Operations Manager Checklist

Open Culture

• Can the person use a wiki to document materials?
• Does the person's position on patenting GVCS designs?
• Does the person publish early and often?

Company Culture

• Does the person believe in post-scarcity?
• Does the person believe in working openly?

Fabrication/Design/Technical

• Have you written Scopes of Work? Show an example.
• Have you written or developed Product Specifications? Show an example.
• What experience do you have in Physical Production, ie, non-office, non-management role? The trades, agriculture, woodworking, fabrication, crafts?
• What experience does the person have in product design?

Organizational

• Have you ever organized a special event?

Web

• What do you think of our web presence?

Startups

• Have you started your own enterprise?
• Have you partnered with someone to start an enterprise?

Project Management

• Have you been trained in Operations Management?
• Have you managed an organization? How long? What size of organization? What issues did you run into?
• Does the person have an MBA?
• What project management software do you use?
• Did you ever manage an office?

Finances - Corporations - Organizations - Request for Proposals

• Comfort in negotiating legal and financial structuring of organizations?
• Did you ever publish a request for bids? How do you see this applying in this work?
• Did you ever publish a job announcement? Where did you publish?
• What is your experience with budgeting?
• Describe the process by which you examine monthly budgets.
• How would you go about setting up a for-profit branch on top of a nonprofit organization?

Protocols

• Show an example of enterprise protocols that you have written.

Maintains and Updates OSE Operations Handbook (everything from email handling for the Assistant, blogging procedures, to financial controls) Oversees facility and its development + production program Oversees all budgets and digests them for review by ED Composes and negotiates contracts for staff and contractors, and assists other executives in composing/negotiating contracts Helps ED in recruiting, makes hiring suggestions, and on-boards new candidates Reports to ED, and helps ED manage other executives Builds processes for effective team communication Manages Public Affairs until this role is filled by others

Excellent mentorship and team building skills Track record of community service and humanitarian service Event organizing experience Excellent problem-solving ability Extensive experience with day-to-day project tracking + project management software Hacker, hands-on, DIY culture with respect to open source hardware is a plus Engineering experience is a plus Willingness use Linux computer platform for OSE-related work Keen ability to write and negotiate contracts, scopes of work, and memoranda of understanding Excellent ability to work as a team Excellent fit with OSE culture See also our Talent Search Criteria

Contracts - Negotiation - Bids

• Did you negotiate contracts? Do you have a template?

Learning

• Demonstrate how you can learn new skills?

Fundraising

• What is the largest amount of money that you fundraised?

Documentation

• Have you produced process/company documentation? Can you provide a sample?

Facility Management

• Have you managed a campus or facility of any sort?
• Is so, how did you execute on the necessary tasks?

Construction

• Have you managed any construction projects? What challenges did you face and how did you solve them? What issues were you not able to solve?
• Have you been involved hands-on in construction?
• How did you deal with delays and cost overruns?

Production Management

• Have you managed production runs? Of what? Describe your experience?
• Have you managed supply chains? What was your greatest challenge?

PR

• Have you managed the publicity for any campaign? How did you do it and what were your results?
• Have you designed flyers or posters?
• Have you written speech or video scripts?

Communication Skills

• Have you interviewed people for jobs or positions? Can I see the questionnaire that you used?
• Illustrate a successful example of how you dealt with a personnel issue.
• Illustrate a not-so-successful example of how you dealt with a personnel issue.

Conflict Resolution Skills

• Do you have formal training in conflict resolution?
• What techniques do you use in conflict resolution?
• Show an example of a successful and not-so-successful conflict resolution session that you guided.

Links

• Interview Questions Template
• Character Brief as basis for Company Description