Strategic Operations Associate

– Indianapolis, IN

The Strategic Operations Associate supports the Company Founder by managing communication, organizing priorities, coordinating follow-up, and helping drive high-impact initiatives across the organization.

This role is ideal for a highly organized, discreet, and detail-oriented professional who wants exposure to executive leadership, business operations, and strategic project work. As a trusted partner to the Founder, this person helps protect time, improve focus, reduce noise, and keep key priorities moving forward.

Why Thompson Thrift?

Thompson Thrift is an integrated, full-service real estate company engaged in the development, construction, leasing, and management of high-quality multifamily communities nationwide. We’re committed to building exceptional places — and developing the people who make them possible.

At Thompson Thrift, You’ll Find

• Values-Driven Culture — Excellence, Service, and Leadership guide everything we do
• Career Growth — Training, mentorship, and long-term development opportunities
• Work-Life Support — Competitive benefits, flexibility, and wellness programs
• Real Impact — Hands-on involvement in industry-leading multifamily projects

Your Role as a Strategic Operations Associate

As a Strategic Operations Associate, you will work closely with the Company Founder to support executive communication, calendar and priority management, meeting preparation, follow-up tracking, and special projects. This role requires professionalism, sound judgment, confidentiality, and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

You will help organize information, draft communications, coordinate with internal and external stakeholders, and support systems that improve efficiency and focus. Over time, you will develop a deeper understanding of the Founder’s priorities, communication style, and decision-making approach, allowing you to act with increasing independence and strategic value.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage and prioritize the Founder’s inbox, including message triage, follow-up tracking, and response drafting
• Draft email responses, meeting notes, summaries, and other communications for review and approval
• Flag urgent or high-priority items and help ensure timely follow-through on key commitments
• Help manage scheduling requests, calendar coordination, agendas, meeting materials, and background information
• Support the Founder in staying aligned with strategic priorities, commitments, and important relationships
• Organize task lists, project trackers, follow-up summaries, and action items to improve accountability and execution
• Help reduce unnecessary interruptions by routing requests appropriately and organizing information clearly
• Assist with research, data gathering, basic analysis, and summary preparation for leadership review
• Coordinate project details, timelines, communications, and follow-up with internal teams
• Capture and communicate key takeaways from meetings with clarity and professionalism
• Build trust with internal and external stakeholders while maintaining appropriate access and confidentiality
• Contribute ideas for improving communication, organization, processes, and overall efficiency

Our Ideal Candidate for this Role

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Communications, or a related field

Experience

• 1+ year of professional experience in an administrative, operations, communications, internship, leadership support, or project coordination role
• Recent graduates with strong organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills will be considered

Skills & Attributes

• Strong organizational skills with excellent attention to detail
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to handle confidential information with professionalism and discretion
• Proactive, dependable, and willing to take initiative
• Strong follow-through and ability to manage multiple priorities
• Sound judgment and the ability to operate with professionalism in a fast-paced environment
• Comfortable asking thoughtful questions, learning quickly, and adapting to changing priorities
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build trust across all levels of the organization
• Interest in business operations, executive support, leadership, communication management, and strategic project work

Why This Role Matters

The Strategic Operations Associate plays an important role in helping the Company Founder stay focused on the highest-value priorities while ensuring important communication, relationships, and initiatives are handled with care and follow-through.

This position offers meaningful exposure to executive leadership, business operations, strategic decision-making, and cross-functional collaboration within a values-driven real estate company. For a motivated early-career professional, this role provides a strong foundation for long-term growth in operations, leadership support, communications, or strategic project management.

Use of AI in Hiring

Thompson Thrift uses AI-assisted tools within our applicant tracking system to support parts of the recruiting process. These tools assist recruiters but do not make hiring decisions or independently determine candidate outcomes. All hiring decisions are made by human reviewers. If you have questions about our hiring process, please contact us at ***email_hidden***.

By submitting your application, you acknowledge this information and confirm that the information you have provided is accurate and complete to the best of your knowledge.