Operations Specialist

Company Description: FireWERX is a global nonprofit dedicated to accelerating innovation and empowering the Firefighter to end the wildfire crisis. FireWERX supports Fire Innovation Units and connects FIUs to the broader Wildfire Innovation Ecosystem of funders, researchers, academics, technologists, and policy experts — accelerating promising solutions that meet agency-defined needs through structured Pilot-to-Scale Pathways to adoption.

Role Description: FireWERX is seeking a highly motivated, entrepreneurial, and mission-driven Operations Specialist to support the day-to-day operations that keep a small, fast-growing team running smoothly.

This position will contribute to FireWERX’s Grants & Operations team and will report to the Deputy Director, Grants & Operations or their designee. The Operations Specialist is an experienced individual contributor who works independently, and uses sound judgment on when to act and when to escalate. 

This position is remote but may require occasional travel.

Salary $110,000 per year.

Key Responsibilities:

Systems & Tools

• Maintain FireWERX's core operational systems and tools, including Google Workspace, Monday.com, Zoho Expense, Claude, and related platforms.
• Serve as a first line of support for staff to troubleshoot systems, tools, accounts, and access, escalate issues to the Deputy Director or designee, or vendors as needed.
• Manage account setup, permissions, and offboarding across organizational platforms.
• Maintain or improve project boards, trackers, templates, and shared resources..
• Track software licenses, subscriptions, and renewal dates.
• Keep Unit leadership apprised of team usage of systems that near or exceed current thresholds, to inform decisions for upgrades, replacements, or budget plans. 
• Identify routine operational tasks that AI tools can speed up or improve and build them into standard workflows.
• Develop and maintain reusable AI prompts, templates, and automations for the team, and document them in standard operating procedures.

Finance & Budget

• Manage the expense and reimbursement process, ensuring receipts and documentation are complete and aligned with FireWERX and Fiscal Sponsor policies.
• Prepare monthly expense reconciliation and reimbursement requests in coordination with the Grants & Operations team and Fiscal Sponsor.
• Maintain organized financial records and documentation to support audit and compliance requirements.
• Support administrative aspects of changes to finance, budget, and accounting policy and systems as FireWERX transitions from fiscal sponsorship to independent entity. 
• Identify and resolve missing documentation, policy exceptions, and discrepancies and escalate to the Deputy Director when needed.

Process Documentation & File Management

• Develop and maintain standard operating procedures, process guides, checklists, and templates.
• Organize and manage FireWERX's shared drives, folder structures, naming conventions, and access permissions.
• Maintain version control and archive outdated materials so staff can quickly find current resources.

People Support

• Develop onboarding materials, welcome packets, account setup checklists, and orientation schedules for new staff.
• Coordinate recruitment logistics, including interview scheduling and candidate communications.
• Maintain staff directories, contact lists, and organizational calendars.
• Support the distribution and tracking of HR policy updates and staff acknowledgments.

Organizational Support

• Embrace FireWERX's startup culture by pitching in wherever the organization needs support, especially during high-priority periods.
• Demonstrate flexibility and a can-do attitude as FireWERX's structure, systems, and priorities evolve alongside its rapid growth.
• Assist with emerging organizational priorities and special projects across Grants & Operations, to support FireWERX's growth and mission.
• Identify opportunities to simplify processes and improve team workflows.
• Pitch in on event management tasks as needed with the Communications unit.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Nonprofit Management, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Three to five years of experience in operations, administration, office management, program coordination, or related fields. 
• Proficiency with Google Workspace and comfort learning new platforms quickly.
• Experience with project management or work management tools such as Monday.com, Asana, or similar platforms is a plus.
• Familiarity with expense management or accounting tools such as Zoho Expense, QuickBooks, or similar platforms is a plus.
• Experience using AI tools and automation to improve everyday work, with good judgment on accuracy, confidentiality, responsible use, and human review needed.
• Strong organizational and time management skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines simultaneously.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion.
• Familiarity with government, nonprofit, philanthropy, emergency management, wildfire, technology, or innovation ecosystems is highly desirable.
• Willingness to travel occasionally.

Desired Characteristics

• Highly organized and detail-oriented.
• Reliable and responsive, with strong follow-through.
• Eager to learn and grow, and open to feedback and coaching.
• Collaborative and service-minded.
• Adaptable and comfortable with rapidly evolving priorities.
• Mission-driven and passionate about public service and innovation.
• Proactive problem solver who asks good questions and knows when to escalate.
• Demonstrated ability to leverage modern productivity tools, AI-enabled workflows, and collaborative project management platforms to improve execution.