GLSEN COO – Nonprofit Chief of Operations (Seeking Expertise in Ops, Finance & Security Across a Chapter Network)

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Team: Executive Leadership Team
Direct report: Director of Finance
Other management: Dotted-line accountability with Director-level leaders across Programs Chapters Development Communications and Operations
Location & Schedule: Full-time Remote/Hybrid prioritizing candidates in New York
Compensation: $145000 to $175000 annually medical/vision/dental; 401k retirement savings; paid parental leave holidays and vacation.

Who We Are

GLSEN is a national nonprofit working to ensure every student has the right to a safe supportive and inclusive K12 education. For more than three decades GLSEN has partnered with students educators families and a network of local chapters to advance LGBTQ inclusion combat bullying and foster school communities where all young people can thrive.

With a strong national staff and chapters across the country GLSEN drives impact through policy advocacy research public education campaigns program resources and direct support for students and educators. The organization is growing and adapting to meet todays challengesand is seeking a senior operator to strengthen systems align work across the network and amplify impact.

What Were Looking For

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) is GLSENs integrator a strategic operator who translates vision into coordinated reliable execution. As a core partner to the CEO and Executive Leadership Team the COO connects strategy people and systems across programs chapters finance development and communications.

This role requires a leader with a demonstrated track record of building and sustaining a strong security culture in high-risk environments. The COO will be responsible for ensuring that physical digital event and chapter-level security protocols are not only well-designed but consistently practiced championed and continuously improved across the organization.

This is a builder role for a humble mission-driven problem-solver who brings operational and financial rigor centers equity and cultivates a resilient care-centered culture. The COO frees the CEO from day-to-day bottlenecks strengthens accountability reduces organizational risk and ensures the organization can move quickly safely and sustainably.

What Youll Do

Organizational Integration & Leadership

• Lead cross-departmental alignmentensuring programs communications campaigns and chapters execute against shared strategic priorities and consistent messaging.
  

• Establish meeting rhythms and decision-rights that drive clarity timely decisions and follow-through (executive leadership team cross-functional and chapter-facing forums).
  

• Supervise the Director of Finance; hold dotted-line accountability with other directors to coordinate planning and delivery.
  

• Champion youth engagement as a cross-cutting priority ensuring student voice and leadership inform programs campaigns and chapter alignment.
  

• Model trauma-informed values-aligned leadership; steward a culture of respect transparency and humor.
  

Finance & Operations Oversight

• Partner with the Director of Finance on annual and multiyear budgeting forecasting cash flow and grant/contract compliance.
  

• Align resource allocation with strategic goals; monitor organizational and program KPIs to inform decisions.
  

• Strengthen core operating systems (planning knowledge management project tracking) for consistency and accessibility.
  

Security & Risk Management

• Lead GLSENs security and risk posture in a heightened political environment where LGBTQ organizations face targeted attacks; ensure security practices are normalized across the national office and chapter network.
  
• Integrate risk assessment and mitigation into operations finance programs communications and chapter support.
  
• Oversee core protocols for staff safety digital and data security incident response and external communications.
  
• Partner with advisors to implement training strengthen readiness for elevated-risk events and support chapters in applying consistent security standards.
  

Board & Governance

• Collaborate with the CEO and Board leadership to align operations with strategy.
  

• Prepare concise decisionready materials and progress updates; serve as staff liaison to relevant committees.
  

Strategic Troubleshooting & Change Management

• Anticipate and resolve operational challenges; remove barriers to progress across teams and the chapter network.
  

• Design and lead change initiatives that are people-centered equity-grounded outcomes-oriented and supported by clear systems for quality assurance.
  

Immediate Priorities (First 612 Months)

• Integrate and align: Stand up an annual operating plan tied to the strategic plan; clarify decision-making frameworks; establish leadership team and crossfunctional meeting cadences.
  

• Security & risk: Baseline current risk-mitigation and security practices amid an elevated threat environment; implement priority protocols chapter-aligned standards and staff training in partnership with external advisors.
  

• Strengthen financial management: Colead the FY budget cycle; implement forecasting routines; tie KPIs to budget use and outcomes.
  

• Knowledge management: Implement a system to track priorities decisions documents and data so teams and chapters can find what they need fast.
  

• Board engagement: Create a consistent dashboard and materials cadence; support preparation for key meetings.
  

What Success Looks Like

• The CEO is unblocked from day-to-day coordination and able to focus on external leadership and strategy.
  

• Key risks are identified early and mitigated; security practices are normalized and effective.
  

• Departments and chapters experience clear priorities timely decisions and reliable followthrough; crossfunctional collaboration feels seamless.
  

• Budgets forecasts and KPIs are trusted and used for decisions by staff board and funders.
  

• Culture remains grounded in respect equity candor and careeven through change.
  

Who You Are

MustHave Experience & Skills

• 7 to 10 years of senior nonprofit leadership within a chapterbased or networked organization.
  

• Finance and operations leadership experience at a $3M$15M budget organization.
  

• Security-minded leader with experience operating in high-risk or politically targeted environments.
  

• Proven ability to build and manage systems for strategic planning budgeting and organizational performance.
  

• Experience supporting and engaging a Board of Directors.
  

• Demonstrated commitment to equity inclusion and movementaligned values; comfort operating in highchange environments.
  

• Systemagnostic but techsavvy with:
  

• Deep comfort in finance systems and fundraising platforms
  

• Strong proficiency with project and knowledge management tools.
  

• Working knowledge of HRIS and board governance tools.
  

• Understanding of nonprofit data security practices.
  

Preferred Experience & Skills

• Experience in civil rights prodemocracy or DEIaligned organizations and campaigns.
  

• Organizational security and risk management exposure (policies training incident response) and comfort partnering with advisors.
  

• Experience strengthening alignment across nationalchapter or affiliate networks.
  

Education

• No specific degree required. We value demonstrated experience and results in comparable leadership roles.
  

Leadership & Mindset

• Humble lowego collaborative; able to lead through influence as well as authority.
  

• Systems thinker who can zoom from strategy to detail and back.
  

• Organized and disciplined; reliably tracks decisions commitments and deferred priorities.
  

• Brings humor and humanity; protects a healthy sustainable team culture.
  

Note on background fit: We particularly value leaders who have thrived in lean movementoriented networked environments. If most of your experience is in large highly centralized national organizations please highlight how you have operated in and adapted to agile crossfunctional contexts.