Vice President of Operations

Clean Prosperity is a Canadian climate policy organization that advocates for pragmatic solutions to build the low-carbon economy. We work on market-oriented policies that incentivize private enterprise to compete, innovate, and invest in low-carbon technologies. We believe that decarbonizing the Canadian economy is a significant opportunity to generate economic growth across the country, for the benefit of all Canadians.

Over the last decade, we have built a strong track record of success, advancing policies that can move billions of dollars of capital into low-carbon projects. We’ve also grown as an organization, from two full-time staff member in 2019 to a team of 19 people spread across Canada. We are seeking a Vice President of Operations who can continue to build the operational foundation that will enable us to expand our impact even further.

As our Vice President of Operations, you will be a key member of our leadership team and integral to our efforts as we work to shape climate and energy policy in Canada. You will be responsible for ensuring that our organization runs smoothly, our people are supported, and our systems are set up to enable happiness and productivity. If you’re the right candidate, you’ll jump at this opportunity to build the operational backbone of a small, high-impact organization influencing Canadian climate policy.

Clean Prosperity is committed to diversity in its hiring processes. We welcome applications from members of visible minorities, First Nations, Métis, Inuit, persons with disabilities, persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities, and others with the skills and knowledge to help provide a diverse range of perspectives and lived experiences.

The role

The Vice President of Operations plays a central role in ensuring that Clean Prosperity has the people, systems, and processes it needs to deliver on its mission. You will work to create an environment where our team can do their best work, while also ensuring that the organization is well-governed, financially sound, and operationally resilient.

This role reports to the President and CEO and works closely with the entire senior leadership team and our cross-Canada staff. Our Operations Associate will report to you. You will also interact regularly with our Board of Directors.

Key responsibilities

The VP of Operations role requires strong strategic thinking and the ability to roll up your sleeves and get things done. We’ve listed these responsibilities roughly in order of categories that will require the most amount of your time to the least:

1. People leadership

• Drive our overall people strategy including recruitment, onboarding, professional development, team building, and offboarding.
• Lead initiatives related to creating a happy and productive team, including the development and ongoing improvement of HR policies and processes.
• Execute full-cycle HR operations and compliance, including supporting managers and employees for HR needs.
• Design and deliver culture-enhancing initiatives, including team retreats, internal communications, team connectivity events, and recognition practices.

2. Financial management

• Lead the annual budgeting process and regular budget updates throughout the year, in collaboration with the President and CEO and senior leadership. Establish user-friendly systems for our leadership team to manage and view their budgets.
• Oversee financial operations, including bookkeeping, accounts payable and receivable, and cash flow management, in collaboration with external accounting and bookkeeping support.
• Manage the annual audit and ensure compliance with all financial reporting obligations.
• Support the Development team with grant budgets, funder financial reporting, and donation compliance.

3. Systems management

• Ensure we have the right systems and IT in place to maximize our impact while keeping processes efficient and right-sized to a small, dynamic organization. Systems that you will oversee include our CRM, file management, performance management, and vendor management.
• Lead the development of our AI strategy, ensuring we can integrate the use of AI in an appropriate, effective, and responsible manner.

4. Board management

• Act as a key liaison to the Board with a focus on ensuring a clear Board calendar, coordinating the preparation of Board materials, and presenting at Board meetings.
• Work with Board committees on operations-related issues such as Board governance policies and Board recruitment.

5. Risk, compliance, and legal

• Ensure Clean Prosperity meets all of its legal and regulatory obligations, including those associated with its status as a Canadian nonprofit.
• Manage relationships with external legal counsel and other professional advisors.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate organizational risks.

If you are interested and have relevant experience, there is also an opportunity to grow the role over time by partnering with our President and CEO to drive strategic planning and performance management throughout the organization.

Skills and experience needed

The below list represents our ideal set of qualifications. We encourage you to apply if most of these are a fit, even if there are one or two that aren’t:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree is a must. A Master’s degree in a related field is an asset.
• Experience: 10+ years of work experience including a track record of success in operations-related roles.
• People skills: Great people skills; this is a role that supports each individual in our organization, and we are looking for someone who genuinely enjoys helping others succeed.
• Financial management: Financial management experience, including budgeting, financial reporting, and an ability to oversee bookkeeping and accounting functions.
• HR experience: Knowledge and experience with overseeing Human Resources at another organization is highly desirable.
• Entrepreneurial: A can-do attitude that is determined to figure out how to get things done and cut through uncertainty.
• Organization: Extremely organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to manage many moving parts.
• Process improvement: Track record of success driving new operational processes and improving the way teams work.
• Judgement: Good judgement and discretion in handling confidential and sensitive matters.
• Communication: Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Tools: Proficiency with Google Workspace and/or Microsoft Office, and comfort adopting new tools, including AI-based tools.
• Eligibility: Must be legally eligible to work in Canada. Must reside in Canada.

Location, hours, and culture

We keep standard working hours based on employees’ local timezones, but are much more concerned about results than about how you organize your time. We are a people-focused organization: staff have flexibility in how they schedule their working hours.

Even though we’re virtual, you will interact regularly with the team. We hold weekly staff meetings, informal virtual meet-ups, and two in-person staff retreats per year across Canada. The Vice President of Operations may also be expected to travel occasionally to support in-person Board meetings and other organizational events.

Compensation

This is a senior role that pays a competitive six figure salary. We have a wide salary range and the specific salary offered will depend on experience and expertise. We will discuss salary at our first meeting to ensure we are aligned.

In addition to your salary, you will be entitled to a health benefits package and 20 days of vacation annually. We will also provide you with what you need for your home office. Not to mention you’ll get to work on issues that are at the heart of Canadian public policy with a great team!

How to apply

Please send an email to operations@cleanprosperity.ca with subject line “Application for Vice President of Operations” that includes:

1. Your resume
2. A cover letter that explains why you want to work with us, and why you’d be a good fit.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The screening, interviewing, and hiring of applications will all be done by humans. We aren’t looking for a key-word list in your submission; we want to know YOU. As such, please ensure your application is also written by a human. Thanks!

We apologize that we cannot respond to every resume we receive and as such, only successful candidates will be contacted for an interview.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.