Application Guide

How to Apply for Operations and Finance Manager

at National Council for Occupational Safety and Health

🏢 About National Council for Occupational Safety and Health

The National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (National COSH) is a worker-led nonprofit that fights for safe, healthy, and exploitation-free workplaces. It uniquely centers Black, Brown, immigrant, and low-wage workers, partnering with grassroots organizations to build collective power. Working here means directly supporting a movement that saves lives and challenges systemic injustice.

About This Role

As Operations and Finance Manager, you'll be the backbone of a growing national organization, ensuring seamless day-to-day operations and financial integrity. You'll manage grant budgets, lead logistics for major convenings like COSHCON, and improve systems to scale impact. Your work directly empowers worker advocates to focus on their mission without operational hurdles.

💡 A Day in the Life

Your day might start with reviewing cash-flow projections and reconciling grant expenses, then shift to a virtual check-in with the event planning team for COSHCON. After lunch, you could be updating internal controls documentation and troubleshooting a tech integration for the CRM, followed by a meeting with the ED to discuss next year's budget. The day ends with reviewing a grant report deadline and sending reminders to staff.

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🎯 Who National Council for Occupational Safety and Health Is Looking For

  • You have 5+ years of progressive experience in nonprofit operations and finance, with specific expertise in grants management and budgeting for mission-driven organizations.
  • You're a systems-thinker who has built and improved operational policies, technology integrations, and internal controls from scratch or revamped outdated ones.
  • You excel at project management, juggling multiple priorities like national event logistics, financial reporting, and staff coordination without missing a beat.
  • You are deeply aligned with National COSH's values of racial, immigrant, and worker justice, and can navigate a distributed, remote team with empathy and clarity.

📝 Tips for Applying to National Council for Occupational Safety and Health

1

Highlight your experience with grant budgeting and compliance for federal or foundation grants, as this is central to the role.

2

Showcase a specific example of an operational system you built or improved (e.g., a new project management tool, financial reporting process) and its measurable impact.

3

Tailor your resume to emphasize remote work skills: self-motivation, asynchronous communication, and cross-time-zone coordination.

4

Mention any experience organizing or supporting large-scale events or conferences, especially those with a social justice focus.

5

Research National COSH's current campaigns (e.g., heat safety, warehouse worker protections) and subtly reference them in your cover letter to show genuine interest.

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

["Your commitment to worker safety and social justice, and why National COSH's mission resonates with you personally.", 'Concrete examples of managing complex grant budgets and ensuring compliance, especially for multi-year or multi-funder projects.', 'Your experience with operational improvements (e.g., technology integrations, policy creation) that increased efficiency or transparency.', 'Your ability to handle logistics for large events or convenings, including managing vendors, budgets, and diverse stakeholders.']

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Review National COSH's annual reports and recent campaign victories (e.g., OSHA heat standard advocacy) to understand their impact.
  • → Read about COSHCON and the WeRise! Worker Leadership Academy to grasp the scale and nature of events you'd manage.
  • → Understand the funding landscape: who are their major funders (foundations, government grants) and what reporting requirements might apply.
  • → Familiarize yourself with the worker centers and grassroots groups they partner with, as you'll coordinate across these networks.
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💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 How would you approach streamlining our current financial reporting process for multiple grants?
2 Tell us about a time you managed a complex event with many moving parts. What systems did you put in place?
3 How do you prioritize competing demands from different departments (e.g., finance deadlines vs. event planning)?
4 Describe your experience with remote team coordination and building operational systems for a distributed workforce.
5 What metrics do you use to evaluate the effectiveness of operational processes, and how do you drive continuous improvement?
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⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Don't focus solely on finance; this role is equally about operations and events. Show balance.
  • Avoid vague statements about 'passion for the mission' without linking it to specific knowledge of their work or campaigns.
  • Don't assume nonprofit finance is easier than for-profit; emphasize your experience with restricted funds and grant compliance.

📅 Application Timeline

This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.

Typical hiring timeline:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to National Council for Occupational Safety and Health!

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