Operations Specialist (US)

Summary

High-impact nonprofits are increasingly setting up and scaling operations in the United States and they need someone who can make that happen smoothly. Impact Ops helps make that happen.

We’re looking for a US Operations Specialist to own the full lifecycle of US operational support for our clients: forming new US entities, getting them compliant and operational, and providing ongoing HR, payroll and compliance administration once they’re up and running. You’ll join a growing team supporting some of the most consequential organizations in AI safety, effective altruism, and global health.

The $80,000–$95,000 range is based on a US-based candidate and will be adjusted to reflect the cost of living and market rates for the location of the successful candidate.

About Impact Ops

Impact Ops is an independent organization that provides operational support to high-impact nonprofits; many of our clients work on AI safety, alignment, and governance challenges. Our services include finance, recruitment, entity setup, due diligence, ops audit, and systems implementation. We’re a “remote-first” organization with team members and clients based across the world.

We’re looking for motivated, altruistic, and optimistic people from diverse backgrounds to join us in this impactful work by providing excellent operational support to our clients.

You can read more about how the first two years went at Impact Ops here.

Key responsibilities

As a US Operations Specialist reporting to Joshua Axford, Co-founder & CEO, you will own US operational delivery across a portfolio of clients. The role combines recurring HR and payroll administration with regular US entity setup projects. Your key responsibilities will include:

• Managing US entity setup projects end-to-end: incorporation, EIN registration, IRS Form 1023 filings and 501(c)(3) determination, registered agent management, and state registrations
• Working with the finance team to get new entities operationally ready – banking (e.g. Mercury), spend management (e.g. Ramp), accounting platform setup (e.g. Xero), and payroll/EOR onboarding
• Providing ongoing HR administration for a portfolio of US entities: employee onboarding and offboarding, employment policy work, and benefits administration
• Administering payroll and EOR platforms (Deel, Justworks, and similar), including running payroll cycles to deadline and managing EOR transfers between entities
• Maintaining state-level compliance across multiple jurisdictions: state registrations, annual regulatory filings, and charitable solicitation registrations
• Coordinating with external providers — registered agents, attorneys, accountants, and fiscal sponsors — to keep client filings and deadlines on track
• Supporting clients through fiscal sponsorship transitions and entity spin-outs, including transferring staff, grants, and assets to new entities
• Building repeatable playbooks, checklists, and systems so that entity setup and US HR administration scale reliably as our client base grows

About you

You’ll need to have:

• 3+ years of experience in US nonprofit operations, HR administration, or multi-entity back-office support 
• Knowledge of US nonprofit compliance: incorporation, 501(c)(3) status, state registrations, and annual filings
• Hands-on experience with payroll and/or EOR platforms such as Deel, Justworks, Gusto, or Rippling
• Exceptional organization and follow-through — much of this role is keeping many deadline-driven workstreams moving at once without anything slipping
• Clear, professional written communication suitable for client-facing work
• Comfort working independently in a remote, high-trust environment

You’ll also likely have:

• Experience taking a new US entity from formation to fully operational (banking, payroll, accounting, insurance)
• Familiarity with tools such as Mercury, Ramp, and Xero
• Experience working with fiscal sponsors or supporting spin-outs from fiscal sponsorship
• Familiarity with US employment law basics across multiple states
• Enthusiasm for adopting AI tools to make operational work faster and more reliable
• An interest in the AI safety, effective altruism, or broader high-impact nonprofit ecosystem
• Experience in nonprofit, social impact, or mission-driven organizations is a plus

Benefits and salary

Your starting salary range is $80,000 to $95,000 for a US-based individual; the salary offered will depend on prior experience and location. There may be flexibility in salary for exceptional candidates with significant experience.

Our benefits include:

• Prioritized health & wellbeing: We provide private medical, vision, and dental insurance, and up to 2 weeks’ paid sick leave. We also offer a generous allowance for you to spend on your mental health.
• Flexible working: You’re generally free to set your own schedule (with some overlapping hours with colleagues as needed). We’ll cover a remote workspace outside your home if you need one.
• Generous vacation: 25 days’ holiday each year, plus public holidays. We encourage you to use the full allowance.
• Professional development opportunities: We offer a generous allowance each year for professional development. We build in opportunities for career growth through on-the-job learning, increasing responsibility, and role progression pathways.
• Pension: We offer a 10% employer retirement contribution or equivalent salary increase (if we’re unable to offer this in your country).
• Equipment to help your productivity: We’ll pay for high-quality and ergonomic equipment (laptop, monitors, chair, etc.) for your remote work set up.
• Global team retreats: As a remote team we hold in-person staff retreats twice a year, to work on our plans and build strong working relationships.

Full-time preferred, but part-time is possible. This role is best suited to candidates based in North America, with some overlap with European timezones for team collaboration.

Application

Here’s a summary of the application process for a successful candidate:

1. Application: Submit an application by 26 July.
2. Screening call: Attend a brief screening call, where you’ll have the chance to ask questions about the role.
3. Interview: Attend a remote interview to assess team fit.
4. Work trial: Attend a paid, remote work trial where you’ll spend the day meeting the team and completing further assessments.
5. References: Share references who can comment on your aptitudes. If your references are strong, you’ll receive an offer!

We’re reviewing candidates on a rolling basis and may make an offer before the end of the application deadline.

Diversity and inclusion

We’re aware that factors like gender, race, and socioeconomic background can affect people’s willingness to apply for roles for which they meet some but not all the suggested attributes. We’d especially like to encourage people from underrepresented backgrounds to express interest.

There’s no such thing as a “perfect” candidate. If you’re on the fence about applying because you’re unsure whether you’re qualified, we’d encourage you to apply.

If you require any adjustments to the application process, such as accessibility accommodations, additional preparation time, or other, please contact hello@impact-ops.org. We’re happy to support your needs and adjust the application process.