The Climate Emergency Collaboration Group (CECG) is a regranting collaboration made up of some of the world's largest climate philanthropic funders. We use our convening and philanthropic power to facilitate stronger collaboration, coordination, and campaigning from the global climate movement in pursuit of increased climate action around the UN climate talks and other international summits. CECG is fiscally sponsored by Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA), a 501(c)(3), as a Sponsored Project within its charitable-giving fund.

We are seeking a highly experienced and passionate Operations Director who can lead and improve CECG’s systems, processes, internal communications, and guidance across the organization. The Operations Director will work closely with the Executive Director to ensure that the CECG team operates efficiently, effectively, and ethically. The Operations Director will manage a small operations team and oversee various functions such as finance, human resources, legal, compliance, grant processing, technology, data management, and administration. The Director will also be responsible for holding the relationship with our fiscal sponsor, RPA, to ensure a genuine, seamless, and efficient partnership. This is a full-time director-level role in the heart of a growing organization that is focused on leveraging philanthropic impact around the calendar of key international climate meetings.

Primary responsibilities

CECG’s small but growing team operates collaboratively and flexibly, with sometimes overlapping responsibilities. Within this context, the Operations Director will work with the Executive Director to provide leadership and support to team members while taking responsibility for ensuring first class operations across the organization. They will line-manage a number of staff – currently two Operations Managers who manage two Operations Assistants – and will take responsibility for the following:

Operational planning and implementation:

• Act as a thought partner to the Executive Director to support and implement CECG’s strategic framework. Oversee the operational systems that support CECG’s programme and grant making strategies, in conjunction with CECG staff and CECG Donor Foundations.
• Advise the Executive Director on all aspects of organizational development and, where delegated, lead development or change processes to support CECG’s organizational journey.
• As appropriate, work with field partners to share expertise, experience, and best practice around operations and organizational development, fostering mutual support with peers and partners.

Finance:

• Oversee financial systems, procedures, and internal controls in conjunction with CECG’s fiscal sponsor, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA), and the Executive Director.
• Lead the organization’s budgeting, financial planning, and projections, in consultation with the Executive Director, enabling the organization to achieve its objectives while remaining financially sustainable.
• Oversee financial reporting and analysis, with timely and accurate reporting to the donor advisory board and other key stakeholders.
• Oversee relevant team members and systems, and monitor and support the fiscal sponsor, to ensure that grant and vendor records are maintained with required and appropriate documentation, payments are processed on time, and necessary approvals are in place.

People and culture:

• Support the Executive Director in striving to continually improve working culture and conditions including team members’ work-life balance, sense of belonging, and job satisfaction.
• Develop and oversee personnel and organizational policies in collaboration with the Executive Director, including organizational training to ensure core competencies and skills across the team.
• Provide input and guidance to staff, including support for career development and individual training needs; ensure best-practice management of confidential and sensitive personnel issues.
• Monitor and supervise operational contractors and ensure fair practices in our relationships with consultants.
• Oversee recruitment, onboarding, communication, and policy development that promotes equity, diversity and inclusion, and that supports the integration of new staff and the retention and satisfaction of existing staff.

Systems, technology, and data management:

• Maintain and improve key systems, tools and technology; continually identify and act where processes and practices should be updated or formalised.
• Work in partnership with CECG’s fiscal sponsor, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA), to oversee grant dispersal and management.
• Oversee and improve project and knowledge management systems, e.g., grants & vendor management, CRM, finance, accounting, and human resources.
• Manage tech vendors and ensure systems (e.g., website, event management, data storage, CRM etc.) are secure, well maintained, and tailored or integrated for best fit.
• Develop and maintain efficient, effective data systems, information security, and data protection.

The following offers an aspirational view of our ideal candidate profile; however, we encourage applications from candidates with a wide range of experiences and backgrounds, especially those from underrepresented groups.  

Essential:

• 10 years of management-level experience across diverse international business/NGO operations.
• Substantial experience in non-profit accounting, budgeting, and finance.
• Experience developing operational policies, processes, and systems.
• Experience implementing diversity, equity and inclusion policies and programming.
• Experience in philanthropy, fundraising, and grant making, and with associated legal requirements for grant making from the US.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English are essential, other languages are an asset.
• Excellent collaborative, managerial, and facilitation skills.
• Excellent time-management skills and the ability to manage multiple staff and work streams.
• Highly organised and skilled at strategic forward planning and prioritisation.
• Demonstrable passion and commitment to working on the climate change agenda.

Desirable:

• Experience implementing automation and innovative efficiency-improving practices.
• Experience working with Fluxx and/or equivalent grant management systems.
• Experience in a virtual office, and with an international team across multiple time zones.
• Intermediate Excel and maths skills.
• Demonstrable passion and commitment to solving climate change and knowledge of international climate change policy.

• This will be a full-time (40 hours/week) remote role operating preferably with EST hours but will require considerable time collaborating with staff and stakeholders in multiple time zones.
• Staff in the US are employed by Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors; benefits include healthcare, a 401(k)-matching program, and 5 weeks of paid time off.
• CECG is committed to providing equivalency of salary and benefits across its global team and maintaining a sustainable and positive working environment for all team members.
• CECG is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion and encourages applications from people of all backgrounds, particularly underrepresented groups. Please note that the successful candidate may undergo reference checks prior to starting employment.

Please send a letter of application, no more than one page, outlining your motivation for the job and when you would be able to start with your CV/resume, maximum two pages in English and in strict confidence by email only to Ruth Gardner at (see email below) 

Please ensure that they are sent as pdf documents with the titles “your name cover letter” and “your name CV” Please put “CECG – Operations Director Philanthropy” in the email subject line. Also please let us know where you saw the post advertised. 

The deadline for applications is Sunday 18th June 2023 

Daryl Upsall International actively promotes equality, diversity and inclusion. In recruiting candidates, we seek candidates with the proven skills required; irrespective of race, gender, religion or belief, age, disability or sexual orientation.