Operations Specialist / Manager

    Summary

    The Simon Institute for Longterm Governance (SI) is seeking an Operations Specialist / Manager to lead its Geneva-based operations and make our financial, administrative, HR and event systems as efficient as possible. Fluency in English and French is required to handle day-to-day operations and provide strategic support. Apply here.

    Requirements

    • A minimum of 5 years of relevant experience with a focus on finance and administrative affairs, preferably in Geneva or Switzerland.
    • Exceptional written and verbal communication skills in English and French.
    • Exceptional attention to detail.
    • Excellent time management, prioritization, optimization, and organizational skills.
    • Proactive analytical approach to anticipating needs and solving problems.
    • Professional demeanor and strong interpersonal skills.
    • Ability to maintain strict confidentiality and exercise discretion.
    • High adaptability in rapidly changing environments.
    • Flexibility to occasionally work outside standard business hours.
    • Bonus: Experience organizing and managing high-profile events.

    Core responsibilities

    Financial management & budgeting:

    • Develop and manage budgets and financial projections to ensure our fundraising and spending align with organizational goals and regulatory requirements.
    • Collaborate with SI’s fiduciary and banks on payments, accounting, and investments to optimize resource utilization and maintain transparent financial documentation.
    • Provide monthly financial reports to leadership, offering insights into SI’s financial health and assisting in forecasting.

    Legal & compliance:

    • Ensure compliance with local regulations, working closely with SI’s fiduciary and Geneva or Swiss-based institutions (Registre du Commerce, FER-CIAM, etc.).
    • Prepare and oversee legal documentation and contractual agreements, ensuring SI’s compliance with Swiss and local laws.
    • Act as the primary point of contact for inquiries related to Geneva and Switzerland’s regulatory environment and SI’s legal obligations.

    Human resources:

    • Support daily HR operations including maintaining employee records, processing documentation for new hires, transfers, and separations, and ensuring all personnel files are complete and up-to-date.
    • Assist in recruitment processes with screening and evaluation of candidates, visa sponsorship, relocation support, and onboarding.
    • Handle routine HR inquiries from employees regarding benefits, leave policies, and company procedures while maintaining strict confidentiality and providing timely, accurate responses.

    Office & events management:

    • Manage relationships with SI’s local partners, service providers, and landlord to support the seamless implementation of our projects.
    • Oversee, analyze, and optimize logistical arrangements to develop effective infrastructure for the team and events.

    What we offer

    • Salary: CHF 96,000 – 122,000. We consider a variety of factors when formulating an offer, including but not limited to, the role and responsibilities, work experience, training, skills, expertise, and internal equity. We’re willing to review the salary range for exceptional candidates.
    • Start date: As soon as possible, with a strong preference to start in April.
    • Hours: Full-time, flexible hours, and occasional travel.
    • Location: In-person in Geneva.
    • Employment: Permanent employment with a 3-month probation period.
    • Office: We have a well-equipped office in Geneva, and we will pay for high-quality ergonomic equipment (laptop, monitors, etc.).
    • Generous vacation: 35 days of holiday each year, plus public holidays. We encourage you to use the full allowance.
    • Team retreats and conferences: We hold in-person staff retreats twice a year, to work on our strategy and build strong working relationships.
    • Professional development opportunities: We offer a CHF 2,500 allowance each year for professional development. We build in opportunities for career growth through on-the-job learning, increasing responsibility, and role progression pathways.
    • Parental leave and support: We offer maternity and paternity benefits that go beyond Swiss legal requirements: this includes up to 6 months of maternity leave, 60 days of flexible paternity leave, 100% salary coverage during leave, flexibility to work from home, unlimited breastfeeding breaks, parental PTO for childhood difficulties, and the option to work at 80% while being paid 100% in the first year after childbirth.
    • Wellbeing: We will reimburse wellbeing expenses of up to CHF600 gross per year per – this might include fitness, therapy, coaching - or anything else to support your personal wellbeing.

    If you enjoy supporting people, planning, and juggling many different tasks, we think you’d add a lot of value to our team. This role offers unique insight into SI’s structure, priorities, and decisions. The ideal candidate brings a strong alignment with our mission and culture, as well as:

    • strong problem-solving and system-building skills; 
    • comfort with ambiguity and self-direction; and 
    • a strong preference for quick iteration through direct feedback.

    We’re a small team and care deeply about our supportive culture. We strive for excellence and encourage high ambitions. We want you to succeed in your career and feel supported to grow.

    The above list of duties contains the main duties and responsibilities for this position. However, in a small organization such as SI, staff members are expected to show flexibility in their approach to work and be willing to undertake other tasks that are reasonably allocated to them, but which may not be part of their regular list of duties. Whereas any task becomes a regular part of an employee’s responsibilities, the job description will be changed in consultation with the employee and their supervisor.

    Application process

    • Submit the application form. We expect this application form to take 30-60 minutes to fill in. Please do not spend more than an hour on it. We review candidates on a rolling basis and will close this round on March 16th.
    • Complete 1-2 work tests designed to simulate the work you would do if hired and/or evaluate certain skills important for success in the role.
    • Attend a remote interview.
    • Attend a paid trial day (in-person) to allow you and us to see what it would be like if you worked at SI. 
    • Submit references.
    • Receive an employment offer!

    There’s no such thing as a “perfect” candidate. If you’re on the fence about applying because you’re unsure whether you’re qualified, we’d encourage you to apply.

    It’s really important that all candidates who have the potential to succeed at SI are provided with an equitable experience in the application process. So, if you require adjustments to provide you with the best opportunity to succeed through our hiring process, please let us know at any stage. 

    Impact Ops is supporting us with this hiring round, so feel free to reach out with any questions at hello@impact-ops.org.