Chief Operating Officer
Location: New York, NY (WFA is a remote-first organization; however, this role is based in NYC and requires consistent in-person collaboration)
Type: W-2 Employee (Full Time)
Reports To: Executive Director
Start Date: April 1, 2026
OVERVIEW
Work for America is building the national talent infrastructure local governments need to deliver for their communities. We connect mission-driven people to government roles, modernize how cities hire, and help rebuild pride in public service.
In just 18 months, we’ve grown from a startup into a national organization working with 250+ governments. Now we are scaling a bold national strategy to transform how public service recruits, hires, and inspires talent at scale.
The Chief Operating Officer (COO) will shape the next chapter of Work for America. As we scale in both size and ambition, this role will architect how we grow, bringing rigor, foresight, and operational excellence to everything behind the mission.
ROLE OVERVIEW
The COO will:
Serve as Strategic Operating Partner: Partner closely on long-term strategy while holding primary responsibility for internal execution, resource allocation, and organizational design. Align staffing, budget, goals, KPIs, and decision rights to strategy.
Lead the Enterprise Backbone: Hold full accountability for Finance, People, Legal, Compliance, Governance, IT, and core systems. Ensure the organization runs cleanly, responsibly, and with strong internal controls.
Build for Scale: Anticipate growth and build ahead of it, including designing and implementing the systems, processes, and team structure needed to support a $100M fundraising ambition.
This is a senior leadership role. The decisions you make and the infrastructure you build will shape how WFA operates for years to come.
In the first year, success looks like:
A finance and operations engine ready to support scale, with clean systems, clear ownership, and no fire drills.
An Executive Director spending time on strategy and fundraising rather than internal process.
Clear annual and multi-year goals, with defined decision rights and an obvious ownership and accountability structure.
Accurate monthly financials, strong cash forecasting, and board-ready reporting.
Board meetings that are sharp, well-prepared, and focused on strategy.
WORKING STYLE AND EXPECTATIONS
This role requires comfort owning complex, high-stakes work across multiple functions.
You will:
Work in close partnership with the Executive Director, senior leadership and board members as both strategic partner and operator.
Build and manage strong leaders across People, Finance, and Operations.
Exercise strong judgment and anticipate challenges before they surface.
Operate with urgency, clarity, and high standards.
Create simple, durable systems that minimize friction and increase accountability.
Receive and give direct, iterative feedback.
Consistently look for the path to yes.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Organizational Leadership and Strategy
Act as a trusted institutional partner to the Executive Director and a core member of WFA’s leadership team.
Design and maintain clear decision-making frameworks and leadership team operating rhythms that support speed, clarity, and alignment.
Lead annual and multi-year operating planning in partnership with Program leadership, translating strategy into clear operating plans, staffing models, organizational goals, KPIs, and measurable outcomes.
Oversee the establishment of a simple, organization-wide performance management system to track progress, increase accountability, and enable course correction.
Anticipate risk and prepare the organization for growth and complexity. Lead change management efforts as the organization scales, ensuring systems are adopted effectively across teams.
Finance and Financial Strategy
Build the financial infrastructure, forecasting discipline, and cost controls required to support a multi-year, national fundraising and growth strategy.
Own all financial strategy, planning, and oversight, and build and maintain multi-year revenue and expense models.
Lead annual budgeting and re-forecasting across departments.
Oversee accounting operations, including monthly close and financial reporting. Maintain strong internal controls and financial policies.
Manage external auditors and annual audits, and ensure timely and accurate tax filings.
People, Talent, and Culture
Oversee people operations, including HR policies, compensation, benefits, and performance management.
Partner with senior leaders to strengthen management capability, leadership development, and cross-functional collaboration across the organization.
Manage a Talent and Culture function focused on building a strong, values-aligned workplace.
Support organizational design, workforce planning, and strategic hiring.
Ensure compliance with employment laws and best practices.
Legal, Compliance, Risk, and Governance
Manage relationships with outside counsel, and control legal costs.
Ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.
Maintain strong internal controls and financial policies.
Oversee contracts, risk management, and insurance.
Support the Executive Director with board governance, including preparation of board and committee materials.
Oversee grant reporting, compliance, and financial stewardship in alignment with funder and regulatory requirements.
Partner with program and development teams on accurate tracking and reporting.
Operations, Systems and Team Management
Design and build the long-term internal infrastructure required to support national scale, including internal operations, systems and processes, as well as hiring and developing additional operational leadership as the organization grows.
Build and lead a high-performing back office team, including management and oversight of all Finance, Operations and People functions.
Oversee and coordinate several external consultants, including a legal team, finance consultant and bookkeeper.
Build and maintain the internal operating cadence of the organization, including leadership meetings, goal-setting cycles, and cross-functional planning processes.
Oversee data governance and enterprise systems - including org-wide CRM structuring and adoption - to ensure accuracy, integration, and visibility across teams.
QUALIFICATIONS
You likely bring:
12+ years of professional experience, including 5+ years in senior leadership roles.
Significant experience leading finance, operations, and people functions, including comfort building complex financial models.
Deep familiarity with nonprofit accounting, audits, tax, and regulatory compliance.
Hands-on experience with grant reporting and funder compliance.
Experience partnering closely with boards and senior executives.
Demonstrated ability to build systems and teams in growing organizations.
Excellent judgment, attention to detail, and problem-solving skills.
A solutions-oriented mindset and bias toward action.
WORK FOR AMERICA’S VALUES
Hope with realism. We lead with ambition and optimism, but we are not naive. Our on-the-ground work keeps us clear-eyed when it comes to the challenges of what’s real and what’s possible.
Care and high standards. We move quickly when it matters, and slow down when it counts. We stay focused on the work in front of us, make space to rest, and hold our work to a high bar for the people and communities that rely on it.
Teamwork with empathy. We operate as one team. No task is too small, and we meet each other with humor and respect that strengthens real partnership.
Build for today and tomorrow. We fix what’s in front of us and design for what comes next, creating solutions that last while making room for new ideas to take root.
Honor public service. We believe in the power and promise of public service, and we honor the people who carry that promise forward every day.
COMPENSATION
$175,000–$190,000 plus benefits. We offer medical, dental, and vision insurance, with multiple plan options to fit individual needs as well as access to health and flexible savings accounts. Paid time off includes: 20 vacation/personal days, 7 sick days, 11 paid holidays, and 3 weeks of annual office closures (1 week in late August, 2 weeks in Dec/Jan). We offer half-day Fridays year-round and encourage staff to log off by 1pm. We also provide an employer match for retirement savings and 12 weeks paid parental leave. To support remote work, we offer a work-from-home stipend and coworking space options.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Travel: This position requires access to a major US airport and a willingness and ability to travel occasionally (approximately 5 times per year).
Work Authorization: At this time, we are unable to offer visa sponsorship. All employees must be currently authorized to work in the United States.
Physical Demands: This position requires sitting, talking, listening, reading, and writing for up to 8 hours per day. Certain situations may require lifting items up to 20 pounds. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential job duties.
Commitment to Equal Employment Opportunity: WFA is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
HOW TO APPLY
To apply, please submit your resume and brief short answers here by March 6, 2026 at 5:00pm ET. WFA will review applications on a rolling basis, and all applications submitted before the deadline will be considered.
QUESTIONS
WFA does not have the capacity to take informational interviews. For specific questions, email hiring@workforamerica.org.
