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Chief Operating Officer
Island Institute
Software Engineering
Rockland, ME, USA
Posted on Apr 24, 2025
The Chief Operating Officer is responsible for building Island Institute’s capacity to deliver on its new strategy. This position is a senior leadership position. The COO will be a member of the senior leadership team and report to the president. The position intersects with a range of important institutional functions: human resources, programs, finance, strategy and measurement, and facilities/IT and requires exceptional people and operational skills.
Success for the COO means (1) building cross-organizational systems to deliver on our commitments to island and coastal communities; (2) supporting and building high performing teams across the organization; (3) strengthening the systems that allow us to measure our impact, and (4) partnering with the president and other members of the senior leadership team to implement organization-wide priorities.
Headquartered in Rockland, Maine, Island Institute is a leading community development organization dedicated to navigating climate and economic changes with Maine’s island and coastal communities, expanding opportunities, and delivering effective solutions. Our culture thrives on innovation, collaboration, and creativity, driven by a vision where Maine’s island and coastal communities thrive in a rapidly changing world, serving as models of innovation
Qualifications:
- An MBA or graduate degree in business or nonprofit management, or related field.
- At least 15 years of experience as a COO or comparable executive leadership positions in a complex organization.
- A thorough understanding of advanced business/nonprofit planning and processes.
- Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail in planning and overseeing project work.
- Experience implementing a strategic plan and measuring results.
- Experience in mentoring, supervision and/or professional development.
- Professional interests that align strongly with the goals of Island Institute.
- Exceptional written communication skills; able to effectively convey the organization’s mission, priorities, and programs to both internal and external audiences in a variety of formats.
- Outstanding verbal and interpersonal communication skills; able to listen and foster collaborative discussions that result in effective organizational processes.
- Experience in running effective meetings that meet clearly identified objectives.
- The ability to give and receive constructive and helpful feedback with staff colleagues and community partners.
- Comfort with technology, including information technology systems, such as Office 365 applications, Salesforce, and financial management systems.
- Facilities management experience helpful.
- The ability and willingness to travel as needed.
- Proximity to Island Institute headquarters, with an expectation of three days a week in the office.
Essential Functions:
Operations
- Works collaboratively with the Chief Financial officer and Chief People and Culture Officer to ensure that the organization's operations functions are effective and efficient.
- Responsible for day-to-day operations of the organization in support of priorities established by the board and president.
- Develops and tracks the work of teams from across the organization to solve internal operational challenges.
- Builds decision-making strength across the organization that ensures appropriate consultation and inclusion.
- Works with the board and the president to understand the mission related priorities and serve as the internal resource to help staff focus efforts on these priorities.
- Directs the allocation of resources relative to mission priorities.
- Oversees current IT systems and develops a strategy for future IT needs to best utilize the tools and resources available in nonprofit IT systems.
- Oversees physical property, including our building and boat, in partnership with the CFO.
- Responsible for building renovations and ongoing maintenance.
- May serve as an organizational leader in the absence of the President.
Management, Collaboration, and Committee Participation
- Develops effective internal coordination and management structures to move Island Institute's work forward effectively.
- Serves as a key member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and works with president to set agendas.
- Serves as a member of appropriate committees that provide senior leadership and strategic oversight to the organization, and revenue and expense planning and coordination.
- Provides direct management oversight and mentoring to leadership roles in the organization, including the Senior Management Team.
- Works collaboratively with the SLT on the overall management of the organization.
- Provides mentoring to staff as appropriate.
Budget Development/Priority Setting
- Oversees, convenes, and manages the annual budget development and annual priority setting processes in collaboration with the CFO.
- Works with the President and the SLT to prioritize and communicate the priorities of all internally focused operational projects with awareness of existing staff commitments.
- Oversees excellence, impact, and evaluation processes.
Board of Trustees/Donor Relations
- Serves as the liaison to the Institutes board of trustees for overall internal organizational functioning.
- Aids the president in creating and preparing board meeting material.
- Makes occasional board presentations and works with donors as assigned.