Operations Generalist, Arete Glacier Initiative

Overview

We are seeking a highly organized, proactive, and adaptable Operations Generalist to help build and run the internal systems that enable Arête Glacier Initiative to operate effectively and scale responsibly. This is a hands-on role for someone early in their career who is excited to learn quickly, take on a wide range of responsibilities, and grow alongside a rapidly evolving organization. 

The Operations Generalist will support and help manage core organizational processes across people operations, recruiting, finance operations, vendor coordination, and internal tools. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys building structure where it doesn’t yet exist, is comfortable working independently, and is motivated by contributing to a mission-driven organization focused on addressing catastrophic sea-level rise. 

Climate change is destabilizing marine ice sheets, creating a risk of catastrophic sea-level rise over the next century. Arete Glacier Initiative is a new nonprofit initiative dedicated to understanding this risk and assessing the efficacy, safety, and feasibility of potential interventions to stabilize ice sheets. We aim to fund, coordinate, and accelerate research to enable informed and legitimate societal decisions regarding these interventions.

Digital Harbor Foundation and Arete Glacier Initiative are dedicated to fostering learning, creativity, productivity, and community through education with a vision of digital equity for everyone. Driven by our sincere belief that access to opportunity is a basic right, we take bold yet practical actions to support making a better future now. Through a portfolio of projects focused on developing leadership within communities, we support those closest to challenges to take deliberate actions based in design thinking approach, backed by data analysis, grounded in a practice of collective impact, and driven by a commitment to racial equity.

Preferred Qualifications

• ~2-4 years of professional experience, ideally in a startup, nonprofit, research, or mission-driven environment. 
• Experience working with or helping implement internal operational systems (e.g. HR systems, payroll systems, recruiting workflows, CRM, finance tools, etc.).
• Experience supporting recruiting or talent operations processes is strongly preferred. 
• Strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Demonstrated ability to learn new systems and tools quickly.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Excellent written and verbal communication, with strong interpersonal, and presentation skills.
• Ability to work independently, including managing multiple projects and deadlines, and proactively identifying and completing tasks.
• Ability to effectively collaborate on informal and formal projects with various departments within the organization, and with a positive disposition.
• Ability to think strategically and make recommendations that take into account competing needs and priorities.
• Detail oriented.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel) and Google Suite (Sheets, Docs, Slides).
• Analytical thinking, problem-solving, organizational, and multitasking skills.

Who You Are

• You are comfortable working independently and figuring things out without a fully built playbook.
• You approach complex problems with humility, curiosity, and empathy.
• You are organized and reliable, with strong follow-through. 
• You are comfortable working in environments with uncertainty or evolving priorities. 
• You are excited to support work addressing climate change and catastrophic sea-level rise risk.
• You are comfortable engaging with technical or science-adjacent material when needed (without needing to be a subject matter expert).

Additional Notes

This position is fully remote with core working hours for collaborative work or meetings.

Role and Responsibilities

• Internal Systems & Organizational Operations (35%):
  • Help stand up, maintain, and improve internal systems across HR, payroll, recruiting infrastructure, CRM, and internal knowledge management tools.
  • Document processes and maintain clear internal documentation so systems are usable and resilient as Arete grows.
  • Support vendor onboarding, contract tracking, and basic compliance and operational logistics. 
  • Identify opportunities to improve workflows and reduce manual or duplicative work. 
• Finance Operations Support (20%):
  • Support operational aspects of finance workflows, including invoice tracking, expense coordination, and vendor payment logistics. 
  • Help maintain organized financial documentation and support coordination with external accounting or finance partners. 
  • Assist with tracking budgets and operational spending against plans. 
• Cross-Team & Utility Support (20%):
  • Provide general operational and logistical support across the organization as needs evolve.
  • Support internal planning processes, including helping prepare materials, track action items, and coordinate logistics.
  • Step into new operational needs as they arise in a growing organization.
• People Operations & Recruiting (25%):
  • Support recruiting processes, including job posting coordination, application tracking, candidate communications, and interview scheduling. 
  • Help source candidates through job boards, referral channels, and outreach where appropriate.
  • Support onboarding and offboarding logistics, including account setup, documentation, and orientation coordination.
  • Assist with maintaining personnel records and supporting HR processes in partnership with external providers where applicable.

Other Duties

Please note that this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice
Compensation

Compensation for this full-time position is $55,000-$60,000 annually, commensurate with experience. 

Arete Glacier Initiative provides a best-in-class comprehensive set of benefits to support the team. All regular, full-time employees are eligible to receive:

• Carefirst Blue Cross Blue Shield - Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance (100% of the premium paid for employees and 85% of dependents)
• Pre-Tax Health Savings Account (HSA) (with $365 monthly employer contributions)
• Pre-Tax Flexible Savings Account (FSA)
• Paid Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) Insurance
• Paid Short-Term & Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Paid Basic Life Insurance
• Supplemental Voluntary Life Insurance (Employee, Spouse & Dependent Children)
• Total Pet Plan and Supplemental Wishbone Pet Insurance
• Employee Opportunity Program (EAP) - Health and Wellness
• Wellness Reimbursement Program 

• 401k Retirement Plan (with 6% matching)

• 15 Days Paid Time Off Per Year
• 20 Days Paid Time Off Per Year (after 3rd Anniversary)
• 25 Days Paid Time Off Per Year (after 6th Anniversary)
• 16 Paid Holidays (14 common plus 2 flexible holidays, including Dec 25 - Jan 1)
• Paid Bereavement Leave
• Paid Parental Leave for Moms and Dads (two weeks after first year)

If our mission and vision align with your personal values, please apply!

A cover letter outlining your qualifications for the position along with your resume is required. Interviews will be conducted virtually.

Digital Harbor and Arete Glacier Initiative are equal opportunity employers.