Senior Operations Manager, YOLA

Senior Operations Manager, YOLA
Position Status: Full-Time, Exempt
Reports to: Senior Director, Learning & Operations

Salary Range: $89,000 - $92,000

Department: Learning

About Learning at the LA Phil:
Leading the LA Phil’s strategic engagement with youth and education across Los Angeles, the Learning programs at the LA Phil champion the organization’s investment in the larger arts ecosystem while providing thought-leadership and advocacy for youth engagement program models that uplift and inspire.
About the YOLA Program:

Mission Statement:

YOLA provides transformational and equitable access to music education for young people from underserved communities, to support their personal development, their communities, and beyond.

YOLA Vision for Impact:

By 2035, YOLA is serving well over 4,000 students across LA County. Thousands of alumni believe the transformative experience of playing music with the YOLA community contributed to their personal development, a path to excellence, and a deep and lasting love of music, motivating them to meaningfully contribute as adults to the creative industry ecosystem.
Program Summary:
YOLA (Youth Orchestra Los Angeles) is LA Phil’s signature education program, inspired by El Sistema and led by Gustavo Dudamel. YOLA provides over 1,700 students annually access to instruments, high-quality music instruction, and holistic support, helping young people thrive artistically, socially, and academically at no cost.
The work of YOLA is focused on two areas: Local programs, which directly serve communities across Los Angeles, and national programs which provide opportunities for young musicians, teaching artists, program administrators, and other stakeholders to learn from and create community with one another.
Position Summary:
The Senior Operations Manager is an essential position within the YOLA program, managing the day-to-day operational and administrative functions of the YOLA program across its local hubs. Reporting to the Senior Director, Learning & Operations, the Senior Operations Manager carries out the core operating processes of the program, including adherence to standard operating procedures, payroll for YOLA Teaching Artists and part-time hub staff, program invoicing, and onboarding logistics. The position supervises part-time and seasonal operations staff and contractors as assigned and collaborates with Program Managers to support adherence to and compliance with operational standards.

A key measure of success for the Senior Operations Manager is dependable execution: processes that run on time, records that are accurate, and hub teams that have the operational support they need to deliver consistent, equitable resources and educational experiences across each hub.

The Senior Operations Manager works closely with the larger YOLA and Learning team, coordinating with the department's data and inventory functions to support accurate records and reliable instrument and asset tracking, and collaborates with key positions on the team and interdepartmentally with the LA Phil. Specifically, the Senior Operations Manager liaises regularly with the HR and Finance departments on personnel and administrative processes.
This position will include frequent evening and weekend responsibilities.
Scope of Work:
Operational:

Manage the operational and administrative processes of YOLA hub programming, ensuring adherence to standard operating procedures, compliance timelines and department administrative practices, including but not limited to:

Supporting hub leadership in building and tracking local hub budgets

Support alignment of operational functions across YOLA program hubs in collaboration with hub leadership and program partnerships
Manage program invoicing and vendor payments in collaboration with finance
Process and manage payroll for YOLA Teaching Artists and part-time hub staff, ensuring accuracy and on-time submission
Coordinate operational logistics for YOLA-wide large-scale events throughout the season
Familiarity and competency in the following operating systems: Monday.com, Slack, Salesforce, Microsoft Office Suite

Management:

Coordinate the onboarding process for part-time Learning/YOLA employees, including paperwork, systems access and orientation logistics, in partnership with HR
Supervise part-time and seasonal operations staff, external vendors and contractors related to department operations, as assigned

Support in the hiring of program staff for YOLA hubs, including partner programs, by managing postings, scheduling and candidate communications
Maintain adherence to operation procedures, compliance timelines and other department administrative processes
Closely collaborate with interdepartmental colleagues in Finance, HR and Operations to ensure smooth coordination between Learning and organizational standards and norms

Coordination and Continuous Improvement:

Work with key members of the Learning team to implement systems and sound operational practices for each hub
Contribute to the development of operational infrastructure for new or expanding programs under the direction of the Senior Director, Learning & Operations
Coordinate with the department's data and inventory functions to keep rosters, instrument records and asset tracking current and accurate
Maintain productive relationships with internal and external stakeholders related to operations execution

Other duties as assigned
Relationships:

Reports to: Senior Director, Learning & Operations
Supervises: Part-Time and Seasonal Staff, Contractors (as assigned)

Interacts with:
Learning Department
HR Department
Finance Department
Community Partners
Internal and External Stakeholders

Position Expectations:

The Senior Operations Manager is an important member of the Learning team and is central to the day-to-day operational support of all local YOLA hubs
The Senior Operations Manager is expected to be an active and participatory member of the Learning team and engage with all major events for the department
The Senior Operations Manager will have excellent communication skills, with attention to detail, strong sense of empathy and a proactive, curious nature
The Senior Operations Manager will continuously look for ways to improve the operational logistics for YOLA and improve the experiences of important stakeholders, partners, families, and students