Job Title: Chief of Operations
FLSA Status: Exempt
Position Type: Full-time
Department: Operations
Job Level: 6
Pay: $181,795
Reports To: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
About Earth Island Institute:
Earth Island Institute (EII) is a leading nonprofit environmental organization that has been at the forefront of efforts to protect the environment and its inhabitants for over forty years. EII supports grassroots activists through a powerful network of approximately 65 sponsored projects working in the United States and around the world. EII's projects safeguard forests, oceans, and wildlife; support youth and women’s environmental leadership and underserved communities; combat climate change; and promote environmental justice, sustainability, and resilience. EII further advances, informs, and inspires action through the New Leaders Initiative and its annual Brower Youth Awards, which provides youth leadership recognition and mentoring; Earth Island Journal, which provides unparalleled coverage of global environmental news and perspectives, both in a quarterly print issue and in daily stories online; and Earth Island Advocates, which uses the law to fight for the planet and its inhabitants. For more information, please visit .
Position Overview:
Role Summary: The Chief of Operations (COO) is the primary architect, integrator, and deliverer of Earth Island’s organizational infrastructure. Reporting directly to the CEO as one of two equal pillars of tactical execution, the COO is responsible for the "how" of organizational success: ensuring that Finance, HR, Legal, and IT systems are robust, compliant, and scalable.
This role oversees the functional department heads (Chief Financial Officer, Chief People Officer, and General Counsel) and the office manager. The COO is responsible for ensuring the compliant, reliable, and standardized delivery of operational services, adhering to established organization-wide standards and success metrics. The COO works in close partnership with the Chief of Project Support and Services, transforming infrastructure into an enabling asset that supports Earth Island and its fiscally-sponsored projects.
Reporting Structure:
- Reports To: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
- Status: Regular, Exempt, Full-Time
Key Duties & Responsibilities:
1. Organizational Infrastructure Architecture, Integrator, & Services Delivery (40%)
- Direct the strategic design, implementation, and maintenance of all organizational infrastructure, including IT/technology systems, facilities/office management, and data/cybersecurity protocols.
- Identify and problem-solve operational interdepartmental needs necessary for organizational success.
- Collaborate closely with the Chief of Project Services and Support to ensure standardized, compliant, and responsive project support services, providing input on operational capabilities and constraints.
- Manage the delivery of all operational aspects of project support services to ensure they meet the agreed-upon standards and success metrics. Monitor performance against standards and success metrics with respect to the operations departments, and support the creation and implementation of solutions when needed.
- Stay current on trends in non-profit and fiscal sponsor technology, data security, and operational best practices, ensuring Earth Island remains a leader in operational excellence within the nonprofit and fiscal sponsorship sectors.
2. Oversight of Operational Teams (30%)
- Directly supervise and mentor the functional department heads: Chief Financial Officer, Chief People Officer, and General Counsel. While these individuals hold technical expertise, the COO is accountable for their respective department's compliant and efficient delivery of services in accordance with all standards and success metrics.
- Directly supervise the Administrative Assistant/Office Manager and manage IT/Technology contractors and office management contractors.
- Set professional standards and cultivate a strong culture of service excellence and responsiveness within the operations departments.
- Ensure that the office environment is safe, comfortable, and functional for the organization’s needs.
3. Organizational Accountability & Risk Management (20%)
- Coordinate comprehensive, organization-wide risk assessment and mitigation strategies, collaborating with the Chief Financial Officer for financial risk and the General Counsel for legal risk.
- Serve as the primary liaison to the Board’s Audit and Risk Committee, providing regular reports on organizational risk, infrastructure health, and compliance status.
- Assume ultimate oversight for Insurance Renewals, Technology/Data Security, Office/Facilities Management, budgeting, contracting and grants management.
4. Programmatic & Client Enablement (10%)
- Consult regularly with the Chief of Project Services and Support to ensure the fiscal sponsorship services are intentionally designed to further Earth Island’s strategic approach.
- Facilitate seamless cross-functional workflows and data sharing between the functional departments and the programmatic pillars (Journal, New Leaders Initiative, Advocates, Fiscal Sponsorship).
- Align operational capacity with long-term strategic goals, including aligning projected operational capacity with business development priorities.
We strongly encourage individuals from underrepresented backgrounds, including women and people of color, to apply. Research has shown that these groups are often less likely to apply unless they meet 100% of the listed qualifications. At Earth Island, we value diversity and believe that a range of perspectives contributes to our success. If you have at least 60% of the qualifications listed and a growth mindset, we encourage you to submit your application.
Qualifications:
- Proven track record of successfully leading multiple complex operational functions (Finance, HR, Legal, IT) ideally within a mature non-profit and/or fiscal sponsor environment.
- Extensive experience in comprehensive budget management, financial modeling, and long-term strategic planning to ensure organizational capacity matches growth.
- Proven track record of cultivating operational excellence while maintaining reasonable staff workloads and a positive work culture.
- Demonstrated commitment to shared and transparent decision-making models; proven ability to facilitate inclusive processes that gather meaningful input, communicate clear rationales, and build organizational buy-in and trust across all levels of the team.
- Deep expertise in building, implementing, and maintaining scalable organizational infrastructure, implementing robust internal systems, and managing institutional risk and compliance.
- Proven track record of successfully implementing and managing complex service agreementsor similar performance metric frameworks.
- Exceptional interpersonal skills with the ability to navigate complex organizational dynamics, resolve interdepartmental conflicts, and communicate operational priorities to the CEO and a Board of Directors.
- Superior skills in systems thinking, process improvement, and managing internal service delivery.
Supervisory Responsibilities and/or Key Relationships:
- Directly supervise and mentor the functional department heads: Chief Financial Officer, Chief People Officer, and General Counsel.
Education and Experience:
- 10-15+ years of progressive professional experience, ideally in a complex nonprofit, social enterprise, or mission-driven corporate environment.
- 5-10+ years of experience in a senior leadership or operational management role, with a demonstrated ability to mentor and develop high-performing leaders.
- B.A./B.S. or higher degree, or equivalent experience.
Other duties:
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job.
Work Hours, Working Styles, Travel Requirements, and Additional Benefits:
- Staff are required to work in the San Francisco Bay Area. We are 3 days/week in-office hybrid at the Earth Island Institute office in Berkeley, California. Schedule to be coordinated with the Chief Executive Officer.
- No travel is required for this position.
Compensation:
The salary for this position is $181,795 per year and is non-negotiable. Earth Island Institute has adopted a compensation philosophy and set of practices to promote equity, remove bias - whether implicit or explicit - in the salary adjustment process, and promote transparency around salaries. Each position has a grade and has a corresponding range of pay based on market pay practices and an employee’s tenure in a job. Full benefits include medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, 13 paid holidays per year, a week-long winter break, paid vacation and sick leave, and a 403(b) plan. The organization provides a supplemental bonus equal to 4% of eligible compensation to staff in lieu of the employer 403(b) matching contribution.
Affirmative Action/EEO Statement:
Earth Island Institute provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.
We strongly encourage applications from women, people of color, and bilingual and bicultural individuals, as well as members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities. Earth Island Institute is committed to our role in addressing barriers to engagement as we work collectively toward a future of environmental well-being for all. We value diversity and inclusion, and we look forward to reviewing applications from all who are qualified to apply.
Reasonable accommodation will be made so that qualified disabled applicants may participate in the application process. If you seek an accommodation, please advise in writing at the time you apply. If you seek an accommodation for the application process, please send an email to Michelle Thompson at [email protected].
To Apply: Please send your résumé and a cover letter expressing your interest in the position to [email protected] with Chief of Operations in the subject line. Applications received by July 20, 2026 will be considered for priority review. The position will be open until filled.
Pay: $181,795.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Parental leave
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Berkeley, CA 94704
