Chief Operating Officer

Chief Operating Officer

Post Date: 2023/03/21

Position: Chief Operating Officer

Location: Remote

Employment type: Full-time, Exempt

Reports to: Executive Director

Direct Reports: Director, Talent & Culture; Specialist, Finance; Senior Manager, Operations

Apply Now: https://apply.workable.com/edgility-consulting-4/j/A91AD9282D/apply/

Mission

EdReports.org is at the forefront of the curriculum reform movement. By increasing the capacity of educators to identify and demand the highest quality curriculum, EdReports.org is both disrupting a multibillion dollar market and transforming the way students are taught and ultimately perform. With the firm belief that what is taught matters and that all students deserve high-quality materials, EdReports.org publishes free, online, evidence-rich reviews of instructional materials.

Read more about our mission, who we are, and what we do.

Purpose of Position

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) will play a critical role in the success of EdReports. As a key member of the executive leadership team, the COO will set the operational vision and serve as a thoughtful and collaborative steward of EdReports' mission, values, and resources. We are also growing in sophistication and complexity in our financial forecasting, organization-wide planning, and strategic alignment. The position drives and is responsible for EdReports' finance, operations, talent, and culture efforts and impact.

Currently, the COO leads a team of seven (7) FTE in Finance, Human Resources, and Operations. The COO manages relationships with our PEO partner (TriNet), and external vendors, such as accounting, IT, etc.

The ideal candidate will possess excellent leadership and communication skills, successfully provide guidance to their team and colleagues, and bring a vast knowledge of current finance, accounting, operations, and talent best practices. This position provides a unique opportunity for an independent thinker who is highly detail-oriented, enjoys working with internal and external stakeholders at all levels, and wants to contribute to the success of a growing organization.

EdReports is currently a $12M / 50 FTE organization with plans to grow in revenue, size, and impact in the next five years. The organization is at the beginning of its 5-year strategic plan, committed to a future in which all students and teachers have the high quality instructional materials they need in order to advance student learning..

Key Responsibilities

Organizational Strategy and Executive Leadership (25%)

• Collaboratively lead the development and execution of the organization's strategic plan, including its close integration with annual and multi-year planning, goal setting, and budgeting and ensuring activities reflect EdReports' priorities and organizational sustainability and evolve as necessary to enhance EdReports' impact;
• Collaborate with other function leaders to identify growth strategy for staffing, organizational capacity, and related organizational structures;
• Lead the organization through change management and contribute to the overall effectiveness of the organization;
• Lead and support cross-functional teams on projects as needed;
• Identify and contribute to new business development initiatives;
• Contribute to new and manage the enhancement of existing funder relationships;
• Build and maintain effective relationships with board members and partner organizations;
• Lead engagement and support of the Board Finance and Audit committees and support Board of Directors as needed;
• Manage, supervise, coach, and evaluate team(s) of diverse finance, operations, and talent professionals to ensure effective and efficient operations;
• Support staff development through a robust performance management system; and
• Interpret, analyze, monitor and track budget reports.

Finance Operations (35%)

• Lead the implementation of best practices to support efficient and financially responsible operations, and accurate, timely, and fully compliant accounting, financial reporting, audits, and internal controls;
• Ensure effective and sustainable annual budgeting, cash management and forecasting, and multi-year financial modeling, aligned with EdReports' strategic direction and provide customized support to budget managers;
• Supervise and support Specialist, Finance with monthly accounting, financial reporting, annual audit, payroll, and accounts payable and receivable management;
• Develop and implement various financial tools, systems, and processes to capture, analyze, and share key financial information to inform decision-making at all levels of the organization and continuously improve efficiency, information flows, checks and balances, and coordination;
• Ensure the organization's finance practices and systems meet the needs of our growing nonprofit and remain in compliance with all state and federal laws (including overseeing and securing a clean annual financial audit, 990 reporting, etc.);
• Oversee payroll and benefits administration (currently through PEO partner TriNet), and oversee outsourced bookkeeping team that manages financial reporting; and
• Engage the Board Finance and Audit Committees, and Board of Directors at large, on questions of strategic finance and keep them up to date on key financial health metrics.

Operations (20%)

• Develop and enhance metrics-driven operations systems and processes that support growth and organizational efficiency;
• Identify new organizational structures and cross-organization collaborations to establish greater transparency, better communication, and hold leaders accountable to meeting the needs of employees and key stakeholders;
• Oversee consultant, strategic partner, and vendor contracting, including ensuring alignment with EdReports' mission and values, negotiating favorable terms, proactively handling renewals, mitigating potential risks, and strategically managing use of outside legal counsel if necessary;
• Oversee EdReports' technology and cyber security strategic planning and support Senior Manager, Operations in overseeing outsourced technology support vendor; and
• Support Senior Manager, Operations with ensuring all employees have access to fully functioning technology resources (hardware and software) to do their jobs well.

Talent & Culture (20%)

• Lead the Operations function's culture and contribute to positive organizational culture;
• Steward efforts to meet all talent and culture needs for the organization, including supporting the Director of Talent & Culture in crafting and administering all organization-wide policies, compensation and benefits, and talent and culture systems;
• Support and partner with the Director of Talent & Culture in implementing practices and policies that maximize employee engagement and continuously assess, revise, and implement recruitment, hiring, and retention practices that promote employee satisfaction, diversity, belonging, inclusion, and equity;
• Support the Director of Talent & Culture in leading all employee investigations and human resources requests, with the highest level of integrity, confidentiality, and care - and in ways that exemplify and honor our DBIE Beliefs and Core Values;
• Create and implement an effective performance management system and process, inclusive of career pathways, to support the growing team and organization; and
• Drive the DBIE efforts of the organization and leadership team to ensure positive improvements annually.

Travel

• Periodic national travel will occur related to organizational needs and for professional learning as needed (i.e. staff and team retreats, Board meetings, etc.).

Requirements

Executive Leaders exhibit the following competencies:

• Accountability: Plans complex projects effectively, delivers on schedule, and consistently produces quality work products
• Adaptability: Pivots when necessary, remains open to feedback and new ideas
• Collaboration: Actively participates as a member of the leadership team and works across teams to accomplish objectives
• Communication: Clearly shares information and ideas in a variety of settings, spokesperson for their field, asks thoughtful questions, listens deeply
• Cultural Sensitivity: Advances diversity and inclusion by modeling and developing behaviors that increase multiple viewpoints and representation across our work
• Growth Mindset: Embraces a learning orientation; seeks and provides regular feedback
• Decision-Making: Identifies and uses data to inform decisions; communicates decisions and gains buy-in across stakeholders; considers short and long-term impact; navigates decisions even when information is limited or unclear
• Develops & Motivates Others: Promotes confidence and optimistic attitudes; uses a range of tools to help all staff grow and develop; effectively manages and addresses conflict and performance issues

The ideal COO candidate will have the following qualifications:

• 10+ years of experience with progressive responsibilities including executive or senior leadership experience within education, nonprofit, civic, and/or public sector entities
• A degree in Accounting, Finance or Business Administration (CPA and/or advanced degree preferred)
• Proven track record of successfully leading, motivating and developing high-performing, cross-functional teams to develop and implement systems and processes to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of a growing organization
• Financial fluency; demonstrated ability to specify the financial analyses required to support strategic decision making and use financial indicators to manage organizational performance; ability to explain financial and accounting terms in simple language
• Data and technology fluency; demonstrated ability to lead teams in designing and implementing strong data-driven cultures and the systems, processes and tools required to support them
• Intermediate knowledge of human resources, talent, and culture functions and best practices
• Familiarity with the way nonprofit organizations are structured and operate
• Knowledge of the issues and dynamics of inequity in education and passion for EdReports' mission
• Demonstrated record of strong written and verbal communication with various audiences
• Fluent in online platforms (MS Office suite and Google suite; Salesforce preferred)

Physical Requirements

Including, but not limited to standing and sitting for long periods of time; speaking loudly and clearly; seeing and hearing things both near and far away; and reaching, stooping, kneeling, and fine-finger and hand manipulation in use of a computer, chalkboard, dry erase board, or projector. Employee is required to have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as preparing and analyzing data and figures, transcribing, viewing a computer terminal, and extensive reading. This person will travel by car, air, or other transportation (as indicated above).

Salary and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $210,000 - 225,000. At EdReports, in determining a final salary for a position, we consider the role and the experience and skill needed while striving to maintain equity in our compensation bands. For this and other reasons, our salary offers are non-negotiable.

We know the importance of living a fulfilling, healthy life-both professionally and personally. That's why we offer:

• Health and Wellness: We provide generous medical, dental, and vision coverage and subsidize costs for families and dependents.
• Time Off: EdReports staff can earn up to four weeks of vacation, in addition to paid personal days, most federal holidays, and office closures. We also provide generous sick and parental leave.
• Professional Growth: Our team has access to, and is encouraged to, participate in a variety of conferences, trainings, courses, and other professional development opportunities.
• A 401k retirement plan with an organizational contribution in addition to the opportunity for competitive matches.

We are looking to fill this role on or before July 5, 2023 and applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Apply here >

For additional questions about this position or to speak with someone about your interest, please contact Brett Kunsch at [email protected].

Diversity, Belonging, Inclusion, and Equity Belief Statement

We believe our best work is grounded in the realities and experiences of teachers and students in our school systems across the country. This means not only embracing differences but also investing in them. EdReports will attract and develop individuals who share the life experiences of the diverse range of students in the United States.

Read more here: DBIE Statement

Equal Opportunity Statement

EdReports is an equal opportunity employer and an organization that values diversity. Recruiting staff to create an inclusive organization is a priority, and we encourage applicants from all backgrounds. Candidates are evaluated solely on their qualifications to perform the work required.