About Growald Climate Fund

We are a high-impact venture global philanthropy fund catalyzing the rapid transition to a clean energy future. We believe that philanthropy plays a key role in nurturing new climate solutions, supporting a vibrant and growing civil society, and promoting objective research and analysis for use by governments and key partners.

About the Role      

The Sr. Operations Associate plays a vital role in ensuring a smooth, compliant, and engaging employee experience across the organization. Reporting to the Associate Director of HR & Operations, this position is responsible for supporting and executing a wide range of people operations, office management, and IT administration functions. The Associate will manage day-to-day HR systems and processes, coordinate the employee lifecycle, maintain compliance and documentation standards, and partner closely with Finance, IT, and program teams to deliver seamless operations. This is a hands-on, detail-oriented role ideal for someone who thrives in both people-centered and systems-focused work, enjoys building efficient processes, and is eager to contribute to a collaborative and mission-driven environment.

This is a FLSA Full Time Exempt individual contributor role reporting to the Associate Director, HR & Operations.

Responsibilities of the Position include:

People Operations (60%)

Own

• Own day-to-day administration of the HRIS and related systems; ensure data accuracy, integrity, and timely updates.

• Project manage the logistics of onboarding, internal transfers, promotions, and offboarding. Lead in the refinement of the onboarding and onboarding processes.

• Manage interview scheduling and candidate communications in partnership with hiring managers. Partner with external recruiters to ensure an efficient, professional candidate experience.

• Manage compliance training programs (e.g., harassment prevention, workplace safety, cyber security).

• Generate regular and ad hoc HR reports (headcount, benefit utilization, PTO usage, etc) for leadership.

• Conduct research on benchmarking data (for salaries and benefits) as needed.

• Act as the administrator of the annual performance process ensuring understanding and proper execution among staff

• Ensure timely execution of employment agreements, background checks, and system access changes.

• Document HR procedures and ensure consistency across teams.

• Track and administer leaves of absence in compliance with applicable laws (FMLA, ADA, state leave programs).

• Conduct regular audits of HR processes, records, and documentation.

• Identify, design, and implement process improvements across the HR function to increase efficiency and reduce risk.

Support

• Support the development, refinement, and implementation of HR systems, processes, and tools. Oversee documentation of HR standard operating procedures (SOPs).

• Support annual open enrollment, benefits renewals, and employee communications.

• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws, updating policies and practices as needed.

• Assist in the maintenance of employee files, I-9s, and required documentation in compliance with regulations.

• Partner with IT, Finance, and other departments to align HR processes with organizational needs.

• Support the annual HR budget and vendor management processes.

• Coordinate with IT and managers to deliver a consistent employee experience at each lifecycle stage.

• Support offer letter generation and pre-employment background check processes.

• Support AD & Chief of Staff in the planning of staff gatherings, retreats and off-sites, celebrating anniversaries, and recognizing milestones.

• Support the scheduling needs of the Operations Team.

Office Operations (15%)

• Oversee office inventory including tracking and ordering office supplies and snacks. Assist staff when additional supplies are needed or must be replaced. 

• Assist in the due diligence of insurance renewals (liability, D&O, Cyber)

• Maintain the vendor and contract list; assist with vendor due diligence, quotes, and SOWs.

• Assist in the development and implementation of effective communication tools and norms across the organization.

• Support the office and equipment needs of remote staff. 

IT Operations (15%)

• Partner with IT provider to manage hardware (laptop/phone) ordering, asset tracking, and troubleshooting support.

• Assist in implementing and enforcing organizational cyber security practices. 

• Oversee quality control for organizational file and document management (e.g., Google Drive).

General Admin (10%)

• Participate in team-related initiatives, including team meetings, performance reviews, team-building activities, and training sessions

• Ensure compliance with organizational policies and procedures by managing documentation, contracts, and completing all required trainings/tests

• Submit complete and accurate expense reports on time

• Provide ad hoc support to the operations team as needed. 

Qualifications

• Required

  • 2–4 years of experience in HR, people operations, or a related operations role.

  • Knowledge and willingness to learn further about HR practices and compliance requirements (e.g., FMLA, ADA, I-9, state leave programs).

  • Some experience managing HR systems (HRIS), benefits administration, and employee lifecycle processes.

  • Excellent organizational skills with a strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities.

  • Strong communication skills with the ability to build trust and collaborate across teams.

  • Proficiency with Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Drive, Calendar) and ability to learn new platforms quickly.

  • A true team player: independent, collaborative, and takes a leadership role when necessary

  • Works well under pressure, take initiative, and is able to anticipate needs while being a creative problem-solver

  • Strong emotional intelligence and communication skills

  • Demonstrated ability to work in a diverse, multicultural and international work environment. 

  Preferred

  • Experience in a nonprofit, foundation, or mission-driven organization.

  • Familiarity with IT administration, vendor management, or office operations.

Benefits & Organizational Culture

We have a dynamic and agile organizational culture and we’re serious about supporting our people to thrive. Read more about our organizational culture here. 

This is a full-time role based either remotely in the Bay Area, CA or our Brookline, MA office. 

• Flexible work policy: flex hours and opportunity to work from home two days / week (if located in Boston Metro Area). 

• 401(k) retirement plan with 6% employer match

• 100% employer-paid medical, dental, vision coverage

• 100% employer-paid long-term disability, short-term disability and basic life insurance 

• Four weeks of PTO plus thirteen paid holidays (including closure week between Christmas and New Year’s) 

• Annual allowance for professional development activities

• Coaching and management support with regular 1:1 meetings

• Performance reviews and feedback to support you and the team to reflect and grow

• A co-developed initial three month work plan to help you hit the ground running and have clarity on your role and responsibilities  

The starting salary range for this position is $80,000-$90,000.

To apply, please send your resume and a brief cover letter to ydunn@growaldclimatefund.org.

Equal Opportunity Employer   

As an equal opportunity employer, we recognize the power of a diverse community and strongly encourage applications from individuals with varied experiences, perspectives and backgrounds. We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants without regard to age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status. Must be authorized to work lawfully in the United States. All Growald employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. 

Compensation

Growald Climate Fund offers competitive salaries annually benchmarked against a thousand other philanthropic non profit grant making foundations. The starting salary range for this position is $80,000-$90,000. Benefits include 100% employer paid medical, dental, vision care, generous allowances including professional development, commuter, and work from home, an employer matched retirement plan, 13 holidays, 20-25 days of vacation, and additional paid time off including sick and parental leave. Growald offers flexible working hours, and our location in Brookline (in Boston’s backyard) was recently ranked 16th in the top 25 best places for families to live!

To Apply

To apply, please send your resume and a brief cover letter to ydunn@growaldclimatefund.org.