Chief Operating Officer

As the senior operational leader, the COO will translate Spark's organizational strategy into effective structures, processes, and systems that enable Spark to successfully deliver its work and impact. Key responsibilities include:

• Organizational Leadership: Participate in leadership team decisions, lead operational planning processes, and manage direct reports.
• Strategy and Execution: Translate vision into operating plans, design operating models, monitor progress on goals, and oversee core functions including Communications and Program Management.
• Finance: Build a strong finance function, develop budgets and forecasts, ensure financial compliance, and manage third-party financial relationships.
• People and Culture: Lead People & Culture strategy including talent planning, recruiting, performance management, and fostering an equitable remote work environment.
• Administration and Systems: Scale operational infrastructure, document processes, and ensure effective day-to-day operations.

This role enables Spark Climate Solutions to accelerate progress on unsolved climate challenges by building effective operational systems that allow the organization to fill targeted gaps in current climate actions and speed up development of fields needed to address climate risks and opportunities.

We are seeking a builder energized by designing and evolving systems in a growing organization. Specifically, you are:

• Flexible and solutions-oriented: Approach ambiguity with curiosity and pragmatism, asking 'How might we?' and improving existing systems.
• Outcome- and user-driven: View processes as tools to enable results, designing systems that minimize administrative burden while meeting organizational needs.
• High ownership and bandwidth: Take full responsibility for outcomes, proactively drive work forward, and manage multiple competing priorities effectively.
• Structured and organized: Create clear prioritization frameworks, structures, and workflows that drive clarity and accountability.

Qualifications:

• 12+ years of experience in nonprofit operations or administration, including at least 5 years in a leadership or people management role.
• Experience overseeing multiple functions (operations, finance, HR, program management, communications) and integrating them into cohesive processes.
• Deep experience in finance and HR with ability to translate data into strategic decisions and implemented plans.
• Proven ability to build and scale operational, financial, and HR systems in growing organizations.
• Strong understanding of nonprofit financial management, including outgoing grant management and funder reporting.

No specific compensation, perks, or culture highlights mentioned in the job description.

Spark Climate Solutions is a science-driven, philanthropically funded non-profit that accelerates progress on unsolved climate challenges by filling targeted gaps in current climate actions. They work to grow entire fields of climate solutions through research, markets, policies, and talent development, currently focused on super pollutants from agriculture, warming-induced greenhouse gas emissions, and methane removal.