Program Operations Lead

About The Organization

Adventure Scientists is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the planet through collaborative scientific efforts. We pair scientists with individuals capable of gathering unique data, tackling issues such as biodiversity and climate change.

About the Role

We are seeking a strategic and hands-on Program Operations Lead to join our full-time team. This role involves supporting the Programs team, maintaining a clear view of the portfolio, and building practical systems to enhance project delivery.

Responsibilities

• Support the Programs team, fostering an environment where team members feel trusted, empowered, and equipped to take ownership of their work.
• Provide guidance on priorities, decisions, stakeholder coordination, project challenges, and professional growth, adapting support to different working styles and experience levels.
• Strengthen communication, feedback, and decision-making practices to ensure the team has the clarity, context, and support needed to succeed.
• Maintain a clear view of the full domestic and international portfolio, identifying capacity gaps, competing priorities, operational risks, and opportunities to better connect work across teams, geographies, and time zones.
• Partner with the team on assignments, timelines, staffing, and tradeoffs, considering workloads, strengths, interests, and development goals.
• Avoid new opportunities and significant project changes through transparent, participatory decisions grounded in available capacity and resources.
• Build and improve practical systems, tools, workflows, documentation, and operating rhythms that make project delivery more consistent, visible, and sustainable.
• Create clear processes and standard operating procedures for moving projects from organizational consideration into implementation, including the operational, logistical, and cross-cultural considerations involved in international delivery.
• Create feedback loops, address recurring challenges, and reduce operational friction while preserving flexibility across different countries, cultures, partners, geographies, volunteers, and field realities.
• Support the team in navigating complex delivery challenges, shifting priorities, dependencies, and cross-functional needs.
• Step in selectively with problem-solving, hands-on capacity, or temporary coverage during absences, high-demand periods, and unexpected project needs.
• Review plans and materials for operational readiness and support effective collaboration across Programs and other organizational functions.
• Help the team understand and actively manage budgets, spending, forecasts, and resource needs in partnership with Finance.
• Surface financial risks or inconsistencies early and support timely, responsible decision-making.

Requirements

• 7+ years of hands-on experience in project or program management in a remote or hybrid, dynamic environment.
• 5+ years of experience in people leadership, with demonstrated success coaching, developing, and supporting a team with varied roles and working styles.
• Proven experience overseeing a portfolio of concurrent programs, including some exposure to international program management, capacity planning, and prioritization.
• Strong experience navigating the operational complexities of international work, including cross-cultural collaboration, multiple time zones, local partner contexts, and differing logistical, financial, or regulatory environments.
• Strong experience building and improving operational systems, including workflows, planning tools, documentation, dashboards, standard operating procedures, and team rhythms.
• Demonstrated ability to translate organizational priorities into practical plans while balancing strategy, team capacity, budgets, timelines, and delivery realities.
• Solid financial fluency, including experience working with program or project budgets, forecasts, spending, resource allocation, and scope-related financial decisions.
• Experience working effectively in a remote and on-site environments, with strong organization, follow-through, and comfort operating across shifting priorities.
• Experience with tools (Asana is preferred), timelines, dependencies, documentation, dashboards, or reporting systems.
• A love for the outdoors, adventure, conservation, and the kind of practical optimism it takes to make ambitious projects real!

Skills

• Experience in project design: launching, managing, or improving complex projects with multiple stakeholders, timelines, constraints, and moving pieces.
• Experience in conservation, environmental science, citizen science, field research, or another mission-driven organization.
• Familiarity with international budgeting, contracting, compliance, procurement, or currency-related considerations.
• Experience supporting work involving external partners, volunteers, multiple geographies, or complex field logistics.
• Experience scaling pilots or short-term projects into sustainable programs and operating structures.

Extra Awesome Qualities (Preferred but Not Required)

• Experience in project design: launching, managing, or improving complex projects with multiple stakeholders, timelines, constraints, and moving pieces.
• Experience in conservation, environmental science, citizen science, field research, or another mission-driven organization.
• Familiarity with international budgeting, contracting, compliance, procurement, or currency-related considerations.
• Experience supporting work involving external partners, volunteers, multiple geographies, or complex field logistics.
• Experience scaling pilots or short-term projects into sustainable programs and operating structures.

Compensation

$89,000 - 109,000 per year

Adventure Scientists offers competitive compensation based on experience, with a commitment to supporting work-life balance, professional growth, and well-being!