Chief Operating Officer

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION:

Wellspring Climate Initiative (WCI) seeks to avoid the worst impacts of climate change by dramatically reducing global greenhouse gas emissions and accelerating the transition to a clean energy future. Initially incubated within Wellspring Philanthropic Foundation (WPF), WCI is now branching out on its own and launching work in multiple geographies based on opportunities for cost‐effective mitigation and plans to fund climate change strategies at the $100m/year level. Their investments are aimed at decarbonizing the world economy as quickly as possible and are focused on the strategies and venues where philanthropy can have the highest impact. WCI believes that solving climate change requires the adoption of ambitious, evidence-based policy solutions that transform markets, advance clean technology, and lead to large‐scale change. WCI is dedicated to building the political will and powerful coalitions needed to achieve these bold policy solutions.  

ABOUT THE POSITION:

Having launched in early 2020, WCI finds itself at an exciting moment of building and growth. As they seek to establish themselves in the field and position their work for optimal impact, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) will serve as a critical senior leader charged with building and leading the internal operations and core functions (e.g., Legal, Financial, HR & Admin, IT, Communications, and Grants Management.). Reporting directly to (and working hand-in-hand with) the Executive Director, the COO will help translate WCI’s strategic vision into a sound operational plan rooted in WCI’s overarching priorities and emerging values. A true builder, the COO will bring a critical eye towards designing and implementing organization-wide systems capable of supporting WCI’s work both as it exists today as well as into the future. The COO role is an exciting opportunity for a proven operations leader who cares deeply about solving climate change and thrives when leading through times of growth.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Strategic Leadership 

• Work with the Executive Director and other senior leadership to identify annual strategic, measurable goals 
• Establish an operations plan that maps to the strategic plan and provides clear vision and goals for the Operations Units (defined as legal, financial, human resources, administrative, IT, communications, and grants management) 
• Develop and facilitate a review process with Unit leaders that measures and evaluates progress against goals for the organization
• Establish a clear vision and plan for providing efficient and effective operational support to Program staff 

People Leadership

• Hire, lead, manage, and develop the Operations Units leaders (e.g., Grants Manager, Director of Finance, General Counsel, Director of IT, Director of HR/Administration, Director of Communications), ensuring leaders have the resources they need and are well positioned to deliver on their respective outcomes 
• Serve as an internal leader of the organization and provide a strong day-to-day leadership presence
• In partnership with the ED, regularly set, review, and reinforce WCI’s values and cultural norms 
• Cultivate a strong and transparent working relationship with stakeholders across WCI and WPF and ensure open communication about the measurement of financial, programmatic, and impact performance against stated milestones and goals

Financial Oversight 

• In coordination with the Executive Director and Director of Finance, develop annual operating budget and billing structure
• Review monthly and quarterly financial statements, monitor projected expenses vs. actual and prepare quarterly reports to Executive Director
• Serve as an advisor to the Director of Finance to ensure smooth day-to-day financial operations (e.g., tracking activity in donor advised funds; tracking cash flow requirements to support scheduled disbursements; work with donors’ financial people to ensure needed cash flow etc.)
• Oversee Director of Finance in preparation and follow-up to annual audit

Grants, Legal & Compliance Oversight 

• Coach and advise Grants Manager in their leadership of the Grants Management team and ensure financial and legal due diligence on all funding opportunities
• Serve as an advisor and thought partner to the Grants Management team in the development of systems, tools, and protocols that support substantive and effective grantmaking practices as well as strategic methods for measuring grant impact 
• Assess and improve available channels for grantmaking via third parties (e.g., donor advised funds and similar vehicles)
• Provide management and oversight to the General Counsel in their review of key contracts and grant agreements (e.g., agreements with donor advised funds, leases, consultant agreements, key forms) 
• In partnership with the General Counsel, review the legal terms of standard Wellspring grant agreements and help advise on legal issues affecting individual grants
• Oversee 990 preparation and all regulatory reporting requirements

Functional Leadership (HR, Admin, IT, Communications) 

• Lead the Director of HR/Administration in pursuit of an optimized workplace by periodically reviewing and updating compensation and benefits structure to ensure competitive, fair, and consistent offerings aligned with the organization’s values
• Create a vision for organization-wide recruitment, onboarding, and performance management practices
• In partnership with the Director of HR/Admin, manage all Wellspring benefits, including annual renewals of health care plans and serve as chief liaison with external benefits providers, including the Professional Employer Organization managing payroll and benefits
• Manage Director of IT and oversee implementation of technology plan (including phones and communications) in a way that is customer-oriented and mindful of how Wellspring staff do their jobs
• With the Executive Director, determine the right staffing configuration for communications

CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS:

The ideal candidate will possess the following qualifications:

• Minimum of 10 years of work experience in business and/or operations, including a minimum of five years of senior operations management experience
• Comfort leading across a range of operational verticals (e.g., legal, HR, admin, finance & accounting, tech, systems/processesses)
• Exceptional operations skills; ability to establish best-in-class systems and processes in order to maximize efficiency and deliver high-quality results across an organization
• Operational mindset; an unwavering belief that strong operations are mission-critical and a passion/conviction for driving even the most challenging operations efforts forward 
• Excellent people management skills with a track record of managing and developing high-performing teams to achieve ambitious results
• A willingness to balance big picture thinking with being a hands-on leader; imparts credibility, trust, enthusiasm, and integrity, and motivates others
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to organize and interpret data, generate insights, and anticipate challenges and opportunities 
• Experience leading strategic planning and subsequently operationalize the strategy into tactical implementation
• Clear and persuasive communication skills (verbal and written); ability to share complex issues in simple and accurate terms (e.g., financial reports, HR policies, etc.) 
• A mature level of judgment and decision making and the ability to maintain confidentiality
• Deep commitment to the mission of Wellspring Climate Initiative and working in support of the organization’s sense of mission, purpose, and values

LOCATION:  

Irvine, California 

WCI is an initiative of Wellspring Philanthropic Fund (WPF). Like WPF, WCI believes they are strengthened by the diversity of their staff, and welcome such diversity including race, gender identity or expression, educational attainment, disability, veteran status, and personal experience with the criminal justice system. WCI welcomes applications from people of all cultures, backgrounds, and experiences, and they strongly encourage people of color and persons with disabilities to apply. They actively cultivate an institutional culture that reflects the values of respect, equity and inclusion that they seek through their work to amplify in the larger world. 

Like WCI, On-Ramps is deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We believe social change happens when people with a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and identities come together with common purpose.