Chief Administrative Officer

People's Action Institute•Chicago, IL

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Do you enjoy overseeing core internal systems, including governance, risk management, and executive operations? Then this position is just for you. You will work closely with the Executive Director and other senior leaders to strengthen People’s Action Institute's organizational effectiveness, sustainability, and impact. As the Chief Administrative Officer, you will report to the Executive Director. The primary function of this position is to provide senior-level leadership over the organization’s administrative, operational, and financial infrastructure, ensuring that organizational priorities are translated into coordinated execution across departments. As Chief Administrative Officer , your typical day will include (but isn’t limited to): Executive & Institutional Administration: Will lead the People’s Action Institute’s (PAI) executive and institutional administration, ensuring that strategic and board-level decisions translate into coordinated execution, accountability, and organizational health. Responsible for tracking executive decisions, ensuring cross-departmental alignment, and identifying institutional risks, while partnering closely with the Executive Director, Chief of Institutional Advancement, and Chief of Staff on governance, resourcing, and capacity building. Stewards effective board governance, ensuring boards and committees are well-supported, engaged, and equipped to govern with clarity and accountability. Supervision & Cross-Functional Leadership: Provides executive leadership and supervision across core internal functions, directly overseeing the Directors of Operations and Finance by guiding the department staff through clear goals, performance expectations, and accountability. Ensures strong coordination between Operations and Finance while maintaining appropriate functional boundaries, and provides executive oversight of the organization’s financial health, internal controls, and audit readiness. Fosters financial accountability and shared understanding among senior leaders to align resources with strategic priorities. Board Management, Compliance, and Risk Management: Collaborates with the Executive Director on board governance, leads organizational compliance and risk management, and ensures that internal systems support the strategic vision of the Executive Director and Boards across all entities (C3, C4, PAC). Partners closely with executive leadership to steward effective board engagement, committee work, and decision-making, while overseeing legal and regulatory compliance, political reporting, and lobbying disclosures. Identifies and escalates organizational risks and constraints, providing clear executive visibility into institutional health. Executive Office Oversight: Oversees the executive team operating system, ensuring that executive workflows, decision-making, and follow-through are disciplined, aligned, and effective. Collaborates with the Executive Director to set the executive agenda and holds accountability standards, ensuring that decisions and commitments are clearly documented, assigned, and followed through. In close partnership with executive support staff, the CAO continuously improves executive team systems to strengthen clarity, alignment, and organizational execution. Other duties may be assigned as needed to support organizational priorities

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, public administration, organizational development, or related field or equivalent experience.
10 or more years of progressive experience in executive or senior leadership roles, ideally within nonprofit, advocacy, political, or grassroots organizing environments.
Proven track record of overseeing complex, cross-functional teams and leading organizational systems and culture change.
Demonstrated success in building high-performing teams with a focus on staff development, performance management, and cultivating an inclusive, collaborative culture.
Exceptional writing skills, with demonstrated ability to produce clear, high-quality memos, reports, and presentation materials that synthesize complex information for senior leadership, boards, and staff.
Advanced knowledge of nonprofit governance, political compliance, and risk management across 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), and PAC entities.
Excellent organizational development and operational skills, including expertise in strategic planning, systems design, and process improvement.
Highly organized and detail-oriented with the ability to manage complex information, maintain oversight of multiple workstreams, and ensure quality and consistency across organizational systems.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to coach, collaborate across teams, and work with diverse stakeholders.
Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills with the ability to synthesize information, identify strategic opportunities, and execute decisions.
Strong commitment to racial, gender, and economic justice and their intersections with a demonstrated ability to apply these principles in the workplace and through professional interactions.

Responsibilities

Executive & Institutional Administration
Supervision & Cross-Functional Leadership
Board Management, Compliance, and Risk Management
Executive Office Oversight

Benefits

Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Medical, on the first day of employment, and Dependent Care Flex Spending Account after 90 days
401(k) plan after 30 days
Long-Term Disability Insurance
Life Insurance
4 floating holidays (Presidents Day, May Day, Indigenous People’s Day, Veterans Day
10 paid holidays plus the last two weeks of the year that include Christmas Eve/Christmas Day as well as, New Year’s Eve
you accrue two weeks of vacation your first year of employment