Chief Operating Officer
2 days ago
Washington
Job DescriptionSalary: $180,000 - $225,000 Exempt/Salaried JOB TITLE: Chief Operating Officer REPORTS TO: Chief Executive Officer STATUS: Full Time CLASSIFICATION: Exempt / Salaried SALARY RANGE: $180,000 - $225,000 Exempt/Salaried START: April 2026 LOCATION: Washington, DC SCHEDULE: Hybrid; 2 in-office days and 3 remote days. Mon - Friday, 9 am to 5 pm. Some special events will occur outside of regular work hours. ABOUT GENERATION HOPE Generation Hope is a nonprofit organization committed to ensuring all student parents have the opportunity to succeed and achieve economic mobility. We drive systemic change by partnering with education and policy leaders while offering direct, two-generation support to teen parents in college and their children. To date, weve provided over $1.5 million in tuition assistance, supported more than 500 teen parents in college, celebrated more than 240 degrees earned through our program, and partnered with over 30 two- and four-year institutions nationwide. Our team culture is rooted in excellence, respect, and inclusion. Named "one of the best nonprofits" by Spur Local, we embrace diversity in all its formsbackground, thought, and experiences. If our mission and culture resonate with you, we invite you to consider joining our team. For more information, visit . JOB DESCRIPTION Generation Hope is seeking a strategic and process-oriented Chief Operating Officer (COO) to serve as the architect of our operational infrastructure. Reporting to the CEO, the COO will oversee the critical pillars of Finance, HR, IT, and Legal, ensuring our internal systems are as innovative and impactful as our external programming. The ideal candidate brings sophisticated expertise in financial systems and organizational modeling, paired with a "coaching-first" leadership style. We are looking for a visionary who can bridge the gap between ambitious strategy and stellar executioninstitutionalizing our growth while fostering a culture of excellence. This is a unique opportunity to fortify the longevity of a national movement dedicated to driving large-scale, life-changing outcomes for student parents and their families. RESPONSIBILITIES Financial Strategy • Lead a comprehensive evaluation of Generation Hopes financial architecture, assessing current workflows, team capacity, and system efficiencies across geographies., • With the Vice President of Strategy & Operations, design, build, and sustain our financial team to ensure we are well positioned to meet our goals., • Implement a financial operating model that improves reporting accuracy and timeliness, strengthens forecasting, and reduces close-out timelines by measurable margins., • Provide actionable, data-informed insights to the CEO and Board, using real-time dashboards, scenario modeling, variance analysis, risk management, and trend forecasting to inform long-term strategy., • Oversee the development and finalization of the annual budget, holding the Finance Team and senior leadership accountable for timely deliverables, data-driven forecasting, and operational feasibility., • Evaluate the finance teams structure and capabilities, offering developmental coaching, restructuring plans, or role redefinition as necessary. Leadership & Performance Management • Oversee and optimize the performance of core operational teams/functions: IT (outsourced), HR, Finance, Administration, and Legal (outsourced), setting measurable team goals and service-level expectations and enabling teams to innovate while delivering at the highest level., • Collaborate with other Executive Leadership and Senior Leadership team members to ensure operational strategies align with programmatic and revenue goals., • Work with the Chief of Staff (COS) to identify bottlenecks or inefficiencies across the organization, then implement performance monitoring systems that include root-cause analysis and resolution planning., • Work with the Chief of Staff (COS) to establish annual operating plans (AOPs) and dashboards across departments that align with the organizations strategic priorities to ensure goals are clear and there are systems for accountability., • Create standardized operating procedures (SOPs) across the organization to ensure the continuity of work and proper documentation of procedures and policies., • Serve as a strategic partner to the CEO, offering operational and financial insights that inform organizational strategy, and work with the COS to provide timely and accurate information to the Board., • Supervise, coach, and support four vice presidents to achieve strategic and operational goals., • Represents the organization and CEO at high-stakes meetings and public forums, exercising sound judgment to advance the nonprofit's mission and maintain partner confidence when the CEO is unavailable. Operations Management • Working with the Vice President of Strategy & Operations, develop talent strategies that support organizational goals, ensure the right people are in the right roles across the organization, and utilize competency-based hiring and promotion frameworks., • Embed a performance culture through consistent goal-setting, coaching conversations, and performance reviews tied to organizations strategic goals and core competencies., • Champion a results and equity-driven performance culture by introducing or enhancing performance reviews, 360 feedback loops, and peer coaching systems., • Partner with the COS to co-design the strategic objectives and operational logistics for all-staff retreats. While the Chief of Staff focuses on the "narrative" and mission-alignment, the COO ensures the retreat serves as a catalyst for operational clarity, team-building, and professional development., • Direct the design, implementation, and analysis of staff pulse surveys and translate data trends into executive-level insights and specific, measurable "Culture Action Plans" to address identified gaps in engagement. Lead the rollout of new initiatives and policy changes., • Lead a comprehensive, cross-functional audit of technology and operational systemsspanning Finance, Development, HR, and Programsto identify gaps, eliminate redundancies, and accelerate organizational digital transformation. The COO will ensure all systems are designed for scalability through automation and digitization, while institutionalizing a continuous learning culture where staff are regularly trained to leverage the full capabilities of the organization's tech stack., • Track and report digital transformation outcomes using adoption rates, time saved, or user satisfaction metrics. Risk management and compliance • Oversee organizational risk management, ensuring compliance with legal, financial, and operational standards across all sites., • Lead a proactive approach to risk management by conducting quarterly reviews across finance, legal, and operational policies and updating procedures to reflect evolving donor, legal, and sectoral requirements., • Ensure implementation of internal controls through real-time compliance dashboards, training for key staff, and routine audit preparation protocols., • Cultivate strong relationships with external auditors, legal advisors, and compliance bodies, maintaining up-to-date documentation and readiness across all regulated domains to ensure adherence to global standards. OTHER DUTIES: This job description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all activities, duties, or responsibilities required of the employee. They may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: • Bachelors degree required, • Minimum 10 years of senior-level experience in business management, including office administration, financial oversight, leading, supervising, and coaching, • Thorough understanding of finance, HR, programming, strategic development and planning, budgeting, business analysis, information systems, human resources, and marketing/communications, • Deep understanding of structural barriers affecting student parents and low-income families. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: • An advanced degree is strongly preferred, particularly in fields such as nonprofit management, business, law, or a related discipline., • Lived experience as a student parent, first-generation college student, or someone impacted by systemic barriers is highly valued. COMPETENCIES: • Ability to build multi-year forecasts that account for national expansion and fluctuating economic climates., • Deep knowledge of 501(c)(3) regulations, including filing requirements and audit standards., • Ability to identify and mitigate risks related to national branding, legal liability in different states, and data security., • Expertise in ensuring that CRM (Development), ERP (Finance), and HRIS (People) systems "talk" to one another to provide a single source of truth., • Proficiency in building culture and maintaining accountability across geographic boundaries and time zones., • Ability to integrate race equity into every operational process, from recruitment to performance reviews and compensation structures., • Ability to translate complex operational data into concise, transparent reports., • Can partner with the CEO, anticipating their needs and prepping them for high-stakes external and internal engagements., • Ability to communicate change and effectively shepherd a team through changes., • Results-proven track record of exceeding goals and a bottom-line orientation., • Exceptional capacity for managing and leading people; a team builder., • Capacity to enforce accountability, develop and empower top-notch leaders., • Enjoys working hard and looks for challenges., • Evidence of the ability to consistently make good decisions through a combination of analysis, wisdom, experience, and judgment, • High level of business acumen including successful P&L management, • Advances skills in problem solving, project management, and creative resourcefulness, • Ability to think strategically, anticipate future consequences and trends, and incorporate them into the organizational plan, • Exceptional written communication skills -- stellar writer and editor, • Exceptionally detail-oriented, organized, and deadline-driven, • Ability to manage multiple projects with overlapping deadlines, • Unquestioned commitment to Generation Hopes mission and values., • Deep commitment to racial and economic equity, and a demonstrated ability to center student parent voice and lived experience in all aspects of leadership and systems change work. PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: • Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer., • Must be able to lift to 25 pounds at times. WORK ENVIRONMENT Normal office environment. Some work will take place off-site during special events. TRAVEL This position requires national, overnight travel approximately 20% of the time for activities such as meetings and events within and outside the DC Metro area. Must be able to travel (via plane, train, or car). Candidates must be located in the Washington, DC metropolitan area by the start date. BENEFITS Generation Hope provides full benefits, including 403(b), health, dental, and paid time off. More information on benefits can be found at generationhope.org/careers. To apply, please complete the online application here. EEO STATEMENT: Generation Hope is an equal opportunity employer. Generation Hope will not discriminate on any basis prohibited by law, including marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibility, matriculation, political affiliation, race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions, breastfeeding, or reproductive health decisions), age, national origin, genetic information, veteran status, and disability.