Words Without Borders

Finance and Operations Manager

Full-time, exempt
Remote 

Words Without Borders seeks a finance and operations manager to support the organization’s operations and fiscal growth. The ideal candidate will be a highly organized, systems-oriented self-starter able to prioritize a wide range of tasks. This newly created role will support all aspects of WWB’s financial, administrative, and HR activities. Reporting to the executive director, the manager will play a crucial role in strengthening WWB’s operational capacity at a time of organizational growth, and will help WWB create and use strong, equitable systems that will position the organization to expand its impact. This is an exciting opportunity for a mid-career professional looking to make an impact at a renowned international literary and educational organization.

The organization

Founded in 2003, Words Without Borders is the premier destination for a global literary conversation. Our mission is to cultivate global awareness by expanding access to international writing and creating a bridge between readers, writers, and translators.

Our award-winning digital magazine offers unparalleled access to the world’s literary voices. These include writers like Han Kang, Olga Tokarczuk, and Jon Fosse, all published on WWB before they became international sensations, as well as hundreds of new and rising talents. We are committed to centering writers in indigenous, endangered, and other world languages that are too often marginalized.

Our education program, WWB Campus, draws on the writing published in our magazine to bring global literature into hundreds of classrooms, offering free access to stories from around the world, multimedia curricular resources that bring literature to life, and professional support for educators.

WWB also organizes free virtual and in-person events with international authors, translators, and critics, providing a space for readers to engage directly with the perspectives we publish. Our fellowships and grants provide opportunities for emerging professionals in the field of literary translation.

Responsibilities

The manager will report to the executive director, collaborate internally with the development manager and digital manager, and liaise with outside contractors including auditors and WWB’s financial consultant. As part of their regular duties, the financial and operations manager will:

Financial:

  • Manage day-to-day finances to keep organization fiscally healthy. This includes processing payments, making deposits, creating and tracking invoices, following up on outstanding invoices and accounts payable, and categorizing income and expenses.
  • In close collaboration with the executive director, support annual financial planning processes, as well as budget management and forecasting throughout the year.
  • Ensure efficient functioning and documentation for all financial systems including reimbursements, contributor payments, etc.
  • Improve upon existing systems and reporting templates in order to effectively communicate WWB’s financial activities to a variety of internal and external stakeholders.
  • Prepare financial materials for grant applications and reports, including budgets, reporting on program expenses, and financial narratives.
  • Support the annual audit and preparation of the 990.
  • Serve as primary staff liaison for outside auditor and financial consultant; support executive director on execution of finance committee meetings.

Human Resources:

  • Liaise with outside payroll provider and oversee benefits administration; coordinate agreements and renewals with insurance providers; communicate with staff about their options and answer questions as they arise.
  • Develop and improve upon existing HR systems and protocols including payroll, timesheets, and comp time and PTO tracking.
  • Ensure regulatory compliance by maintaining employer registrations with relevant state, local, and federal government agencies.
  • Respond to HR issues and escalate issues to executive director as appropriate.
  • Support all aspects of onboarding and off-boarding, including onboarding new staff members by providing access to relevant software and platforms, collecting new employee documentation, and setting up employee in payroll system.
  • Work closely with executive director to support the annual review process.

Operational:

  • Work with executive director to ensure that WWB fosters a supportive and equitable work environment for a diverse group of employees; seek out and support opportunities for staff development, training, and team building.
  • In collaboration with the executive director, modify existing policies and systems and develop new ones, with the aim of supporting and enhancing WWB’s operations.
  • Conduct ad hoc research (on field issues, organizational opportunities, etc.)

Qualifications

  • 4–6 years of professional experience with budgeting and financial management to support organizational stability and growth. Preferably at a nonprofit organization, publisher, or in a related field, and preferably within an organization with a budget of $500k–$1 million.
  • Experience creating and implementing multi-user systems that ensure accuracy, foster ease of access to information, and help save time across the organization.
  • Motivated self-starter with high level of organization, capable of working independently and taking initiative, with willingness to pitch in on other projects when needed.
  • Excellent time-management skills and a proven ability to balance competing priorities, respond promptly to queries, and meet deadlines.
  • Ability to handle sensitive and/or confidential material with discretion.
  • Enthusiasm about working and collaborating with a small remote team at a mission-driven organization.
  • Proficiency with online office tools used at WWB, including QuickBooks Online, Salesforce, Dropbox, Microsoft 365, and Google Workspace.
  • Interest in international literature; familiarity, through either academic or personal background, with another language and/or cultural context strongly desired.

Job details

This is a remote, full-time (32–35 hours/week) position. The applicant should be available during WWB’s core hours of 11am–3pm Eastern time. Permission to work in the US is required.

Compensation and benefits

WWB offers a flexible, remote work environment with generous paid time off and a 32-hour, semi-flexible work schedule. Full-time employees work “core hours” of Monday–Thursday, 11am–3pm ET, and choose either to work a Monday–Thursday or Monday–Friday schedule.

Salary range for the role is $54,000–$58,000 per year DOE. Benefits include:

  • Health insurance including vision and dental.
  • Employer-sponsored health flexible spending account.
  • Generous annual holiday schedule, with 13 paid holidays annually.
  • Life & long-term disability.

To apply

Interested candidates may email the following materials by 11:59pm ET on May 14, 2026, to jobs@wordswithoutborders.org with the subject line “Finance and Operations Manager”:

  • A résumé.
  • Cover letter indicating how this position aligns with your skill set and career goals.
  • A 1–2-minute screenshare or video (using Loom.com, Screenpal.com, or similar) walking the viewer through a system you developed that helped to save time and facilitate ease of access to information.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Due to the volume of applications received, we will only contact individuals who make it to the interview round. No phone calls or social media contact, please. Position begins in July 2026.

Who we are

WWB is an equal opportunity employer. We strive to build a staff that reflects the diversity of the global communities we serve and uplifts marginalized and historically resilient communities while fostering an inclusive workplace culture. WWB welcomes and encourages applicants who bring a broad view of the world.

WWB provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.