Senior Manager of Operations and Member Experience - Maryland Innovation Center at the HCEDA

About the role

The Sr. Manager of Operations at the Maryland Innovation Center (MIC) will drive operational excellence to further the growth and success of the MIC as a premier innovation hub in Maryland. Located in Howard County, the MIC supports entrepreneurs, startups, and established businesses by fostering innovation, collaboration, and commercialization.

Responsibilities

• Foster a culture of collaboration and consistency within the team and with MIC Members.
• Operate and optimize operational systems, workflows, and internal processes to improve efficiency, consistency, and member experience.
• Oversee the member company pipeline from prospect engagement through onboarding, growth, office transitions, graduation, and retention, ensuring alignment with capacity, member needs, and HCEDA strategic growth objectives.
• Oversee vendor relationships, service agreements, and operational contracts.
• Ensure operational compliance with applicable county, facility, and organizational policies.
• Oversee the end-to-end member experience, including onboarding, renewals, office transitions, and community engagement touchpoints.
• Support the operational execution of events, mentorship programs, educational workshops, and ecosystem initiatives.
• Help foster a collaborative, professional, and innovation-focused environment for entrepreneurs and stakeholders.
• Track, analyze, and report operational KPIs related to occupancy, retention, programming, engagement, and financial performance.
• Aid in budget forecasting, expense management, and operational planning.
• Maintain operational systems and reporting tools to support data-driven decision-making.
• Coordinate building operations, facilities management, safety procedures, and maintenance requests in partnership with Howard County departments and vendors.
• Support the operational scalability of coworking, office, conference, and event spaces.

Requirements

Essential qualifications include:

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, operations management, public administration, entrepreneurship, economic development, or related field.
• 7–10+ years of progressive operational, program management, community management, or organizational leadership experience.
• Experience managing cross-functional operations, programs, or facilities in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated ability to manage projects, budgets, vendors, and operational processes simultaneously.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience using Salesforce, reporting, project management, and operational software platforms.
• Exceptional communication and relationship management skills.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating across multiple teams and stakeholders.

Qualifications

Preferred qualifications include:

• Experience working within startups, innovation hubs, incubators, accelerators, coworking environments, higher education, or economic development organizations.
• Familiarity with entrepreneurship support ecosystems, venture funding environments, and startup operations.
• Experience with event operations, community engagement, or member experience management.
• Experience developing operational systems and scalable internal processes.
• Knowledge of Howard County and Maryland’s innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem.
• Master’s degree in business administration (MBA), public policy, entrepreneurship, economic development, or related discipline.

Skills

Desired characteristics include:

• An entrepreneurial mindset with a passion for fostering innovation and economic growth.
• A highly organized and operationally minded individual with strong attention to detail and follow-through.
• A strong leader with interpersonal skills capable of working across diverse personalities, teams, and stakeholder groups.
• An ability to thrive in fast-paced, evolving environments while balancing competing priorities.
• A systems thinker with a process improvement mentality.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making capabilities.
• A service-oriented mindset with a focus on delivering an exceptional member and stakeholder experience.
• An ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Benefits

To apply, qualified candidates should apply at this Career Center | Recruitment. No phone calls please. HCEDA is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, and we are committed to a workplace that values diversity, equity, and inclusion. HCEDA prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, ancestry, creed, national origin, disability status, genetics, marital status, military service, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.