Operations Manager

Established in 1999, the Herbert Simon Family Foundation seeks to align the Herbert Simon family across generations to champion the people and ideas that move Indianapolis and Indiana forward. The Foundation supports organizations and leaders working to create communities that are more just, compassionate, resilient, and forward-thinking, with a focus on Arts & Culture, Basic Needs, Environment & Climate, Equity & Justice, and Jewish Causes.

As HSFF grows its staff, grantmaking capacity and governance infrastructure, it is adding an Operations Manager to create the systems and coordination that allow the Foundation’s leadership, Board and program team to work effectively.

The Operations Manager is the internal steward of governance processes, stakeholder coordination and operational clarity across the Foundation. This person is the connective tissue between the Executive Director, Board, staff, family members and external advisors - holding the bigger picture, tracking the moving pieces and making sure important work moves forward with clarity, discretion and follow-through.

This is a behind-the-scenes role for someone who enjoys designing systems, organizing complex information and creating calm in an environment with multiple stakeholders and parallel priorities. The Operations Manager will have meaningful ownership of process and execution while understanding that strategic, financial, philanthropic and family-level decisions remain with the Executive Director, Board and appropriate stakeholders.

Grantmaking Process Management

· Manage HSFF’s general inquiry inbox for cold outreach to the foundation.

· Manage grant inquiry lists and communicate with all organizations on grant round timelines and processes.

· Coordinate preparation of grant summaries and write ups for board packets.

· Coordinate with CICF operations staff on:

o Workflows in online grant application and grants management system

o Payment processing for competitive grant rounds, discretionary grants, and donor advised funds

o Creation and dissemination of grant award information

Board, Family & Stakeholder Coordination

· Design and maintain Board meeting cadence, agendas, materials and decision flow in partnership with Foundation leadership.

· Coordinate information and follow-up across the Executive Director, Board members, family members, internal staff and advisory partners.

· Maintain clarity on who needs what information, by when and in what format - without creating unnecessary complexity or information overload.

· Support family learning, next-generation engagement and cross-functional working sessions with care, discretion and thoughtful preparation.

Staff Coordination

· Support in scheduling and logistics for organization wide meetings, outings, etc.

· Support with coordination and logistics for events and convenings that HSFF hosts.

Systems & Operational Clarity

· Identify friction, duplication and gaps in workflows and recommend practical improvements.

· Maintain clean boundaries and documentation across Foundation operations, family-office activities and related entities.

· Translate complex discussions, advisor guidance and decisions into clear actions, owners and timelines.

· Help ensure that decisions made in one area do not unintentionally create confusion or friction in another.

· Grant processes move consistently and smoothly across each grant round.

· Governance work moves forward without constant back-and-forth, and decisions are clearly documented.

· Board and family conversations are well-prepared and focused rather than derailed by missing information or unclear sequencing.

· The Executive Director and leadership team can focus more time on strategy and relationships and less time on administrative friction.

· HSFF collaborates effectively and efficiently with CICF and other members of the Collaborative

· There are fewer last-minute conflicts, surprises and re-decisions - and more calm, clarity and follow-through.

· Complex family and governance dynamics are handled with discretion, sound judgment and care.

· Internal teams and external advisors know where to go for coordination, status and next steps.

· New employees and partners experience HSFF as organized, thoughtful and intentional as the Foundation grows.

· Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience including at least 5+ years of experience in foundation, nonprofit, family-office, project-management, governance, operations or a similarly complex coordination environment.

· Demonstrated project-management and stakeholder-coordination experience.

· Proficiency with Microsoft Office/365, Salesforce or similar CRM, project management software (HSFF uses Asana), and the ability to learn new system quickly like SmartSimple, our grants management platform.

· Exceptional organizational skills, attention to detail and comfort with tracking systems, documentation and data.

· Ability to work independently, think critically and solve problems without needing constant direction or recognition.

· High level of discretion and comfort handling confidential, sensitive information.

· Professional judgment and the ability to know when to act independently, when to surface options and when a decision belongs with someone else.

· Ability to listen closely, synthesize complex information and translate it into clear next steps.

· Comfort navigating multiple constituencies, personalities and priorities.

· Familiarity with nonprofit governance, family systems or philanthropy is helpful but not required.

· Ability to balance precision and quality with the practical need to keep work moving.

HSFF is building a culture that puts people first, leans in and learns, brings joy to work, does the right thing and avoids unnecessary negativity. The Operations Manager should be serious about quality without being rigid, candid without being abrasive, and confident enough to work with influential stakeholders without becoming overly deferential.