Chief Operations Officer

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HUMAN SERVICES•Denver, CO

9d•$165,000 - $175,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) serves as RMHS’ enterprise integrator, translating organizational strategy into disciplined execution while building and sustaining an operating model that delivers high-quality, financially sustainable, compliant, and client-centered services. The COO provides executive leadership for program and service delivery, strengthens organizational infrastructure, and partners with the CEO and Executive Team to ensure operational excellence, accountability, and long-term sustainability. Reporting relationships may evolve based on organizational priorities, funding, and service delivery needs.

Requirements

Significant executive or senior leadership experience leading complex, multi-disciplinary service organizations.
Demonstrated ability to translate organizational strategy into operational execution through effective planning, accountability systems, and cross-functional leadership.
Strong systems-thinking and operational leadership skills, including experience designing operating models, improving workflows, and leading organizational change.
Strong financial acumen, including experience with budgeting, fiscal stewardship, resource allocation, and operational performance management.
Experience leading programs subject to government contracts, regulatory oversight, audit requirements, and complex compliance obligations.
Proven ability to use data, performance measures, and continuous improvement methodologies to drive organizational performance and decision-making.
Demonstrated success coaching, developing, and holding senior leaders accountable while fostering a high-performing, values-driven organizational culture.
Excellent communication, collaboration, and relationship-building skills with the ability to engage effectively with executive leaders, employees, funders, community partners, government agencies, clients, and families.
Ability to exercise sound judgment, navigate ambiguity, manage competing priorities, and make timely, well-informed decisions.
Demonstrated commitment to delivering high-quality, client-centered, financially sustainable, and mission-aligned services.
Ability to maintain confidentiality, act with integrity, and represent RMHS professionally with internal and external stakeholders.
Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office and other technology tools that support executive-level operational leadership.
Bachelor’s degree in business administration, public administration, nonprofit management, health and human services, social work, public policy, or a related field required.
A minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible professional experience is required, including at least five years of senior leadership experience supervising experienced leaders and managing complex programs, services, or operations.
Experience in Medicaid, long-term services and supports, disability services, behavioral health, human services, government-funded programs, nonprofit operations, or a similarly complex regulated service environment is strongly preferred.
Valid driver’s license and proof of insurance required.

Nice To Haves

A master’s degree in business administration, public administration, nonprofit management, health administration, social work, public policy, or a related field is preferred.

Responsibilities

Translate CEO, Board, and organizational priorities into clear operational plans, implementation timelines, accountability structures, and measurable outcomes.
Ensure strategic initiatives are sequenced, resourced, and implemented in alignment with organizational capacity, financial realities, compliance obligations, workforce conditions, and client needs.
Serve as a key executive integrator across Programs, Finance, Compliance, Human Resources, Administrative Operations, Data/IT, Communications, and Strategy.
Identify cross-program dependencies, operational barriers, and competing priorities, and ensure they are addressed through coordinated executive and senior leadership action.
Partner with the CEO and Executive Team to support strategic planning, operational planning, organizational restructuring, and implementation of major enterprise initiatives.
Keep the CEO informed of significant operational risks, programmatic challenges, emerging issues, external pressures, and decisions requiring executive attention.
Develop, strengthen, and maintain RMHS’ operating model, including decision rights, cross-functional governance structures, meeting cadence, accountability systems, and performance review processes.
Establish operating rhythms and decision-making processes that promote transparency, effective execution, cross-functional coordination, and successful implementation of organizational priorities.
Ensure operational risks, policy changes, financial pressures, workforce constraints, and client experience issues are appropriately prioritized escalated and resolved.
Hold senior leaders are prioritizing work appropriately, managing deadlines, monitoring workload pressures, and following through on commitments.
Provide executive leadership and oversight for RMHS’ program and service delivery functions, ensuring high-quality, compliant, financially sustainable, and client-centered services.
Strengthen service delivery through continuous evaluation and improvement of organizational structures, workflows, operational processes, and program design.
Support and develop senior program leaders by providing coaching, accountability, and leadership through operational challenges, organizational change, and performance improvement.
Evaluate emerging client, community, funder, and policy needs and recommend operational improvements, service enhancements, or new program opportunities.
Partner with the CEO, CFO, and program leaders to ensure program operations are financially viable, responsibly managed, and aligned with organizational sustainability goals.
Oversee operational planning, budgeting, resource allocation, staffing models, and performance reporting to support effective and efficient service delivery.
Identify and address operational inefficiencies, structural cost drivers, staffing challenges, and resource utilization opportunities to strengthen organizational sustainability.
Balance financial stewardship, quality, compliance, financial stewardship, workforce sustainability, and client experience in operational decision-making.
Ensure RMHS programs operate in compliance with applicable federal, state, city, funder, contract, certification, licensing, and regulatory requirements.
Partner with Compliance, Finance, and program leadership to proactively identify, monitor, and mitigate organizational risk while maintaining audit readiness, monitor risk exposure, and implement corrective action plans.
Establish and maintain operational standards, quality improvement processes, and accountability systems that integrate compliance into program design, supervision, training, documentation, billing, and service delivery, ensuring compliance is embedded throughout daily operations rather than managed as an isolated function.
Develop and maintain performance measurement systems for tracking operational performance, strategic implementation, program outcomes, service quality, financial indicators, workforce capacity, and client experience.
Define key performance indicators in partnership with the CEO, Executive Team, program leaders, Finance, Compliance, and Administrative Operations.
Partner with executive and operational leaders to establish meaningful performance measures, evaluate results, and use data to drive continuous improvement and operational decision-making.
Ensure program leaders have access to meaningful, validated, and actionable data to manage performance and improve outcomes.
Partner with enterprise data and technology leaders to improve reporting, reduce duplicative data practices, and strengthen organizational visibility into performance.
Ensure program operations are supported by sustainable staffing models, clear competency expectations, effective supervision, and appropriate training systems that promote operational consistency and organizational success.
Partner with Human Resources and program leaders to identify workforce risks, workload pressures, leadership development needs, and retention challenges.
Partner with the CHRO in employee relations and succession planning as requested by the CHRO.
Coach, support, and hold senior leaders accountable for developing high-performing, values-aligned teams while strengthening organizational performance and leadership effectiveness.
Promote leadership practices that strengthen clarity, consistency, engagement, and trust across the organization with attention to staff capacity, change fatigue, communication needs, and organizational culture.
Ensure RMHS maintains a client-centered operating model that delivers consistent, responsive, and high-quality services across all programs.
Monitor client feedback, complaints, grievances, service trends, to identify systemic issues and drive continuous operational improvement.
Partner with program leaders to ensure client experience is integrated into workflow design, quality improvement, staff training, and performance expectations.
Ensure operational systems support RMHS’ commitment to simplifying access, celebrating individuality, and bridging communities.
Build and maintain strategic relationships with funders, government partners, community agencies, providers, and external stakeholders to advance RMHS' mission and long-term sustainability.
Represent RMHS in partnership with the CEO and Executive Team, communicating organizational priorities, operational initiatives, and emerging opportunities to internal and external stakeholders.
Support sustainable funding, strategic partnerships, and organizational positioning by anticipating external trends, responding to funder expectations, and fostering trusted community relationships.
Partner with Administrative Operations, enterprise data, IT, and technology leaders to ensure systems, workflows, tools, and reporting structures support effective operations and strategic priorities.
Translate operational needs into clear business requirements that improve technology, workflows, reporting, and organizational decision-making.
Promote effective use of technology and data to strengthen operational efficiency, compliance, service quality, and organizational performance.
Model and promote RMHS' Code of Values, fostering a culture of accountability, respect, continuous improvement, and organizational resilience.
Promote open communication and meaningful feedback that strengthen leadership effectiveness, employee engagement, and organizational health.
Partner with the CEO, Executive Team, and Human Resources to cultivate a positive organizational culture and support employees through periods of change and growth.
Support organizational advocacy and external communication.
Participate in strategic positioning as requested by the Executive Team.
Responds to “Crisis Response” as needed when Communications Team needs backup.
Perform other duties as assigned.
This position supervises senior-level program and operational leaders and provides Executive oversight for large, complex service delivery functions.
The role has indirect responsibility for a significant portion of RMHS’ workforce and is accountable for ensuring that leaders under their supervision effectively manage staff performance, compliance, service quality, fiscal stewardship, and organizational culture.