Chief Operating Officer

Chief Operating Officer

Blue Forest

 

Location: Remote (Sacramento, California, United States)

Salary: $200,000–$225,000 per year

Department: Operations

Reports To: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Travel: Up to 25%

Priority Application Date: August 28, 2026

Preferred Start Date: November 2, 2026

Employment Status: Full-Time, Exempt

 

About Blue Forest

 

Blue Forest is a conservation finance nonprofit founded in 2015 focused on advancing ecosystem restoration through scientific research, financial innovation, and collaborative partnerships.

 

Since 2018, Blue Forest has managed investor capital through its flagship financial product, the Forest Resilience Bond (FRB), which deploys private capital to finance forest restoration projects that reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires.

 

Blue Forest has also established Blue Forest Asset Management (BFAM), an investment management platform connecting investors to mission-aligned opportunities beyond FRBs, including private equity and private credit investments.

 

Blue Forest is made up of an interdisciplinary team of scientists, engineers, foresters, finance, and communications professionals committed to the mission:

 

To accelerate ecological restoration through conservation finance, enabling climate resilience for ecosystems and communities.

 

Employees at Blue Forest are:

 

• Committed to Continuous Learning

• Driven by Collaboration

• Thoughtful Innovators for Impact

• Grounded in Science

• Passionate about Restoring Earth’s Ecosystems

 

Position Summary

 

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) serves as Blue Forest’s senior operational leader and is responsible for organizational effectiveness, internal infrastructure, and enterprise execution in support of the organization’s mission and growth objectives.

 

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer and serving on the Executive Leadership Team (XLT) alongside the CEO, Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and Chief Program Officer (CPO), the COO is a strategic decision-maker helping shape the organization’s long-term direction.

 

The COO oversees Human Resources, Information Technology, and business operations, building the systems, talent management practices, governance frameworks, and operational discipline necessary to support Blue Forest’s conservation finance platform and multi-state nonprofit operations.

 

Working closely with the CEO, CFO, and CPO, the COO ensures enterprise strategy translates into operational alignment, accountability, and measurable performance outcomes, enabling Blue Forest to scale its impact while maintaining operational rigor and cultural cohesion.

 

Responsibilities & Duties

 

Functional Oversight (25%)

 

• Oversee HR, IT, and other components of operations, including legal operations and event logistics.

• Ensure internal systems, infrastructure, and operational capacity effectively support programmatic delivery, including investment and asset management activities.

• Align staffing models, organizational design, systems, and organizational resources with strategic objectives.

• Strengthen clarity of decision rights, accountability, and governance across departments and teams.

 

Operational Excellence & Governance (25%)

 

• Oversee enterprise systems, IT infrastructure, cybersecurity coordination, and knowledge management practices.

• Lead major infrastructure and systems initiatives to strengthen operational maturity and scalability.

• Ensure compliance with multi-state nonprofit regulations and applicable federal requirements, including 2 CFR 200.

• Partner with the CFO on budgeting, financial controls, internal policy, governance, and risk management.

• Support Board governance by preparing operational materials and participating in Board discussions.

• Liaise with external legal counsel and review, negotiate, and approve key organizational agreements.

 

Organizational Leadership (20%)

 

• Serve as a member of the Executive Leadership Team (XLT) and Senior Leadership Team (SLT).

• Facilitate executive leadership meetings and organizational decision-making.

• Oversee the company-wide strategic planning process.

• Drive execution of the strategic plan through goals, KPIs, and accountability systems.

• Monitor organizational performance and proactively identify operational risks and opportunities.

• Serve as a cross-functional integrator to ensure alignment across the organization.

 

Resource Development, Partnerships & External Relations (15%)

 

• Support the CEO and CFO in investor, funder, and partner due diligence.

• Oversee procurement and strategic vendor relationships.

• Represent organizational operations with investors, partners, funders, and stakeholders.

• Collaborate on strategic partnership opportunities, including funding collaborations, co-branding, joint ventures, and mergers or acquisitions.

• Support fundraising strategy and cultivate relationships with funders, investors, and philanthropic partners.

 

People Leadership & Culture (15%)

 

• Lead enterprise HR strategy, workforce planning, succession planning, and talent acquisition.

• Strengthen performance management and leadership development across a distributed workforce.

• Foster a collaborative, compliant, mission-aligned culture.

• Champion organizational values and equity commitments.

• Directly supervise and mentor leaders across operational functions.

 

Desired Skills & Qualifications

 

• Proven leadership and people management experience.

• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in executive operations, HR, or organizational leadership within nonprofit or small-to-mid-sized organizations.

• Experience managing distributed teams.

• Expertise in HR systems, IT infrastructure, and organizational systems management.

• Strong strategic planning, project management, and operational execution skills.

• Working knowledge of employment law, nonprofit compliance, and contract management.

• Experience working with funders, investors, or institutional donors.

• Financial operations experience, including budgeting and financial controls.

• Familiarity with grant agreements, investment documents, and funding agreements.

• Knowledge of federal grants compliance and multi-state nonprofit regulations.

• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.

• Passion for conservation, climate resilience, and innovative finance.

• SHRM, PMP, or similar certifications are a plus.

 

Benefits

 

• 100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance

• Subsidized dependent coverage

• 401(k) with 5% employer match

• Four weeks paid vacation

• Seventeen paid holidays

• Paid sick leave

• Volunteer time

• Three months paid family leave

• Employer-paid life insurance

• Employer-paid long-term disability insurance

• Dependent Care FSA

• Health FSA

• Public Lands Exploration stipend

• Monthly home office stipend or coworking membership

• Dependent care reimbursement for business travel

• Health & wellness stipend

• Home internet stipend

• Cell phone stipend

• Professional development funding

 

Additional Information

 

Blue Forest is a fully remote organization with employees located across all four continental U.S. time zones.

Employees are generally expected to work during Pacific Time business hours to collaborate with colleagues and partners.

 

Blue Forest also hosts an annual in-person team retreat.

 

How to Apply

 

• Submit both a resume and cover letter through Recruitee.

• Candidates from historically underrepresented populations and those with non-traditional career paths are strongly encouraged to apply.

• Applicants requiring childcare or other eligible interview-related accommodations may request reimbursement of reasonable expenses (up to $30/hour for up to twice the length of each interview).