Title: Chief Operating Officer

Reports to: Executive Director

Salary: $185,000 - $285,000

Job Status: Full Time, Exempt

Location: Chicago, IL or Washington, DC

ABOUT NAPAWF

Founded in 1996 by 100 Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) women, NAPAWF (National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum) is the only organization dedicated to empowering AANHPI women and girls and gender non-conforming folks to impact policy and drive systemic change in the U.S. NAPAWF is building a movement for social, political, and structural change by building a multilingual, multigenerational membership that encompasses the diversity of the AANHPI community.

Employing a reproductive justice framework, we use organizing, advocacy, and communications strategies to assert full agency over our lives, our families, and our communities. The organization also stands in solidarity with other women of color facing oppression and marginalization. NAPAWF focuses on three core issues employing an intersectional approach that holistically centers the experiences and stories of AANHPI women and girls:

• Reproductive Rights and Health
• Economic Justice
• Immigration and Racial Justice

POSITION SUMMARY

Reporting to the Executive Director and serving as an integral member of the executive leadership team, the Chief Operating Officer will be responsible for the development of NAPAWF’s overall operational strategy. The Chief Operating Officer is responsible for making sure all staff have everything they need to do their job well. Along with the strategic components, the COO will be charged with introducing, developing, and implementing more sophisticated policies and procedures both in the finance and general operational realms. This is an outstanding opportunity for a senior level leader with a proven track record of creative problem-solving, building, and change management to join a fast-growing, mission-driven organization.

LOCATION

This position is based in an office setting in either Chicago or Washington, D.C. This role will require up to 25% travel.
 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Organizational Leadership 

• Collaborate with the Executive Director to shape the executive leadership team and foster a cohesive decision-making environment. 
• Own the overall organizational chart ensuring that NAPAWF is right sized with the right people having the right skills at the right levels. 
• Develop the strategy to incorporate the competency metrics and to use them to measure performance. 
• Serve as a bridge between the Executive Director and functional leaders, providing clear and consistent communication and direction.
• Enhance leadership capacity among managers and improve overall management practices. 
• Align organizational strategy and priorities with team needs. 
• Provide strategic feedback to enhance communication and decision making. 
• Maintain continuous lines of communication, keeping the Executive Director informed of all critical issues.

People and Culture 

• Provide strategic guidance to aid the overhaul of and improvement to HR infrastructure and processes to enhance efficiency ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local legislation pertaining to all personnel matters, policies, and procedures, inclusive of wage and hour laws and payroll practices. 
• Address cultural issues and improve staff morale and retention to create a supportive employee experience.
• Provide proactive leadership, strategy, and professional expertise in all areas of human resources management, including labor/union relations and negotiations. 
• Coach and provide strategic guidance to managers and directors. 
• Lead and provide oversight on employment and workplace investigations issues with the highest level of emotional intelligence, professionalism, integrity, and confidentiality. Prioritize prompt and thorough investigations, conducted objectively and free from bias and integrity. 
• Hire and guide the work of operations staff over time while making structural changes as appropriate to increase organizational effectiveness.

Operations 

• Help create business model and oversee execution of strategic plan. 
• Evaluate the office strategy in relation to remote and hybrid work considerations and adjust, write, and implement corresponding policies. 
• Address operational inefficiencies and ensure systems are functioning correctly. 
• Serve as a resource for director’s oversight of vendor management, facilities, and IT systems, ensuring they align with organizational needs. 
• Upgrade and implement an appropriate system of policies, internal controls, operational standards, and procedures - to support the professionalization of the organization while aligning with organizational values. 
• Provide guidance to senior managers on all budget and financial matters. 
• Support the annual operationalization of NAPAWF’s strategic goals.

Finance 

• Co-develop the organizational budget strategy with the ED and oversee director’s leadership of the annual budget process. 
• Ensure director is improving the financial infrastructure providing accurate reporting. 
• Oversee the director’s efforts to increase financial acumen across the organization and to help departments manage their own budgets consistently. 
• Staff the board finance committee. Lead the organization on financial planning, budgeting, cash flow, investment priorities, and policy matters. 
• Serve as the management liaison to the board and finance and audit committees; effectively communicate and present critical financial matters at select board of directors and committee meetings. 
• Forecast, anticipate trends and gaps, manage risks to the organization.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Minimum 15 years’ experience in a senior nonprofit management role, with at least 5 years in the COO role. 
• Experience in a national organization with dispersed staff preferred. 
• Experience managing at least a $10M annual organizational budget. Experience with nonprofit finance, compliance, and accounting regulations. 
• Excellent judgment and creative problem-solving skills including negotiation and conflict resolution skills. 
• Strong mentoring, coaching experience to a team with diverse levels of expertise. Entrepreneurial team player who can manage multiple projects and has experience growing and scaling an organization. 
• Demonstrated success in organizational growth management and deeply skilled in change management. 
• Superior management skills with the ability to influence and engage direct and indirect reports and peers. 
• Innovative problem solver, with ability to anticipate and proactively address complex issues. 
• Exceptional written, oral, interpersonal, and presentation skills and the ability to effectively interface with senior management, NAPAWF’s board of directors, and staff Passion for NAPAWF’s mission. 
• Experience with a unionized workplace preferred. 
• Personal resilience and emotional intelligence.

The annual salary range for this position is $185,000 - $285,000 - salary commensurate with experience. 

A highly competitive benefits package includes a 401(k) plan, medical, dental, and vision insurance. NAPAWF covers all premiums and all out-of-pocket in-network expenses through a Health Reimbursement Account (including co-pays, deductibles, and coinsurances) - qualified dependents may also be covered. Coverage for employees and eligible dependents starts on day one. 

NAPAWF also offers full-time employees 15 days of vacation in the first year, sick leave, flexible spending program options and personal/family leave, as well as paid vacation between December 25 and January 1 of each year. 

WORK ENVIRONMENT

NAPAWF is committed to public health, and to the safety and well being of our colleagues and visitors.  As such we have adopted a policy requiring all employees to receive all recommended COVID-19 vaccines and boosters or to apply for and receive an exemption. 

NAPAWF is an equal opportunity employer. We strongly encourage and seek applications from women, people of color, including bilingual and bicultural individuals, as well as members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities. Applicants shall not be discriminated against because of race, religion, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, color, marital status, medical condition (cancer-related) or conditions Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and AIDS-related conditions (ARC). Reasonable accommodation will be made so that qualified disabled applicants may participate in the application process. Please advise in writing of special needs at the time of application.

Last updated on Dec 17, 2024