Temporary Associate, Program

Program Operations Associate, Blue Ridge Labs

(Assignment End Date: June 30, 2027)

About Robin Hood

Founded in 1988, Robin Hood finds, fuels, and creates the most impactful and scalable solutions lifting families out of poverty in New York City. The largest poverty fighting organization in New York City, Robin Hood partners with top nonprofits in New York City and invests in legal services, housing, meals, workforce development training, education programs, and other vital services that give New Yorkers in need the tools they need to build better lives. The programs it funds are often the first of their kind and serve as demonstration models to identify what works before being replicated in other cities. Because its Board of Directors covers 100% of all administrative, fundraising, and evaluation costs, every dollar donated goes directly to organizations helping New Yorkers in need.

While Robin Hood’s primary focus is on New York, its impact extends far beyond the borders of the city. Its pioneering, metrics-based approach has become the gold standard for charities around the nation as Robin Hood works to understand and evaluate the impact of its partners to ensure that its philanthropic dollars are utilized to maximum impact. Robin Hood also supports its community partners and their leaders with financial and strategic support and management assistance that allows those organizations to maximize their impact.

Building on our 30 years of experience, Robin Hood is expanding our impact with an explicit focus on lifting families sustainably and measurably out of poverty through supporting the most effective community partners; influencing public policy; raising our thought leadership profile; importing and exporting effective ideas and strategies nationally; and building new collaborations with strategic partners. As New York City emerges from the worst of the global pandemic, we are focused on getting families back on their feet; getting kids back on track; and getting New Yorkers back to work.

Robin Hood also understands that if we are to support families living in poverty and find permanent pathways out of poverty and towards financial independence, we must become an effective partner with government, especially at the City and State levels. We do this by leveraging the expertise of those who are closest to the challenges of poverty, including community members, community-based organizations, and others with specialized skills and knowledge. We also aim to collaborate with New York City government to fund program and policy innovations that hold the promise of expanding economic opportunity in New York City – providing nimble “risk capital” for high-potential strategies. In this way, we seek to leverage our philanthropic investments by finding ways to advance the highest-impact strategies at scale.

Given its long-standing reputation among influencers and support of over 200 New York City non-profit organizations, Robin Hood has the unique ability to be a catalyzing force for households experiencing poverty, bringing distinct constituencies together to develop and spread the most effective strategies to advance economic mobility in New York City and beyond. 

About Blue Ridge Labs

Blue Ridge Labs (BRL) is a venture studio and innovation lab that launches and invests in new technology ventures focused on fighting poverty in NYC and beyond. Currently, BRL runs three programs aligned with each of these areas: the Fellowship, Catalyst, and the Follow-On Fund. The Fellowship is our venture studio program that takes innovators through a five-month co-creation process with disenfranchised New Yorkers to launch new start-ups tackling issues of poverty. Catalyst is a five-month accelerator providing funding, connections, and insight for early-stage tech innovators to move from initial product to scale. The Follow-On Fund invests in alumni demonstrating readiness to scale. At the heart of our programs is the Design Insight Group (DIG), a community of over 5,000 low-income New Yorkers. They've personally faced poverty and now work alongside program participants to develop solutions to the issues they've experienced firsthand.

Position Overview

We are looking for an Operations Associate to provide day-to-day operational and administrative support for Blue Ridge Labs' programs. This role is essential to ensuring the smooth delivery of our Fellowship and Catalyst programs and may provide occasional support for select Design Insight Group (DIG) activities.

The Operations Associate will work closely with program leads to coordinate logistics, maintain program calendars, support participant communications, and ensure that program activities run seamlessly. Additionally, this role may provide as-needed administrative support to the DIG community. 

This position initially reports to the Director for Blue Ridge Labs and works closely with the entire BRL team. Our team currently works out of Robin Hood's Brooklyn office at 150 Court Street, which also serves as a lab for a community of entrepreneurs who are passionate about systemic change and fighting poverty. (We will be moving to a Manhattan location in 2027.) 

Responsibilities

Support Fellowship and Catalyst Program Operations

• Maintain program calendars and coordinate scheduling for Fellowship and Catalyst activities, sessions, and events.
• Assist with event logistics including venue setup, materials preparation, catering coordination, and attendee communications.
• Create and administer surveys to gather participant feedback throughout the program cycle.
• Support participant onboarding, including preparation of materials and coordination of orientation activities.
• Assist program leads with administrative tasks, documentation, and communications as needed.
• Help coordinate guest speakers, mentors, and subject matter experts for program sessions.
• Provide general operational support at the guidance of the Director and program leads.

Coordinate User Research Sessions

• Support the coordination of user research sessions including one-on-one interviews, focus groups, product testing, and surveys.
• Assist with scheduling and logistics for co-design sessions between DIG members and Fellows or Catalyst founders.
• Support with onboarding partners to DIG app: updating relevant training materials and providing technical assistance on an as-needed basis.

Support Community Engagement and Administration

• Assist with tracking and monitoring new DIG member registrations and onboarding.
• Support the processing of payments to DIG participants through the DIG App.
• Help maintain accurate member data and records in program systems.

Qualifications

• You have 1-3 years of total work experience.
• Exceptional organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities, complex calendars, and deadlines in a fast-paced environment. 
• Experience with event coordination or logistics support preferred. 
• Bilingual skills (especially Spanish) a plus
• Excellent attention to detail, particularly with scheduling, data entry, and administrative tasks.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to work effectively with diverse communities.
• Proficiency with software including Google Workspace, Airtable, Notion, etc.
• Interest in social impact investment and venture philanthropy as tools to tackle the hardest problems in New York City.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Robin Hood is committed to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and representation in all aspects of its work. As New York City’s largest poverty-fighting organization, Robin Hood believes that building a diverse team is fundamental to its ability to effectively serve and strengthen organizations serving the most vulnerable communities in the city, and to influence the policies that affect them.

Robin Hood believes in the potential that diversity creates – deep and responsive relationships with its community partners; the ability to solve complex problems efficiently and effectively; and, most importantly, the ability of its diverse staff to work to its full capacity.

Robin Hood builds diversity, inclusion, and equity practices into all aspects of its work. Its practices, values, traditions, and beliefs are embedded in the inclusive culture that it creates. Operationally, its formal and informal structures support a work environment that advances the professional development of staff at all levels, allows for innovation, and grounds its work as poverty fighters.

Robin Hood seeks to attract and retain staff that reflects the communities that it serves and is enhanced by its efforts at meaningful inclusion. It ensures that team members are empowered to make decisions, offer actionable feedback, and share credit for team success. Further, Robin Hood seeks to develop talent professionally and has created an intentional focus on mentorship and sponsorship, particularly of junior staff. Its goal is to encourage long term talent retention and engagement, while fostering a culture of innovation.

Robin Hood Guiding Principles

As an organization committed to economic mobility, our work is grounded in the following Guiding Principles:

• Diversity, equity, and inclusion 
• Proximity and humanity
• Risk-taking and innovation 

Our professional community reflects myriad demographic characteristics, perspectives, and backgrounds, which includes various identities that reflect diversity in gender identity and expression, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, ability, and socioeconomic status. Our colleagues have access to opportunity and advancement, as we promote fair and equitable treatment and have encouraged participation by underrepresented groups. As a team, we promote a sense of belonging, high levels of engagement, and shared respect.

• Robin Hood puts people first. Always.
• Robin Hood is unafraid to take action and create solutions.
• Robin Hood is data driven and heart led.
• Robin Hood works the coat check.

Salary and Benefits

Salary commensurate with relevant experience and qualifications. As a part-time temporary position averaging 20 hours per week (less than 30 hours/week), this role offers limited benefits. Eligible benefits for employees working an average of 20+ hours per week consistently include retirement contributions, transit benefits, cell phone reimbursement, and Paid Time Off in accordance with NYS requirements.

The hourly rate for this position ranges from $40.00 - $45.00.

This position is currently located in Brooklyn, New York and the program operations associate would be required to be in the office two to three days a week including Wednesday and Thursday.

To Apply

Please visit our website to complete our online application.

Robin Hood is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants from diverse backgrounds and identities are encouraged to apply.