Overview Of Kinnect

Kinnect is an Ohio-based non-profit organization dedicated to developing KinFirst strategies and delivering programs that strengthen kinship connections and inclusive support networks for families, young people, and children. Kinnect has spent 20 years collaborating with families, public agencies, and private providers to ensure young people and families have the belonging, resources, and relationships they need to thrive.

Kinnect’s purpose, vision, and guiding principles center family and kin and promote a KinFirst culture in every aspect of our service delivery and advocacy efforts for families, young people, and children. Kin is family, family is kin, and whether relationships involve relatives or chosen family connections, a KinFirst culture is the way we work and live each day.

Kinnect is proud to be a nationally recognized leader and pioneer in the field, which led to the development of KinnectU, a training, consulting, and replication branch of Kinnect, to provide these services to all child- and family-serving organizations. Our programs include the Ohio Kinship and Adoption Navigator (OhioKAN) program, Kinnect to Family (KTF), and Youth Centered Permanency Roundtables (YCPRT). Kinnect is grateful to receive support from a variety of sources, including contracts with government entities, partnerships with nonprofits, generous grants, and invaluable donations from foundations and private donors.

Position Summary

The Operations Manager is responsible for supporting the design and deployment of the operational infrastructure required to support Kinnect’s mission and strategic plan. In close partnership with the Chief Operating Officer, Kinnect’s leadership team and the Board, the Operations Manager will be accountable for aligning resources and processes to best achieve specific key performance indicators.

The Operations Manager plays a vital supportive role in ensuring the effective and mission-driven operation of the organization. This position works collaboratively across teams to foster a culture of trust, transparency, and shared accountability. The Operations Manager identifies opportunities to improve efficiency, strengthen systems, and streamline processes, while also helping to address operational challenges and gaps. By providing timely insights, analysis, and operational information, this role supports the Chief Operating Officer and leadership team in making informed decisions that advance the organization’s mission and strategic objectives. The Operations Manager is also responsible for the documentation, implementation, and ongoing maintenance of operational processes and procedures to support sustainability, compliance, and organizational effectiveness.

The Operations Manager should be highly motivated, able to handle a fast-paced work environment, ambiguity and manage multiple priorities successfully with a positive attitude and willingness to work through and manage change.

Essential Functions

• Serve as a central point of contact for internal operations, ensuring effective communication across departments.
• Directly supervise, coach, and support a team of Coordinators to ensure high performance, accountability, and professional growth.
• Build processes and procedures that align with the goals of the organization.
• In partnership with the Chief Operating Officer, works to support a high performing and team-oriented culture through effective policies/practices.
• Work as a member of the leadership team to devise strategies and policies to meet the emerging demands of Kinnect.
• Act as a primary point of contact with the technology vendor, regarding contract administration and compliance. Review, retain and communicate technology-related policies and procedures as developed by the vendor. Monitor user experience and suggest improvements.
• Manage and monitor MOU process, service level agreements (SLAs), and contracts to assess compliance with organizational vendors. Address and resolve performance issues with vendors while building positive working relationships with vendors and contractors.
• Consider the needs of external partners and internal team members and incorporate them into strategic plans and processes.
• Monitor special projects to ensure bandwidth and quality.
• Convene regular update meetings and follow up on issues that are not resolved.
• Review vendor bills and assist in resolving issues as needed in partnership with the Office Coordinators and Finance Team.
• Coordinate training activities, as needed.
• Provide a strong executive presence and ability to interact with Board members.
• Develop and implement new strategies and procedures.
• Support the Chief Operating Officer and Program Directors in improving, developing, documenting and tracking of performance metrics for the organization.
• Support facilities management that includes lease compliance, remote work arrangements, facilities maintenance, employee safety and health, space planning, and emergency procedures policy development and documentation.
  
  
  

Education And Qualifications

• A Bachelor’s Degree with 3-5 years of professional experience in a related area
• 3-5 years of demonstrated operations management experience, or non-profit management experience including compliance and reporting
• Experience supervising and developing a strong team
• Non-profit experience
• A demonstrated track record of successful project management
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, as well as experience working with accounting and payroll software and information management.
  
  
  

Working Conditions

• First 90 days of employment will be performed in the Cleveland office with a flexible hybrid work arrangement to be coordinated thereafter.
• Travel required, as needed. Must have access to own reliable transportation.
• This job requires occasional overnight travel
• Kinnect as an organization has a Hybrid Work Model that combines remote and on-site work at Kinnect, as well as routine on-site or in-person work with team members, partner sites, community events, and direct service in the field.
• This role will utilize standard office equipment, provided by Kinnect
  
  
  

Hiring Process

The final candidate selected for the position will be required to undergo a criminal background check and drug screening. Criminal convictions do not necessarily preclude an applicant from consideration for a position. An individual assessment of an applicant's prior criminal conviction(s) will be made before excluding an applicant from consideration.

Guiding Principles and Competencies

Partnership: Bringing our collective experience and skillsets to relationships that support our connectedness and achievement of our mission.

• I build constructive and effective relationships to find common ground and solve problems
• When I participate in teamwork, I will ensure that I am giving everyone accurate and timely information as needed to move forward on our common goals
• I reprioritize when needed and create focus to strengthen partnerships throughout times of change
• I strive to help people feel included, respected, and valuable about being a member of the team
  
  
  

Innovation: Continuous and dynamic process where creative ideas are valued, discussed, and implemented to significantly disrupt routing and prevailing structures.

• I am willing to share my ideas, even the new and unique ones, when brainstorming, problem solving and in my daily work
• I explore issues through a lens of equity and inclusion by co-creating solutions with people, not for people. I am committed to centering and elevating the voice of those we serve, whether it be families, youth, caregivers, team members or our partners. I am willing to design programs and solutions for the future we want to have.
• When faced with challenges, I remain curious, look beyond the obvious and my own lens and perspective to push myself to look for multiple solutions even though I might not have all the answers. I am open to iterating and continuous learning
• I choose to view failure as an opportunity to learn
  
  
  

Integrity: Having the courage to live the Kinnect values of dignity, respect and honesty.

• I strive to be self-aware and open to feedback that allows for development and growth
• I stay aligned with Kinnect’s values while maintaining flexibility to incorporate new ideas and perspectives
• During difficult times, I strive to maintain composure, self-regulate, maintain my sense of self-awareness and stay in empathy when working through issues
• I take responsibility for contributing to high quality and inclusive end results, for the good of the greater team
• I take responsibility for my own boundaries, self-care, and rest so that I am able to engage meaningfully in my work at Kinnect
  
  
  

Outcome Focused: We strive to measure our work, to pivot, iterate, and improve to accomplish desired results.

• I make time and space to assess process, progress, and results
• I work with my team to make sure we all have up-to-date information so we can make accurate and informed decisions
• I ask for what I need to be able to contribute and perform to the best of my ability
• I keep families, youth, community partners and Kinnect team members in mind when creating goals and throughout the course of the project
  
  
  

Communicate Effectively: Develop and deliver communications using various methods that conveys a clear understanding of the unique needs of the different audiences we communicate with.

• Attentively listens to others
• Provides timely and helpful information to others across the organization
• Encourages the open expression of diverse ideas and opinions
• Ability to utilize multiples communication methods such as telephone, email, letters, reports, to name a few to share information and to keep people informed of progress or what is needed
  
  
  

Leadership Acumen:

Understands the complexities involved in organizational functioning as it relates to people, to overall strategy, and to policies/procedures. Is able to achieve high quality results through informed decision making and applying knowledge from experience, education and through partnerships.

• Comfortably navigates through complex policies and processes
• Successfully manages team related dynamics
• Gains the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity
• Understands the meaning and implications of key data indicators and decisions.
• Interprets and applies data analysis to generate, evaluate, and act on strategic options and opportunities
  
  
  

Effective Team Development

Ability to build strong identity teams that are inclusive and can apply their diverse skills and perspectives to achieve common goals.

• Creates a sense of belonging and strong team identity that allows members of the team to apply their diverse skills and perspectives to achieve common goals
• Develops people to meet both their professional goals and the organization’s goals through coaching, feedback, exposure, and stretch assignments
• Fosters innovation and learning from mistakes to support individuals and the team in achieving the mission and vision of the organization
• Demonstrates self-awareness and actively seeks new ways to grow and be challenged
  
  
  

Administers and Supports Efforts to Achieve Goals

Provides leadership and direction to the team to ensure success in achieving common goals. Is able to provide appropriate support, guidance and accountabilities to achieving organizational goals.

• Provides direction and delegation by planning and prioritizing work
• Intervenes to remove obstacles when needed to achieve organizational goals
• Holds self and others accountable to meet commitments and results
• Focuses on continuous improvement by marshaling resources and orchestrating multiple activities to accomplish goals
• Builds partnerships and works collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives
  
  
  

Manages Complexity and Innovation

Understands and is skilled in making sense of complex situations and challenges to effectively resolve issues. Has skills and an understanding on how to support the use of innovation and implementation science to understand opportunities and challenges that arise at the organizational level and within teams.

• Asks questions and acquires information to make quality decisions that effectively solve problems
• Adapts approaches to match different situations and shifting demands
• Effectively builds formal and informal relationship networks inside and outside the organization to exchange ideas and resources
• Cultivates innovation and actively learns through using both successes and failures as growth opportunities
  
  
  

Equal Opportunity Employment

Kinnect maintains a policy of nondiscrimination toward all employees and applicants for employment. All aspects of employment with us will be governed on the basis of competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, or gender identity or expression, age, sexual orientation, sexual expression or identity, national origin, physical, intellectual or emotional ability, marital or partnership status, parental or family status, medical or genetic status, veteran’s or disabled veteran status, in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. Employment Posters stating current regulatory and legal requirements are posted in Kinnect’s main office and on the intranet.

American’s With Disabilities Act

This position involves sitting in a stationary position for at least 50% of the time and the ability to ambulate without assistance to attend on-site meetings, as needed. The job requires movement in a typical office environment with file cabinets, office machinery, office furniture and typical hallway and access doorways. The position must operate typical office equipment, such as copiers, telephones, computers and peripherals. This job requires that the person must have the ability to access transportation to attend meetings and special events. The organization provides reasonable accommodations for this position.

Disclaimer

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work to be performed. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of employees assigned to this position.

Kinnect maintains a policy of nondiscrimination toward all employees and applicants for employment. All employment decisions at Kinnect are based on organizational needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, and will be governed on the basis of competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, or gender identity or expression, age, sexual orientation, sexual expression or identity, national origin, physical, intellectual or emotional ability, marital or partnership status, parental or family status, medical or genetic status, veteran’s or disabled veteran status, in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. Employment Posters stating current regulatory and legal requirements are posted in Kinnect’s main office and on the intranet.