Chief Operating Officer

C

Compass Family Services

Chief Operating Officer

San Francisco, CA
Full Time
Paid
  • Responsibilities

    About the organization: Compass Family Services is a 100+ year old nonprofit working on the front lines of San Francisco's homeless crisis. We provide families experiencing or at risk of homelessness with comprehensive support to address immediate needs and ensure long-term success.

    Salary: $165,000 - $185,000

    Schedule: Full time, Monday - Friday

    Reports to: CEO

    Location: 37 Grove Street, San Francisco (on-site)

    Organizational Core Competencies: Accountable I Adaptable I Client-centered I Collaborative I Committed to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging I Resourceful

    Position Summary:
    The Chief Operating Officer (COO) serves as a strategic partner to the CEO in leading Compass to fulfill its mission. The COO is responsible for overseeing and optimizing internal operations, systems and processes to ensure efficiency and scalability as the organization grows. They will manage strategic planning, internal policy development, cross-team collaboration systems, organizational change management initiatives, and internal communications, holding the executive team and broader leadership team accountable for upholding changes. Reporting directly to the CEO and overseeing Human Resources, Facilities, and Information Technology, the COO will collaborate closely with the executive team to drive organizational growth and operational excellence.

    The ideal candidate for this role will be a systems thinker and systems creator with significant leadership experience in the nonprofit sector. They will be skilled at facilitating teams and collaboration, ensuring seamless project management and execution. While functional experience in HR, facilities, and/or IT is a plus, their key attributes are detail orientation, adaptability in a fluid environment, clear communication, and the ability to balance structure with flexibility. As the first COO of Compass, they should bring fresh perspectives and innovative ideas. Above all, they must be a trustworthy leader who can take ownership and execute with excellence.

    Responsibilities:

    Strategic Leadership and Executive Team Collaboration:

    • Facilitate the creation and execution of the strategic plan in collaboration with the executive team, holding the organization accountable for progress against milestones.
    • Assess growth opportunities for strategic fit and operational readiness; prepare internal systems to support organizational growth, including any mergers or acquisitions.
    • Oversee organizational change management processes to ensure smooth transitions during periods of growth or change.
    • Codify and streamline decision-making processes to improve organizational effectiveness.
    • Map out and facilitate executive team collaboration, meeting cadence, and strategic decision-making processes, aligned with organizational priorities.
    • Oversee internal communications, ensuring transparency and consistency in leadership messaging.
    • Establish and maintain cross-team collaboration systems.

    Operational Leadership:

    • Oversee daily operations, ensuring they align with the organization's strategic plan and long-term goals.
    • Partner closely with the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Program Officer to align programmatic, operational, financial, and people systems.
    • Design and implement internal policies, procedures, processes and systems to increase efficiency, coordination and alignment; ensure accountability for adherence to those policies.
    • Develop a cycle of continuous improvement for procedures and policies.
    • Design scalable systems for project management, people management, and operational workflows.
    • Evaluate when processes should operate via systems rather than relationships to improve consistency and accountability.

    Human Resources, Technology & Facilities Oversight:

    • Provide day-to-day oversight, support and management for People + Culture, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging, Technology, and Facilities
    • Support the People & Culture team to strengthen systems, practices and policies, including (but not limited to): onboarding, training, people management, performance evaluations, employee engagement, etc.
    • Supervise the Technology team, ensuring effective digital infrastructure, intranet functionality, ticketing systems, document organization, information-sharing, cross-team collaboration platforms, etc.
    • Oversee the Facilities team to align facilities management with operational needs and organizational growth.

    Skills and Qualifications:

    • 7+ years of leadership experience in nonprofit management, nonprofit operations, or a closely related field.
    • Operational expertise: experience overseeing IT, HR, facilities, and/or administrative functions in a nonprofit setting (nice-to-have).
    • Strategic systems thinking: Strategic systems thinker with a track record of building and/or improving operational systems and bringing new ways of thinking, with the ability to both set vision and then execute.
    • Project management and team facilitation: Superb project manager who promotes collaboration, has strong detail orientation and follow-through, multi-tasks, sets and drives priorities, and monitors progress towards goals.
    • Problem solving: Systematic problem-solver who develops sustainable and scalable solutions, promoting integration across the organization.
    • Decision-making: Process creator who ensures timely, effective decision-making while maximizing resources, compliance, and accountability.
    • Change leadership: Change leader who anticipates and manages internal dynamics around change while demonstrating adaptability and calmness under pressure.
    • Trust building: Flexible partner to the CEO and leadership team who models professional trust and accountability and can adapt as needed.
    • Communication: Strong communicator and influencer who drives organizational alignment and adapts communication to stakeholder needs.
    • Coaching and management: Strong manager and coach, with the ability to provide direct feedback and coach and develop leaders to become more effective in their roles.
    • Equity: Deep commitment to and demonstrated success discussing, integrating, and promoting diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging throughout a complex and dynamic organization.

    Compensation and Benefits:

    • Salary range: $165,000 - 185,000 per year.
    • Paid time off: 4 weeks of vacation in your first year, 5 in your second. Also paid holidays, sick time, family leave, and time off for education.
    • Insurance: health, dental and vision insurance are fully covered by Compass for employees and dependent children. We also provide long term disability and life insurance.
    • Retirement: after one year of work, Compass contributes an amount equal to 5% of your salary into a retirement account; this vests during years 2-6.
    • Other benefits: education reimbursement (tuition, books, time off); professional development opportunities.

    To Apply:

    Please apply through our online application. No phone calls, please.

    Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. We are an equal opportunity employer and actively seek to recruit a diverse workforce. Employees must embrace the idea that Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging contribute to the success of our underserved communities, and therefore to shared prosperity in our city and region. Compass Family Services is committed to the continuous work of implementing specific actions that will disrupt systemic prejudice and improve equity across programs and departments, to become an example to partners who also believe in a culture of inclusion that leverages diversity.

    Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act and California civil rights law, Compass Family Services will provide reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified applicant or candidate with a disability, unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship for the agency. Requests for reasonable accommodation apply to all aspects of the hiring process. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please use the answer box for the final question of the job application to let us know.