Operations Assistant

About BDI

The Bridging Divides Initiative (BDI) is a non-partisan research initiative that tracks and mitigates political violence in the United States. BDI supports efforts to grow and build local community resilience through elections and other periods of heightened risk, laying the groundwork for longer-term to bridge the divides we face as a nation.

We do this by 1) producing action-oriented and responsive research to fill existing gaps and empower local leaders; 2) enabling cross-sector collaboration, so individuals and organizations are better prepared to mitigate risk and respond to crisis when it does arise; and 3) helping to drive the policy and community response. Over the past four years, BDI played an essential role in supporting a wide range of actors preparing for and responding to political violence and democratic crisis. Our data, analysis, and tools continue to help a diverse coalition of national and local decision-makers better target their interventions. BDI is based at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA), co-hosted by the Empirical Studies of Conflict (ESOC).

We love being part of Princeton, but we hire for roles exclusively focused on achieving BDI’s mission. Cover letters should be tailored to the work of BDI. Candidates whose cover letters only reference Princeton as a whole will not be considered. For more information, please visit our website: https://bridgingdivides.princeton.edu/.

Position Overview

BDI seeks a full-time Operations Assistant. This person will work closely with the BDI operations team as well as with Princeton’s HR team to coordinate and run the hiring and onboarding systems and processes for BDI staff growth. The outcome of this role will be the smooth and efficient functioning of the hiring, onboarding, and offboarding processes for the growing BDI team. We’re looking for someone experienced in hiring and staffing processes and systems, and passionate about building out clear, efficient, caring and effective staffing processes within the BDI team.

Key Responsibilities

• Staffing/Hiring Management: Manage all aspects relating to hiring processes (in collaboration with Princeton HR on different pieces), including; managing the timeline and entire process; supporting in creation of job descriptions; organizing hiring materials for smooth and efficient process for involved staff; vetting applications (with some roles); scheduling interviews; coordinating and scheduling assignments; and coordinating with Princeton HR around salary offers and communication with candidates. Working with the manager of operations to streamline the entire process.
• Recruitment: Together with the BDI hiring manager and the operations manager, identify and roll out a recruitment strategy for each of our newly posted roles that will bring in a qualified and diverse pool of candidates across our research, collaboration, policy and operational team. In collaboration with the Office of Human Resources, post role descriptions on various job sites and listservs and coordinate and track outreach among BDI staff members to their relevant contacts and networks. Measure effectiveness of different outreach strategies.
• Onboarding and Offboarding: With guidance from the manager of operations, managing onboarding and offboarding processes within BDI. Improve onboarding/offboarding templates, build out checklists for each new role upon hire and departure. The goal with onboarding is to give staff the best start in their new roles, with clear prioritization, guidelines and expectations. The goal with offboarding is to smoothly transition staff members out of the department, obtain any company devices/equipment, and have a seamless transition for the next person to take on that role.
• Other staffing needs: Supporting operations manager with processing term extension and renewal processes for all role types, including: Dean of Faculty, HR hires, casual hourlies, and contractors. Supporting performance review and regular feedback cycles for BDI staff. Supporting staff members in learning about and understanding Princeton benefits. Supporting the operations management with the procurement process at Princeton, including drafting contracts, tracking invoices, and utilizing Prime to support supplier onboarding.
• Liaise with Princeton HR: This role in housed at BDI and works closely with staff members at various Princeton departments, including Human Resources, compensation, talent acquisition, benefits department, SPIA IT, SPIA administration, SPIA finance, Princeton Finance & Treasury, procurement, supplier management, office of the general council, and more. The goal is to ensure compliance with all Princeton policies and help BDI staff members understand the requirements for different hiring, staffing, and other processes.

Qualifications

• 3-5 years experience in operations management, people and culture, or human resources, including interest and experience in staffing, hiring, and/or people processes;
• Comfort and ability to navigate organizational complexity (BDI as a project within ESOC, which is part of SPIA, which is part of Princeton – you will be working within all contexts and their associated policies, norms and limitations);
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment;
• Superior project management skills, and the ability to manage several projects simultaneously;
• Excellent judgment and creative problem-solving skills including negotiation and conflict resolution skills;
• Entrepreneurial team player who is self-reliant, a strong problem-solver, and is flexible, collaborative, and proactive;
• Strong written, oral, interpersonal, and presentation skills and the ability to effectively interface with different departments of Princeton University, with senior management and with staff.

Preferred

• Deep knowledge of best practices in hiring, recruitment, interviewing, onboarding, staff development and other people processes and practices.
• Experience working on a remote team, including familiarity with relevant work tools (e.g. Slack, Zoom, Asana, etc.)

Timeline: Start date for the position is ASAP. The role is envisioned as a one-year minimum engagement, with opportunities for renewal.

Work authorization/visa eligibility: Work must be performed within the United States and is fully remote. This job requires sustained U.S. work authorization and is not eligible for U.S. visa sponsorship.

No matter who you are, BDI is a place you can call home. We know that our unique perspectives make us stronger, smarter, and well-positioned for success. We value and rely on the collective voices of our team to help guide our work on challenging issues.

Princeton University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. KNOW YOUR RIGHTS