Founding Operations Manager

Building the operational backbone from day one

Role Type

Full-Time

Compensation

$48,000–62,000 DOE

Location

Omaha, NE (Preferred)

Reports To

Founder / Executive Director

The Shift Foundation is a newly launched 501(c)(3) nonprofit helping restaurant and hospitality workers break cycles of poverty through scholarships, mentorship, and emergency bridge support. We are building this from the ground up.

This is not a "maintain the machine" position. There is no machine yet. You are building it. As Founding Operations Manager, you will be the organizational Swiss Army knife — the person who makes sure nothing falls through the cracks while the founder focuses on mission, partnerships, and fundraising. If it needs doing and it’s not a board-level decision or a major donor conversation, it’s probably yours.

If you thrive in ambiguity, love building systems from zero, and get a genuine thrill from checking things off a list — this role was made for you. If you need a detailed playbook handed to you on Day 1, this isn’t the right fit.

• Own the daily operating rhythm: priorities, deadlines, follow-ups, and task tracking across all active work streams.
• Build and maintain foundational systems: shared drives, templates, SOPs, vendor contracts, and operational documentation.
• Manage tools and vendor relationships: website support, CRM, email platforms, donation processing (Stripe), and contractor/payroll setup.
• Be the catch-all: if something is slipping, you catch it. If a process doesn’t exist yet, you build it.

• Prepare board meeting packets (agendas, materials, financials), track action items, and maintain official minutes and records.
• Own the compliance calendar: annual filings, state registrations, charitable solicitation renewals, insurance, and governance deadlines.
• Coordinate signature routing, document version control, and corporate records management.

• Keep invoices organized, track payments, and ensure documentation is complete for the Treasurer/accountant.
• Maintain a simple budget tracker and produce monthly financial snapshots for leadership visibility.
• Reconcile donation records (Stripe) and ensure donor acknowledgment letters meet IRS requirements.
• Manage purchase/request processes as the foundation scales.

• Route inbound donor and partner inquiries — ensure nothing goes dark and follow-up actually happens.
• Keep the CRM clean: donor records, pipeline notes, stewardship tracking.
• Support scholarship and program workflow logistics: application tracking, confirmations, mentor scheduling, and cohort coordination.

• Understand the foundation’s mission, programs, and current operational state (what exists, what’s a mess, what’s missing).
• Audit all existing tools, documents, and processes. Map what’s working and what needs to be built.
• Begin building the compliance calendar and identify any urgent filing or registration deadlines.
• Get comfortable with the tech stack: CRM, Stripe, Google Workspace, and the website platform.

• Establish core operating rhythms: weekly check-ins, task tracking cadence, and reporting templates.
• Stand up a clean shared drive structure, document templates, and foundational SOPs.
• Begin state charitable solicitation registration process for priority states.
• Develop the board meeting prep workflow and financial snapshot process.
• Own your first full board meeting cycle end-to-end.
• Have repeatable processes in place for donor acknowledgments, inquiry routing, and financial tracking.
• Present a recommended operational roadmap for months 4–12 based on what you’ve learned.
• Identify what you need (tools, budget, help) to scale operations through the first full year.

• Leadership is never hunting for documents, status updates, or next steps.
• Meetings are prepared, action items don’t die in Slack or email, and compliance deadlines are never a surprise.
• Systems are simple, used consistently, and built to scale — not just survive.
• No donor inquiry, partner question, or board request falls…