The Chief Operating Officer (COO) serves as the senior internal leader responsible for the overall operational health, culture, and implementation of contractual deliverables at ICOY. Working in close partnership with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the COO ensures that the organization’s internal systems, people, and processes effectively support its mission and strategic priorities.
The COO oversees day-to-day organizational management and cross-departmental coordination so the CEO can focus primarily on external leadership including public policy engagement, partnerships, fundraising, and field leadership.
The COO is responsible for strengthening organizational effectiveness, ensuring operational alignment across teams, supporting leadership development, and fostering a strong culture of collaboration, accountability, and mission alignment.
This role ensures that ICOY’s programs and administrative infrastructure operate efficiently and sustainably. They will work with ICOY’s various teams to help inform and advocate for services to enhance outcomes for youth at a systemic level.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Organizational Health & Culture
- Leads initiatives that strengthen organizational culture, staff engagement, and cross-team collaboration.
- Ensures staff experience a supportive, equitable, and mission-aligned workplace environment.
- Facilitates leadership development , talent development, and coaching for managers and department leads.
- Partners with leadership to address organizational challenges, team dynamics, and structural improvements.
- Supports the development of internal communication systems that promote transparency and shared ownership of organizational goals.
Implementation of Contract Deliverables
- Supervises the Senior Director of Prevention and Intervention.
- Serves as a liaison to ICOY funders.
- Identifies opportunities for program growth and collaboration.
Internal Operations Oversight
- Provides strategic oversight to operational functions including finance, HR coordination, technology, and administrative systems.
- Supervises the Director of Operations and the Director of Technology and Process Improvement to ensure internal systems operate efficiently and in compliance with grant, contractual, and fiscal requirements.
- Ensures alignment between programmatic work and operational capacity.
- Oversees organizational planning for staffing, infrastructure, and operational growth.
Leadership Team Coordination
- Serves as a senior member of the Leadership Team and facilitate coordination among departments.
- Supports leadership team effectiveness by ensuring clear priorities, accountability structures, and follow-through on key decisions.
- Helps identify cross-departmental challenges and facilitate collaborative solutions.
- Leads internal leadership meetings when appropriate to ensure alignment and momentum across teams.
CEO Partnership
- Serves as a strategic partner and advisor to the CEO on organizational operations, staff dynamics, and internal systems.
- Manages internal organizational functions so the CEO can prioritize external leadership responsibilities.
- Provides regular updates to the CEO regarding organizational performance, risks, and operational opportunities.
- Support sthe CEO in preparing internal information needed for board reporting and strategic discussions.
Fiscal Oversight
- Participates in weekly calls with fiscal consultant team.
- Works with Program Directors to use trial balances to monitor fiscal schedules provided by the accounting consultant.
- Supports fiscal team in creation of budget amendments and revisions for State funded grants
- Supports fiscal team in development and monitoring of annual program budgets including allocation of staff time and capacity with contracts .
- Responsible for leadership and oversight of ICOY GATA process including the completion of the Internal Controls Questionnaire, Program Risk Assessments and uploading reports
- Assists grants administrator in identifying, applying for and submitting funding proposals .
- Supports fiscal team in submission of carryover requests and no-cost extensions to funders as necessary.
- Completes and submits monthly EDFs and PFRs to designated funders
- Assists with yearly audit
Organizational Planning & Growth
- Assesses operational capacity and develop systems to support sustainable organizational growth.
- Identifies opportunities to improve efficiency, internal workflows, and resource allocation.
- Supports planning for staff retreats, internal learning opportunities, and leadership development initiatives.
- Leads internal change management processes during periods of organizational growth or transition.
Serves as a Member of the Executive Leadership Team
- Is a thought leader and engage proactively in the leadership of the organization, including development of policies, procedures, and processes
- Works collaboratively to support and maintain an organizational culture that is aligned with organizational values
- Supports the CEO in implementing the organization’s strategic plan
- Checks in with staff and represent staff concerns at the leadership level
- Communicates leadership decisions to staff
- Supports inter-agency communication and collaboration
- Attends Board of Directors meetings as requested
QUALIFICATIONS:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions of the job.
Education, Experience, Knowledge:
Master’s degree (M.A.) or equivalent; or ten to fifteen years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Certificates, Licenses, Registrations:
None required.
Physical Requirements:
The physical requirements for the job primarily include sitting, standing, and talking. No special vision requirements are needed.
Special Requirements:
A. Language Skills
Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents. Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community. Ability to write speeches and articles for publication that conform to prescribed style and format. Ability to effectively present information to top management, public groups, and/or boards of directors.
B. Computer Skills
Computer software required such as Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point, Sharepoint, and Outlook. ICOY also uses the Salesforce database to track and analyze programmatic data and generate reports.
C. Mathematical Skills
Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs. Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as interest, commissions, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume. Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.
D. Reasoning Ability
Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
E. Analytical Skills
Ability to visualize and assess abstract ideas and develop structured plans for implementation of marketing plans.
F. Equipment
Laptop computer, mobile phone.
G. Other
Not applicable.
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
A. Environmental Conditions
Not applicable.
B. Noise
Moderate noise level, business office with computers and printers, light traffic
TRAVEL, WORK HOURS, WORK LOCATION, SUPERVISION:
A. Travel Expectations
This position will require occasional travel within the state to program sites, usually less than once per month. It may require travel outside the state once per year.
B. Work Hours
This position usually operates within typical working hours. It may occasionally require evening or weekend hours, such as for a special event.
C. Work Location
This organization is following a hybrid work model, with staff asked to work at least two days a week in the office or field. Staff are permitted to work the remainder of the time at home if they choose.
D. Supervision
This job supervises three people directly – the Senior Director of Prevention and Intervention, the Director of Operations, and the Director of Technology and Process Improvement. In total, 26 people report to this position either directly or indirectly.
Compensation & Benefits
A. Compensation
Full-time salary. The range for this position is $108,900 to $152,460 and it is in salary band 20.
B. Benefits
Full-time benefits include employer contributions toward medical, vision, dental, and life insurance, as well as an employer matching program for retirement contributions to organization’s 403 (b) plan. Paid time off includes vacation time (earned at a rate established by tenure at the organization), sick time, a personal holiday, and paid organization-wide holidays. Employees can access a four-week paid sabbatical after six years of service, in accordance with the sabbatical policy.
Starting Date
Mid to late July
Application Instructions
To apply, please submit a resume and cover letter to Denail Timms at [email protected]. No phone calls, please.
Pay: $108,900.00 - $152,460.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Parental leave
- Vision insurance
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Chicago, IL 60604
