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We have grown to the point of needing dedicated staffing to manage the activities of volunteer leaders, foster community and collaborative work between volunteers and network members, administer and improve operating systems and workflows, and engage with collaborators in a growing number of US communities. 

To meet these needs, ESAL seeks a part-time, remote Operations Manager (~10 hours/week to start). Weekly duties will include a shifting combination of the activities listed below. 

Operational Management

Manage ESAL’s leadership and volunteers in operational activities. This may include:

• Coordinating logistics for workshops and events, including travel 
• Evaluating established standard operating procedures and templates and building new processes when necessary
• Supporting project and conference budgeting and bookkeeping
• Maintaining internal records and files
• Contributing to programmatic, grants, and organizational evaluations and reports
• Supporting website, newsletter, and social media communications as needed
• Researching new technologies, policies, groups, and opportunities for engagement
• Developing organizational change management plans when adopting new technologies, e.g. a customer relationship management software, and policies, e.g. AI use policy, to maintain ease of internal processes and improve team comfort with changes

Volunteer Management

Serve as ESAL’s key contact for prospective and new volunteers. Responsibilities may include:

• Working with ESAL volunteer leadership and staff to identify volunteer needs and develop and implement a recruitment strategy
• Identifying volunteer candidates and interviewing them
• Onboarding new volunteers and leaders using ESAL’s volunteer manual
• Working with other staff to foster a sense of community among ESAL volunteers
• Maintaining and updating materials and procedures to foster long-term organizational stability through volunteer turnover

Organizational Management

Support ESAL’s executive director and program manager in managing the organization. This may include:

• Coordinating collaboration between ESAL and partner organizations
• Providing project management support for strategic partnerships and collaborations to help us remain accountable to our commitments and better serve local support requests
• Providing project management support for marketing and business development 
• Fostering community among ESAL Community network members
• Attending an in-person staff retreat once a year, which will involve national travel

Organizational and Administrative Support

• Other duties, as assigned, to support volunteers and staff, such as coordinating and scheduling internal and external meetings, building meeting agendas and materials, and serving as the point-of-contact for partners, contractors, and inquiries.
• Optionally, the manager may attend local activities and conferences on behalf of ESAL when decided upon with ESAL leaders. 

The Operations Manager will report to the Executive Director and work closely with the Programs Manager and volunteer directors. ESAL is a fully remote organization, and the Operations Manager will be provided with appropriate tools to complete their work from home, if they do not have them. The expected hourly range for this part-time position is $26-32, commensurate with experience. 

Ideal candidates will have:

• Experience with volunteer-led groups or organizations
• Knowledge of and experience in the STEM community and with STEM organizations
• Demonstrated examples of working autonomously and following established operating procedures
• Excellent written communication skills and detail orientation
• Project or program management experience is preferred
• Knowledge and experience with organizational change management practices is preferred but not required
• Care for the realization of our mission

ESAL is committed to employee professional development, and we encourage candidates to apply even if they do not meet all criteria. ESAL is committed to Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI), and alignment to our JEDI policy will be a factor in our hiring decision.

If you are interested in helping us change how engineers and scientists think about policy engagement, please email us at info@esal.us with an application that includes a resume/CV and cover letter or statement of interest detailing:

• Your educational background and professional experience
• Evidence of your familiarity with ESAL’s mission and a commitment to furthering it
• Examples of your experience in the specific areas of responsibility
• Anything else you’d like us to know about you and your interest in this role

Applications will be accepted until June 21, 2026.