Position: Deputy Director/Chief Operating Officer
Reports to: Executive Director
APPLY HERE
POSITION OVERVIEW
The Chief Operating Officer serves as a senior-level partner to the Executive Director. They operationalize the Executive Director’s vision for the affiliate, which has been developed in close consultation with the board of directors and management team, to help lead and manage the affiliate, including overall strategic direction, assessing and responding to organizational needs, and successfully operationalizing its growth and change. This position directs and operationalizes the affiliate’s day-to-day oversight for affiliate-wide collaboration, finance, human resources, office operations, and technology functions to support the Executive Director in management and fiduciary responsibilities and staff in carrying out their programmatic duties. This position will also assist the Executive Director in carrying out the strategic direction for the affiliate in alignment with its mission, vision, values, and strategic plan.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Leadership and Administration
• Serve as a partner of and adviser to the executive director for organizational, personnel and strategic decisions and anticipating affiliate needs over time.
• Alongside the communications director, assist with preparing talking points and business materials for the Executive Director.
• Review and improve the internal facing sectors of the affiliate-structure, systems, administrative staffing, cross-departmental collaboration, and governance to ensure that it is achieving maximum effectiveness.
• Assist with resource development and fundraising activities when requested.
• Foster a culture that promotes teamwork, accountability and professional growth characterized by excellence along with anti-racism, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
• In conjunction with the Executive Director, support the work of the ACLU-LA board of directors by providing regular, timely and accurate information and reports to the board for program planning and evaluation.
• Collaborate with the ACLU National office, and other affiliates as needed, on nationwide and statewide issues. Help the affiliate remain an active member of the ACLU Southern Collective working group.
• Collaborate and maintain working relationships with ACLU National affiliate Support and Nationwide Initiatives (ASNI). Revise and update the affiliate’s Strategic Affiliate Initiative (SAI) grant.
Strategy, Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation
• Work closely with the Executive Director, Board, consulting firm, and staff to create a 3-5 year strategic plan.
• Assist the Executive Director in maintaining the organization’s focus on its strategic goals so that the ACLU-LA’s activities and resources effectively advance the organization’s mission, vision, and values.
• Alongside the communications director, create, maintain, and oversee strong organizational systems, policies, processes, and structures for cross-departmental communications internally and provide program management support.
• Assist the Executive Director in developing and implementing tools and methods to evaluate the effectiveness of the organization’s programs and identify innovative methods to share that impact with a variety of audiences.
• Maintain working knowledge of departmental programmatic priorities and issues as they occur. Support the execution of departmental work plans by ensuring alignment across departments, encouraging collaboration, and fostering learning across the organization.
• In concert with directors, gather data and conduct assessments of program priorities and initiatives that align with the organization’s strategic goals.
• Help improve internal meeting culture, by refining meeting agendas and structures, and holding the team accountable for meeting norms.
Operations
• Oversee the management of all leases, contracts, and vendors.
• Partner with the executive coordinator to ensure the affiliate meets all financial commitments to vendors.
• Oversee, manage, and serve as the primary point of contact between ACLU-LA contractors including Finance, HR, Assured Partners Insurance Brokers, Converge Consulting, Listening Tree Consulting et. AL.
• Oversee and manage relationship with Complete Network Management (CNM) to ensure tech and office equipment is running smoothly and efficiently.
Finance
• Oversee and manage the Finance team. Attend weekly meetings with the CFO and accounting team to ensure the fiscal health of the organization.
• Attend finance committee meetings. Provide regular updates to the Executive Director on monthly financials and progress toward meeting the affiliate’s budget.
• Ensure directors are knowledgeable about restricted grants, individual budgets, and grant spend down.
• Ensure the affiliate’s financial policies and procedures are up to date and conform with best practices for non-profit management. Make recommendations for revisions where necessary.
• Assist in developing program budgets and other reporting systems to ensure effective operation of the affiliate’s programs according to budget and fiscal requirements and maintain targeted deliverables with the highest standards of ethics and accountability.
• In concert with Finance, lead the collection of material and data for the annual audit.
• Ensure the internal-facing work of affiliate is coordinated across departments and fits within the strategic plan.
• Help to represent the organization to the media, stakeholders, task forces, and others as needed.
Human Resources Management
• Serve as a liaison to the Executive Director and management team in the collective bargaining negation process with the union helping to streamline proposals with note-taking and organization tools.
• Oversee and manage the Human Resources team in driving HR duties including designing and overseeing the affiliates performance review process.
• In concert with HR, oversee training, professional development, coaching opportunities and retreats for staff.
• Collaborate with HR to recruit, develop, and retain qualified high functioning program staff utilizing equitable practices that align with the collective bargaining agreement.
• Assist the Executive Director, executive coordinator and HR team with onboarding of new employees.
QUALIFICATIONS
• A minimum of 8 + years of relevant experience, including at least 5 years in senior management roles that required significant judgment, emotional intelligence, and management finesse.
• Experience in organizing and directing multiple teams and departments and in planning and leading strategic initiatives
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Versatile abilities and extreme dedication to efficient productivity
• Demonstrated commitment to civil liberties, social justice, and race equity and demonstrated experience working with individuals and communities that are directly impacted.
• Proven ability to build and nurture an inclusive and positive working environment with colleagues across departments.
• Experience managing a budget of $2M+.
• Tact, diplomacy, and a collaborative spirit in interacting with staff, board members, and outside parties, understanding specific barriers that may lead to a lack of access and engagement.
• Excellent analytic, problem-solving, and coaching skills; adept at overseeing and executing strategic projects with significant visibility and impact. Demonstrated ability to resourcefully solve problems with a people-centered focus.
• Experience working at an organization with an integrated advocacy model where legal, policy, and community engagement are used collaboratively and cohesively to achieve results.
• Experience with labor unions and managing in a unionized environment.
• Strong self-motivation with a creative and resilient mindset focused on creating solutions to identified problems.
• High level of organizational ability to work independently, attention to detail and drive to set results-oriented, highly effective, internal-facing standards.
• Familiarity with office technology and information systems, including databases, case management software, digital legal research sources, online communications, and word processing.
• Ability to plan strategically: analyze information, evaluate options, and think and, coach others on planning, and provide meaningful and critical, effective feedback on the planning and execution of internal-facing programs.
Additional Desired Qualifications
• Background in human resources development, budgeting, and operations
• Prior experience as a Chief of Staff or prior experience in leadership with an ACLU affiliate.
