Project Manager - Field Operations

Lead On-the-Ground Operations Across the San Francisco Bay Area

We are looking for a proactive, highly organized Onsite Project Manager to serve as the on-the-ground lead for a fast-moving data collection project. You will coordinate the local team, instructors, partners, facilities, schedules, and locations while keeping the Operations Manager informed and ensuring the project stays ready, safe, and on track.

Contract Type: Hourly 1099 Independent contract

Initial Duration: Approximately 1 month, with the possibility of extending to 3-4 months

Start Date: As soon as possible

Location: San Francisco Bay Area, CA

Schedule: Full-time availability during active project phases; some evening or weekend work may be required

Travel: Regular travel between indoor and outdoor locations across the Bay Area

What You'll Do

• Act as the Operations Manager's right hand on the ground and take ownership of day-to-day project execution.
• Coordinate instructors, facility partners, participants, onsite staff, schedules, equipment, and multiple locations.
• Support project planning, mobilization, launch readiness, and onsite preparation before sessions begin.
• Visit and assess indoor and outdoor locations for access, safety, privacy, permits, staffing, equipment, and scheduling needs.
• Lead onsite team members and make sure each location, partner, and workstream is ready before sessions start.
• Identify risks early, solve issues in real time, and escalate appropriately without waiting for step-by-step direction.
• Maintain clear trackers, action items, risk logs, schedules, and status updates for the broader operations team.
• Monitor onsite execution, address operational issues, capture lessons learned, and help prepare for a potential larger rollout.

What We're Looking For

• Experienced project managers or field operations professionals who have managed complex onsite projects, events, research studies, productions, education programs, or multi-location services.
• Proactive operators who work independently, anticipate what is needed, and keep projects moving without waiting for direction.
• Highly organized professionals who can manage multiple stakeholders, schedules, locations, priorities, and changing plans at the same time.
• Confident people leaders who can coordinate onsite staff, instructors, partners, vendors, and facilities.
• Strong problem-solvers who identify risks early, make sound decisions in real time, and communicate issues clearly.
• Clear communicators who provide concise updates, maintain accurate trackers, and keep remote stakeholders informed.
• Candidates with reliable transportation who are comfortable moving between locations across the Bay Area and working indoors or outdoors.

Preferred Experience

• Onsite research, participant-based projects, field operations, events, media production, or experiential learning.
• Managing temporary or contract teams.
• Working with facilities, instructors, external partners, vendors, permits, or outdoor locations.
• Supporting pilots, launches, or projects that may scale quickly.