Operations Associate

Operations Associate

The Operations Associate plays a critical role in ensuring the smooth, professional, and efficient operation of FDD's headquarters. This highly visible and dynamic position combines the day-to-day management of front office operations, organizational and internship program administration, and on-site events support. The Operations Associate serves as a key point of contact for staff, guests, interns, and vendors, providing outstanding service and attention to detail in a fast-paced environment. The role reports to the Senior Director of Operations and Strategy and is supervised by FDD's Associate Director of Office Operations and Internships.

Roles and Responsibilities:

• Serve as the first point of contact upon arrival for leadership, guests, staff, and vendors at FDD, providing a professional and welcoming experience.
• Execute day-to-day front office operations including incoming and outgoing mail and shipping, and supply inventory tracking and management.
• Maintain shared office spaces, conference rooms, and common areas to ensure cleanliness, organization, and readiness for meetings and events.
• Manage shared workspaces, hotdesking, and conference room calendars, responsive to the needs of a hybrid office work environment.
• Coordinate with Senior Director of Administration and building management regarding maintenance requests and office services.
• Monitor and respond to inquiries via FDD's main phone line and general email inbox, directing messages to the appropriate teams.
• Collaborate with Events team for on-site events and meetings including guest reception, security list submission, room setup, catering coordination, and front-facing hospitality.
• Support the internship program, including job postings, application screenings, interview scheduling, candidate communications, and first-day documentation.
• Facilitate technology setup – from hybrid meetings to new employee onboarding.
• Support Development and Finance departments by receiving and handling incoming checks, processing and logging payment information, and ensuring secure handoff.

Qualifications and Qualities:

• Friendly, customer-service attitude, well-suited for a client-facing role.
• A team player comfortable with receiving and implementing feedback.
• A "can-do" approach to learning and executing – no task too small or job too large to attempt.

• Detail-oriented and well-organized, with the ability to manage competing priorities and work independently in a fast-paced environment.

• This position is located in downtown Washington D.C. and the candidate must live within commuting distance and be available to work from FDD's office.
• Expected to work in-person up to five days per week during normal business hours.
• Ability to lift and carry items up to 30 pounds, move standard office furniture and supplies as needed, and remain on feet for extended periods during events or office tasks.
• Experience with office administration, front desk management, or event coordination preferred.
• Proficiency with Outlook, Microsoft Office, Slack, and Monday.com a plus. (Incoming mastery of these tools and platforms is not a must, but willingness to learn is.)
• Interest in FDD's mission and programs; familiarity with the foreign policy and national security landscape a plus.

This role has a projected salary band of $60,000-$65,000 per year, based on candidate's experience and qualifications. Additional benefits are available, including healthcare coverage based on eligibility.

Interested and qualified candidates are encouraged to send a resume and letter of interest to FDD Human Resources (hr2@fdd.org).

FDD is a Washington, DC-based non-partisan research institute focusing on foreign policy and national security.

For more information, please visit FDD.org and follow FDD on X @FDD.