Head of Operations (Volunteer): 4WARD.earth

The connective tissue behind a global climate ecosystem needs someone who can make it run. ⚙️

At 4WARD.earth, we're connecting founders, investors, policymakers, and mission-driven operators to accelerate climate and sustainability solutions worldwide. With a presence across 100+ countries and 90 city hubs, we exist to break silos and turn climate ambition into action.

As our ecosystem continues to grow, we're looking for a sharp, systems-minded Head of Operations (Volunteer) to build the operational infrastructure that lets 4WARD scale without everything routing through the founder.

This is for an experienced operator or COO-track professional who wants to put their skills toward something that matters and grow into a senior leadership role as the organization professionalizes.

🎯 About This Opportunity

You'll work directly with 4WARD's founder and management team to design and own the operational backbone of the organization: cross-functional coordination, team systems, process documentation, and the day-to-day management infrastructure that keeps 40+ volunteers and 90 city hubs moving in the same direction. This role sits at the intersection of people, process, and platform, and reports directly to the CEO and management team.

Time commitment: Ideally 5-10+ hours per week

Location: Remote

1️⃣ Cross-functional coordination and team management

The management team spans marketing, events, platform, people and culture, and partnerships - across multiple time zones and continents. You'll be the thread that holds it together.

You will:

⚙️ Own the weekly and biweekly management team rhythm: agendas, async updates, follow-through on actions

📋 Maintain Asana as the team's single source of truth for task ownership and priorities

🔁 Build and systematize recurring operational workflows so they run without founder input

🗂️ Coordinate cross-functional projects that require multiple teams to work together

📣 Manage internal communications cadence across WhatsApp, Notion, and email

2️⃣ Process design and organizational systems

4WARD has grown rapidly and organically. Many of its processes exist in the founder's head. Your job is to get them out and into systems the whole team can use.

You will:

📝 Document and formalize core operating procedures across events, platform, HR, and partnerships

🛠️ Identify operational bottlenecks and design solutions before they become problems

📊 Build a simple OKR and reporting framework the management team can actually use

🔍 Audit existing tools (Asana, Notion, Airtable, Circle) and ensure they're being used effectively

🚀 Design and implement onboarding systems for new team members and city leads

3️⃣ Founder support and executive operations

As 4WARD transitions toward a more structured leadership model, the Head of Operations plays a critical role in reducing the founder's operational load and enabling the company to run more independently.

You will:

🎯 Take ownership of recurring decisions and actions that currently route through the founder

📅 Manage key follow-ups, priorities, and deadlines across the management team

🤝 Act as a coordination point between management team leads and the founder

📁 Maintain and organize the team's Google Drive, Notion knowledge base, and operational documentation

⚡ Flag risks, blockers, and decisions that need escalation before they become urgent

4️⃣ City network and volunteer operations

4WARD's 90 city hubs and 40+ core volunteers are its operational backbone globally. Keeping this network coordinated, supported, and growing requires consistent operational attention.

You will:

🌍 Support regional managers and city lead coordinators with operational infrastructure

📬 Ensure city leads have the resources, templates, and guidance they need to run events effectively

🗃️ Maintain city group and volunteer databases in Airtable, keeping records accurate and up to date

📈 Track city network health metrics and flag cities needing intervention or support

🤲 Coordinate volunteer recognition, retention, and engagement initiatives with the P&C team

🌟 What You'll Gain

🌱 A front-row seat to building one of the world's most ambitious climate ecosystem platforms from the inside

🤝 Direct collaboration with 4WARD's founder and full management team across 90 cities

🎨 Creative freedom to design and own the operational systems that will define how 4WARD scales

🌍 Exposure to founders, investors, policymakers, and operators across every major climate sector and geography

⏳ A real path to grow into a COO or senior leadership role as the organization professionalizes and scales

📋 What We're Looking For

Background and experience:

• 5+ years in operations, chief of staff, COO, or senior operational management roles

• Experience building or formalizing operational systems in a fast-moving, resource-constrained organization

• Comfortable managing across multiple functions and time zones without direct authority

• Hands-on with tools like Asana, Notion, Airtable, Google Workspace, and Slack or WhatsApp

• Background in platform businesses, ecosystems, nonprofits, or mission-driven organizations is a strong plus

• Genuine interest in climate, cleantech, ocean, or energy is essential - you'll be representing this mission daily

Key skills and qualities:

⚙️ Systems thinker: You see the operational gaps before they become problems and design solutions that scale

🎯 Executer: You finish what you start, follow through without being chased, and hold others to the same standard

🤝 Collaborator: You can coordinate across strong-willed, globally distributed people without creating friction

📋 Organized: Your Asana, Notion, and inboxes are not a disaster. You know where everything is and so does everyone else

🌱 Mission-driven: You want your operational skills to mean something. This role is not a stepping stone - it's the thing.

💚 Fellowship Benefits

While this is an unpaid volunteer role, it offers:

• Hands-on experience building and owning the operational infrastructure of a globally recognised climate ecosystem platform

• Close collaboration with 4WARD's founder, management team, and city leads across 90 cities and 100+ countries

• Skill development in operational systems design, remote team management, cross-functional leadership, and ecosystem platform operations

• Meaningful connections across the global climate, cleantech, ocean, and energy ecosystem including founders, investors, and senior operators

• A clear path to grow into a formal COO or senior leadership role within the organisation for the right person

🌍 Apply to Join as Head of Operations (Volunteer)

👉 Apply here: https://4ward.earth/volunteer

Accelerating decarbonization through global, collaborative climate tech innovation and networking.