[Hiring] Director of Finance and Operations @Greenhouse Gas Management Institute

Role Description

The Director of Finance and Operations is responsible for managing finances and operations across the organization, ensuring that grants and contracts are administered accurately and in compliance with funder requirements, and that the organization’s financial records are timely, complete, and audit-ready.

Responsibilities include:

• Approximate time allocation:
  • Strategic leadership, governance, and controls (20%)
  • Financial management and reporting (35%)
  • Grants and contracts, pre-award to close-out (30%)
  • Operations, systems, and HR support (15%)

Strategic Leadership, Governance, and Controls

• Advise the Executive Director and Managing Director on organizational financial planning and decisions.
• Develop and maintain a multi-year financial plan and sustainability strategy.
• Lead the financial review of new proposals and contracts before GHGMI commits.
• Own GHGMI's finance and operations policies.
• Design, document, and monitor internal controls at every level of the function.
• Maintain an organizational risk register covering financial, compliance, operational, and data security risks.
• Act as staff lead to the Board Finance Committee and Treasurer.
• Supervise, coach, and set priorities for the finance and operations team.

Financial Management and Reporting

• Manage day-to-day financial and accounting operations.
• Own the financial close out and financial statement processes.
• Prepare program and project spend-down reports.
• Lead the annual budgeting and forecasting process.
• Translate financial information into clear, actionable analysis.
• Maintain accounting system integrity.
• Oversee project accounts receivable and payable.
• Oversee the preparation of domestic and international payments.
• Manage multi-currency grants and payments.
• Oversee vendor and contractor records.
• Ensure compliance with U.S. (OFAC) and UN sanctions lists.
• Oversee payroll processing and updates for consultants.
• Manage organizational billing and indirect cost rates.
• Lead the annual financial audit and project audits.

Grants and Contracts: Pre-Award to Close-Out

• Work with project directors to develop proposal budgets and narratives.
• Maintain institutional registrations and funder due-diligence requirements.
• Serve as the primary compliance contact for project teams.
• Develop and maintain project-specific tools.
• Develop and manage regular reporting processes.
• Monitor grant expenditures and funding deadlines.
• Assess the risk of subrecipients and subcontractors.
• Prepare financial reports, invoices, and funds requests.
• Maintain audit-ready documentation.
• Report compliance risks promptly.

Organizational Operations and Systems

• Oversee budgeting and reimbursement processes for project travel.
• Maintain internal systems and tools.
• Manage vendor relationships for insurance, banking, payroll, benefits, and technology.
• Support the Managing Director in ensuring the organization is in good legal standing.
• Proactively identify and develop strategies to optimize internal processes.

Contract Management

• Draft, review, and edit organizational agreements.
• Manage organizational relationships with grant and contract funders.
• Manage the contract life-cycle from initiation to close-out.
• Identify and develop processes for streamlining contract management.

HR and Benefits Support

• Assist the Managing Director with payroll, timesheets, and benefits selection.
• Support onboarding and offboarding, employee records, and compliance documentation.
• Support updates to the employee handbook and HR policies.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• At least 7-10 years in a finance and operations managerial role at a nonprofit.
• Strong knowledge of nonprofit accounting principles and grant processes.
• Experience developing and monitoring budgets and financial reporting.
• Experience with grant and subaward management.
• Experience drafting, reviewing, and negotiating grant agreements.
• Proficiency in QuickBooks and Microsoft Excel.
• Experience managing external providers such as bookkeepers and auditors.
• Track record of designing internal control frameworks.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree (such as an MBA or MPA) or a CPA or similar accounting credential.
• Working knowledge of payroll and HR functions.
• Experience with international payments and foreign vendors.
• Experience with Airtable, ClickTime, Asana, or similar tools.
• Experience at a small or growing organization.
• Strong process improvement and project management skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to handle a wide variety of work in a fast-paced environment.
• Commitment to climate action and cross-cultural experience.

Compensation & Benefits

• The salary range for this position is $90,000 – $115,000 commensurate with experience.
• Health insurance.
• 401(k) with an employer match.
• 15 paid holidays.
• 20 vacation days.
• 12 sick days.
• Annual salary increases.
• Eligibility for an annual organizational performance bonus.

Apply

All applicants must be able to work during U.S. hours, with at least five hours of overlap with Pacific time each workday. To apply, please submit your CV highlighting experience relevant to this position, along with a cover letter that explains how you are a good fit for the role and why you are interested in working for GHGMI. All applications must be submitted by November 25, 2026. Applications submitted after this date will not be reviewed.

Culture

GHGMI is, by design, a remote, work-from-home organization. We are a collaborative, mission-driven team that values open communication, shared ownership, and respect for each person’s expertise. We invest in professional growth by offering new responsibilities as the organization grows and continued support for building your skills.