Program Finance and Operations Lead

Job Description:

Position Summary

RMI seeks a program finance and operations lead to join our collaborative and ambitious community of operators. This role will report to a Program Finance and Operations Manager and sit within RMI’s Strategic Operations Department. You’ll spend your day-to-day embedded within a program team advancing the global energy transition. You’ll partner closely with senior staff to support effective, high-performing teams and contribute to a culture of collaboration, inclusion, and growth — enabling RMI to maximize its impact in the global effort to advance the energy transition. This role focuses on execution and coordination, with opportunities to build toward ownership and strategic influence over time

The Program Finance and Operations Lead sits at the heart of RMI programs teams, serving as a trusted connector between the program and the rest of the Institute. You’ll maintain visibility into program operations — providing analysis and insights to managers and principals on project and grant strategy and helping to translate strategy into clear, executable plans. You’ll support problem solving efforts, coordinate across teams, and contribute to continuous improvement efforts that directly impact the program.

We warmly welcome applications from individuals of all diverse backgrounds and cultures and encourage candidates who may not meet every qualification to apply.

Application Instructions: Please ensure you have read the entire job description before applying. This role requires submission of a resume and cover letter, addressing the following:

• Why do you want to work at RMI?

• In what ways are you qualified to contribute to RMI's mission?

Thoughtful, specific responses to these questions are an important part of our review process. Candidates who do not provide compelling answers or submit incomplete materials may not be considered.

Application Deadline: Wednesday September 9th at 11:59pm CT.

Major Roles and Responsibilities

The Program Operations Lead ensures the team they work within runs efficiently and delivers strong, mission aligned results. You’ll support operational excellence by tracking alignment across strategy, resources, and execution so that the team can focus on delivering impact. This includes tracking progress toward objectives, managing budgets, supporting internal knowledge sharing, and ensuring reporting to funders and staff is clear, compliant and consistent.

You’ll support cross-workstream coordination and knowledge sharing to help the team operate as a connected, learning organization—facilitating collaboration across workstreams and with partners to translate insight into impact.

Detailed responsibilities are listed in the following section.

Key Responsibilities:  

Operating rhythm and cultural stewardship:

You will support the team’s operating rhythm — preparing materials, tracking follow-ups, and helping leadership conversations translate into coordinated action.

• Support Program Finance and Operations Manager, managing directors and principals in maintaining operating cadence and rhythm of business, supporting alignment with business cycles

• Facilitate internal coordination with other programs and operations on shared resources and objectives, providing frequent updates to leadership. This may include but is not limited to cross team projects and shared organizational outcomes

• Model RMI’s values in team settings and support preparation and follow up for group discussions to ensure clarity and alignment

• Support annual employee engagement planning and implementation efforts in coordination with program leadership

Financial management:  

You will support end-to-end budgeting and financial management — coordinating budget cycles and forecasts, maintaining accurate data, and preparing routine financial updates for leaders.

• Coordinate the development of program budgets including annual budgeting, proposal budgeting, financial reforecasting, revenue planning, expense planning, and workforce planning.

• Provide routine updates and analysis to managing directors, principals, managers, and at times the CFO on the team’s finances 

• Coordinate independently with RMI’s Finance and Development teams to ensure program budgets and funding pipelines are accurate

• Analyze budgeting data and prepare summaries and recommendations for principals and managers regarding fundraising, staffing and financial management  

• Track project and grant balances and flag variances or risks to leadership  

Revenue Management:   

You will track and analyze the funding pipeline — helping leadership anticipate risk, prioritize opportunities, and align commitments with capacity.

• Track and report on the funding pipeline and providing timely status updates to managing directors, principals and managers on potential funding gaps and other risks  

• Support and sometimes facilitate the development of proposals and reports for donors and non-philanthropic projects (clients, governments). Includes maintaining documentation of compliance requirements and programmatic materials that will be leveraged to do so  

• Coordinate with RMI’s Development team and program staff to ensure funding pipeline opportunities are up to date in Salesforce

• Assist with donor communications and management as needed   

People: 

You will support hiring, onboarding, and talent processes — ensuring materials, coordination, and data enable the team to scale effectively.

• Support the hiring process in coordination with RMI’s People team including job postings, resume reviews, and sometimes interviews  

• Partner with program team and People team to facilitate new hire onboarding and training plans

• Maintain and update team onboarding materials in collaboration with program and department colleagues for accuracy and effectiveness

• Facilitate the program team in leveraging available training and learning and development opportunities 

• Facilitate and coordinate team events and retreats that strengthen connections and shared purpose

Procurement, contracting and invoicing:  

You will coordinate contracts, vendors, and invoicing processes — reducing risk, ensuring compliance, and keeping projects moving without administrative drag.

• Facilitate and aid in coordination of current contracts, creation of new contracts and relationships with current and future program contractors, including in-country team members

• Support contract review process to ensure alignment with RMI operational and financial best practice

• Partner with Accounts Receivable or Accounts Payable in reviewing invoices and aligning invoicing terms and invoicing process for both providers and clients

• Work with the Program Assistant to ensure vendor and supplier bills are submitted correctly and in a timely manner. Work with project managers to do the same for client invoices

• Coordinate procurement processes for the program in collaboration with RMI’s procurement office  

• Support the Program Assistant in the submission monthly international employee expense invoices

Project management:

You will maintain project systems and reporting — maintaining accurate structures, surfacing performance insights, and giving leaders visibility into progress and constraints. 

• Maintain project data in RMI’s systems and support project managers in creating new projects when needed

• Provide consultative support to Project Managers in reviewing and approving timesheets and expense reports for the program  

• Track RMI-standard performance indicators and prepare summaries for program leadership review

• Maintain the program’s SharePoint homepages and file system, including compliance with non-disclosure agreements and clauses 

Internal RMI coordination: 

You will support coordination between the program and central teams — communicating program needs, maintaining documentation, and contributing to RMI-wide standards.

• Support coordination between program teams and RMI’s cross-functional departments, elevating questions and needs as appropriate.

• Contribute to RMI-wide process improvement efforts and participate in centrally led initiatives as assigned

• Monitor compliance with RMI policies and escalate inconsistencies or misunderstandings to managers or program leadership.

Minimum Qualifications

• 3-6 years of experience in operations, finance, consulting or related analytical roles in for-profit or nonprofit environments

• Organizational skills required for successful operations of 50 person teams and complicated funding compliance

• Experience supporting senior leadership with analysis, reporting and operational coordination

• Outstanding analytical skills

• Experience contributing to operational change in fast-growing organization

• Ability to communicate with and manage diverse stakeholder groups within a remote or distributed environment, fostering clarity and trust

Location

We are a remote-ready company with team members around the globe. Our beautiful and welcoming offices are available for meetings or focused work, whether you are traveling through or living nearby. Our U.S. offices are in New York City; Washington DC; Oakland, California; Boulder, Colorado, and Basalt, Colorado. This role can be located from anywhere in the continental United States.

We provide you with the essential IT equipment plus a one-time home technology payment and a monthly work from home/commuter allowance to ensure you have a comfortable home office set up and necessary supplies.

We value opportunities to connect in person. We occasionally gather for shared time together like retreats and learning experiences. Be prepared to travel for occasional in-person meetings; all travel costs are covered. Some roles may require more travel, which will be discussed during the hiring process.

Compensation

At RMI, we prioritize fairness in our pay practices. Salaries are determined based on a mix of experience and market benchmarks. The salary range of this position is $77,732 - $95,800. The expectation is not for new team members to be hired with a starting salary at the top of the band, but to have a salary that adequately compensates for experience and expertise while countering pay inequality and upholding internal parity. In addition to base salary, this position includes an annual bonus target of 5% and eligibility for merit-based increases, which are tied to both individual and organizational performance. This role may be hired at multiple levels.

Benefits

• We offer an array of benefits including:

• Medical, dental, vision insurance

• 403b retirement match with immediate vesting

• Group life, AD&D, and short- and long-term disability

• Optional voluntary life, AD&D and accident plans

• Health savings or flexible spending accounts

• Fertility and hormonal health support

• Mental health and wellness support

• Comprehensive leaves of absence (including generous parental leave)

• Generous paid time off and sick leave

• Paid sabbatical leave

• Regional holidays with at least one extended break in each geography

• Work from home and home technology allowances

• Learning & development opportunities (LinkedIn Learning and an annual individual professional development budget)

• Potential for bonuses and merit increases

• Discount marketplace (gym memberships, pet insurance, etc.)

• Hybrid / remote work options

• Team retreats and geographic meetups

• Rewards and recognition programs

Diversity

We know that the diversity of our teams makes us stronger as an organization, and RMI is dedicated to the principles of equal employment opportunity as outlined in U.S. federal law. We prohibit discrimination against applicants, interns, and employees on the basis of any legally recognized basis, including but not limited to: age (40 and over), race, color, sex, pregnancy (including lactation, childbirth, or related medical conditions), religion, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic information (including testing and characteristics), sexual orientation, gender expression/identity, uniformed service member status, veteran status, citizenship status, or any other applicable status protected by applicable law.

RMI is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.