Extension Foundation Seeks Chief Operating Officer

Application Link: https://registry.extension.org/232986146271058
Application Deadline: November 16th, 2023

Extension Foundation (EXF) is a well-established non-profit organization providing diverse services to over 100 public universities across the United States. EXF is a membership-based 501(c)(3) non-profit operating foundation formed in 2006 by Extension Directors and Administrators. EXF partners with university-based Cooperative Extension Services to increase their capacity and offers exclusive professional development to its members. EXF has multiple sources of funding including memberships and multiple federal awards.

Reporting to the Extension Foundation Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the Chief Operating Officer (COO) has operational responsibilities for EXF programs and services while managing key staff team leaders. These leaders include Project Directors and Project Managers on grants, Publishing and Digital Communications, Evaluation, Leadership, and Technology. The COO fosters a deep sense of purpose, ambitious performance goals, and mutual accountability. The COO serves on the Executive Team (CEO, COO, and Comptroller ) and provides leadership for the Foundation’s strategic planning process and implementation of strategic initiatives as directed by the CEO. In addition, the COO is a liaison to Extension Foundation partners as appointed by the CEO and, with key staff leaders, works with the CEO and the Extension Foundation Board of Directors to keep them abreast of program and service strategies and challenges. The COO is responsible for developing, implementing, and managing the operational aspects of the annual budget.

Operations:

• Oversee and manage the day-to-day operations of the EXF, ensuring efficiency, productivity, and cost-effectiveness. Streamline processes and implement best practices to improve operational efficiency.
• Leverage the strengths of the EXF to identify and operationalize new opportunities through grants and contracts.
• Operationalize units to ensure EXF's continued financial and operational viability through sound fiscal management, working closely with the Executive Team.
• Review and improve operational controls, administrative and reporting policies and procedures, staffing structure and technologies.
• Strengthen and grow EXF’s services and membership benefits.
• Lead and grow the EXF grant portfolio by providing guidance to program directors, project managers, operations personnel, fiscal, grant administration personnel to develop systems, work processes and products to ensure successful grant implementation and successful projects within the grants.
• Define, achieve and surpass quality standards and report on effectiveness through:
  • Leading continuous improvement processes
  • Ensuring EXF projects have sound evaluation, evidence-based programming, communications and marketing as well as technological sharing of outputs and outcomes.

Team Leadership and Communication:

• Provide effective and inspiring leadership, developing a broad and deep knowledge of all operations and becoming actively involved in all programs and services.
• Lead and manage staffing and talent development. 
  • Recruit, train, and mentor key personnel, employees and contractors
  • Lead the employment process through position description development, posting of positions, application review and interviews
  • Lead and manage the personnel performance appraisal system
  • Manage the day-to-day support and integration of the EXF PEO, including staff payroll, PTO, and providing employees access to resources
• Communicate effectively with the CEO, Board of Directors, staff, and other stakeholders.
• Publicly represent the Extension Foundation with the media and external constituency groups including community, governmental, and private organizations to build awareness of and excitement for EXF and Cooperative Extension’s mission.
• Foster and strengthen existing relationships, and identify and build new relationships with stakeholders.
• Promote a culture of collaboration and accountability within EXF.

Strategic Plan Implementation:

• Provide program and service leadership and input for strategic plan implementation processes with the Executive team and staff.
  • Create and sustain an environment of trust for leading and implementing constant change.
  • Provide opportunities for input and staff leadership in their areas for their own professional growth as well as the growth of EXF.
• Coach key staff as they implement the EXF strategic plan and transition program operations.
• Develop and implement a system for tracking and reporting on the progress of the strategic plan implementation.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s Degree from an accredited university.
• 5-7 years experience in managing professionals,  fostering innovation, creativity, management, entrepreneurship, and/or generating profits and value.
• Working knowledge and experience of Cooperative Extension at the local, state, regional, and/or federal levels.
• Working knowledge and experience of the land grant system.
• Track record of effectively leading a service organization with the ability to leverage strengths across program areas.
• Ability to point to specific examples of leading organizational transformational projects and program development.
• Demonstrated commitment to quality programs and services and data-driven evaluation.
• Demonstrated ability leading change, forward thinking, and building high functioning teams.
• Experience managing a sustainable organization using multiple funding streams.
• Project management and excellent organizational and technical skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills--a  persuasive and passionate communicator with excellent public speaking skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Doctorate or terminal degree from an accredited university.
• 7-10 years experience in managing professionals, fostering innovation, creativity, management, entrepreneurship, and/or generating profits and value.
• Non-profit leadership experience.
• Experience managing human resources functions including personnel, compensation, and recruiting.

Desired Skills

• Displays integrity and models behavior that develops people, builds teams, and facilitates collaborative enterprises.
• Ability to lead staff in the adoption of new software to manage efficiencies of a growing organization.
• Commitment to the people side of the business to ensure production, alignment, and success.
• Analytic and decisive decision maker with the ability to prioritize and communicate to staff key objectives and tactics necessary to achieve organizational goals.
• An action-oriented, entrepreneurial, flexible, and innovative approach to operational management.
• Passion, humility, integrity, positive attitude, mission-driven, and self-directed.
• Values and prioritizes an abundance and growth mindset in themselves and others.