related field. Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) desirable.
• Minimum 5-7 years of experience in project management, governance, nonprofit operations, or executive coordination roles.
• Certification or course work – or demonstrated experience – in project management.
• Experience working with global boards, advisory bodies, or senior leadership teams preferred.
• Strong writing, editing, organizational, and communication skills.
• Proven ability to manage sensitive information with discretion and professionalism.
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office and Google Workspace tools and cloud-based project management and collaboration platforms.
• Fluency in English; additional language skills highly desirable.
• Experience in dynamic and fast-paced international and multicultural environments.
• Ability to work effectively across time zones and in a remote work environment.

Required Skills

• Project Management and Results Orientation: Strong project management skills, deadline management, sense of responsibility and accountability, the ability to manage multiple responsibilities, adjust and adapt along the way.
• Working with People: Experience contributing to and managing collaborative teams to work productively, effectively, and inclusively towards shared goals.
• Managing Action with Purpose and Values: Ability to work with colleagues and get things done in accordance with core purpose and values.
• Interpersonal Savvy: Great at making and fostering relationships inside and outside the organization, keen intercultural appreciation, inclusive style, comfortable around senior leaders.
• Learning Orientation: Humble and intellectually curious; seek and work with evidence, demonstrated openness to new ideas and a diversity of perspectives; unafraid to admit and learn from failure.
• Strong Moral Compass: Impeccable personal ethics and integrity, kind and caring.
• Proficiency with Core Business Tools: Strong proficiency in Microsoft Word, Google Workspace, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Excel.
• Communications: Exceptional ability to write and communicate ideas concisely and with clarity. Excellent oral communication skills, including the ability to work effectively in a multicultural environment. Impeccable copy-editing skills and attention to detail.
• Global Flexibility: Given the global nature of organization working across time zones, a willingness to be flexible with working hours, work remotely and periodically undertake international travel.
•   Perspective: Sense of humor and ability not to take oneself too seriously.