Manager of Operations

The Conference for Advanced Life Underwriting (CALU) has an immediate opening for a Manager of Operations to join our team in Ottawa, ON. This full-time permanent position, reporting to the President & CEO, is an exciting, fast-paced and dynamic role in not-for-profit association management where you can make a big impact on a small team.

The Conference for Advanced Life Underwriting (CALU) is Canada’s professional association for leaders in the life insurance and financial advisory industry. We provide our 600+ members with high-quality education and with opportunities to connect, stay informed and share ideas on how to enhance the financial well-being of Canadians.

Non-partisan advocacy is an important part of our mandate. Along with our partner organization, Advocis, we speak for more than 17,000 insurance and financial advisors in every part of Canada to grow and preserve the financial well-being of Canadians and family businesses.

Description

The Manager of Operations supports all aspects of governance and the work of the President & CEO, as well as managing membership, events, continuing education, member communications, and operations. They have a team of two direct reports (Membership Coordinator, Communications Coordinator) and one external consultant (Event Planner) under their supervision, along with oversight of several other service suppliers.

Working as part of CALU’s small team, the Manager of Operations is responsible for the implementation of key services for the association. They keep the team organized and on track, relying on their attention to detail and their experience in a broad range of areas of not-for-profit member-based association operations to know what needs to be done and who should do it. This position reports to the President & CEO.

This position is temporarily remote due to the pandemic. However, the Manager must be located in the Ottawa area in order to be able to work from the office as-needed when it re-opens and to attend in-person meetings, events and conferences.

Responsibilities

Governance:

  • Administration of the board of directors, 8-12 committees, and the Annual Meeting of Members, including scheduling, logistics, taking minutes, preparing meeting documents, and tracking action items.
  • Support the President & CEO with all aspects of governance, including support for bylaws, governance policies and procedures, nominations, operational plan, and legislative and regulatory requirements.

Membership:

  • Oversee membership administration, and act as back-up for key membership functions.
  • Develop and implement strategy for membership recruitment and retention, with the President & CEO.

Events:

  • Oversee the organization’s events and conferences, including outsourcing of event management and logistics to the external event planner.
  • Develop and manage a workplan and budget for each event.
  • Work collaboratively with colleagues and volunteers to on program development.
  • Supervise registration and continuing education for members.
  • Provide technical support for ad-hoc webinars for members.

Communications:

  • Supervise member communications, and act as a back-up for key communications functions including sending emails and e-newsletters to members, managing website content and design, and editing and formatting publications and reports.
  • Manage outsourcing to graphic designs and translators, as needed.
  • Manage and implement the organization’s brand, logo and templates.

Operations:

  • Manage the organization’s vendors and suppliers, including the outsourcing of managed IT services.
  • Manage the technology strategy of the organization.
  • Manage office operations, corporate services and records management.
  • Receive and manage invoices, support the President & CEO with development of the annual budget.
  • Support the President & CEO with business continuity planning and date documentation of workflows.

General:

  • Provide administrative support to the President & CEO on an as-needed basis, including taking notes at staff meetings and maintaining the corporate calendar.
  • Other duties as assigned by the President & CEO.

Requirements

  • Post-secondary education in a related discipline, or equivalent work experience.
  • 5-8 years of relevant work experience in a member-based association or a not-for-profit organization is required.
  • Demonstrated knowledge of not-for-profit association operations and management (membership, events, governance, continuing education, office management, technology, etc.).
  • Excellent organizing, prioritizing, monitoring and documenting skills.
  • Excellent software and technology skills, including Windows, Microsoft Office Suite, Member 365 database, WordPress, web-based tools and social media.
  • Good written and oral communication skills in English are required. French is an asset but not required.
  • Good interpersonal skills, and ability to work collaboratively with colleagues, consultants, suppliers, and board and committee members.
  • Demonstrated pro-active mindset to take the initiative in developing and prioritizing issues and methods to accomplish tasks or assignments with guidance from the President & CEO as required.
  • Adept at working under pressure, managing competing priorities and meeting deadlines.
  • Appreciation for a small team environment, where workload management requires flexibility and open communication with all team members.
  • Ability to travel within Canada on occasion for meetings, events and conferences.
  • Ability to work flexible and/or extended hours on occasion.
  • Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation is an asset but not required.

To apply

If this opportunity intrigues you and relates to your education and career interest, then we want to hear from you. Please take the time to tell us about yourself in a cover letter – we want to listen to your story – your educational background, your accomplishments to date, and why this role is a good fit for you at this time.

CALU is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free recruitment process and work environment. Please contact us at caluadmin@calu.com in confidence and provide notice in advance if you require accommodations at any stage of the recruitment process. All requests for accommodation will be considered in a fair and objective manner that will ensure applicants are treated with respect and dignity.

You must be legally allowed to work in Canada to be eligible for this position. Please note that all applications will be acknowledged. Those selected for an interview will be contacted directly. Please contact us at caluadmin@calu.com if you have any questions in advance of applying. Do not apply by email.

The successful candidate’s compensation will be commensurate with education and work experience.

Please submit your cover letter including salary expectations and résumé to our online portal at https://secure.collage.co/jobs/calu/31304 as soon as possible, and no later than Wednesday, July 6, 2022. Applications are actively being reviewed and interviews held on a rolling basis. The posting will remain active on our website until we successfully fill the position.