Director of Operations & People

Forward Majority•Washington, DC

5d•$150,000 - $170,000

About The Position

Forward Majority seeks a Director of Operations & People, a senior organizational leader responsible for the systems, infrastructure, and people practices that enable the organization to operate effectively, responsibly, and at scale. Reporting to the CEO, the Director oversees business and financial operations, tax and regulatory compliance, audit, grants administration, payroll and benefits, human resources, and organizational administration. The role is a strategic partner to the CEO and leadership team and manages relationships with external accountants, auditors, tax professionals, compliance consultants, payroll and benefits providers, and other professional service firms. The Director will evaluate and maintain systems that ensure the organization meets its legal and financial obligations, supports employees, and has the operational infrastructure to achieve its mission. The position calls for a strategic, hands-on operator who brings structure to complex work, anticipates problems, and creates effective processes. The organization has fewer than 15 employees. The preferred location is the Washington, DC area, and conducting in-person activities is required.

Requirements

At least 8 years of progressive experience in operations, nonprofit administration, finance, HR/people operations, compliance, or a related field, with increasing responsibility.
Experience in a senior operations, administration, finance, HR, or organizational leadership role.
Demonstrated experience managing complex operational functions and multiple external professional service providers.
Experience overseeing accounting, tax, audit, compliance, payroll, benefits, or other regulated organizational functions.
Strong understanding of organizational budgeting, financial processes, and internal controls.
Experience managing HR and employee lifecycle processes, including recruiting, onboarding, performance management, employee relations, and offboarding.
Exceptional project and time-management skills, including the ability to manage concurrent priorities and critical deadlines.
Excellent judgment and ability to handle confidential, sensitive, and high-stakes matters with discretion.
Strong written and verbal communication skills and ability to work effectively with executives, employees, outside counsel, accountants, auditors, consultants, and other professional partners.
Ability to operate strategically while personally engaging in detailed execution when necessary.
High degree of initiative, resourcefulness, and follow-through.
Strong proficiency with organizational and financial technology systems.
Ability to conduct in-person activities for the role.

Nice To Haves

Experience with nonprofit organizations.
Familiarity with 501(c)(4) organizations, PACs, charitable registrations, and political/nonprofit compliance.
Experience with Justworks, Ramp, Expensify, Sage, JazzHR, or comparable systems.

Responsibilities

Lead the development and ongoing management of operating and program budgets with the CEO, leadership team, and department heads; the stated expectation is a two-year budget of $50 million for 2027–2028.
Monitor budgets, forecasts, and significant variances, and work with teams on resource-allocation decisions.
Partner with the CEO and leadership team on organizational needs and develop or improve systems and processes.
Oversee financial operations and compliance, serving as the primary internal liaison to external accountants and the compliance firm.
Oversee accounts payable, bill payment through Ramp, expense management, and corporate credit card processes, including Expensify or successor systems.
Work with the accounting team to ensure accounting partners have the information they need and systems remain updated and functional.
Establish and maintain financial and operational controls, including monthly 501(c)(4)/PAC cost allocations.
Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency, internal controls, and systems and processes.
Own the compliance calendar and ensure legal, tax, regulatory, and reporting obligations are completed on time.
Oversee organizational registrations, including charitable registrations in applicable states and jurisdictions.
Manage the tax accountant relationship and ensure required filings and forms, including Forms 990 and related filings, are accurate and timely.
Lead and coordinate the annual audit of the organization’s 501(c)(4), including auditor and accountant requests and deadlines.
Manage the external compliance consultant and ensure PAC and other compliance reports are accurate and timely.
Coordinate with staff, accountants, attorneys, auditors, and compliance consultants on compliance requirements.
Maintain documentation and records for tax, compliance, audit, and regulatory matters; identify risks and escalate significant issues.
Oversee grants and transfers between the 501(c)(4) and PAC, including approvals, documentation, accounting treatment, and compliance.
Manage grants to external organizations, including payments, documentation, deliverables, and required reports.
Partner with program, finance, and development teams to ensure grant commitments, expenditures, reporting, and documentation are appropriately recorded and maintained.
Lead human resources and people operations, partnering with the CEO and leadership team on organizational structure, staffing, personnel policies, and people strategy.
Own the hiring process with support from the Chief of Staff, including job descriptions, candidate screens, interviews, references, offers, and candidate experience.
Own employee onboarding and offboarding and coordinate related HR, payroll, benefits, technology, and organizational systems.
Support employees and managers on workplace policies, processes, and routine employee relations matters, escalating sensitive or complex issues appropriately.
Oversee performance reviews, including timelines, manager coordination, documentation, and follow-through.
Maintain and periodically update the Employee Handbook and related personnel policies and procedures, with support from the Chief of Staff.
Maintain HR practices and documentation and coordinate with external HR, legal, and payroll resources as needed.
Partner with leadership on employee engagement, organizational culture, staff development, and other people priorities, while maintaining confidentiality and discretion.
Oversee payroll through Justworks, including accuracy, timely processing, and state-specific withholding requirements.
Oversee employee benefits administration and coordinate with Justworks and other benefits providers.
Work with the CEO and external providers to manage D&O, workers’ compensation, and healthcare insurance programs, including policies, renewals, payments, documentation, and coverage requirements.
Oversee the 401(k) program, including coordinating bi-monthly contributions with payroll and updating employee contributions as needed.
Ensure employees receive timely and accurate information about payroll, benefits, retirement, and related programs.
Oversee and strengthen administrative infrastructure, provide material support for Board meetings, and develop and maintain operational policies and procedures.
Ensure organizational systems are documented, accessible, and maintained; evaluate systems and recommend improvements.
Partner with Operations staff to clarify responsibility ownership and ensure effective coverage.
Serve as a trusted thought partner to the CEO; work with department leaders to translate operational needs into effective systems and processes.
Build relationships across the organization, clarify roles, responsibilities, deadlines, and decision-making, and hold external vendors and service providers accountable.
Anticipate operational challenges, balance strategic priorities with day-to-day execution, and foster accountability, professionalism, collaboration, and continuous improvement.