Operations Lead

Job Description

Position: Operations Lead, Catholic Education Opportunity Fund

Reports to: Director, Catholic Education Opportunity Fund

About the Organization: Catholic Education Opportunity Fund (CEOF) is a national 501(c)(3) Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO) committed to expanding access to Catholic education nationwide. The De La Salle Christian Brothers of the United States and Canada established CEOF as an expression of the Lasallian mission, rooted in the vision and innovative spirit of Saint John Baptist de La Salle, patron saint of teachers, who founded the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools in 1680 to provide a human and Christian education to the young, especially the poor. Beginning Jan. 1, 2027, CEOF will work with participating Catholic schools to connect Federal Scholarship Tax Credit contributions with scholarship opportunities for students and families - preserving each school's charism while managing compliance, donor tools, and scholarship administration.

Position Summary: The Operations Lead for CEOF is responsible for managing the Scholarship Granting Organization's operational infrastructure, ensuring that donations, scholarship applications, awards, payments, records, communications, and compliance activities are handled accurately, efficiently, and in accordance with applicable laws, organizational policies, and funding requirements.

Key Responsibilities:

Donations Management
- Manage the end-to-end donation process.
- Coordinate with fintech bank and auditors.
- Ensure tax receipts are received by donors, along with year-end tax receipts and reporting.
- Coordinate with schools on donations and allocations to scholarships.

Scholarship Administration
- Manage the end-to-end scholarship application and award process.
- Establish and maintain procedures for application intake, eligibility verification, award determination, and scholarship disbursement.
- Coordinate with families, schools, scholarship recipients, and education providers.
- Monitor scholarship balances, award commitments, and payment schedules.
- Resolve application, payment, and eligibility issues.

Operations & Process Management
- Develop and document standard operating procedures (SOPs).
- Identify opportunities to streamline workflows and improve operational efficiency.
- Manage calendars, deadlines, internal workflows, and administrative systems.
- Coordinate cross-functional projects and ensure timely completion of operational priorities.
- Maintain accurate organizational records and documentation.

Compliance & Risk Management
- Ensure scholarship operations comply with applicable state and federal requirements, including requirements governing SGOs and scholarship programs.
- Maintain documentation necessary for audits, regulatory reporting, and organizational compliance.
- Monitor eligibility, documentation, and award requirements.
- Work with leadership and external advisors on compliance questions.
- Help develop internal controls to protect scholarship funds and sensitive information.

Data & Technology
- Coordinate with software provider on school interfaces, donation and scholarship pages.
- Oversee scholarship management databases, CRM and related technology platforms.
- Maintain accurate student, family, donor, school, and financial records.
- Develop operational reports and dashboards.
- Monitor data quality and implement procedures to reduce errors.
- Coordinate with technology vendors and troubleshoot system issues.

Financial Operations
- Coordinate scholarship payments and reconciliation with finance staff and/or auditors.
- Track scholarship commitments and expenditures.
- Assist with budgeting and forecasting for scholarship programs.
- Review transactions and documentation for accuracy.
- Support financial and compliance audits.

Customer, Schools & Stakeholder Support
- Serve as a key point of contact for families and participating schools.
- Develop clear communications regarding applications, eligibility, awards, deadlines, and payments.
- Respond to questions and resolve escalated issues professionally.
- Build strong relationships with schools, education providers, vendors, and community partners.

Team & Vendor Management
- Supervise and train operations or administrative staff, as applicable.
- Establish performance expectations and operating procedures.
- Manage relationships with software providers, payment processors, consultants, and other vendors.
- Coordinate with fundraising, finance, communications, and program teams.

Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in business administration, nonprofit management, finance, education, public administration, or related field preferred.
- 3-7 years of experience in nonprofit operations, scholarship administration, education programs, financial administration, or related areas. Experience working in an SGO is preferred.
- Experience managing complex administrative processes and confidential records.
- Strong organizational and project management skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple deadlines.
- Experience with databases, CRM systems, spreadsheets, and Microsoft Office/Google Workspace.
- Experience with compliance, auditing, financial reconciliation, or regulated programs is highly desirable.
- Ability to work collaboratively with families, schools, donors, vendors, and internal staff.
- Familiarity with the Catholic faith and experience working in a Catholic organization preferred.

Success Measures:
An effective Operations Lead would typically be measured on:
- Application processing accuracy and timeliness
- Scholarship payment accuracy and timeliness
- Compliance and audit readiness
- Data integrity
- Operational efficiency
- Family and school satisfaction
- Budget and scholarship-fund controls
- Successful implementation of new processes and systems

Benefits: Catholic Education Opportunity Fund offers excellent benefits, including fully paid health insurance, 20 vacation days annually, a generous parental leave policy, and a pension plan. There is a commitment to the professional development of all employees.

Hiring Process: Please send a cover letter expressing your interest in the position and a resume to Elizabeth Jodice | ejodice@cbconf.org.

About the Employer

Catholic Education Opportunity Fund (CEOF) is a national 501(c)(3) Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO) committed to expanding access to Catholic education nationwide. The De La Salle Christian Brothers of the United States and Canada established CEOF as an expression of the Lasallian mission, rooted in the vision and innovative spirit of Saint John Baptist de La Salle, patron saint of teachers, who founded the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools in 1680 to provide a human and Christian education to the young, especially the poor.