Job Description
Rev. August 2024
Employee Initials: ______
Job Title: Chief Operations Officer
Classification: Executive
Position Category: Full-time, regular
Department: Executive/Admin
FLSA Status: Exempt, Salary
Reports to: CEO
Work Location: US – Remote
EEO Category: Executive/Senior Level Officials and Managers
Direct Reports:
Director of Finance and HR, Senior Director of Technology and Program Administration, Director of Research and Evaluation, Senior Operations and Implementation Manager
Overview
The Chief Operations Officer partners with the CEO to manage an organization that can carry out the mission of the Last Mile Education Fund, ensuring the organization is scaled to serve students in need in an efficient and effective manner. The COO enables the CEO to be externally focused as the organizational champion and thought leader while setting overall strategic direction. The CEO and the COO together are responsible for creating and embodying Last MileÂ’s… culture.
The Last Mile Education Fund takes a disruptive approach to increasing diversity in tech and engineering fields by addressing critical gaps in financial support for low-income, underrepresented students in the final stretch to complete their degrees. The issue of lack of diversity within the technology sector is facing a critical bottleneck in the pivotal college years. The current system in which underrepresented populations are under-resourced and disconnected from key networking opportunities is perpetuating the lack of diversity within both industry and academia. The Last Mile Education Fund invests in striving low-income students within reach of a degree. We provide agile, just-in-time financial support; connect students to social support resources; and, ultimately, replace a vicious cycle with a virtuous one of investment, engagement, and reinvestment.
Last Mile Education Fund holds high expectations of performance, personal capabilities, and most importantly, a strong positive relationship with the students and supporters we serve. Because all employees may interact with students, supporters, staff, community partners, and board members, they must possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
Minimum Qualifications
• 10-12 years of experience in senior nonprofit management overseeing organizations with budgets of $5M or more
• At least 7 years of experience managing a team of senior managers
• Preference for graduate degree and/or certifications in nonprofit management, business administration, etc.
Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to inspire and guide a diverse team.
• Strategic planning skills to develop and execute operational plans aligned with the organization’s mission.
• Proficiency in change management and leading organizational transformations.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills for conveying complex ideas to various stakeholders.
• Ability to build and maintain relationships with board members, staff, donors, and external partners.
• Strong presentation skills for reporting to the board and other key stakeholders.
• Ability to develop and implement strategic plans that enhance organizational effectiveness and impact.
• Advanced analytical skills to assess operational performance and make data-driven decisions.
• Ability to identify operational inefficiencies and implement effective solutions.
• Strong financial acumen to manage budgets, analyze financial data, and ensure sustainability.
• Strong commitment to ethical decision-making and adherence to the Last Mile mission and values.
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion and integrity.
• Commitment to accountability and transparency in operations.
• Ability to inspire and motivate others toward achieving the organization’s mission.
• Capability to envision future growth and lead the organization through transitions and scaling.
• Understanding of nonprofit governance and compliance requirements.
• Knowledge of fundraising strategies and grant management.
• Ability to partner with nonprofit executives and program staff as a leader and collaborator.
• Experience working effectively with a team that works remotely.
• Experience building impact measurement tools, assessing collected data, and working with team members to enact changes based on relevant data.
• A commitment to accuracy and a keen attention to detail.
• Forward-thinking with the ability to anticipate challenges and opportunities.
Work Environment and Physical Demands
This job operates in a professional office environment. No adverse environmental conditions are expected. This is largely a sedentary role; however, standing and walking may be occasionally required for client interaction and/or special event participation. The position frequently communicates with students, supporters, staff, community partners, and board members; the ability to exchange accurate information in these situations is required.
Additional Notes
Rev. September 2024
Employee Initials: ______
Occasional travel may be required.
Role and Responsibilities
• Partner with the CEO to set external strategy and build organizational culture.
• Translate culture and strategy into operations, ensuring alignment with Last Mile’s mission and four pillars.
• With the CEO, promote an organizational culture that operates from an equity and investment mindset. Ensure that efficient and effective operations reflect an equity framework and an investment mindset throughout the organization, including through hiring, professional development, operations and processes, and program evaluation.
• Create operating strategies and plans. Ensure that the organizational structure fulfills the strategy and mission.
• Create and build systems and processes.
• Partner with key staff to establish and codify scalable full-cycle grantee-supporting and resource-development operations.
• Establish and execute staff performance management policies and practices ensuring that all employees are prioritizing the most effective and efficient activities supporting students served by Last Mile, based on an equity framework, embracing a growth mindset, and emanating from Last Mile’s four guiding pillars.
• Ensure that technology systems work to simplify and scale operations and do not duplicate or complicate functions.
• Support the CEO in managing external relationships.
• Ensure that branding, marketing, and communications activities align with strategy.
• Ensure that programs and services are delivered in a way that provides timely, accurate, and impactful data that can be shared with funders and external stakeholders.
• Stand in for the CEO as the external face of the organization, as needed.
• Oversee daily operations.
• Manage key staff. Support a culture of continuous improvement and lean, effective operations. Ensure that all employees have clear deliverables and that performance expectations are met.
• Ensure that operational functions establish and meet data-driven goals and key performance indicators (KPIs). Establish and lead operational performance management and learning and improvement practices.
• Partner with the CEO to establish and make adjustments to the annual budget. Ensure that resource deployment is lean and focused on direct investment in the students served by Last Mile.
• Monitor compliance issues related to human resources, accounting practices, data security, and other areas of ongoing risk.
• Other duties as assigned
