Head Operator Jobs in San Ramon, CA (NOW HIRING)

Build MATS's Finance function from the ground up: create the systems, processes, and team that let a 65-person AI safety organization double in size and thrive.

MATS (ML Alignment Theory Scholars) is an AI safety research fellowship and talent development nonprofit operating at ~$31M annual budget and scaling roughly 2x annually. We run cohorts of 120–175+ fellows across Incubation, Bridge, and Anchor research tracks, with offices in Berkeley, London, and Washington DC. We are mid-build-out of a full C-suite (CEO, CFRO, COO, CPO, Scientific Director) as the organization professionalizes its operating infrastructure to match its growth trajectory.

The Head of Finance owns MATS's financial operations end-to-end: the org's books, its money in (grants, donations) and money out (payments, stipends, procurement), the plan that ties spend to strategy (budgeting/FP&A), and the controls that keep all of it defensible (audit, risk, treasury). This is the senior operating finance role under the CFRO — Christian sets financial and risk strategy at the C-suite level and represents Finance to the Board; the Head of Finance runs the function day-to‑day and is the primary executor of that strategy.

This role is right for someone who wants to build financial infrastructure for a nonprofit doubling in size annually — not maintain a steady-state function. Expect to design systems (not just operate them), make judgment calls under real ambiguity (multi‑currency, multi‑entity, cross‑border grant flows), and professionalize processes that have outgrown their current scale.

Accounting & Controllership

• Day-to-day bookkeeping, month‑end/year‑end close, chart of accounts, and general ledger integrity across US (and UK, if applicable) entities
• Financial statement preparation (P&L, balance sheet, cash flow) for leadership and Board reporting
• Reconciliations, journal entries, and maintaining a clean audit trail

Budgeting & FP&A

• Build and maintain the annual operating budget in partnership with the CEO, CFRO, and function leads
• Rolling forecasts and scenario planning (e.g., funding upside/downside cases, cohort-size sensitivity)
• Variance analysis and monthly/quarterly financial reporting to the leadership team and Board
• Unit economics and cost‑per‑fellow type modeling to inform program‑side resourcing decisions

Grants & Revenue

• Manage the full lifecycle of receiving and accounting for grants and donations: tracking restricted vs. unrestricted funds, donor/grantor reporting requirements, and compliance with funder terms
• Partner with development/fundraising on grant proposal financials and post‑award financial reporting

Payments, Payroll & Stipends

• Run payroll and the fellow stipend disbursement process across multiple cohorts, tracks, and (likely) currencies/jurisdictions
• Vendor and contractor payments, expense reimbursements, and accounts payable
• Own the policies and tooling (e.g., Brex/Ramp‑style platforms, payroll providers) that make this scale without manual overhead

Procurement

• Set procurement policy and approval workflows appropriate to a fast‑scaling org (avoiding both bottlenecks and uncontrolled spend)
• Vendor selection and contract financial terms for major spend categories (compute, office leases, software)

Audit & Compliance

• Lead annual financial audit (or audit readiness) and manage auditor relationships
• Ensure compliance with nonprofit financial regulations across US, UK, and any other operating jurisdictions (e.g., 990 filings, UK Charity Commission requirements if applicable)
• Maintain internal controls appropriate to MATS's size and risk profile, and evolve them as the org grows

Financial Strategy & Risk Management

• Co‑develop financial strategy with the CFRO: runway planning, reserve policy, funding diversification, multi‑year financial modeling
• Identify and mitigate financial risk (currency exposure, funding concentration, cash flow timing across grant cycles)
• Translate financial strategy into operating policy that program and ops teams can actually work within

Treasury / Investing Funds

• Manage cash and short‑term investment of organizational reserves consistent with a nonprofit risk posture (capital preservation and liquidity first)
• Recommend and execute an investment policy for reserves, in partnership with the CFRO and Board as needed

• 7+ years in finance/accounting roles with progressively increasing scope, including direct ownership of close, budgeting, and compliance — nonprofit, startup, or high‑growth environment strongly preferred
• Comfortable being a builder, not just an operator: you've stood up or significantly overhauled financial systems and processes, not just run an existing playbook
• Fluent in nonprofit fund accounting (restricted/unrestricted funds, grant compliance) — or able to ramp quickly if your background is for‑profit
• Strong FP&A instincts: you can build a model, explain the assumptions, and use it to actually inform a decision
• High trust, high discretion — this role touches sensitive compensation, donor, and organizational risk information
• Comfortable operating across currencies/jurisdictions (US/UK at minimum) and in a remote‑friendly, multi‑office org
• CPA or equivalent strongly preferred, not required
• Excited by MATS's mission and able to make financially sound calls in service of a fast‑moving, mission‑driven org — not just compliance‑minded

• Compensation range for this role is $160,000 to $220,000 per year for Bay area‑based hires, depending on qualifications and experience. The essential skills listed above contain the basic requirements, and align with the lower end of this range.
• MATS provides in‑office, catered lunches and dinners to employees on workdays.
• Paid work trips, including staff retreats, business trips, and relevant conferences.
• Funding and support for professional development.
• 17 days of annual paid time off for Berkeley‑based employees, and 20 days of annual leave (not including bank holidays) for London‑based employees.
• Flexibility for hybrid work (but not for fully remote work).
• Collaborative and intellectually stimulating work environment.
• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance.
• Both Roth 401(k) and Traditional 401(k) for US‑based employees for Berkeley‑based candidates, or Pension Scheme for London‑based candidates.

Visa sponsorship may be possible but is not guaranteed.

If you are interested in this role, please apply viathis form . We will accept applications on a rolling basis after July 14th, but preference will be given to applications submitted earlier.