Operations Lead

Posted Dec 27

About Swing Left

Swing Left is a national grassroots organization working to elect Democrats up and down the ballot. We make it possible for anyone to make an impact on the elections that determine the balance of power in our country, by volunteering in and donating to key races. Since launching in 2017, Swing Left volunteers have raised $80 million for Democratic candidates, civic organizations, and voter mobilization efforts, and made more than 44 million combined phone calls, door knocks, and letters sent to voters via our affiliate Vote Forward and their partners.

About Vote Forward

Vote Forward is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that builds tools to encourage Americans to vote. We work to increase the participation of traditionally underrepresented groups in the electorate, and to increase civic engagement among the public at large, by supporting the volunteers working to engage these voters. Since 2018, more than 250,000 grassroots volunteers have used the Vote Forward platform to send handwritten letters to more than 25 million prospective voters to encourage them to register to vote and turn out for elections. Vote Forward is closely affiliated with Swing Left, and Vote Forward staff work with Swing Left on many projects of mutual interest.

Overview

The objective of the Operations Lead is to ensure ongoing operational functionality and effective budget management, and a workplace that is equitable, sustainable, effective, and engaged, by leading financial, compliance, legal, administrative, and people programs for Swing Left and Vote Forward. This role reports to the Managing Director and is an at-will position.

We aim to begin interviews for this position by early February. We expect to review the first batch of applications by January 20 and then will do a rolling review of applications until the position is filled and/or the application is closed. Please note that our office is closed between December 17 – January 2.

Responsibilities 

Lead the development and implementation of financial, accounting, compliance, legal, and operational procedures and programs to ensure the organizations' ongoing financial health and compliance 

  • Lead the development and implementation of simple and accurate financial, accounting and budget policies and processes to ensure effective, efficient, and well-informed resource allocation and budget decisions by the Executive Director, and to ensure adherence to financial programs for tracking and reporting purposes 
  • Lead the development and implementation of financial compliance and legal procedures for the organization and ensure efficient communication of and cross-functional adherence to these procedures; identify and implement improvements and updates to current processes to increase effectiveness and efficiency 
  • Lead the processes to procure, assess, audit and implement the virtual office tools and employee resources needed to run the organization effectively and team members are set up for success to do the work required of their position and meet the needs of the organization 
  • Lead the execution of financial health reporting to the executive team

Oversee the development, implementation, and execution of people programs and initiatives to ensure an effective, engaged, diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce 

  • Oversee the development, implementation, and execution of people programs, including position development, hiring, onboarding, employee retention, internships, and offboarding, to ensure these programs are effective and equitable, meet legal requirements, and follow HR best practices
  • Review and approve position descriptions, compensation, and other employment requirements to ensure programs and processes are applied consistently and equitably across employees 
  • Lead the development and execution of feedback and employee development initiatives, including management training for supervisors, performance evaluations, and employee engagement surveys

Serve as a member of the organization's leadership team: collaborate with other leadership team members and executive leadership to analyze feedback from staff, identify areas of improvement, establish org-wide priorities and programs, and coordinate to ensure the success of cross-functional initiatives

Successful Operations Lead candidates will have

  • A strong commitment to Swing Left's mission and values
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills; the demonstrated ability to provide outstanding customer service via written and verbal communication
  • Extensive knowledge on financial analysis, including demonstrated experience with managing an organizational budget, a strong understanding of accounting systems, and a command of Microsoft Excel/Google Sheets
  • Ability to diagnose problems quickly and foresee potential issues, and a strong solutions orientation
  • Experience and familiarity with the legal and compliance landscape of election-related activities and for 501(c)(4) organizations
  • Experience with people operations and general HR practices a must; additional experience with DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging) work, talent recruitment and employee retention strongly preferred
  • Demonstrated success managing and leading staff and building an impact-driven, collaborative team culture
  • A keen interest in being an intentional organizational leader, trusted thought partner to executive leadership, and critical individual contributor 
  • A demonstrated commitment to equity and belonging across all identities including but not limited to race, gender, sexual orientation, age and ability. A specific track record of a commitment to BIPOC communities
  • Ability to work independently and collaborate effectively across teams in a remote environment

Working at Swing Left

The Operations Lead position is a full-time, exempt and remote position. The pay range for this position is $110,000 - $125,000 on an annualized basis. We provide cost of living compensation increases at the beginning of each year. 

In addition to health, dental, vision, and retirement benefits, Swing Left's benefits package includes a professional development fund, a remote work fund, and a technology stipend for all employees. We have an unlimited time-off policy, a flexible medical and parental leave policy, and our office is closed for approximately 25 business days each year. We are happy to answer any questions you have about our benefits and policies in interviews.

We are an equal opportunity employer and seek applications from all qualified candidates who are eligible to work in the United States. However, we are not able to sponsor visas at this time. 

We welcome all applicants regardless of age, citizenship, gender identity or expression, national origin, pregnancy status, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other differences.

Please note the best way to express interest in this position is to submit an application––this is the most effective way for our team to review and process applications fairly and efficiently.