Where culture meets community
Kala Utsav Inc. is a Connecticut 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, based in CT, building a home for Indian arts, music, language and wellness for the diaspora in the US. It runs a hybrid model: a digital platform that is live today, and a physical cultural center planned to follow.
KU Digital
A curated platform where members enroll in paid programs and events. It lists 50 programs across seven domains, from dance and music to wellness and STEM. Programs run as group or private 1:1, online, in-person or hybrid, at Basic, Intermediate and Advanced levels.
Providers
Teachers and artists apply, are reviewed and empaneled, and every listing is approved before it goes live. Background verification is required for programs involving children. Member ratings affect continued empanelment.
Events and venues
Members, providers, temples and community organizations host events with public, in-network or invite-only visibility. Bookable provider-listed venues are coming soon.
The center
A 50,000+ sq. ft. flagship facility with an auditorium, classrooms, pool and fitness center, play zones and a media studio. The favored model has a building partner own the facility while Kala Utsav pays per use.
Five areas you'll own
Provider operations (KU Digital)
- Run the provider lifecycle end to end: application, review, empanelment decision, platform access and listing approval.
- Own background verification for every provider teaching children, and act fast on any safeguarding concern.
- Set service levels for application review and listing approval, and track them.
- Work with the Platform Executive team on pricing bands for new programs and delivery modes.
- Use member ratings and feedback to manage provider quality, featuring and continued empanelment.
Member and program operations
- Keep the catalog growing, with new programs added monthly across all seven+ domains.
- Oversee scheduling, enrollment, attendance and member support for group, 1:1, online, in-person and hybrid programs.
- Support hosted events, including temple and community-organization events, and launch venue listings and bookings.
- Run the Partner Referral Program and member onboarding operations.
Payments and finance
- Finalize and operate the provider payout mechanism and cycle, then run it reliably.
- Manage member payments, refunds and reconciliation on the platform.
- Own the operating budget, monthly reporting, vendor contracts and procurement.
- Support donor and sponsor operations: gift processing, acknowledgments and reporting as fundraising scales.
Compliance, governance and risk
- Maintain 501(c)(3) compliance and keep nonprofit filings and records in order.
- Maintain safeguarding, insurance and terms for members and providers.
- Prepare operating updates for leadership and the advisory board.
- Automate as much repeated work as possible.
People and volunteers
- Hire and lead the operations team as it forms.
- Recruit, train and coordinate volunteers.
- Document processes so the operation can scale nationally.
- Define technology requirements as the organization grows, for smooth operations.
What you'll bring
Required qualifications
- 8+ years in operations, with at least 2 years leading a team or function.
- Experience running a two-sided marketplace, membership platform, edtech or class-booking business: supply onboarding, quality control and customer support.
- Hands-on ownership of payments operations, including payouts to independent providers.
- Budget ownership and financial reporting; nonprofit finance experience strongly preferred.
- Working knowledge of child safeguarding, background checks and data privacy for services used by minors.
- Track record of building processes from scratch in an early-stage or nonprofit setting.
- Comfortable with platform tools, dashboards and spreadsheets; able to write clear requirements for the tech team.
- Authorized to work in the US.
Preferred qualifications and attributes
- Based in Connecticut.
- Familiarity with Indian arts, languages and wellness traditions, and with diaspora communities, temples and associations in the US.
- Exposure to nonprofit fundraising operations.
- Knowledge of an Indian language is a plus.
- A builder's mindset: comfortable with ambiguity, pragmatic, and able to do the work as well as design it.
- Diplomatic with a wide range of stakeholders, from senior artists to donors and volunteers.
What we offer
This is a remote role for candidates on the US East Coast, with occasional travel to Connecticut; Connecticut-based candidates are preferred. The role involves some evening and weekend work around programs and community events and functions. No other benefits are offered at this time.
Help us build this home
Send us:
- Your CV.
- A short note on an operation you built from scratch.
Send to hello@kala-utsav.org with the subject "Application: Head of Operations, North America". Kala Utsav is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applicants of all backgrounds.