Director of Operations

Title: Director of Operations 

Department: Finance & Operations 

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer

FLSA Status: Exempt (Full Time)

Location: California (Remote + up to 10% travel)

CONTEXT AND NEED

Every student in California deserves learning experiences that help them understand the environment, engage with real-world challenges, and contribute to solutions. Yet many students lack access to these experiences. Ten Strands is committed to changing this. We advance environmental literacy and support resilient, climate-ready schools across the TK-12 system by empowering students and strengthening schools to create a healthier future for people and our planet.

As Ten Strands has grown in scope, influence, and operational complexity over the past decade, there is an opportunity for dedicated leadership to strengthen internal systems and drive organizational alignment. The Director of Operations role is designed to lead Ten Strands’ operational infrastructure while facilitating the organizational strategy that will continue to expand its impact. 

Ten Strands is a remote-first nonprofit organization with a $2M operating budget based in California. It operates under a shared leadership model led by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Innovation Officer (CIO). The CEO, CIO, and Chief Development Officer comprise the Senior Leadership Team (SLT). There are currently 14 total staff members.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Director of Operations is a leadership role responsible for ensuring effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability across Ten Strands’ internal operations. This position manages all core operational functions, including human resources, people systems, benefits administration, compliance, record management, IT infrastructure, contracting, and operations systems, while stewarding a values-aligned culture and employee experience. The Director of Operations brings financial and business acumen to support the coordination of annual budgeting processes in partnership with the fractional CFO. 

Reporting to the CEO and collaborating closely with the CIO, this role partners with the SLT to support implementation of organizational strategy. The Director provides structure, organizes frameworks and timelines, and facilitates decision-making processes that enable SLT to move priorities forward with clarity and alignment. 

This is a new position designed to streamline day-to-day operational and administrative responsibilities while freeing the SLT to focus on strategic implementation of programs, fund development, advocacy, and external leadership. This role does not have any direct reports. 

This role may be for you if you are:

• Motivated by operational excellence and streamlined systems. You value clear and codified processes as a foundation for organizational impact.
• A leader and an executor. You understand that accomplishing goals requires both vision and execution, and you can pivot quickly from 40,000 feet to specific details.
• Skilled at leading through layers. You can drive cross-functional impact by building relationships to get things done. 
• Committed to a people-focused mindset. You value people and connection through a lens of equity and inclusivity. 
• A systems thinker and strategic communicator. You love leading through change and bringing others along by building clear systems and proactively communicating in ways that make things stick.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Operations Leadership, Management, and Execution – 45%

• Lead and manage all core operational functions, including strategy and process execution for human resources, people systems, benefits administration, compliance, record management, IT infrastructure, contracting, and operations systems.
• Ensure smooth day-to-day organizational operations by managing internal policies, processes, workflows, and systems to drive continuous improvement.
• Oversee organizational policies and procedures, including management of the employee handbook and development of organizational policy, ensuring compliance with applicable laws and best practices.
• Manage and optimize Ten Strands’ remote infrastructure, including digital filing systems, calendar tools, platform subscriptions, and communication tools. Ensure cybersecurity and IT systems are compliant, secure, and efficient; implement best practices and training as needed.
• Manage benefits program selection and administration to ensure benefits are competitive, equitable, and aligned with organizational values.
• Manage all relationships related to Justworks PEO, including stakeholders for 401(k), healthcare (medical, dental, vision), and benefits, as well as organizational insurance brokers and other vendor relationships.

Organizational Strategy and Effectiveness – 20%

• Facilitate and coordinate internal planning processes with a lens of continuous improvement, clarity, and accountability, including annual strategic planning, goal setting, and organization-wide initiatives. 
• Facilitate decision-making processes to ensure tight cross-functional alignment between priorities, goals, and performance metrics.
• Design, implement, and manage internal systems to improve operational efficiency and cross-functional coordination. 
• Develop and manage internal processes to track and report on progress toward strategic goals.

People and Culture – 15%

• Oversee the end-to-end employee experience, including recruitment, onboarding, performance management, and offboarding.
• Manage the Employee Progress Lookout employee performance and development system.
• With SLT, plan and lead staff meetings, on-site retreats, trainings, and development opportunities. 
• Design and implement strategies and intentional structures to foster a collaborative and inclusive culture reflecting Ten Strands’ values and commitment to equity. Strengthen employee engagement, culture, and retention.

Financial and Accounting System Support – 10-15%

• Oversee employee time tracking and coding infrastructure, including FreshBooks management, time tracking systems, and hourly employee timecard support.
• Coordinate the accurate processing of contracts and invoices, and track budgets. This includes liaising between program staff and the fractional CFO.
• Partner with the fractional CFO to ensure on-time and accurate bi-weekly payroll administration through Justworks PEO, including oversight of time tracking systems and organizational PTO policy. 
• Collaborate with the CEO, budget managers, and the fractional CFO to support development of the annual budget and monthly variance analysis.
• Partner with the fund development team to advise on aligned and efficient fundraising operations.

Stakeholder Engagement and Strategic Activation – 5-10%

• Lead planning, materials preparation, minute tracking, and follow-up for all board and retreat meetings (virtual and in-person) in collaboration with SLT.
• Support content collection for board reports, organizational updates, and Ten Strands’ annual report.
• Facilitate cross-team communication and information flow between SLT and key internal and external stakeholders.
• Plan and coordinate two in-person staff retreats and one in-person board meeting annually in collaboration with the CEO and CIO.

HIRING CRITERIA & REQUIREMENTS

Competencies and Skills

• Essential Skillsets. Demonstrated experience in operations management, human resources, budgeting practices, organizational policy, and California employment law.
• Systems Management. Commitment to operational excellence with a proven ability to design, implement, and sustain organization-level systems across workflows. Highly skilled at managing multiple projects and priorities simultaneously while driving synchronous execution across teams. 
• Strategic Thinking. Analytical thinker with the ability to connect big picture organizational vision to intentional day-to-day execution. Strong ability to synthesize complex topics / high-level vision and translate into prioritized action and lasting outcomes.
• Problem Solving. Motivated problem-solver and self-starter able to work independently and entrepreneurially with minimal oversight. Proactive and solutions-oriented, with sound judgment when navigating ambiguity.
• Planning Orientation. Data-driven achiever and flexible contributor with strong planning, tracking, and organizational skills. 
• People-Centered Leadership: Demonstrated ability to build trust, support teams, manage outcomes cross-functionally, and foster a positive employee experience. Aptitude for interpersonal rapport building and working with others, including adaptability to remote team environments and effective virtual collaboration.
• Communication & Facilitation. Strategic communicator who understands how to shape messaging to drive outcomes. Clear and intentional across all mediums and settings, with the ability to guide discussions and decision-making among senior leaders.
• Discretion & Integrity: Handles confidential and sensitive information with professionalism and care.
• Operational Proficiency. Exceptionally organized with an intuitive attention to detail. Skilled in Google Workspace, Zoom, Slack, Salesforce, and other common cloud-based tools.
• Mission Alignment. Enthusiasm for equitable expansion of environmental literacy for all California students. Strong commitment to valuing diversity, building inclusive environments, and advancing an equity-informed approach to work. 

Education and Experience

• 5-8+ years of aligned professional experience in operations, organizational/nonprofit management, public administration, strategy, project management, or related fields.
• Demonstrated experience leading effective HR practices at an organizational level, including familiarity with talent management, compliance, contracting, and California employment law.
• Demonstrated experience in effectively managing multiple operational functions concurrently.
• Proficiency in business and financial systems, budgeting processes, and accounting practices.
• Experience effectively collaborating with senior leadership on strategy and planning, and leading organization-level initiatives.
• Credentials in related functions (Bachelor’s Degree, MBA, MPA, CPA, PHR, PMP) strongly preferred.
• Experience in nonprofit, TK-12 education, and/or mission-driven organizations strongly preferred.
• Passion for environmental literacy and sustainability in education.

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• Activities that occur frequently include communicating effectively with others to exchange information; assessing the accuracy, neatness, and thoroughness of the work; repeating motions efficiently, which may involve the wrists, hands, and/or fingers; and remaining in a stationary position, often standing or sitting, for prolonged periods.
• Activities that occur occasionally include moving about to accomplish tasks or from one work site to another, and adjusting or moving objects weighing less than 50 pounds in all directions.

Work Environment 

The work environment described here is representative of that which an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• This is a full-time exempt position.
• Ten Strands’ typical business hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. While this exempt role offers flexibility, employees are generally expected to be available during core collaboration hours and may occasionally work outside standard hours to meet organizational needs.  
• As an organization, Ten Strands is committed to ongoing team wellness. We aim not to schedule internal meetings on Fridays after 1:00 p.m. and balance sprints with periods of rest. 
• Ten Strands is a remote-first organization based in California. While many responsibilities can be accomplished remotely, in-person collaboration is required for scheduled retreats and board meetings.
• For remote responsibilities, the employee must be based in California. The employee will establish an appropriate remote work environment. Employees are expected to maintain their workspace safely and free from safety hazards and distractions.
• Travel to on-site venues is required, 5-10%.

Compensation & Benefits 

The compensation package for this position includes:

• Base Salary: $100,000 to $110,000
• 100% employer-paid health insurance, dental insurance, and vision insurance (annual value $10,500)
• 401(k) guaranteed contribution of 3% (up to $3,300 for this role in Year 1)
• 401(k) 50% match contribution up to 6% (up to $3,300 additional for this role in Year 1)
• Access to mental health benefits, medical concierge, life insurance, and long-term disability insurance
• 3 weeks flexible Paid Time Off in Years 1-2, with annual increases beginning in Year 3 up to 5 weeks 
• Organization-wide closures on federal holidays, the Friday after Thanksgiving, and December 24 to January 1 annually

Note: This is not an exhaustive list of responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, efforts, functions, or working conditions associated with the job. This job description is not a contract of employment or a promise or guarantee of any specific terms or conditions of employment. Ten Strands may add to, modify, or delete any aspect of this job (or the position itself) at any time as it deems advisable. 

Ten Strands is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. We encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

APPLY

To apply, click here. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the priority submission deadline of June 22, 2026 @ 9:00 AM. 

The selection process will include:

Round 1: Resume and application question review – Priority deadline June 22, 2026 @ 9:00 AM

Round 2: Initial interviews – June 29 to July 6, 2026

Round 3: Professional artifact and reference submission – Due July 14, 2026 @ 5:00 PM

Round 4: Final interview with Ten Strands leadership – July 23-24, 2026