Senior Operations Manager

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 Senior Operations Manager to help build and run the compliance and financial and organizational infrastructure that will let Encode scale without breaking. This is a high-ownership execution role for someone who is excited to make a fast-growing advocacy organization more reliable, organized, and operationally excellent.

You'll work closely with Encode's Co-Executive Directors and external partners to manage core operational systems across our 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) entities, including compliance, finance, HR, recruiting, vendors, and internal processes.

What you'll own

• Legal and regulatory compliance. Execute key compliance work across Encode's 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) entities under Co-Executive Director ownership, including support for entity allocation, lobbying registrations, political activity rules, and employment law compliance across the states where we operate. We may also establish other entities in the future, and you'd be the primary individual working with our lawyers to set those up correctly. You'll work closely with outside counsel to make sure the right questions get surfaced early and followed through.
• Financial operations. Lead annual budgeting, ongoing financial planning, expense tracking, and financial reporting across both entities. Own day-to-day coordination with our outsourced operations and accounting provider, and help manage annual audit and Form 990 processes.
• Vendor and counsel coordination. Manage day-to-day relationships with lawyers, accountants, insurance brokers, consultants, and other external partners. Make sure the right people are looped in, next steps are tracked, and nothing falls through the cracks.
• HR, recruiting, and people operations. Help build and maintain Encode's HR and recruiting infrastructure, onboarding, benefits administration, performance processes, and offboarding. Partner with hiring managers to run organized, candidate-friendly hiring processes to ensure we recruit the best people possible.
• Internal systems and processes. Build lightweight, durable systems that help a growing team operate well — from documentation and approval flows to recurring internal processes, vendor tracking, compliance calendars, and hiring workflows.
• Operational problem-solving. Step into ambiguous operational problems, figure out what needs to happen, and drive the work to completion with good judgment and attention to detail.
• Possible future people management. This role will not necessarily have direct reports to start. Depending on the candidate's aptitude, experience, and organizational needs, we may eventually shift management of our team's Operations Associate under this person.

What we're looking for

We're looking for someone with significant experience in operations, finance, compliance, consulting, general management, or a related field — likely around five or more years, though we care more about judgment and capability than years on paper. You might be a strong fit if you have:

• Experience managing complex operational work in a fast-moving environment, ideally at a nonprofit, advocacy organization, political entity, startup, or consulting firm.
• Familiarity with the legal and regulatory environment for 501(c)(3)/501(c)(4) organizations, lobbying, political activity, or nonprofit compliance. You do not need to be a lawyer, but you should be able to spot issues and work effectively with counsel.
• Strong financial fluency, including comfort with budgets, financial reports, accountants, auditors, and operational finance workflows.
• Excellent project management instincts: you track details, follow up reliably, and make complicated processes feel calmer and more legible.
• Good judgment about when to escalate, when to move independently, and when to ask for help.
• 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.

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 salary range for this role is $130,000–$160,000, commensurate with experience.

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.