Chief Operating Officer

About the Organization

This role is with a prominent nonprofit dedicated to fulfilling wishes for eligible children nationwide. As the largest wish-granting organization globally, it cultivates a welcoming community environment for wish families, volunteers, and colleagues, united by the mission to bring life-changing joy through wishes.

The position supports remote work in the continental U.S. with no visa sponsorship; hybrid roles are Phoenix, Arizona–based. The Chief Operating Officer (COO) will work closely with the CEO as a strategic leader ensuring operational excellence and sustainable growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide executive leadership and daily operational oversight aligned with the organization's mission and strategic objectives.
• Manage core functions including finance, HR, IT, legal compliance, and administrative services cohesively.
• Design and implement scalable operational policies and systems to improve effectiveness and organizational efficiency.
• Collaborate with the CEO and senior leadership to steer strategic planning and execution enterprise-wide.
• Co-lead AI adoption initiatives with the CIO to enhance technological transformation, bridging nonprofit benchmarks to for-profit standards.
• Supervise financial operations including budgeting, forecasting, and prudent resource distribution to ensure fiscal sustainability.
• Establish metrics to track achievement against mission impact, financial strength, compliance, and stakeholder satisfaction.
• Coach and hold senior leaders accountable while promoting a culture of transparency, collaboration, and high performance.
• Enforce compliance with laws, regulations, and policies, maintaining internal controls and mitigating risk.
• Lead continuous improvement projects leveraging data and analytics to optimize operational effectiveness.
• Engage actively with boards, partners, vendors, and the community to further organizational goals.
• Represent the organization externally alongside CEOs and public figures, building trust with chapters, donors, and the community.
• Support fundraising by aligning operations to revenue strategies and donor expectations.
• Drive organizational change management and transformation efforts as necessary.
• Embodies and promotes the organization's culture that values both performance and mission impact equally.

Required Qualifications

• Proven leadership of complex, multi-functional operations with experience driving effectiveness and transformation.
• Strong financial acumen in budgeting, forecasting, and resource allocation within nonprofits.
• Experienced in managing senior executives across HR, organizational development, and talent management.
• Knowledgeable about nonprofit legal and regulatory compliance requirements.
• Familiar with strategic planning and performance measurement frameworks.
• Competent with information systems, data analytics, and technology infrastructure supporting operations.
• Track record of building and motivating high-performance teams fostering accountability and collaboration.
• Understanding of governance, compliance, funding, and program delivery in nonprofit contexts is highly preferred.

Personal Attributes

• Mission-driven leader balancing outcome focus with principled execution.
• Charismatic presence able to inspire trust and engage diverse stakeholders including CEOs and public figures.
• Forward-moving leader bringing commercial pace and strong emotional intelligence to lead change and collaboration.
• Strong analytical thinker using data to inform strategic decisions.
• Strategic business partner skilled at seeing the big picture and navigating complex paths forward.
• Humble, confident, collaborative leadership style focused on influence and results through others.
• Passion for mission-aligned, meaningful work at a globally recognized brand.

Compensation and Benefits

• Salary range: $295,000 to $320,000 USD annually.
• Comprehensive benefits starting day one: medical, dental, vision (with employee premiums covered), wellness programs.
• Health Savings Account (HSA), Flexible Spending Account (FSA), and fully employer-funded Health Reimbursement Account (HRA).
• Short and long-term disability and life insurance options.
• Additional insurance coverage options including accident, critical illness, hospital indemnity, and pet insurance.
• 401(k) retirement plan with 5% company match after one year.
• Eligibility for student loan forgiveness via Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.
• Work equipment provided: laptop, 24-inch monitor, and docking station/adaptor.

Time Off

• Starting PTO of 15 days with additional time for senior roles.
• 10 sick days, 11 paid holidays, 2 volunteer days after one year, and 2 personal days accrued annually.
• Parental leave benefits.

Additional Perks

• Employee awards and recognition programs.
• Opportunities for individual and leadership development.
• Discounts on theme parks, events, hotels, concerts, and movie tickets.