Head of Operations / COO

Role Overview

Encode AI is at a pivotal moment. We're a small team punching well above our weight on some of the most consequential technology policy questions of the decade — and over the next eighteen months, we expect to increase our headcount from 7 up to 20.

We're looking for a Head of Operations to own the compliance and financial and organizational infrastructure that will let Encode scale without breaking. This is a senior leadership role for someone who can build the systems, processes, and operational foundations of a fast-growing AI policy organization — while exercising excellent judgment in an unusually complex legal, regulatory, and strategic environment.

This person will own core operational functions across Encode's 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) entities, including compliance, finance, HR, recruiting, vendors, internal systems, and organizational scaling. For an exceptional candidate, we would be open to hiring at the Chief Operating Officer level, with a correspondingly broader leadership mandate, title, and compensation.

A note on level and title

The default expectation for this search is that we will hire a Head of Operations. In that role, you would own Encode's operations function and work closely with the Co-Executive Directors to help the organization scale.

We are also open to — and would be excited about — hiring an exceptional candidate at the Chief Operating Officer level. A COO hire would function as a member of senior leadership, co-own significant aspects of organizational strategy with the Co-Executive Directors, and likely have a correspondingly higher salary band. If you think the COO framing fits you, please apply and tell us so in your application.

What you'll own

• Legal and regulatory compliance. Own Encode's internal compliance function across our 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) entities, including the relationship and allocation between the two. We may also establish other entities in the future, and you'd be the primary owner making decisions with our lawyers to set those up correctly. You'd generally work closely with outside counsel to ensure we are compliant with all applicable local, state, and federal regulations, including lobbying registrations, political activity rules, and employment law across the states where we operate.
• Financial leadership. Own annual budgeting and ongoing financial planning across both entities. Own the relationship with our outsourced operations and accounting provider. Oversee our annual audit and Form 990 filings, and manage the relationship with our auditors.
• Vendor and counsel relationships. Own the high-level strategy for external vendors, including for our lawyers, accountants, insurance brokers, consultants, and other key external partners. In the short term, you will likely own all of these relationships yourself, although you can choose to delegate some of these over time. Make sure the right people are in the room for the right questions, and that nothing falls through the cracks.
• HR, recruiting, and people operations. Own our HR and recruiting policies and infrastructure, while managing the Operations Associate will execute on most of these tasks. Partner with hiring managers and the Operations Associate to run hiring processes that actually scale as we grow and ensure that we can recruit and retain the best people.
• People management. Manage and grow a small operations team over time as the organization expands. If we make both operations hires, this role would manage the Senior Operations Manager.
• Organizational design and scale. Help us think through how to build Encode for 3x growth: what processes, systems, roles, and decision-making structures we need now; what we can defer; and where compliance, legal, financial, and operational risk needs to be proactively managed.
• Senior leadership and strategy. For candidates hired at the COO level, co-own major aspects of organizational strategy with the Co-Executive Directors, help translate strategic priorities into operational plans, and serve as a senior leader in shaping how Encode is built for its next phase.

What we're looking for

We're looking for a senior operations leader with substantial experience in operations, finance, compliance, general management, consulting, or organizational leadership — likely around seven or more years for a Head of Operations profile, and closer to 10 years for a COO profile, though we care more about judgment and capability than formal years of experience. You might be a strong fit if you have:

• Significant experience leading operations, finance, compliance, or general management in a complex organization, ideally including time at a fast-growing nonprofit, advocacy organization, political entity, startup, or similarly dynamic environment.
• Working familiarity with the legal and regulatory environment for 501(c)(3)/501(c)(4) organizations, lobbying, and political activity. You do not need to be a lawyer, but you should know enough to spot issues, frame tradeoffs, and ask the right questions of our outside counsel.
• Strong financial fluency. You are comfortable owning a budget, reading financials, managing accountants and auditors, and helping leadership make decisions based on financial information.
• Experience designing and improving organizational systems, not just running existing ones.
• Experience managing people.
• Excellent judgment in ambiguous, high-stakes environments where legal, strategic, financial, and operational considerations overlap.
• A bias toward ownership and a high tolerance for ambiguity — you are energized by building systems where none exist yet.
• Alignment with Encode's mission and a sense of urgency about this moment in AI policy.

For the COO level specifically, we would expect evidence of broader organizational leadership: experience advising or partnering closely with senior leadership, owning cross-functional priorities, making strategic tradeoffs, and helping shape the operating model of an organization.

Compensation, benefits, and location

This is a full-time position. We are both open to this role being remote within the United States or based in person in our Washington, DC office.

The expected salary range for a Head of Operations hire is $170,000–$200,000, commensurate with experience. For an exceptional candidate hired at the Chief Operating Officer level, compensation would be above $200,000, depending on experience and location.

Encode offers a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• 100% of healthcare, vision, and dental insurance premiums covered for employees, and 50% for spouses and dependents
• Unlimited PTO and approximately 20 office holidays, including all federal holidays and the week between Christmas and New Year's Day
• 401(k) retirement plan with a 6% unconditional employer contribution
• Up to $500 for new full-time employees for home office setup expenses

Please note that we are not able to sponsor visas for this role or any of our other roles.

About Encode AI

Encode AI advocates for responsible AI development that serves the public interest. We've helped shape major AI policy wins across the federal and state level, including passing California's SB 53, New York's RAISE Act, the federal TAKE IT DOWN Act, America's first nuclear weapons AI safeguards, and twice blocking efforts to place a blanket moratorium on state AI regulation.

We also hold the industry accountable through strategic challenges, including amicus briefs, coalition letters, and direct advocacy which contributed to OpenAI maintaining its nonprofit control status.