Chief Operating Officer

Generation Hope • Washington, DC

4d • $180,000 - $225,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

Generation Hope is seeking a strategic and process-oriented Chief Operating Officer (COO) to serve as the architect of our operational infrastructure. Reporting to the CEO, the COO will oversee the critical pillars of Finance, HR, IT, and Legal, ensuring our internal systems are as innovative and impactful as our external programming. The ideal candidate brings sophisticated expertise in financial systems and organizational modeling, paired with a "coaching-first" leadership style. We are looking for a visionary who can bridge the gap between ambitious strategy and stellar execution—institutionalizing our growth while fostering a culture of excellence. This is a unique opportunity to fortify the longevity of a national movement dedicated to driving large-scale, life-changing outcomes for student parents and their families.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required
• Minimum 10 years’ of senior-level experience in business management, including office administration, financial oversight, leading, supervising, and coaching
• Thorough understanding of finance, HR, programming, strategic development and planning, budgeting, business analysis, information systems, human resources, and marketing/communications
• Deep understanding of structural barriers affecting student parents and low-income families.

Nice To Haves

• An advanced degree is strongly preferred, particularly in fields such as nonprofit management, business, law, or a related discipline.
• Lived experience as a student parent, first-generation college student, or someone impacted by systemic barriers is highly valued.

Responsibilities

• Lead a comprehensive evaluation of Generation Hope’s financial architecture, assessing current workflows, team capacity, and system efficiencies across geographies.
• With the Vice President of Strategy & Operations, design, build, and sustain our financial team to ensure we are well positioned to meet our goals.
• Implement a financial operating model that improves reporting accuracy and timeliness, strengthens forecasting, and reduces close-out timelines by measurable margins.
• Provide actionable, data-informed insights to the CEO and Board, using real-time dashboards, scenario modeling, variance analysis, risk management, and trend forecasting to inform long-term strategy.
• Oversee the development and finalization of the annual budget, holding the Finance Team and senior leadership accountable for timely deliverables, data-driven forecasting, and operational feasibility.
• Evaluate the finance team’s structure and capabilities, offering developmental coaching, restructuring plans, or role redefinition as necessary.
• Oversee and optimize the performance of core operational teams/functions: IT (outsourced), HR, Finance, Administration, and Legal (outsourced), setting measurable team goals and service-level expectations and enabling teams to innovate while delivering at the highest level.
• Collaborate with other Executive Leadership and Senior Leadership team members to ensure operational strategies align with programmatic and revenue goals.
• Work with the Chief of Staff (COS) to identify bottlenecks or inefficiencies across the organization, then implement performance monitoring systems that include root-cause analysis and resolution planning.
• Work with the Chief of Staff (COS) to establish annual operating plans (AOPs) and dashboards across departments that align with the organization’s strategic priorities to ensure goals are clear and there are systems for accountability.
• Create standardized operating procedures (SOPs) across the organization to ensure the continuity of work and proper documentation of procedures and policies.
• Serve as a strategic partner to the CEO, offering operational and financial insights that inform organizational strategy, and work with the COS to provide timely and accurate information to the Board.
• Supervise, coach, and support four vice presidents to achieve strategic and operational goals.
• Represents the organization and CEO at high-stakes meetings and public forums, exercising sound judgment to advance the nonprofit's mission and maintain partner confidence when the CEO is unavailable.
• Working with the Vice President of Strategy & Operations, develop talent strategies that support organizational goals, ensure the right people are in the right roles across the organization, and utilize competency-based hiring and promotion frameworks.
• Embed a performance culture through consistent goal-setting, coaching conversations, and performance reviews tied to organization’s strategic goals and core competencies.
• Champion a results and equity-driven performance culture by introducing or enhancing performance reviews, 360° feedback loops, and peer coaching systems.
• Partner with the COS to co-design the strategic objectives and operational logistics for all-staff retreats. While the Chief of Staff focuses on the "narrative" and mission-alignment, the COO ensures the retreat serves as a catalyst for operational clarity, team-building, and professional development.
• Direct the design, implementation, and analysis of staff pulse surveys and translate data trends into executive-level insights and specific, measurable "Culture Action Plans" to address identified gaps in engagement. Lead the rollout of new initiatives and policy changes.
• Lead a comprehensive, cross-functional audit of technology and operational systems—spanning Finance, Development, HR, and Programs—to identify gaps, eliminate redundancies, and accelerate organizational digital transformation. The COO will ensure all systems are designed for scalability through automation and digitization, while institutionalizing a continuous learning culture where staff are regularly trained to leverage the full capabilities of the organization's tech stack.
• Track and report digital transformation outcomes using adoption rates, time saved, or user satisfaction metrics.
• Oversee organizational risk management, ensuring compliance with legal, financial, and operational standards across all sites.
• Lead a proactive approach to risk management by conducting quarterly reviews across finance, legal, and operational policies and updating procedures to reflect evolving donor, legal, and sectoral requirements.
• Ensure implementation of internal controls through real-time compliance dashboards, training for key staff, and routine audit preparation protocols.
• Cultivate strong relationships with external auditors, legal advisors, and compliance bodies, maintaining up-to-date documentation and readiness across all regulated domains to ensure adherence to global standards.

Benefits

• Generation Hope provides full benefits, including 403(b), health, dental, and paid time off.
• More information on benefits can be found at generationhope.org/careers.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Number of Employees: 11-50 employees