Director of Operations & Organizational Effectiveness _@Project Expedite Justice (PEJ)

About Project Expedite Justice

Founded in 2016, Project Expedite Justice (PEJ) is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization advancing accountability for atrocity crimes and serious human rights violations. Working alongside local civil society partners, PEJ combines legal expertise, investigations, training, and mentorship to strengthen local capacities, document violations, and pursue accountability through legal and other accountability mechanisms.

PEJ operates through a globally distributed team, with programming in Ukraine, Sudan, Ethiopia, and other contexts. We are committed to fostering an inclusive working environment and particularly encourage applications from qualified professionals from the Global South and other underrepresented backgrounds.

The Opportunity: Director of Operations & Organizational Effectiveness

Project Expedite Justice (PEJ) seeks a Director of Operations & Organizational Effectiveness (DOOE) to lead the organization’s operational systems, cross-functional coordination, administrative processes, and organization-wide execution.

The DOOE will serve as a member of the Senior Management Team and will translate organizational priorities into clear workflows, timelines, ownership, and follow-through. The role will provide senior-level operational leadership across teams, resolve routine cross-functional bottlenecks, strengthen organizational systems and SOP implementation, and ensure that administrative and operational functions support PEJ’s programs effectively.

Key Deliverables:

• Clear, effective, and well-managed organization-wide operational systems and administrative processes.

• Reliable cross-functional planning, deadline management, resource coordination, and follow-through.

• Practical and consistently implemented SOPs, workflows, checklists, and operating guidance.

• Responsive procurement, travel, mission, vendor, and operational support for PEJ teams.

• Organized organizational records, systems, and operational documentation.

• A clear escalation and coordination structure that resolves routine operational issues without unnecessarily elevating them to the Executive Director.

Key Responsibilities:

Operational Leadership and Supervision

• Lead PEJ’s day-to-day operations and serve as the senior management focal point for organization-wide operational coordination.

• Directly or indirectly supervise Operations and administrative staff and provide clear priorities, delegation, mentoring, and performance management.

• Identify operational bottlenecks, coordinate practical solutions, and escalate only those matters requiring executive, legal, financial, or programmatic authority.

• Work closely with the Director of Finance, Legal and Program Directors, HR, Development, and the Executive team while maintaining clear functional ownership.

Organizational Planning and Cross-Functional Coordination

• Translate senior-management priorities into work plans, timelines, responsibilities, and clear follow-up mechanisms.

• Maintain organization-wide visibility over major deadlines, deliverables, cross-team dependencies, and resource conflicts.

• Coordinate recurring cross-functional planning and deadlines meetings, ensure decisions are captured, and track actions to completion.

• Work with Directors and Country Leads to resolve competing deadlines, sequencing issues, and routine operational barriers.

• Serve as a thought partner on organizational execution and help teams identify what should be delegated, coordinated, or escalated.

Operations and Administrative Systems

• Oversee PEJ’s day-to-day operational and administrative processes and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, clarity, and responsiveness.

• Establish and maintain practical workflows, service expectations, checklists, and guidance for recurring organizational processes.

• Ensure staff know where to go for operational, administrative, financial, legal, programmatic, and HR support without duplicating specialist functions.

• Maintain effective operational records, document-management practices, organizational filing systems, and access controls for non-financial systems.

• Develop continuity arrangements plans for essential administrative and operational functions, including backup coverage, knowledge transfer, and contingency procedures during staff transitions or unexpected disruptions.

• Establish and maintain an organization-wide inventory and tracking system for equipment and operational assets, including assignment, maintenance, and disposal, in coordination with Finance and IT.

SOPs, Policies, and Compliance Coordination

• Coordinate the organization-wide SOP and policy framework, including ownership, review cycles, implementation, training, and version control.

• Operationalize approved SOPs by establishing clear timelines, workflows, responsibilities, and practical implementation tools.

• Maintain an overview of organizational registrations, renewals, and administrative compliance requirements and coordinate with the appropriate subject-matter owner.

• Identify operational or compliance gaps and ensure they are assigned to Finance, HR, Legal, Programs, Development, or the Executive Director as appropriate.

• Support implementation of organizational process improvements arising from audits, reviews, retreats, TOR exercises, or changing organizational needs.

Procurement, Vendors, Contracts, and Operational Risk

• Lead the operational administration of procurement and vendor management, including competitive processes, documentation, timelines, and performance follow-up.

• Coordinate contract preparation and review workflows with Finance, HR, Legal, and the relevant hiring or purchasing manager; ensure appropriate approvals and signatures are obtained.

• Oversee operational insurance administration, warranties, claims coordination, and other non-financial risk-management processes in collaboration with Finance and relevant advisers.

• Oversee IT and operational service-provider coordination, including organizational requirements, service delivery, access, documentation, and continuity.

• Ensure procurement and vendor-management processes incorporate appropriate due diligence, conflict-of-interest checks, and compliance screening, in coordination with Finance and Legal.

Mission Planning, Travel, and Security

• Oversee mission-planning systems and logistical support for travel, trainings, events, accommodations, and required materials.

• Develop and maintain operational protocols for field security, emergency evacuation, and related service providers, including for high-risk environments.

• Ensure mission and travel processes are coordinated with Finance requirements for budgets, advances, expenses, and reconciliations.

Senior Management and Staff Support

• Coordinate operational aspects of Standards Meetings and other cross-functional senior-management processes, including agendas, action points, ownership, and follow-up.

• Support the Executive Director and senior management on defined organizational initiatives requiring cross-functional coordination or operational execution.

• Coordinate with HR on organizational onboarding, staff guidance, management systems, and implementation of approved personnel processes without assuming technical HR ownership.

• Support Board and organizational meeting logistics and documentation where operational coordination is required, while Board relationship management remains with the Executive Director.