Director of Operations

Director of Operations

The Foundation for American Innovation champions the technology, talent, and ideas essential to American prosperity, security, and flourishing. We are builders, hackers, and scholars advancing an optimistic vision of the future—aligning technology with human ends to forge a more perfect union between innovation and the American republic.

To support this mission, FAI is seeking a Director of Operations to oversee HR, daily operations, finance, compliance, and organizational systems as we expand our team and operational complexity.

About the Role

This full-time position, based in Washington, DC, reports to the Vice President of Operations and works closely with the policy, development, and external affairs teams.

You'll join a growing organization with established financial and operational practices. Your mandate will be to strengthen institutional compliance, talent retention, and organizational efficiency while building scalable systems to support sustainable growth.

Responsibilities

• Financial Management:
  • Oversee payroll, assist with budgeting, and financial reporting
  • Partner with the Vice President of Operations and program leads on resource allocation, grant budgeting, and long-term financial planning
• Operational Systems & Compliance:
  • Design and maintain operational processes that ensure accuracy, accountability, and scalability
  • Oversee contracts, vendor management, insurance, HR systems, and risk management
  • Ensure compliance with federal and state nonprofit regulations, grant terms, and employment law
• Grants & Institutional Reporting:
  • Collaborate with the development team to support restricted fund management
  • Maintain alignment between program expenditures, funder commitments, and financial documentation
• Human Resources Management:
  • Oversee core HR functions including payroll, benefits administration, compliance, team training, and personnel policies
  • Support recruitment, onboarding, and performance management processes to ensure operational consistency and legal compliance
• People & Culture Infrastructure:
  • Partner with leadership on talent management, onboarding, compensation benchmarking, team building, and benefits administration. Maintain a culture of accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement

Qualifications

FAI welcomes applicants from a range of backgrounds, including think tanks and mission-driven startups, but the right candidate likely has at least seven years of experience.

Successful candidates will demonstrate:

• Experience in nonprofit operations, finance, or human resources
• Experience working across departments and aligning priorities across projects
• Experience overseeing HR functions, including payroll, benefits administration, and personnel policies
• Strong understanding of GAAP, nonprofit compliance, and audit processes
• Experience managing budgets across grants, programs, and restricted/unrestricted funds
• Familiarity with federal grant or philanthropic reporting requirements
• Exceptional organizational, analytical, and systems-thinking skills
• Proficiency with QuickBooks, Airtable, and modern SaaS finance/operations tools
• Demonstrated success in improving processes and building scalable systems
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Alignment with FAI's right-of-center, reform-oriented mission

Physical requirements: Ability to frequently navigate multiple flights of stairs throughout the workday in a multi-story facility without elevator access.

Benefits and Perks

• Annual salary range estimated to be $100,000–$140,000 but is negotiable based on experience
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) match up to 6%
• $1,000 annual book credit
• Monthly commuter benefit
• Unlimited vacation policy

To Apply

Qualified candidates should submit the following application materials (in order) in one PDF document:

• Cover letter including:
  • Paragraph(s) describing three distinct reasons you are drawn to FAI's mission and how you came to those beliefs
• Salary requirements
• Résumé