Chief Operating Officer 

Job Description: Chief Operating Officer

Center for Family Life in Sunset Park, a 46-year-old human and social service agency located in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, is seeking a full-time chief operating officer. Reporting directly to the executive director, the COO will oversee the operational and administrative health of the organization to support its long-term objectives and ensure it can effectively and efficiently deliver services to the Sunset Park Community.

This newly created position will be responsible for developing a strategic plan for operations and overseeing day-to-day operations across the organization. The successful candidate must be able to interact with staff at all levels in a fast-paced environment while remaining flexible, proactive, resourceful, and efficient. The COO will have responsibility for ensuring that the Center for Family Life’s (CFL) operations, including Human Resources, Information Technology, Data Management, Facilities, Risk Management, Funder Audits, and the administrative team are functioning effectively. To succeed, the COO must be a collaborative and inclusive manager.

The Center for Family Life has an annual budget of $26 million and employs 160 full-time and 220 part-time personnel. The Center’s programming includes:

• Family and Community Support Programs — Family counseling including Preventative Counseling and Mother Cabrini Counseling programs, family service coordination and referral including Healthy Families and Immigrant Families Programs, the Promise NYC Daycare Subsidy Program, and Community Study Circles.
• Youth and Community Development and School Partnerships — After school and summer camp, Life Lines Community Arts Project, Sunset Park High School partnership, college access and retention, Leaders-in-Training, summer youth employment, and multigenerational neighborhood centers.
• Economic Well-Being Programs — Food pantry, benefits access, legal services, free tax filing, financial counseling, adult employment, ESOL classes, cooperative business development, and programs to support new arrivals.

Building on the Center’s wide range of services and programs in 11 locations in Sunset Park, near-and long- term priorities for the COO include:

• Assess Existing Operational Systems — Partner with staff to learn about and assess existing operational systems in the HR, IT, Data Management, Facilities, Insurance, and Audit areas of the organization.
• Lead through Transition — Partner closely with organizational leadership, staff, and the Board, to help smoothly shepherd CFL through a significant leadership transition from co-executive directors to a single executive director.
• Develop and Implement Operational Systems Organization-Wide — Partner with staff to build and implement systems and policies to ensure the smooth operations of the Center.
• Develop an Evaluation and Assessment Strategy — Ensure that the effects of CFL programs are documented and measure the short- and long-term impacts of programs.
• Ensure Coordination, Integration, and Efficiencies across Program and Administrative Functions — Work with staff to identify and implement strategies that promote cross-departmental collaboration and efficiencies in the operations of the organization.

Required Qualifications

• A genuine appreciation for and commitment to the Center for Family Life’s mission.
• Minimum 15 years of overall professional experience combined with an executive-level background, including a minimum of 10 years of supervisory experience.
• Demonstrated record of success leading, building, and implementing operational systems and policies. • Knowledge of HR, IT, data management, and facilities management.
• Demonstrated ability to set clear priorities, delegate, and guide investment in people and systems.
• Outstanding team-building skills with an ability to communicate and work effectively with a variety of internal and external stakeholders.
• A high degree of professionalism in dealing with diverse groups of people. • Bachelor of Arts or related degree.

Preferred Qualifications

• Senior operating experience at a similar-sized organization.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills: the warmth and ability to interact effectively at all levels of the organization.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. • Depth of knowledge and experience adhering to both federal and state laws relating to social services.
• Active affiliation with a broad range of professional networks and organizations and ongoing community involvement.
• Strong organizational awareness and a proven ability to learn to navigate the decision-making structures within a complex organization.
• Advanced degree: MBA or MPA preferred.

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Center for Family Life is committed to establishing and maintaining a diverse organization that is representative of the state of New York through inclusive excellence and equal opportunity. Center for Family Life has a commitment to access and equity. As an affirmative action, equal opportunity institution, we are working to support an agenda to foster a community that both values and promotes the varied voices of our community and staff. The organization encourages candidates who will contribute to the cultural tapestry of the Center for Family Life.