Operations Manager
Community Power Collective’s (CPC) mission is to build power with tenants and street vendors in working-class communities of color in Los Angeles, to create a solidarity economy, gain community control of land and housing, and form dignified public systems that facilitate a culture of collective care. We are a member-led organization, established in this formation in May 2020, carrying a 25-year legacy of economic and housing justice organizing on the Eastside. CPC participates in and leads housing justice and street vendor justice coalitions and movements across Los Angeles. CPC is also a sister organization of Fideicomiso Comunitario Tierra Libre (FCTL), a community land trust in Boyle Heights, and the two organizations share a staffing structure.
The Operations Manager reports to the Director of Organizational Strategy, supervises the Operations Organizer, and serves on CPC’s Leadership Team. The Operations Manager is responsible for CPC’s day-to-day operations: implementing operations policies and processes, overseeing accounting administration, managing the accounts that support office operations, and coordinating logistics for major events and retreats. The role also supports CPC’s payroll and HR processes (including hiring, onboarding, and offboarding), contract compliance, annual budgeting, and fund development.
The Operations Manager chairs the Organizational Strategy Committee, which stewards CPC’s democratic decision-making processes, and participates in the Sustainability Committee, which develops CPC’s resource development work plan. The role supports CPC’s coordination with its fiscal sponsor, Right to the City Alliance (RTTC), and with RTTC’s contractor, Advancing Movement Infrastructure (AMI), which handles payroll, HR, and accounting for CPC. The Operations Manager also coordinates with FCTL leadership on shared operational processes, as outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two organizations.
Job Responsibilities
Operations & Staffing (35%)
- Support the Directors with logistical planning for CPC’s strategic planning process (every 3–5 years), annual operational planning, and mid-year operational recalibration.
- Lead orientation, updates, and staff training on operational policies and practices during organizational planning retreats.
- Chair the Organizational Strategy Committee, an internal staff committee that stewards CPC’s democratic decision-making processes and advises on organizational policy decisions. Lead the Committee in carrying out its annual work plan.
- Coordinate logistics for CPC’s major events and retreats.
- Oversee accounting administration, including expense reports, accounts payable, invoicing, and company credit card management.
- Manage CPC’s external accounts and subscriptions, including the CPC domain, website, Google Workspace, Zoom, EveryAction, and Canva.
- Support communication with RTTC on operations-related matters, including the budgeting process.
- Support Program Leads with hiring, following CPC’s hiring checklist: post job descriptions to hiring platforms, track applicants, conduct initial phone screens, set up hiring committees and interviews, and process new-hire paperwork with AMI’s HR staff.
- Support Program Leads with offboarding, following CPC’s offboarding checklist, including exit interviews and equipment collection.
- Manage CPC’s shared office space and patio: maintain systems for supply organization and inventory, coordinate office cleaning with FCTL leadership, and coordinate use of the shared outdoor patio with neighboring businesses.
- Manage compliance with CPC’s records retention policy, in coordination with RTTC.
Budget & Contract Management (30%)
- Track requirements and deadlines for major contracts (e.g., City of Los Angeles, County of Los Angeles, and subcontractors), flag upcoming obligations, and follow up with the responsible Program Lead, project manager, Operations team member, or Director.
- Provide administrative and research support to the Directors during contract negotiation and development, such as outreach contracts with the City and County of Los Angeles.
- Support the annual budget process by tracking decision-making deadlines and helping the Director of Organizational Strategy gather the information needed for budget decisions.
- Coordinate with FCTL’s Director to manage the annual budget for the shared CPC/FCTL office space, including twice-yearly invoicing for shared costs, as outlined in the shared space MOU.
- Ensure all organizational costs paid by company credit card, invoice, or payroll time card are coded to the correct expense and revenue accounts.
- Each month, obtain expense reports from AMI, compare spending in each expense account against the organizational budget, and flag significant variances to the Director of Organizational Strategy.
Fund Development (15%)
- Participate in the Sustainability Committee, led by the Director of Organizational Strategy, to develop CPC’s annual resource development work plan.
- Support the planning and evaluation of fundraising events and projects.
- Track deadlines for grant applications and grant reports. Complete the financial and non-narrative portions of grant applications, and complete grant financial reports in coordination with RTTC.
- Follow up with RTTC and funders to confirm that payments are received and recorded in revenue tracking.
- Maintain the Potential and Current Grants Tracking Sheet by adding new leads and updating the status of existing ones, and bring upcoming deadlines and action items to the Sustainability Committee.
Leadership & Supervision (20%)
- Serve as a member of CPC’s Leadership Team, made up of team managers and Directors, and help advance the Leadership Team work plan.
- Participate in monthly Leadership Meetings, including facilitation and note-taking on a rotating basis.
- Lead the Operations team in carrying out the annual Operations work plan.
- Supervise the Operations Organizer through regular one-on-one meetings, including support with individual work plan development and long-term leadership development.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Required Experience & Qualifications
- Commitment to social and economic justice work that empowers communities.
- 2+ years of experience working in grassroots, member-led, social justice, or labor organizations.
- 2+ years of experience in operations or administrative work.
- 2+ years of experience supervising staff.
- Experience planning and coordinating events.
- Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, and Zoom.
- Basic accounting experience, including invoicing, purchase orders, and budgeting.
- Experience with data entry in spreadsheets or online systems.
- Excellent attention to detail, time management, and prioritization skills.
- Experience with basic contract compliance, or willingness to learn.
- Interest in deepening your understanding of nonprofit funding, grant reporting, and deliverables.
- Strong writing skills.
- Ability to work independently while maintaining close communication with the Director of Organizational Strategy and remote team members.
- Flexibility to work some evenings and weekends as needed, within a 40-hour work week.
- Bilingual fluency in English and Spanish, and cultural competency.
- Ability to work in person several days per week at our office in East Los Angeles.
Preferred Experience & Qualifications
- Experience with shared leadership and community-based consensus-building strategies.
- Experience working in multiracial, multicultural settings.
- Direct experience with base-building and grassroots organizing.
- Experience writing grant proposals and reports.
Compensation & Benefits
This is a full-time, non-exempt, salaried position reporting to the Director of Organizational Strategy. The role requires a flexible schedule that includes some evening and weekend work; total hours will not exceed 40 per week. CPC uses a set salary structure designed to support lateral leadership; the annual salary range for this position is $79,000–$84,000.
CPC is fiscally sponsored by Right to the City Alliance (RTTC), which offers a comprehensive benefits package, including 100% employer-paid medical and dental insurance for employees and their dependents, as well as short- and long-term disability and life insurance for employees. Employees become eligible for an employer-matched 401(k) retirement plan after one year of employment.
To support a healthy work-life balance, CPC observes a three-week paid winter break and a one-week paid summer break. In addition to these seasonal closures, all employees receive 9 paid holidays with set dates, 3 floating holidays, and 80 hours of PTO (increasing after year two), front-loaded at the time of hire.
Right to the City Alliance is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Applicants from communities heavily impacted by gentrification, displacement, and housing insecurity are strongly encouraged to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, familial status, sexual orientation, national origin, ability, age, or veteran status.