Program Operations Lead - Carbon-Free Buildings

Are you a program management professional who takes initiative, is flexible, and enjoys 

working in a results-driven, team environment? Are you able to exercise good judgment in a 

variety of situations, with strong written and verbal communication, administration, and 

organizational skills? Do you have experience streamlining systems and processes for programs 

and people? If yes, then join our team!

Program Overview

In this role, you will become a team member within RMI’s Carbon-Free Buildings (CFB) Program, 

which seeks to decarbonize the building sector by 2050. We do this through efforts to deeply 

reduce energy consumption in residential and commercial buildings, electrify our building 

stock, dramatically reduce embodied carbon in the built environment and harness the mutual 

benefits of grid-interactive buildings. CFB drives impact in these areas through stakeholder 

engagement, tactical client engagements, thought leadership, R&D and demonstration projects. 

CFB balances research, technical analysis, boots-on-the-ground field work, communication, and 

collaboration to achieve its goals. Learn more about the CFB Program’s core initiatives 

here: https://rmi.org/our-work/buildings/

Position Overview

RMI is seeking a Program Lead with exceptional organizational and project management skills 

to operationally oversee REALIZE and facilitate successful grant and financial management for 

the REALIZE initiative. This position reports to the Managing Director (MD) for Carbon-Free 

Buildings and Sr. Manager of Program Operations in Program Services. In this role, you will play 

a key role in everything from supporting REALIZE event logistics, to team meetings, to ensuring 

that all REALIZE team grants, namely state and federal funding sources, are effectively 

managed, reported on, and that all grantor requirements are met. You will also work to ensure 

all subrecipients are aligned with grant terms and requirements. Additionally, you will work 

closely with RMI’s central operations team to drive efficiency and support successful execution 

by designing and implementing systems to monitor and report on initiative activities, outcomes 

and resource usage. You will also ensure all project partners are appropriately resourced from 

the initiative budget, that progress and funding usage is appropriately tracked and reported to 

internal staff and funders, and that the initiative effectively coordinates and collaborates with 

stakeholders to drive the essential change required to rapidly scale building decarbonization 

technologies.

Your Key Responsibilities

Budget management and grant reporting:

• Maintain program budget by reforecasting on a monthly basis and support with annual 

budget creation both within Adaptive

• Work with Development and the program team to ensure coordination of key materials 

and all funding opportunities are up to date in Salesforce on a monthly basis

• Support program fundraising efforts by ensuring RMI and program qualifications are 

appropriately referenced in funding proposals

• Facilitate and the monitoring and reporting in coordination with US grants lead

• Support grant management, tracking, and reporting in partnership with US grant lead, 

compliance manager, development officer, and program leadership

• Maintain a high-level view of the funding Pipeline and give feedback to leadership on 

future funding gaps

• Act as a liaison between finance and the program to ensure that the correct rates are 

being used for budgets in funding proposals and contracts

People:

• Support program team with full-cycle recruitment, including working with leadership to 

update and deliver on hiring targets and staff utilization

• Ensure that team members are participating in relevant trainings and utilizing their 

learning and development budgets

• Serve as point person for the program team on travel safety procedures and guidelines

Procurement and contracting:

• Plan, organize, and executes internal program-related events

• Manage invoices, current contracts, creation of new contracts and relationships with 

current and future program contractors

• Submit vendor bills correctly and in a timely manner, in coordination with US grants 

lead

• Facilitate and manage procurement processes for the program with the support from 

RMI’s compliance manager

Project management:

• Ensure all team members are properly planned in project management tool

• Maintain project structures (including budget and project-specific data) and create new 

projects when needed in project management tool

• Review and approve timesheets and expense reports for the program

• Track RMI-standard KPIs and compiles results, generating actionable plans for 

improvement for leadership review

• Maintain the program’s SharePoint homepages

Internal (intra-institute) coordination:

• Serve as liaison between the program team and RMI’s operations departments, with a 

focus on efficiency and effectiveness

• Support operations in implementation of process improvements and RMI standards for 

program success

• Work with leaders to ensure consistent processes and tools are utilized across the 

program

• Facilitate internal coordination with other programs and operations on shared 

resources, providing frequent updates to leadership

Other/ miscellaneous:

• Additional responsibilities, as required

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, or an equivalent 

combination of education and experience

• A minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible administrative, finance, operations, 

project management or related experience

• Experience managing multiple funding sources, especially U.S. government or 

multilateral funding

• Strong verbal and written communications skills

• Proficient budgeting, finance, and project management skills

• Experience working with complex budgets and funders

• Proven organization skills and flexibility when it comes to balancing priorities

• Strong team and interpersonal skills and the ability to work independently

• Ability to manage stakeholder relationships

• Demonstrable problem-solving skills

• Ability to effectively multitask

• Good judgment and strong decision-making ability

• Attention to detail and exceptional accuracy

• Grant and proposal writing and management

Location

We are a remote-ready company with team members around the globe. Our beautiful and 

welcoming offices are available for meetings or focused work, whether you’re traveling through 

or living nearby. Our U.S. offices are in New York City; Washington DC; Oakland, California; 

Boulder, Colorado, and Basalt, Colorado. 

We provide you with the essential IT equipment plus a one-time home technology payment and 

a monthly work from home/commuter allowance to ensure you have a comfortable home 

office set up and necessary supplies.

We love seeing each other in person! We occasionally gather for shared time together like 

retreats and learning experiences. Be ready to travel for occasional in-person meetings (and of 

course, we cover travel costs). Some roles may require more travel, which will be discussed 

during the hiring process.

Important Note: As a U.S. federal contractor, RMI must comply with requirements outlined 

Executive Order Ensuring Adequate COVID Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors. This 

Executive Order requires that all federal contractors and subcontractors mandate and verify 

that all U.S. based employees are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. If you are based in the U.S., 

you will be required to provide proof of full vaccination status as a condition of employment. 

You may request an accommodation for medical or religious reasons. If you are based outside 

of the U.S., this requirement does not apply.

Compensation

The starting salary range for this position is $63,000 - $74,000. Salary to be determined by your 

education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment 

with market data.

You would also have a 5% bonus target!

Benefits

We offer a comprehensive benefits package including:

• Medical, dental, vision insurance

• 403b retirement options (5% match immediately)

• Life, AD&D, short-term and long-term disability

• Professional and personal development (including LinkedIn Learning access)

• Generous paid time off

• Parental leave

• Commuter and wellness benefits

• Casual work environment

Diversity

Increasing the diversity of thought, perspectives, ideas and opinions within RMI is a critical 

change element supporting our long-term sustainability and mission to build a clean, 

prosperous, and secure energy future.  

We strive for a level of diversity that reflects the communities we serve. Achieving this—

regardless of ability, race, ethnicity, ancestry, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, veteran 

status, socioeconomic class, educational attainment or other social identities—is critical to the 

success of each RMIer and collectively as an organization. This ensures that we:  

• Have the different array of thinking that comes from diverse backgrounds and cultures, 

enabling us to solve some of the world’s greatest challenges. 

• Strive for a culture of inclusion and belonging by treating others with dignity, respect 

and appreciation enabling them to feel welcomed, supported and valued. 

• Effectively connect, communicate and build long-lasting relationships with decision 

makers, stakeholders and constituents within diverse communities. 

RMI is an equal opportunity employer

About RMI

RMI is an independent nonprofit founded in 1982 that transforms global energy systems 

through market-driven solutions to align with a 1.5°C future and secure a clean, prosperous, 

zero-carbon future for all. We work in the world’s most critical geographies and engage 

businesses, policymakers, communities, and NGOs to identify and scale energy system 

interventions that will cut greenhouse gas emissions at least 50 percent by 2030. RMI has 

offices in Basalt and Boulder, Colorado; New York City; Oakland, California; Washington, D.C.; 

and Beijing