Overview

Global Communities works at the intersection of humanitarian assistance, sustainable development and financial inclusion to save lives, advance equity and secure strong futures. We support communities at the forefront of their own development in more than 35 countries, partnering with local leaders, governments, civil society and the private sector to achieve a shared vision of a more just, prosperous and equitable global community.

Reporting to the President & CEO, the Chief Operating Officer serves as a lead partner to the CEO in the management of the executive operations of Global Communities (GC). The COO is a key member of the Executive Team and is responsible for the overall leadership of the Organizational Management Hub, which oversees Global Communities’ Strategic Management, Enterprise Risk, Global Security, Safeguarding, Innovation, Executive Office Administration and new initiatives, such as realizing our commitment to localization and decentralization.

This role requires exceptional strategic thinking and organizational development skills, a deep understanding of the international development sector, and a proven record in managing high-impact organizational leadership to support Global Communities’ mission of bringing together local ingenuity and global insights to save lives, advance equity, and secure strong futures.

The COO utilizes evidence-based approaches that are fit-for-purpose in the rapidly evolving international development landscape and ensures high standards of organizational management and accountability; rigorous strategic planning; the effective generation and use of data; the fostering of a culture of innovation; and the building of local and decentralized management capacity for optimal impact.

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) collaborates with the CEO/President in setting and driving Global Communities’ vision, operational strategy, and organizational culture. The COO will translate strategy into actionable steps for growth, implementing organization-wide goal setting, performance management, and annual operations planning. The COO will work closely with the CEO to oversee and integrate Global Communities (GC) operations, new initiatives and strategic management functions, building a highly inclusive culture that ensures team members can thrive and organizational outcomes are met. Focus will be directed toward ensuring strong and effective Executive Office relationships, coordination and productivity.

This role requires a high degree of resourcefulness, problem-solving, strong emotional intelligence, self-motivation and well-developed analytical skills, as the COO proactively identifies and resolves issues that could influence the successful execution of the CEO’s agenda and the organization’s strategy and annual operating plan.

This role provides direct access to the inner workings of Global Communities and to highly sensitive information, requiring discretion, high-energy, agility, proactiveness, clear, concise and direct communication with others, strong organizational skills, exceptional strategic abilities, and commitment to the vision and values of Global Communities.

Responsibilities

Responsibility Area: Organizational Strategy Development and Execution

• Working closely with the CEO, develop and implement a comprehensive approach to Global Communities’ organizational strategic planning and execution in line with our mission and Strategic Vision 2030.
• Continuously assess sectoral and organizational trends and opportunities for operational excellence, innovation and efficiency, ensuring that Global Communities is managed with excellence and remains at the forefront of our sector.
• Lead the development and ongoing use of the Global Communities Management Dashboard and monitor organizational performance, ensuring that our organization achieves its strategic goals.
• Work closely with the CEO to develop actionable business strategies, structures and plans that ensure alignment with our Strategic Vision 2030.
• Drive the integration of cross-departmental initiatives and operational best practices in order to maximize organizational impact and sustainability in pursuit of our Strategic Vision 2030.

Responsibility Area: Team Leadership, Management and Capacity Building

• Lead, inspire, and motivate a high-performing team of Senior Directors, promoting a culture of collaboration, learning, teamwork, professional growth, and mutual accountability.
• Oversee the day-to-day activities of the Organizational Management Hub and establish a culture of efficiency and effectiveness to better achieve organizational goals. Build greater synergies between Global Support Team (formerly HQ) departments to strengthen organizational achievements, learn from one another, identify strategic opportunities, increase organizational visibility and advance the mission, growth, and impact of our organization.
• Effectively manage, mentor, and lead the Organizational Management Hub team, by recruiting, retaining, and developing a productive team of professionals through staff development and the strategic use of training, professional growth opportunities, and information for learning and performance enhancement.
• Work across functions and geographies to contribute to overall organizational impact, support the implementation of strategic priorities, and champion key organizational initiatives.

Responsibility Area: Organizational Leadership

• As a member of the Executive Team (ET), provide organizational leadership by participating in and contributing to cross-functional, organization-wide meetings, discussions, collaborative processes, decision-making, and actions.
• Actively participate in addressing structural change and transformation of the organization to more fully advance our strategic vision, live out our DEI commitment and better model our values.
• Serve as a staff liaison to the Global Communities Board of Trustees. Participate as needed on other relevant Global Communities boards and committees to ensure effective governance, support Global Communities’ mission and build effective relationships across our enterprise.
• Build and maintain trusted relationships with Executive Team members, employees, donors, partners, and other stakeholders via frequent engagement.

Responsibility Area: Delivering Organizational Impact and Operational Efficiency

• Oversee Global Communities’ efforts to grow our impact, improve our organizational performance and better meet the needs of the communities we serve, by integrating and aligning our organizational support functions and ensuring smooth Executive Office functioning.
• Direct the planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of all new initiatives managed by the Strategic Management Office, informed by evidence and guided by the use of strategic information, research and planning.
• Analyze internal operations and support cross-departmental collaboration to identify areas for process and technology improvement in support of mission requirements.
• Support the development and growth of an innovation ecosystem within Global Communities.
• Ensure global security, safeguarding and enterprise risk management programs meet and exceed internal and external standards.
• Play a critical role in networking, collaborating, building, and strengthening relationships with a wide array of internal and external stakeholders to ensure organizational excellence.
• Orchestrate projects, special initiatives, operations and/or commitments directly involving multiple departments and/or units of Global Communities, ensuring alignment, coordination, and collaboration among relevant stakeholders and, when such alignment is absent, recommending mitigating approaches.
• Design internal controls and processes to enhance, support and maximize efficiency, coordination, and collaboration in support of Global Communities’ operations.
• Provide strategic guidance on data analytics and the linkages for effective decision-making, sharing, and learning that supports organizational performance improvement and growth. Ensure the timely and accurate reporting of organizational results to the board, donors and other stakeholders, in line with organizational standards.

Responsibility Area: Representation and Advocacy

• Establish and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including partner organizations, governments, donors, and communities, to ensure effective organizational delivery and long-term sustainability.
• As a member of the COO Forum, promote knowledge-sharing and collaboration across the international development and humanitarian, positioning Global Communities as a thought leader and driver of organizational excellence.
• Represent Global Communities at high-level meetings, conferences, and events, acting as a spokesperson for the organization.
• Advocate for Global Communities’ mission and organizational priorities with governments, donors, and other key stakeholders as appropriate.

POSITION SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Promotes a culture of excellence, diversity, equity & inclusion, transparency, learning, and innovation.
• Delegates accountabilities and responsibilities, as well as projects and workloads, appropriately and effectively
• 10-15% international and domestic travel may be required
• Supervises, manages and develops direct report staff in a range of positions and levels
• Other duties as assigned

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong coordination, collaboration, and networking skills.
• Ability to think and act strategically.
• Commitment to modeling Global Communities’ values.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 20 years of related work experience
• Minimum of fifteen (15) years’ progressive experience in operations or executive management
• Passion for the mission and values of Global Communities and our subsidiaries
• Strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and a passion for inclusive leadership.
• Ability to mentor, coach, and professionally develop staff and teams for improved performance and job satisfaction.
• Demonstrated competencies in financial analysis and management skills
• Demonstrated understanding of the international development sector.
• Willingness to work hard and take direction, but also creatively solve problems for which the answers are not always obvious
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills, with the ability to resolve conflict and build consensus among diverse internal and external stakeholders
• Demonstrated experience in project management, decision-making and crisis management.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Unquestionable personal code of ethics and integrity and demonstrated emotional intelligence and resilience.
• Ability to successfully navigate within varying degrees of ambiguity in a fast-paced environment.
• Knowledge of Global Communities and key stakeholders desirable.
• Experience living and working abroad is desirable.

Application Instructions

To be considered for this position, please apply (including your resume and cover letter) by 7/24/2024**.** Applications received after this date may be reviewed on a rolling basis until the job has been filled.

Location and Work Arrangement

This selected candidate can be based in Silver Spring, MD; San Diego, CA; Jordan, Ghana or Guatemala. Candidates must be authorized to work in their preferred country without any restriction. This role is is eligible for 100% remote work.

Salary and Compensation

The estimated salary for this position is between $250,000 – $300,000. Final salary will be based on several factors including qualifications, geographic location, experience, and internal equity. Global Communities provides a comprehensive benefits package; please note that this position is not eligible for allowances.

Safeguarding Policy

Global Communities holds strict safeguarding principles and has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment. In the process of recruitment, selection, and appointment, Global Communities will conduct robust reference and background screening checks, including international vetting as a signature of the Global Misconduct Disclosure Scheme to ensure children and vulnerable adults are safeguarded, and abuse is prevented. The incumbent is required to carry out their duties in accordance with Global Communities Safeguarding policy and the Standards of Conduct.

EEO/ADA

Global Communities is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

Global Communities complies with all applicable provisions of the ADA and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities unless it provides undue hardship to the organization. If reasonable accommodation is necessary to participate in the recruitment process, please contact recruitment@globalcommunities.org.