Director of Operations (Eastern or Central Time Zone Required)

Hawthorne Lane; United States; Remote; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Hawthorne Lane is seeking a Director of Operations to serve as the strategic and operational go-to leader for a global nonprofit. You will build scalable infrastructure with autonomy, overseeing governance, compliance, finance, contracts, talent systems, and information architecture.

The role partners with the CEO and Board chair to translate leadership priorities into durable processes, mitigate risk, and align multiple affiliated entities while maintaining meticulous execution and attention to

Qualifications

• Minimum 6 years of operations, compliance, or organizational management experience.
• Experience working across multiple affiliated entities in a nonprofit setting.
• Demonstrated attention to detail and ability to build processes from scratch.
• Strong knowledge of Google Workspace and related tools.
• Experience guiding governance and risk management in a dynamic org.

Responsibilities

• Design and maintain the overarching operational architecture with clear decision rights and reporting rhythms.
• Manage end-to-end governance and entity operations for the Board and affiliated organizations.
• Ensure 501(c)(4) compliance, advocacy guidelines, and risk management within daily workflows.
• Oversee fiscal administration and vendor lifecycles from budgeting to contract closeout.
• Structure grantmaking and sponsorship operations with due diligence and financial reporting.
• Develop end-to-end talent and workforce infrastructure including payroll and onboarding/offboarding.
• Act as strategic partner to the CEO and Board Chairman, delivering real-time organizational metrics.

Skills

Leadership

Governance

Nonprofit experience

Google Workspace

Risk management

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business/Nonprofit Management

Tools

Contract management software

Job description

As the Director of Operations, you will serve as the strategic and operational go‑to of this global non‑profit, responsible for building robust, scalable, and durable infrastructure with a high degree of autonomy and minimal supervision. This role oversees the full spectrum of organizational administration including operational cadence, 501(c)(4) compliance, Board governance, fiscal workflows, contract lifecycles, talent systems, and information architecture. The successful candidate pairs an exceptional work ethic with relentless attention to detail, possessing both the drive to roll up their sleeves and construct systems from scratch, as well as the strategic vision to optimize capacity, mitigate risk, and keep executive leadership seamlessly aligned across multiple affiliated entities.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design and maintain the overarching operational architecture, establishing clear decision‑making frameworks, accountability structures, and routine reporting rhythms to ensure leadership priorities translate into seamless execution.
• Manage end‑to‑end governance and entity operations for the Board, overseeing meeting logistics, record retention, resolution tracking, and strategic coordination across affiliated organizations.
• Ensure compliance guidelines for 501(c)(4), advocacy, and political activities are reflected into daily workflows while maintaining active risk management protocols, legal reviews, and compliance schedules.
• Oversee fiscal administration and vendor lifecycles, directing budget coordination, expense monitoring, and contract management from initial procurement through performance review and final closeout.
• Structure comprehensive grantmaking and sponsorship operations, driving rigorous due diligence, funding approvals, milestone tracking, and detailed financial reporting.
• Build and develop end‑to‑end talent and workforce infrastructure, directing payroll, benefits, onboarding/offboarding workflows, role clarity frameworks, and external HR vendor relationships.
• Serve as a strategic operational partner to the CEO and Board Chairman, driving high‑priority special initiatives, managing specialist advisory relationships, and delivering real‑time visibility into key organizational metrics.

Why You’ll Love Working Here:

• You’ll support a leadership team working on high‑impact issues with global reach.
• A supportive, mission‑aligned foundation that values efficiency, initiative, and integrity.
• Ability to work autonomously with complete ownership of your work.

What We’re Looking For:

• Experienced and eager. You have at least six years of previous operations, organizational management, and or compliance related experience and are excited by the opportunity to build processes from scratch. Prior experience in nonprofit or working across numerous affiliated entities is a plus!
• Meticulous and motivated. Attention to detail is one of your superhuman strengths. You are seeking an environment that is highly ambitious and committed to the overarching mission, eager to hit the ground running and help shoulder the workload!
• Google knowledgeable. You have advanced knowledge of Google Workspace and are a quick learner when it comes to technology, keeping an open mind towards trying new programs and systems.
• Polished. You are calm under pressure and composed, warm, and professional in all interactions with individuals of varying professional levels. You can be counted on the embody the foundation’s service values and represent both internally and externally facing.

The salary listed reflects the anticipated compensation range for this position. Actual compensation will be determined based on relevant experience, qualifications, location, business considerations, and internal equity. Final offer amounts are determined at the employer’s discretion.

Essential to Hawthorne Lane’s success is our ability to attract talent from a range of backgrounds. Our network reflects the diverse community around us, and we believe in a workplace where everyone feels valued and empowered to succeed. Applicants will not be discriminated against based on race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status.