Strategic Operations Coordinator - Center for Water, Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Energy Solutions (WARES)

RTI International is an independent, scientific research institute dedicated to improving the human condition. Our vision is to address the world's most critical problems with technical and science-based solutions in pursuit of a better future. Clients rely on us to answer questions that demand an objective and multidisciplinary approach-one that integrates expertise across social, statistical, data, and laboratory sciences, engineering, and other technical disciplines to solve the world's most challenging problems.

We believe in the promise of science and technical solutions, and we push ourselves every day to deliver on that promise for the good of people, communities, and businesses in the US and around the world. If you are looking for the opportunity to make a real difference, RTI is the place for you.

Are you passionate about addressing critical environmental issues? RTI's Center for Water, Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Energy Solutions (WARES) improves the human condition by leveraging leading-edge analytics and multidisciplinary expertise to deliver evidence-based insights and practical solutions to complex environmental and economic challenges. We are seeking collaborative thinkers to join our multidisciplinary team of experts. In this role, you will work across diverse projects in domestic and international markets, gaining hands-on experience while helping us bridge the gap between scientific innovation and real-world solutions.

Why Join Us?

• Support impactful domestic and international environmental projects.
• Collaborate with leading experts in a supportive, multidisciplinary environment.

You will serve as a strategic force multiplier, orchestrating operational governance across a 70+ person team and a diverse 50+ project portfolio. The Strategic Operations Coordinator serves as the primary operational liaison for the Senior Director, exercising independent judgment to resolve cross-functional obstacles across the WARES Center. You will act as a pivotal "connective tissue" across technical teams within WARES, independently resolving bottlenecks and developing/maintaining the labor allocation and communication tools necessary for peak efficiency. By shepherding sub-domain business strategies and driving strategic growth synthesis, you will ensure that WARES remains agile, resource-aligned, and positioned for continued growth and expansion.

This position may be based in RTI's U.S. office in Research Triangle Park, NC, or may be considered for fully remote work from an approved location within the United States. Teleworking is permitted within the United States only and is subject to RTI approval; not all U.S. locations may be eligible.

Essential Duties

• Support strategic and operational management across a broad team (70+ staff) and wide-ranging environment portfolio (50+ active projects) in coordination with various RTI staff.
• Serve the sub-domain business strategies by supporting teams to translate ideas into actionable roadmaps, establishing deadlines and KPIs, fostering cross-team synergies and neutralizing bottlenecks to accelerate progress.
• Facilitate achievement of staff DPR targets by proactively managing the long-term labor allocation and working with Project Managers to match labor availability with project needs.
• Serve as the primary lead for "emergent" opportunities, as requested and/or provide surge support for existing projects or proposal opportunities, with a focus on rapid-response tasks on either projects or proposals that would otherwise distract technical focal leads.
• Assist in organizing Leadership Team meetings and other high profile activities, including agenda setting, preparing decision support materials and tracking high priority actions items to ensure organizational accountability and momentum.
• Act as a "connective tissue" across the various technical teams within WARES to prevent silos and maximize efficiencies; facilitating lateral communication, ensuring consistent application of new growth goals, and maintaining cultural alignment for staff who may move to new reporting lines.
• Cultivate and leverage strategic partnerships across RTI business partners (e.g., Finance, HR, Client Technologies , Marketing and Growth) to streamline workflows, expedite business processes, and help ensure that WARES' priorities are understood.
• Partner with the technical teams to track the Center's overarching business development pipeline; ensuring that resources are aligned with the highest-probability "wins" and that growth targets are monitored across the full WARES portfolio. Work with growth leads to facilitate "Synthesis Sessions" between the WARES teams to deliberately engineer integrated, high-value client solutions and identify strategic cross-selling opportunities on a semi-regular basis.
• Serve as surge support for any project or proposal related task.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree and at least 8 years of relevant experience; or a Master's degree and at least 6 years of relevant experience; or a PhD.
• At least five years of technical experience in water, agriculture, natural resources or energy.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex portfolios with at least 30+ active projects, preferably within an international development, environmental, or research-intensive organization
• Proven track record of translating high-level organizational visions into actionable roadmaps, including the definition of KPIs and the management of multi-year strategies.
• Demonstrated proficiency in managing complex labor allocation systems (e.g., utilization targets) and the ability to balance staff capacity with fluctuating project demands in a matrixed environment.
• Experience managing interdisciplinary projects or teams, ensuring that disparate technical workstreams are aligned with overarching business strategies and client requirements
• Experience tracking and managing large-scale business development pipelines, with a focus on aligning technical resources toward high-probability captures and identifying cross-selling opportunities.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills with a proven ability to navigate large corporate bureaucracies and cultivate strategic partnerships with functional units like Finance, HR, and IT.
• Ability to thrive in high-pressure, rapid-response environments, taking the lead on emergent opportunities or project crises without losing sight of long-term strategic goals.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and meet deadlines under pressure, being a self-starter who works both independently and as a collaborative team player.
• To qualify, applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States and should not require, now or in the future, sponsorship for employment visa status(e.g., H-1B visa status, etc.).

For San Francisco, CA USA Job Postings Only: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. Further information is availablehere.

RTI accepts applications to our job openings from candidates with criminal histories or conviction records in accordance with all applicable laws, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.

For Applicants in Massachusetts Only:It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

The anticipated pay range for this role is listed below. Our pay ranges represent national averages and may vary by location as a geographic differential may be applied to some locations within the United States. RTI considers multiple factors when making an offer including, for example: established salary range, internal budget, business needs, and education and years of work experience possessed by the applicant. Further, salary is merely one element to our offer.

At RTI, we demonstrate our commitment to rewarding individual and team achievement through a total rewards package. This package includes (among other things) a competitive base salary, a generous paid time off policy, merit based annual increases, bonus opportunities and a robust recognition program. Other benefits include a competitive range of insurance plans (including health, dental, life, and short-term and long-term disability), access to a retirement savings program such as a 401(k) plan, paid parental leave for all parents, financial assistance with adoption expenses or infertility treatments, financial reimbursement for education and developmental opportunities, an employee assistance program, and numerous other offerings to support a healthy work-life balance.