Chief Operating Officer

About Literacy Partners

Literacy Partners strengthens families through a two-generation approach to education. With our free classes, community-based workshops, and educational media, low-income parents develop the literacy and language skills they need to succeed in today’s world. Our research-based curriculum also incorporates child development and parenting support to help parents boost their children’s early reading, school readiness, and social-emotional growth.

Learn more about Literacy Partners: www.literacypartners.org

Position Description

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, and a key member of the Literacy Partners executive leadership team, the Chief Operating Officer oversees key aspects of Literacy Partners’ financial systems, People and Culture, and organizational operations and administration. This includes overseeing areas such as financial planning and management, budgeting, operational strategy and planning, people and culture, IT systems, and day-to-day operations. The Chief Operating Officer’s team includes the Senior Director of Finance and Administration, Finance Manager, and an Executive Assistant shared with other executive leaders. The ideal candidate is a proven finance, HR, and operations professional, highly organized, attentive to details, with excellent communication skills, and a passion for the mission of Literacy Partners.

Responsibilities

Financial Leadership

• Ensure accuracy in all entry of financial transactions into the accounting system (Financial Edge) by the finance team.
• Oversee vendor payment process.
• Maintain staff credit cards, including ensuring that staff reconcile their card transactions in a timely and accurate fashion.
• Ensure proper financial records are maintained.
• Ensure the timely and accurate execution of monthly closes and consult with external auditor on any complex accounting issues.
• Lead Literacy Partners’ comprehensive annual budgeting process involving all relevant staff and board members. Manage budget throughout the year, including monitoring spending, providing reports to staff managers, and building staff members’ budgeting skills.
• Oversee annual audit and Form 990 filing process.
• Prepare financial statements and reports for the leadership team, Literacy Partners’ Finance Committee, and board of directors, including forecasts of income and expenses to support decision-making.
• Continually improve financial systems and processes. Research and implement new financial systems that result in more streamlined and secure financial operations.
• Oversee administrative processes, such as contracts and document management.
• Support development team with grant budgets and reporting, and other projects as needed.

People and Culture

• Promote a people-centered workplace culture of joy and belonging, and ensure that the organization’s operations reflect our commitment to equity and inclusion.
• Advance the recruitment and retention of top mission-relevant talent by overseeing and improving functions such as compensation, benefits and leaves, performance and talent management, employee recognition and appreciation, occupational health and safety, and training and development.
• Oversee systems and processes related to people and culture, including payroll, benefits, hiring, onboarding, and offboarding. 
• Partner with the Executive Team to develop, implement and communicate human resource policies, procedures, laws, standards and government regulation.

Operations and Administration

• Oversee Literacy Partners’ work to promote health, safety, and preparedness for emergencies.
• Oversee administrative and technology systems (IT), ensuring stability, security, and efficiency. Conduct ongoing evaluation of all administrative and technology practices to assess needs, improve workflows, and manage organizational risk.
• Ensure timely submission of nonprofit legal filings as required by city, state, and federal law; maintain and ensure compliance with contracts and leases; serve as primary contact for insurance policies.

Partnership with Board of Directors

• Lead the activities of the Board’s Finance Committee. This includes partnering with the Chief Executive Officer and Committee Chair to keep the committee’s progress on track, prepare agendas and meeting materials, facilitate meetings and more.
• Prepare financial materials for meetings of the Board of Directors.
• Attend quarterly Board meetings and other board activities, and give presentations as needed.

Organization-wide Responsibilities

• Collaborate with executive leadership to define the organization's long-term mission and strategic goals, and ensure progress toward achieving those goals.
• Participate in organization-wide events.
• Participate in cross-department committees and teams.
• Other duties and special projects as needed.

Qualifications

Essential Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• At least seven years of professional experience, including at least two years of experience with nonprofit financial management.
• Experience with nonprofit budgeting and administrative functions.
• Experience operationalizing large government grants (e.g. compliance, billing).
• Proficiency in nonprofit accounting systems (experience with Financial Edge a plus).
• Experience with Excel, including use of formulas and other features.
• Exceptional orientation to detail and obsession with accuracy.
• Passion for improvement of systems and processes, even when no one is looking.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
• Strong ability to work independently and excellent time management skills.
• Leadership experience with a multilingual workforce.
• Passion for Literacy Partners’ commitment to advancing opportunity for underserved communities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with a nonprofit audit.
• Proficiency with G-Suite (Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, and Sheets).

Additional Workplace Expectations:

• This is a full-time exempt position.
• Occasional evening work required.
• This is a hybrid position. Candidates for this position should be prepared to work in the office at least two days per week.