Director of Operations

Director of Operations
Potential Pathway to Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Remote – United States | Full-Time
About SciLore LLC
SciLore LLC is a woman-owned small business providing specialized technical and implementation support in global health security. We support U.S. Government clients and partners across approximately 35 countries, bringing together specialized technical expertise and practical, responsive approaches to complex global health security challenges.
As SciLore enters its next stage of growth, we are seeking an experienced operations leader to help us scale effectively while maintaining the technical quality, responsiveness, and flexibility that distinguish a small business.
About the Role
The Director of Operations will lead and strengthen the operational infrastructure supporting SciLore's continued growth and international portfolio.
Reporting directly to the Owner/CEO, the Director will provide leadership across business operations, project implementation, human resources, contracting and compliance, financial operations, consultant management, and international operations.
The Director will work closely with SciLore leadership and technical teams to translate company strategy and awarded work into effective, compliant implementation; strengthen systems as our portfolio grows; and ensure the company has the operational capacity required to pursue and successfully deliver increasingly complex work.
This is a hands-on senior leadership position for someone who enjoys both leading operations and building for growth. The successful candidate will strengthen existing systems, develop new capabilities as business needs evolve, and help ensure SciLore maintains the responsiveness and technical excellence of a small business as we expand.
For a candidate with the appropriate executive-level experience and leadership capabilities, this position may be structured as a Chief Operating Officer (COO) role. Alternatively, the Director of Operations position offers a potential pathway to COO as SciLore grows and the scope of operational leadership expands.
Key Responsibilities
Business Operations & Organizational Growth
Lead company operations and continuously strengthen the systems, policies, processes, and internal controls that support effective and scalable implementation.
Translate strategic priorities and awarded work into operational plans, staffing structures, workflows, and resource requirements.
Develop and monitor operational metrics and provide leadership with visibility into company and project performance, priorities, risks, and resource needs.
Coordinate across technical, programmatic, financial, contractual, and administrative functions to support efficient decision-making and implementation.
Evaluate evolving operational needs and recommend appropriate internal capacity, systems, vendors, and external professional support.
Program & Project Operations
Provide operational leadership for complex U.S. Government-funded programs implemented across multiple countries.
Work closely with technical and project leads to support work planning, staffing, budgeting, consultant deployment, procurement, travel, deliverables, and project closeout.
Strengthen consistent project management and implementation practices across SciLore's portfolio.
Monitor implementation against contractual requirements, budgets, schedules, deliverables, and client expectations.
Support project teams in anticipating and resolving operational challenges and maintaining effective implementation across geographically dispersed programs.
International Operations
Lead operational planning for the establishment and management of SciLore country operations as the company expands its international footprint.
Coordinate requirements associated with country registration, employment and payroll arrangements, banking, insurance, tax and regulatory compliance, policies, vendors, and operational infrastructure in collaboration with appropriate legal, financial, and in-country advisors.
Develop scalable approaches to international operations that can be adapted as SciLore's geographic presence grows.
Support operational risk management, duty of care, and international travel and deployment requirements.
Human Resources & People Operations
Lead HR and people operations, including recruitment, onboarding, performance management, personnel policies, compensation processes, professional development, and offboarding.
Strengthen systems for recruiting, engaging, onboarding, and managing SciLore's network of technical consultants.
Support workforce planning and development of staffing models appropriate to a growing U.S. and international portfolio.
Help foster an organizational culture emphasizing accountability, collaboration, responsiveness, and technical excellence.
Contracts, Compliance & Risk
Oversee corporate and project-level operational compliance associated with U.S. Government contracting.
Support effective management of prime contracts, subcontracts, consultant agreements, procurement, insurance, corporate registrations, and related compliance requirements.
Maintain systems for tracking contractual obligations, approvals, deliverables, modifications, and closeout requirements.
Strengthen policies and internal controls as SciLore's federal contracting portfolio and international operations expand.
Coordinate with legal, financial, compliance, and other professional advisors as appropriate.
Finance & Business Management
Work closely with SciLore's finance team to support sound financial and operational management.
Support annual budgeting, forecasting, project financial management, cash-flow planning, invoicing, indirect cost management, and financial reporting.
Strengthen project-level visibility into budgets, burn rates, labor, consultant costs, travel, and anticipated resource requirements.
Work with leadership and project teams to ensure staffing and operational decisions support both successful project implementation and the company's long-term financial health.
Business Development & Strategic Growth
Work directly with the Owner/CEO and technical leadership to support SciLore's growth and client-diversification strategy.
Support capture planning, teaming arrangements, proposals, staffing strategies, budgets, pricing, and operational planning for new opportunities.
Evaluate the implementation, staffing, compliance, financial, and operational requirements associated with potential new work.
Help build the corporate capabilities and infrastructure necessary to pursue and successfully implement increasingly complex U.S. Government opportunities.
Contribute to strategic planning for new clients, partnerships, capabilities, and geographic expansion.
What We're Looking For
We are looking for an experienced operator who can move comfortably between strategy and execution and who enjoys helping a growing organization develop the capabilities required for its next stage.
Strong candidates will likely bring:
Approximately 10+ years of progressively responsible experience in business operations, program operations, government contracting, international development, global health, or a related field.
Demonstrated experience supporting U.S. Government-funded contracts or programs; experience with the Department of State, Department of Defense/DTRA, USAID, CDC, or similar agencies is highly desirable.
Working knowledge of federal contracting and compliance requirements, including familiarity with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and related requirements.
Experience supporting complex programs or business operations across multiple countries.
Experience establishing or managing international offices, entities, or country operations is strongly preferred.
Experience with HR and people operations, consultant management, contracts, financial processes, and organizational systems.
Experience coordinating effectively with finance, legal, HR, compliance, and other internal or external professional resources.
Experience supporting business development, proposals, pricing, capture, and organizational growth.
Strong project management, organizational, analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills.
Sound judgment and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic, internationally focused environment.
Experience working in a small or growing U.S. Government contractor is strongly preferred.
Who Will Thrive in This Role
The right person will be equally comfortable discussing organizational strategy with the CEO, working with technical teams on project implementation, reviewing project financial performance, strengthening an HR or contracting process, coordinating with external advisors, or planning the operational requirements for a new country presence.
We are looking for someone who is practical, collaborative, entrepreneurial, and solutions-oriented—a leader who can see what the organization will need next and help put the people, systems, and processes in place to support it.
This position offers significant opportunity to influence how SciLore operates and grows.

Work arrangement
Yes