Advisor - Operations

The Context

Founded in 2021, Edge Collaborative (“Edge”) is a civic incubator that partners with public, private, and nonprofit organizations to tackle systemic economic challenges in Stockton. With a focus on three key areas – jobs and workforce, climate, and community wealth – Edge seeds and supports partner-led initiatives with a range of tools. These tools include access to capital, talent, policy support, and coalition-building. Edge Collaborative is seeking an Operations Advisor who is excited to manage the operations of a young, growing organization.

The nature of this role, and of this work, is highly dynamic and iterative - as we aspire to serve the needs of the community and be responsive to funders. As a result, high standards for creativity, patience and communication will be required to balance the needs of both sets of stakeholders - and navigate corresponding shifts to work plans.

Position Overview

The ideal candidate should combine a deep desire to serve the community, and an exceptional attention to detail and follow-up. As an independent contractor, this role at Edge Collaborative will be responsible for evaluating, planning, implementing, and maintaining operational best practices in our growing organization with the goal of improving overall efficiency. Working closely with the CEO, this role will serve to strengthen internal operations and infrastructure across the organization. This will occur in partnership with our fiscal sponsor, the San Joaquin Community Foundation – to drive the key operational functions that they provide to our organization. Overall, this role will maintain a big picture view on the organization’s operational needs that balances short, medium and long term needs.

As an independent contractor role, this operations position is expected to grow and evolve with the organization - starting with a 1 year contract. Given the critical importance of the role, the suitability of the position will be formally reviewed at the 3 month mark to ensure mutual fit between the candidate and team. This role should expect to work closely with the Founder/CEO, and also develop lateral working relationships across the Edge team, as well as those of its fiscal sponsor.

Length of contract: 12 months with extension opportunity

Compensation range: $90,000 to 120,000 per year - depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience

• Overall organizational hygiene: Oversee key operational metrics to ensure that the organization’s internal processes are high-functioning and accountable to all key stakeholders.
• Internal coordination: Ensure high degrees of coordination and communication on the development and implementation of internal processes among all members of the team.
• Operations & financial oversight: Partner closely with our organization’s fiscal sponsor to ensure smooth and robust execution of internal operations and financial processes, in line with organizational needs.
• Grant contracts oversight: Ensure broad coordination and detailed oversight of grant cycle implementation.
• IT / software systems: Ensure all IT/software tools are well-functioning and easily accessible to the team.

• Minimum of 7 years of experience with progressive responsibility in various aspects of organizational operations. In-depth experience interacting with executive leadership, senior staff, key stakeholders
• Strong project management skills, including experience with process improvement & creation, and policy making
• Demonstrated timely follow-through and ability to work independently at a rigorous and efficient pace, exercising independent judgment to meet deadlines and budgets, set realistic expectations, prioritize multiple complex assignments and produce deliverables.
• A recognition that humor and a "let's figure it out" orientation go a long way towards navigating changing and challenging circumstances
• Exceptional communication skills (ie: you love asking questions to better understand the issue, and regularly communicate what you need to be successful)
• Well-organized and self-directed (ie: you appreciate guidance, but you've got it handled)
• High standards of integrity and confidentiality in all relationships
• Empathetic with solid interpersonal skills

• Partner with CEO to tackle operational planning needs - that will notably impact recruiting, hiring, and the long-term resourcing of organizational capabilities and special projects
• Strengthen internal operations and infrastructure to balance current and future organizational priorities; set standards for accountability and measurements of success
• Enhance organizational excellence by establishing operational processes, timelines, and resources needed to achieve strategic goals, by proactively recommending and driving improvements as necessary
• Partner with CEO and key senior leaders to forecast and track grant-related budgets to ensure programmatic consistency and sustainability
• Lead oversight on evaluation activities including hiring of relevant vendor relating to program evaluation and measurement; communicate data collection summary reports and evaluation updates to key stakeholders both in and outside of the organization
• Oversee high-functioning and usable internal communications systems (including Google Drive, Slack, and Dropbox) that ensures maximum sharing of information and learning throughout the organization
• Oversee key vendor relationships, on an as needed basis

About Edge Collaborative's Structure 

Our team is uniquely structured; we tackle public sector challenges, but with the audacity and innovation of the private sector. Our work is structured around the 3 primary portfolio areas - with teams that run fairly autonomously. Think of us as part R&D lab and part nonprofit. Increasingly, a key component of our civic incubation work involves seed investing into community-led initiatives across the region.

Team Values

Beginner’s mindset - we love asking the ‘stupid questions’ to understand what is possible. Our greatest asset is our curiosity as beginners (not experts). We want to discover how and why particular systems and people have been historically neglected by the public and private sectors. 

Undaunted - we believe that bold solutions emerge from the margins (or edges, as we might say). The first answer is usually never right, but we’re not afraid of being wrong. We bring a passionate persistence to breaking through the stalemates and road blocks.

Boundless creativity - we thrive as a team. We take inspiration from “keystone species” in ecology - modeling our work after the resourcefulness of penguins and the vibrancy of bees. We cross-pollinate ideas, sectors, and institutions to help manifest the untapped potential of the people we serve. 

Humility in service of community - we care deeply about the communities in which we work, and endeavor to put their needs at the center of how we design and incubate new initiatives. We strive to balance the boldness of our imagination with the recognition that slow, sustained trust building with partners is critical to the long-term viability of the work.

Sheer whimsy - we believe that serious work calls for a playful attitude, as we imagine what is possible. Play is derived from a place of joy and speaks to how we aspire to brighten our days. Plus, what’s life without a lil bit of whimsy?