Director of Operations and Finance

ROLE SUMMARY: Peace First is a tech-based NGO supporting a youth-led movement of global innovators tackling everything from racial justice to climate change. We are looking for an entrepreneurial, ethical and curious leader to run every aspect of our day-to-day business operations – financial management, human resources, planning and data systems, IT, and thousands of other things that will change daily. We are a global team of 16 people providing seed funding and mentorship to thousands of youth-led projects in over 130 countries. The ideal candidate must be excited about designing systems that help people connect and work better, problem-solving in a global context, using data to learn and improve, and building a truly stellar organization behind youth leaders. We are based in Boston but open to strong candidates anywhere.

ABOUT PEACE FIRST: Peace First was founded on a simple idea: if we are going to solve the world’s greatest injustices, we must support this generation of young people with the skills and commitments to solve problems by connecting across lines of difference with compassion, standing up for ideals and others with courage, and creating collaborative change. This is what we call peacemaking. Currently, there are 1.6 billion young people, ages 13-25, around the world. They care deeply about what’s going on, they have boundless ideas on how to solve injustices and are ready to act yet seldom are they asked by adults what they think or, better yet, supported in bringing their ideas to life. Few have access to tools, mentors, and resources to turn their insights into reality. This is the divide we bridge. Peace First provides a blended digital design platform where young people can imagine and create powerful innovations to solve real problems in the world. In addition to digital design tools, we provide mentors, connections with young people from over 130 countries, and small start-up grants that start at $250 and scale up to $25,000 as youth scale their work. All of this takes place on the Peace First platform — the world’s largest marketplace for youth-led social change initiatives. In order for us to achieve our long-term goal of supporting a movement of 2.5 million engaged, compassionate, and creative youth, Peace First is launching a $10 million Global Youth Investment Fund to provide the financial spark to support efforts for social change. It will be the single largest investment in youth social action…ever. A key element of our strategic plan is to build out our team of talented professionals. We actively recruit, retain, and develop a multicultural and dynamic workforce that effectively and efficiently meets the wide spectrum of young people’s needs across the globe. We believe that an inclusive and open environment fosters creativity, contributes to the quality of our work, and provides growth opportunities for all employees.

To that end, we are seeking individuals who are excited about fostering this inclusive culture and working in an entrepreneurial environment where there is an immediate opportunity to have tangible impact on organizational direction and achievement. We are a team based around the world who thrive in an environment that embodies and celebrates the following:

• Possession of a deep belief in the ability of young people to create change
• Ability to adapt and apply skills to new and changing scopes of work
• Eagerness for more responsibility and exposure to new challenges
• Motivation to solve problems by taking initiative and trying new ways of doing things
• Enthusiasm for connecting others to our mission and providing them with powerful experiences
• Openness to working with others across diverse perspectives and backgrounds

POSITION OVERVIEW: The Director of Operations and Finance works closely with the CEO to ensure internal systems and resources align with organizational strategies and goals. This position is responsible for managing all of the core business operations functions from financial planning, analysis, and reporting, to human resources, IT, contracts, and work flow planning. The ideal candidate must be passionate about building a tech-focused strategy with a small, globally-distributed workforce grounded in youth leadership; someone able to plan and manage different areas of operations and finance who has the curiosity and ability to discover the most efficient and effective ways to run the organization. This role is a combination of strategy, execution, and administrative activities for a growing, global, entrepreneurial organization. This position reports to the CEO and works closely with all members of the organization, including the board finance committee.

Responsibilities

• Oversee, direct, and organize the work of the finance, information technology and talent/HR
• Work in partnership with the CEO and functional leaders to manage and track the implementation of strategic priorities, including identifying and designing the systems, policies, and procedures needed to achieve it
• Develop and implement systems to coordinate daily workflow of a growing global team
• Lead and manage performance management processes and procedures to measure and evaluate progress within the team against organizational goals and deliverables
• Analyze organizational metrics and performance reports to advise CEO and board
• Support the team and board with strong financial oversight of the organization, including managing the annual budgeting process and audit and serve as liaison to the Board Finance and Audit Committees
• Create and revise operational strategies, processes, and systems to improve internal infrastructure and expand Peace First’s effectiveness
• Work with an outsourced HR firm on projecting future staffing needs, hiring, onboarding, benefits administration, payroll and other employer-related administrative functions
• Ensure that the organization is both mission and regulatory compliant
• Partner with the fundraising team on the management and development of tracking and reporting systems, including donor and funder agreements and Salesforce database
• Manage third-party vendors, service providers, and other business relationships including HR, technology, and bookkeeping
• Promote a culture of high performance and continuous improvement that values learning and a commitment to quality

Key Skills and Experience We understand that there are many paths to developing skills and acquiring experience and therefore welcome candidates from diverse and nontraditional backgrounds for this role who have demonstrated equivalent transferable skills to carry out the major duties outlined in this job description. However, candidates should have a strong track record in designing techenabled systems for globally-dispersed teams, solid grounding in nonprofit financial management practices as well as clarity as to how to effectively integrate finance and administration functions with the whole of the organization. Because we are a growing global organization, if candidates do not have global operational experience, they need to demonstrate the curiosity and ability to identify, access and leverage the resources needed to develop and implement effective operational solutions.

Additionally, we are looking for candidates who have:

• At least seven years of overall professional experience; ideally, at least five years of business operations management within a small- or medium-sized entrepreneurial organization
• Building tech-enabled solutions for global workforce
• Owned final responsibility for the quality and content of financial data and reporting
• Experience planning and managing efficient budgets and cash flow
• Ability to translate financial concepts to – and to effectively collaborate with – colleagues who do not necessarily have finance backgrounds
• Experience successfully leading or managing human resource functions
• Ability to analyze data and make data-driven decisions that progress productivity and efficiency
• Have experience successfully managing multiple projects simultaneously
• Effectively communicated with diverse audiences through diverse media (in writing, online, face-to-face)
• Ability to quickly and effectively synthesize information to meet goals
• Have proficient technology skills and an ability to quickly adapt to use of new devices or platforms
• Strong organizational skills and ability to work effectively and joyously in a fast-paced environment which requires regular innovation

All members of our team, regardless of role, should have these qualities and experience:

• Commitment to contributing to an overall organizational culture that is inquisitive, youthcentered, caring, and fun
• Belief in and leading with Peace First’s core values of courage, compassion, and collaboration
• Commitment to supporting young people as they change the world for the better through peacemaking
• Capacity to integrate into all functional areas while autonomously leading one’s work
• Proficiency in Google Drive, Docs, Sheets Gmail, etc.; Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Other Requirements

• Written and spoken fluency in English, including fluency in colloquial United States English.
• Candidates must be able to verify that they are authorized to accept employment in the United States.

Compensation and Benefits: This is a full-time position (although open to someone starting less than full-time for the first year). Salary range is $70,000 – $90,000. Peace First also offers a competitive and comprehensive benefits package.

Start Date / Location: Immediately / We are based in Boston, MA but remote employees considered as well.

Peace First is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, military service, age, ancestry, or disability. For more information, please go to www.peacefirst.org.