Chief Operating Officer

Position Title: Chief Operating Officer (COO) 

Status: Exempt 

Department: Administration 

Reports To: CEO 

Date: 09/11/2026 

Summary: The Chief Operating Officer (COO) provides strategic and operational leadership across all organizational programs and services, including childcare, youth programming, and women’s programs. The COO is responsible for ensuring excellence in program design, delivery, evaluation, and organizational infrastructure. This role partners with program directors, managers, and team members to maintain alignment with the organization’s mission, vision, and values while driving operational effectiveness, staff development, and long-term sustainability. The COO serves as a key member of the executive leadership team and plays a central role in strategic planning, cross-departmental collaboration, and culture-building efforts across the organization.  

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:  

Leadership & Culture 

• Champion EmBe's mission, vision, values, and culture by fostering a high-performing, accountable, and inclusive organization. 

• Promote a culture of transparency, mutual respect, professionalism, accountability, and personal responsibility. 

• Build organizational leadership capacity through coaching, performance management, succession planning, and the development of future leaders. 

Program Leadership & Impact 

• Provide executive oversight for all program areas, including Childcare, School-Age Care, Youth Programs, Women's Programs, and related services. 

• Ensure programs are strategically aligned, operationally effective, financially sustainable, and responsive to community needs. 

• Provide leadership to program leaders to design, implement, evaluate, and continuously improve high-quality programs and services. 

• Establish performance measurement and quality assurance systems that support data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement. 

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with participants, families, community partners, funders, donors, and key stakeholders. 

Operations & Organizational Excellence 

• Lead organizational operations and continuous improvement efforts to enhance effectiveness, efficiency, scalability, and financial sustainability. 

• Ensure compliance with all applicable licensing requirements, accreditation standards, contractual obligations, and health and safety regulations. 

• Oversee enterprise project management efforts and ensure successful implementation of organizational initiatives and priorities. 

• Identify and mitigate operational risks while strengthening organizational resilience and scalability. 

Financial Stewardship 

• Translate organizational strategy into operational execution while ensuring program excellence, leadership effectiveness, financial sustainability, and organizational growth. 

Strategic Leadership 

• Partner with the CEO and executive leadership team to develop and execute organizational strategy, assess risk, and support enterprise decision-making. 

• Translate strategic priorities into actionable operational plans with measurable outcomes and accountability. 

• Lead organization-wide strategic initiatives and change management efforts. 

Other Responsibilities 

• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned. 

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree in business, nonprofit management, public administration, education, human services, or a related field preferred. 

• Minimum of 5-7 years of progressively responsible leadership experience, including senior leadership responsibility for operations, program management, people leadership, and organizational development.  

• Demonstrated success leading complex teams and operational functions within a nonprofit, educational, community-serving, healthcare, or mission-driven organization.  

• Experience overseeing multiple programs or service lines, including program development, implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement.  

• Strong financial acumen with experience in budgeting, forecasting, resource allocation, and organizational sustainability.  

• Proven ability to translate strategic priorities into operational plans and measurable results.  

• Demonstrated experience leading through organizational growth, change, and ambiguity while maintaining employee engagement and program quality.  

• Exceptional leadership, communication, relationship-building, and collaboration skills, with the ability to effectively engage staff, volunteers, board members, community partners, donors, and other stakeholders.  

• Commitment to building inclusive, high-performing teams and fostering a culture of accountability, trust, continuous learning, and mission alignment.  

• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills with the ability to utilize data to drive organizational performance and impact. 

• Knowledge of nonprofit governance, compliance requirements, community partnerships, and mission-driven organizational operations preferred. 

• Must successfully pass all required background screenings and meet eligibility requirements for employment within licensed childcare and youth-serving environments. 

Physical Demands: 

• Ability to see, speak, and hear 

• Frequent sitting and use of hands and fingers to handle, feel, or reach 

• Frequent standing and walking 

• Occasional lifting of up to 40 lbs. 

• Occasional need to climb, balance, kneel or crouch 

• Vision abilities include distance and close vision 

Work Environment: 

• Work is primarily performed in an indoor office environment.   

• Noise level is medium to loud in childcare settings. 

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable people with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.