About this Initiatives and Operations Manager role at Standtogether

Standtogether · Onsite · Grand Rapids, Michigan

Stand Together is a philanthropic community that helps America’s boldest changemakers tackle the root causes of our country’s biggest problems, from education to the economy, broken communities, and toxic division, among dozens of other pressing issues. We provide our partners with access to resources including funding, thought leadership, a network of peers, and a playbook for applying proven principles to transform lives and society.

We are seeking an experienced operations leader to support and advance a place-based initiative (Radius) in West Michigan. This role will serve as a key partner to local and regional community leaders, helping translate vision into action in a dynamic, community-centered environment.

This is not a traditional operations role. The work is relational, evolving, and often ambiguous, requiring someone who can bring structure and clarity without over-engineering solutions. You will operate at the intersection of strategy, execution, and partnership, working across internal teams and community stakeholders to drive a regional strategy that is both adaptive and results-oriented.

This is a highly visible role that requires strong judgment, adaptability, and the ability to build trust quickly. Success will come from combining strategic thinking with hands-on execution, while continuously learning and refining our approach in an experimental, “test and learn” environment.

This role is based in the Grand Rapid area where the team works from home.

How You Will Contribute

Partner with nonprofit, civic, faith, business, and philanthropic leaders to shape and operationalize the West Michigan Radius strategy, translating priorities into clear plans and coordinated action

Vet, evaluate, and steward grants, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities and desired outcomes

Drive clarity in complex and evolving work by organizing people, priorities, and next steps across multiple stakeholders and initiatives

Develop and deliver clear, compelling stakeholder updates and reporting that communicate progress, insights, and opportunities

Build and lead the local deployment of the Radius measurement platform in Grand Rapids (Kent and Ottawa counties), including Thrive Lights and Customer First Measurement (CFM), in partnership with internal teams and community stakeholders; support adoption, reporting, learning loops, and use of insights to strengthen strategy and execution

Lead and support cross-functional initiatives from concept through execution, navigating ambiguity and adapting as conditions evolve

Create lightweight but effective systems and rhythms that improve coordination, communication, and accountability without adding unnecessary rigidity

Engage in continuous learning by evaluating what is working, what is not, and why—then applying those insights to strengthen strategy and execution

Represent the organization in the West Michigan community, helping build credibility and deepen engagement with key stakeholders

What You Will Bring

7+ years of experience in strategy, operations, philanthropy, or a related field, with a track record of driving outcomes in complex, ambiguous environments

Demonstrated experience vetting, analyzing, recommending, and stewarding investments (e.g., grants or similar resource allocation decisions)

Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and drive progress across cross-functional efforts

Experience building, implementing, or operationalizing measurement, evaluation, customer feedback, or learning systems that improve accountability, partner engagement, and decision-making

Proven ability to navigate complex stakeholder environments and build trust with diverse partners, both internally and externally

Strong strategic thinking skills paired with the ability to execute and follow through on details

Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to bring clarity to ambiguity and align others around a shared path forward

A nimble, adaptive approach and comfort operating in evolving, fast-paced environments

High degree of judgment, humility, and professionalism when engaging with a wide range of partners

Curiosity and a learning mindset, with a desire to understand what drives success and how to replicate it

Standout Candidates Will Bring

Experience in place-based community strategies

Background in building or scaling community-based initiatives or cross-sector partnerships

Our Values: Working for an organization within the Stand Together philanthropic community is different from many other places. The culture is deeply rooted in Principle Based Management® (PBM®), a framework guided by the principles that drive human progress, such as dignity, openness, and bottom-up empowerment. PBM® empowers employees to be entrepreneurial, to innovate, and to continually drive transformation.

We believe diversity fuels creativity, broadens knowledge, and helps drive success. That is why we’re proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and strive to treat all employees and applicants with honesty, dignity, and respect.

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About this Initiatives and Operations Manager role at Standtogether

How You Will Contribute

What You Will Bring

Standout Candidates Will Bring

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