Operations Director / Chief Administrative Officer 

About Empower

Empower Project is the national leader in both paid and volunteer relational organizing. 

Empower Project organizes to improve people’s lives using the power of relational organizing. Together with our partners, we’ve helped boost voter turnout, especially for BIPOC communities, through our approach of tapping into personal networks of friends and family. We provide the software and expertise to help communities, progressive organizations, and nonprofits leverage their personal relationships to build power and dramatically expand the electorate. Our cutting-edge technology, Empower, stands at the forefront of the industry and is trusted by over 1,500 organizations nationwide.

It’s effective. Empower has been studied in 12 different independently-run, randomly controlled trials which all found that its usage led to large and statistically significant increases in voter turnout — far more effective than phone-banking, text-banking, or door-to-door canvassing.

It’s growing fast. The number of conversations Empower facilitated grew by over 10x between the 2016 and 2018 election cycles, grew by 10x again in the 2020 election cycle, and then grew by 30x for the 2024 election cycle. In order to keep up that pace going forward, we need to grow our team and keep adding features that help our organizations!

Role

The Operations Director is a senior, hands-on operator responsible for ensuring that Empower Project’s core systems—finance, human resources, compliance, and administration—run smoothly, accurately, and on time. Reporting to the Executive Director and serving as a key member of the leadership team, the Operations Director translates organizational strategy into day-to-day execution.

This role is highly operational and detail-oriented. The Operations Director personally oversees critical workflows, deadlines, and controls while also managing and supporting a small internal operations team and several external vendors. The Operations Director will oversee a $25M+ budget and play a central role in maintaining compliance in a fast-paced, election-driven environment.

This is a full-time, remote, salaried position. Staff are generally expected to be available between 8:00am–6:00pm Central Time, with increased availability during peak compliance and campaign periods.

Core Responsibilities

Organizational Leadership & Day-to-Day Operations

• Own the execution of Empower Project’s operational systems, ensuring that finance, HR, compliance, and administrative functions are reliable, timely, and well-documented.
• Work closely with the Executive Director to operationalize organizational priorities, budgets and timelines.
• Develop, document, and enforce clear operational processes and internal controls across teams.
• Identify gaps, risks, and inefficiencies in existing systems and implement practical solutions.
• Maintain organizational calendars, deadlines, and compliance timelines, particularly during election cycles.

People Operations & Human Resources

• Oversee human resources administration, payroll, and benefits in partnership with internal staff and external HR consultants.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and best practices.
• Regularly assess personnel policies and practices, identifying inefficiencies and implementing improvements.
• Lead operational planning and compliance for large-scale hiring of temporary field staff during election cycles, including coordination with legal, HR, and vendor partners.
• Support managers and staff by resolving complex HR and personnel issues with sound judgment and care.

Financial Leadership, Controls & Compliance

• Personally oversee budgeting, forecasting and cash flow management across multiple entities.
• Review and approve financial transactions, ensuring accuracy, proper documentation, and adherence to budget guidelines.
• Work directly with the bookkeeping team to reconcile accounts, review monthly financials, and resolve discrepancies.
• Prepare and deliver clear financial reports for leadership, board members, and funders.
• Monitor spending in real time and flag risks, overruns, or cash constraints early.
• Coordinate closely with legal and compliance partners to ensure timely and accurate campaign finance, tax, and regulatory reporting, including 24-hour and rapid-turnaround filings.
• Maintain strong internal controls and audit-ready systems at all times.
• Support external audits by preparing schedules, documentation, and responses.

Systems, Vendors & Administration

• Manage relationships with external consultants, legal counsel, financial partners, and vendors.
• Ensure operational systems are scalable, efficient, and aligned with organizational values.
• Oversee banking activity, cash management, and financial workflows to ensure accuracy and timeliness.

Desired Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in senior operational leadership, ideally within mission-driven, political, or nonprofit organizations.
• Experience with 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), and/or PAC compliance strongly preferred.
• At least two years of experience managing budgets exceeding $2 million; experience overseeing $10M+ budgets a plus.
• Minimum of three election cycles of operations experience with increasing levels of responsibility.
• Proven ability to manage complex systems, multiple stakeholders, and fast-moving priorities.
• Exceptional judgment, problem-solving skills, and attention to detail.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to lead collaboratively and decisively.
• Comfort working flexible hours during peak campaign and compliance periods, including occasional evenings and weekends.
• Fluency in a second language is a plus.

Compensation 

This is a full-time, remote position with an annual salary of $144,000, plus a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Health and dental insurance
• Paid time off, including vacation, sick leave, personal days, and federal holidays

Empower Project is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression. Women, people of color, and individuals from LGBTQIA+ communities are strongly encouraged to apply.