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Operations Manager

Location: Washington, DC (Hybrid – office space available)

Employment Type: Full-time


About Climate Vault Solutions

Climate Vault Solutions is the diligence and procurement platform for high-integrity climate impact, surfacing the best carbon dioxide removal and superpollutant mitigation projects and bringing them to market. By leveraging leading scientific and commercial expertise across compliance carbon markets, carbon dioxide removal, and superpollutant mitigation, we work with over 50 organizations globally to achieve their climate and net-zero commitments, contributing to the reduction of more than $300M in estimated climate damages to date.


Founded at the University of Chicago by Dr. Michael Greenstone, former Chief Economist for President Obama's Council of Economic Advisors, Climate Vault Solutions is guided by an independent scientific committee (the "Technology Experts Chamber") chaired by Dr. Ernest Moniz, former U.S. Secretary of Energy. The Technology Experts Chamber is composed of subject-matter experts with diverse experience across academia, government, and the private sector who set the rigorous standards by which Climate Vault Solutions evaluates and selects carbon dioxide removal (CDR) and super pollutant mitigation (SPM) projects to join its portfolio and meet our clients' needs for high-integrity climate action.


About the Role

We are seeking an Operations Manager to own and run the financial operations, compliance administration, vendor coordination, and organizational infrastructure that keep Climate Vault Solutions and its affiliated nonprofit running smoothly. This is a wide-ranging role by design — you'll touch every part of how we operate, which means you'll build skills and context that most people don't get until they're 5–10 years into their career.


This is a hands-on, execution-focused role with real ownership from day one. You will report directly to the CEO and work alongside our leadership team, including the head of corporate partnerships and the manager of our carbon removal and superpollutant mitigation programs. We are specifically looking for someone who is excited about using AI tools and automation to continuously improve how this organization operates — streamlining repetitive workflows, building smarter processes, and freeing up time to focus on higher-impact, creative work as the role evolves.


This role is ideal for someone early in their career who wants a high-autonomy position at a mission-driven organization where their work has an immediate and visible impact — and where their initiative to make things better, faster, and smarter will be recognized and rewarded.


Your Impact

You won't be buried in a back office. Working on a small team and reporting directly to the CEO, you will be responsible for ensuring invoices get paid, donors get tracked, compliance deadlines get met, vendors deliver on time, and the organizational machinery runs without interruption. Over time, you will also be the person who identifies which of these workflows can be automated or improved through AI and modern tooling, making the role itself more strategic and interesting as the company grows.

Climate Vault Solutions is at an inflection point. We are scaling our impact, our team, and our infrastructure, and this role will help build the next chapter of this organization. Your work ensures that every ounce of our team’s energy is directed toward climate innovation rather than administrative friction. You will manage and build the frameworks that turn our ambitious goals into executed reality, serving as the essential bridge between our vision and our impact.


Responsibilities


Financial Operations

Own full-cycle accounts payable and accounts receivable across both entities through Bill.com — processing bills, creating and tracking invoices, managing reimbursements, scheduling wire transfers, and ensuring timely payment approvals. Maintain donor tracking systems by monitoring incoming donations, recording details, and keeping records audit-ready. 


Compliance & Administration

Manage state registration and regulatory filing processes related to non-profit operations, in coordination with external compliance partners, including facilitating signatures, notarizations, and document submissions. Serve as the primary point of contact for external partners including tax advisors, banking relationships, and compliance vendors. Support annual audit preparation by maintaining organized financial documentation throughout the year. Manage virtual mailboxes, software and credential tracking, corporate credit card administration, and contractor file management.


HR Operations & Vendor Coordination

Support HR operations including managing the applicant tracking system, facilitating candidate communications, and coordinating new employee onboarding. Serve as the point of contact for external HR and administrative vendors, managing timelines, deliverables, and cross-team alignment.


Systems & Process Improvement

Identify and implement opportunities to automate operational workflows using AI tools, agents, and other technologies, continuously improving efficiency and enabling the team to focus on higher-impact work.


Required Skills / Qualifications

  • 2–4 years of working experience in operations, office management, finance administration, or a similar role.
  • Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage recurring deadlines across multiple workstreams simultaneously.
  • High attention to detail, particularly when working with financial data, compliance forms, and donor records.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, especially in coordinating with external partners and vendors.
  • Demonstrated interest in and experience using AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude, Zapier, or similar) to automate tasks and improve workflows. We are looking for someone who actively seeks out ways to work smarter, not just harder.
  • Comfortable working independently with minimal supervision in a small-team environment.
  • Proficiency with Google Workspace (Sheets, Drive, Docs) and comfort learning new platforms quickly. Experience with AP/AR tools such as Bill.com is a plus.


Preferred Skills / Qualifications

  • Experience in a nonprofit, climate-focused, or mission-driven organization.
  • Familiarity with QuickBooks Online, even at a read-only or reporting level.
  • Experience with ADP or similar payroll platforms.
  • Familiarity with Breezy HR, Salesforce, or other CRM/ATS tools.
  • Interest or experience in marketing coordination, including familiarity with HubSpot, LinkedIn, or email campaign platforms.
  • Experience managing state registrations or nonprofit compliance filings.
  • Experience building automated workflows using tools like Zapier, Make, or custom AI agents


How You'll Succeed in This Role

You will succeed by being someone who takes genuine satisfaction in keeping things organized and running on time — and who gets excited about finding ways to make those things run even better. You are detail-oriented without being rigid. You can follow established processes precisely while also flagging when something could be automated or improved. You are comfortable asking questions, managing up when you need approvals, and holding external partners accountable to deadlines. You see AI not as a buzzword but as a practical set of tools that you already use in your daily work. In a small organization doing meaningful work in the fight against climate change, your reliability, initiative, and curiosity will be felt across every function.


Compensation & Benefits

  • $65,000–$72,000 annually, depending on experience. In addition to base salary, Climate Vault Solutions offers:
  • Comprehensive health and dental insurance
  • Unlimited paid time off
  • Company-wide week off between Christmas and New Year's
  • A startup culture with a passionate, mission-driven team working at the intersection of climate science, policy, and markets
  • The opportunity to work in a hybrid environment alongside the CEO in Washington, DC
  • Stock options in Climate Vault Solutions, providing the opportunity to share in the company's long-term growth alongside its climate mission.