ABOUT SPARKHAUS
A project two years in the making, SparkHaus is the product of a partnership between Kenton County, the Northern Kentucky Port Authority and Blue North. Our vision is to become Kentucky's center of gravity for the startup ecosystem and entrepreneurship.
SparkHaus is an Entrepreneurial Hub bringing together bold founders, investors, and supporters whilst simultaneously reshaping an entire block of downtown Covington. SparkHaus is a modern and dynamic entrepreneurial work environment for growing companies offering flexible workspaces, in-house capital sources, and one-on-one advisor meetings. Run by Blue North, this communal workplace will provide the resources that entrepreneurs need, allowing businesses to thrive in a unique environment, surrounded by a vibrant community of like-minded people. It exists to foster their growth, concentrating their focus on building their business while enjoying the freedom of scalable spaces that grow and adapt as the companies do. As the largest Entrepreneurial Hub in the Commonwealth, SparkHaus will bring together the talent, capital, and training to help Kentucky's startup ecosystem to thrive.
ABOUT BLUE NORTH
Operating as a 501(c)(3) non-profit, Blue North is the KY Innovation Hub for the counties of Northern Kentucky. KY Innovation Hubs represent Kentucky's approach to building vibrant, regional innovation clusters across the state and growing the overall economy. Blue North exists to serve as a "thread" for entrepreneurship in the region and provides entrepreneurs with connections to community, education, capital, talent, and customers through direct services and access to the broader network. Blue North has three parts to our mission in supporting Economic Vitality and Mobility:
Serves as a front door for the entrepreneurial community, helping startups and small businesses to connect with the right resources to accelerate their business.
Champion Northern Kentucky entrepreneurs on a local, regional, and national level.
Drive initiatives that have an exponential impact on the Northern Kentucky entrepreneurial ecosystem.
ABOUT THE POSITION
Blue North is seeking a dynamic and resourceful SparkHaus Operations Manager to lead the daily operations of Northern Kentucky's largest entrepreneurial initiative. This role is a unique opportunity to shape the future of SparkHaus, ensuring it thrives as a vibrant hub of innovation, collaboration, and creativity.
As Operations Manager, you will be part entrepreneur, part coach, and part community builder-driving engagement, optimizing operations, and fostering a world-class experience for our members. Key responsibilities include:
Facilities & Operations Management
- Oversee the seamless operation of the SparkHaus facility, ensuring a safe, well-maintained, and high-functioning workspace.
- Manage the operational budget in coordination with the NKY Port and our accounting team.
- Serve as the primary liaison with the property management team, overseeing building access, security, HVAC, and maintenance.
- Administer OfficeRND and its integrations, including Kisi, IronWiFi, and other tech infrastructure.
- Continuously refine internal processes to improve efficiency.
- Ensure proper staffing, onboarding, and training for all facility-related roles, including the Front Desk Team.
- Negotiate contracts and oversee service providers to ensure quality and timely delivery.
- Maintain and update the emergency response plan, ensuring front desk staff are well-trained and conducting drills as needed.
Member Acquisition & Retention
- Lead efforts to maintain 90%+ occupancy for private offices, dedicated desks, and coworking memberships.
- Drive lead generation, qualification, and prospecting to attract new members.
- Conduct site tours and manage follow-ups to convert prospects into members.
- Track key sales metrics, including inquiries, tours, conversion rates, occupancy trends, churn rates, renewals, and move-outs.
- Maintain an active pipeline in HubSpot, ensuring timely updates and reporting.
Community Engagement & Member Experience
- Act as an ambassador for the SparkHaus community, fostering meaningful relationships with members.
- Deliver an exceptional onboarding experience to new members, making them feel welcome and valued.
- Adopt a concierge mindset, proactively addressing member needs and providing personalized support.
- Maintain an ongoing dialogue with members to anticipate growth, downsizing, fundraising, or other business needs.
- Conduct member surveys at one week, one month, quarterly, and annually to measure satisfaction and identify opportunities for improvement.
- Drive member advocacy by encouraging reviews on platforms like Google and Yelp, with a goal of securing 100+ reviews.
- Conduct exit interviews for departing members, capturing insights to enhance retention strategies.
Event & Meeting Space Coordination
- Oversee event planning and execution, ensuring a seamless experience for all guests and attendees.
- Ensure all necessary supplies, equipment, and staffing (internal, volunteer, or external) are in place for events.
- Organize quarterly community-building activities, including networking events, happy hours, and lunch-and-learns.
- Manage meeting room bookings, ensuring proper setup and technical support for all users.
DOES THIS SOUND LIKE YOU?
- Leader: Demonstrates resourcefulness and relentlessness.
- Strategic & Tactical: Bridges strategic vision with practical implementation, impacting day-to-day operations positively.
- Roll Up Your Sleeves: Not afraid to "do the work", even if that means making the coffee or cleaning up after a big event.
- Self-Motivated: Comfortably navigates through ambiguity and finds a way to get it done.
- Effective Communicator: Possesses superior communication and interpersonal skills, ensuring trust and rapport at all organizational levels.
- Intuitive & KPI-Focused: Makes decisions grounded in judgement and data analysis, converting information into actionable insights.
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
- Competitive salary paid twice monthly via direct deposit
- Unlimited PTO
- Participation in bonus program
- Health & other benefits to be determined
- Annual technology stipend
- Chance to be on the ground floor of building a legacy project in NKY
HOW TO APPLY
Email a cover letter and resume as PDFs to dave at This is your chance to describe why working at Blue North and SparkHaus would be a great fit for you. Include the information below:
- A short bio / introduction
- Why this position interests you
- Why you love non-profits and entrepreneurship
- Why you love our mission and vision
- How you learned about SparkHaus and the position
Applicant review is ongoing with a preference for candidates who apply by Wednesday, April 16.
Due to the expected number of applications, we cannot reply to every applicant. If you make it beyond the first round though, you can expect regular communications from us. Thank you for your interest in Blue North. Best of luck.
We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and we have a standing policy of nondiscrimination at Blue North. We respect the unique and diverse perspectives of all employees. We accord all qualified persons an equal opportunity for employment or promotion without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other status or condition protected by federal, state, or local law.