Chief Operating Officer

Position Title: Chief Operations Officer

Exempt or Non-Exempt: Exempt

Reports To: Chief Executive Officer

Location: Hybrid remote: in the DC office at least once per month. 

Salary Range: $140K - $160K

About Faith in Public Life/FPL Action: Faith in Public Life (FPL) and Faith in Public Life Action (FPLA), our sister organization, advance the moral imperative for a just, inclusive, and equitable country that allows each of us to live into our full humanity and advocate for policies that protect and advance our sacred human rights. Our coalition of influential faith leaders – who reflect the diversity of the nation – collectively discern, set faith-forward strategy, and take transformative action. By building cultures of belonging, leveraging the collective power of our multi-faith and multi-racial coalition, and advocating for policies that protect the full humanity of each of us, our strategy hub leads us closer to realizing a healthy and equitable democracy.

Position Description

The Chief Operations Officer (COO) is a critical leadership role at FPL/A responsible for developing, managing, and implementing systems that support the financial infrastructure, cultural health and necessary operations to achieve our strategic priorities.  The COO is the head of the Operations Department and currently supervises the Associate Dir. of HR & People and the Operations Associate, as well as managing accountants, lawyers, and operations vendors and contractors. The COO will assess FPL/A’s operational needs in line with our strategic plan and will be able to update the staffing structure of the Operations Department. As a key member of the Leadership Team alongside the CEO, the Chief Strategy Officer, and the Sr. Directors of Communications, Development, and Coalitions & Campaigns, the COO plays a critical leadership role in both day-to-day operations and setting long-term strategy development and implementation. The COO directly manages the financial, administrative, risk management, security, facilities, technology and compliance functions of the organization and reports directly to the CEO.

This is a reimagined role at an exciting time in the organizations’ growth with the aim of building and strengthening its operations towards the future.

Job Responsibilities

Multi-Entity Management & Compliance (50%)

• • Oversee financial relationship between C3 and C4,  entities, including activity thresholds as well as timely resource reimbursement between entities
  • Manage external accountants and ensure we are following the  best fiduciary stewardship practices for all financial processes, including accurate tracking of expense and cash flow in  all FPL/A accounts, ledgers, financial software, and reporting systems
  • Coordinate and ensure timely and accurate completion of all required government filings for each entity including: (a) tax filings, (b) insurance coverage, (c) licenses, (d) charitable registrations, and (e) audits
  • Oversee timely and accurate filing of all campaign finance reports (state and local), including management of consultants assigned to this work
  • Ensure accurate and timely bookkeeping of accounts receivable, accounts payable, and various allocations, tracking and reporting of data, as well as cash management and banking activity in accordance with FPL/A policies and practices

• Ensure that all contracting/consulting relationships are documented and signed according to FPL/A policies, including but not limited to template contracts and W9’s.

Organizational Leadership & Governance Support (30%)

• Participate as a member of the Leadership Team to provide strategic analysis concerning financial planning, budgeting, and cash flow, staff benefits, performance, hiring and operational policy matters
• Provide key monthly financial reporting to the Executive Team, serve as liaison to Boards of Directors’ finance and audit committees concerning the financial health of the organizations
• Lead collaborative budgeting process to create the annual operating budget of approximately $5 million based on input of staff and our program plan.
• Ensure a quality, standardized recruitment, interview, and hiring processes across our affiliated organizations and departments that advances FPL/A’s DEIA goals

• Monitor and improve administrative processes and procedures to increase efficiency and productivity across teams and the organization as a whole.
• Ensure FPL/A's commitment to DEIA is reflected in our operations and finance practices, setting clear objectives around advancing DEIA for the operations’ team priorities.

Oversight of Operations and HR Staff & Contractors (20%)

• Assess FPL/A’s operational needs in line with our strategic plan and recruit, develop and supervise high-performing Operations Team personnel to accomplish our goals. 
• Ensure the Associate Dir. of HR People and Culture handles employment actions and disciplinary issues ethically and constructively, including employee relations, onboarding, and offboarding activities
• Regularly interface with lawyers and other experts on core operating and legal questions for the organizations
• With the support of the Operations team and Leadership team, lead direct purchasing, contract negotiations, insurance needs, and organizational safety and security.

Additional Contributions

There are a number of areas that the COO will contribute but will not play the leading role. These include:

• Organizational Culture & Staff Development: The CEO leads the organization’s staff culture and staff development work. However, the COO and the CSO are both key partners in the design of this work, with the Ass. Dir. of HR and People leading implementation.
• Program Staff Hiring: The COO oversees, through the supervision of the Ass. Dir of HR and People, the design and management of hiring processes. However, the CSO is the person responsible for making final hiring decisions for the Engagement (Programs and Fundraising) Team.

Other duties as assigned.

Job Qualifications

Essential Professional Competencies:

Candidates from all sectors and professional backgrounds will be considered, however, demonstrated competence in the following areas are the foundation for success in this position:

• Financial Fluency: The majority of our finance work is handled through an external firm, but the COO is responsible for oversight of this work and must have familiarity and comfort with financial management. The ideal candidate will have three or more years of experience with director-level financial responsibilities, will have managed budgets of at least $2 million dollars, and will have experience with nonprofit accounting practices and standards. CPA degree, MBA degree, or CNAP certification is helpful but not required.

• Operational & Administrative Leadership: We are looking for a systems-oriented COO with experience bringing clarity and reliability to organizational processes in complex environments with multiple and diverse stakeholders including executive staff, elected Board leadership, junior and senior staff, and external contractors.

• Multi-Entity Management: Successful candidates will have experience in complex financial or operational leadership roles with multi-entity organizations. Familiarity with C3 and C4 organizations is essential, while experience navigating cost-share relationships between C3 and C4 organizations is ideal. 
• Change Management: The ideal candidate will have led change management processes in the nonprofit sector. Some experience in an organization undergoing extensive change is required. 

• Experience building and managing a successful, healthy team: As FPL/A is in a growth phase, the successful candidate will have experience in identifying gaps in teams’ culture and capacity and integrating new team members over time so the group can be successful. 
• Commitment to FPL/A Values and mission.

Approach to the Job:

• Relationship-building: Part of your job is collaborating with people from many different backgrounds. You find (and even create) opportunities to deepen connections and build authentic, mutual relationships with staff and vendors across lines of difference, such as race or other identities. You truly welcome viewpoints that differ from your own, and you’re able to “sit with” discomfort when people express themselves in ways that aren’t familiar to you.
• Adaptability and problem solving: You are always ready to take advantage of unexpected opportunities and address obstacles. You look for the root of both simple and complex problems, so you can seek systemic solutions. You approach work with a spirit of “yes” and adapt as things change, which they often do.
• Ownership and resilience: You care deeply about getting results. You gather information, seek input, and drive work forward to the finish line. You think 3 (or 30) steps ahead to develop solutions, anticipate problems, and course-correct when needed. You hold a high bar even when things are hectic and bounce back from setbacks by turning each hurdle into a learning opportunity.
• Attentive, empathetic leadership: As an organizational leader ensure your team is clear on what role they play. You empathize with the communities we serve and put people at ease, especially when there are lines of difference or power. You listen to understand people’s needs and take steps based on that input.
• High volume, high efficiency: You create and maintain systems for keeping tasks from slipping through the cracks and support others in doing so. You’re able to juggle competing demands and prioritize without sacrificing quality. You get back to people in a timely manner and take pride in providing clear, helpful information. 
• Attention to detail: You aim to leave things better than you found them. You notice and fix errors that others might overlook. When mistakes happen (which they will!), you address them quickly and look for ways to prevent similar errors, collaborating with others to make sure the solutions work.

Compensation and Benefits

We offer a generous and comprehensive benefits package including full medical, dental, and vision premium coverage, life insurance, and an FSA/DCA savings plan. Faith in Public Life provides a 401k benefit that offers a dollar-for-dollar match of up to 3% of an employee's contribution. In addition to that, Faith in Public Life offers stipends for, work-related mobile phone and internet use, and professional development. We provide 4 weeks of vacation paid time off,10 paid sick days,13 paid federal holidays, and additional paid leave, including the week between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day.

Equal Opportunity Statement:

Faith in Public Life 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.

To Apply:

Please apply at https://faithinpubliclife.bamboohr.com/careers.