Chief Operating Officer

Position Summary

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) is a key member of The Foundation’s Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and the senior-most executive responsible for internal management, reporting directly to the President & CEO. The COO oversees The Foundation’s Shared Services—including Finance & Accounting and Organizational Operations—while serving as a cross-functional leader to Information Technology, Human Resources, and Legal & Compliance.

This role is central to ensuring that The Foundation’s internal operations are effective, integrated, and mission-aligned. The COO will also be instrumental in fostering a high-performing and inclusive organizational culture—one that emphasizes trust, collaboration, and continuous learning in support of The Foundation’s mission and people. Critically, the COO will lead organization-wide change management initiatives to help The Foundation scale sustainably, modernize systems, and embed accountability and transparency into everyday practices.\

This is a high-impact, collaborative leadership opportunity for a candidate with demonstrated experience leading change across complex nonprofit and corporate environments, someone who brings operational discipline alongside a deep commitment to people, purpose, and performance.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Organizational Alignment

• Partner closely with the President & CEO to implement The Foundation’s strategic plan through operational execution and cross-functional coordination.
• Translate organizational goals into annual work plans, scalable systems, and performance dashboards that drive execution.
• Serve as an integrator across departments, ensuring consistent priorities, strong internal communication, and a unified direction across the Foundation.

Change Management & Organizational Transformation

• Serve as the executive lead on internal change management efforts, including process redesign, team structure alignment, cultural transformation, and digital modernization.
• Build internal readiness for change through communication planning, stakeholder engagement, and strategic alignment.
• Design and deploy frameworks for managing transitions, monitoring adoption, and embedding new ways of working across teams.

Shared Services Oversight: Finance & Accounting, Operations

• Provide executive oversight of Shared Services, including financial operations, budgeting, cash flow, reporting, and audits, in partnership with the Controller.
• Lead operational teams responsible for facilities, vendor management, and administrative systems—ensuring smooth, efficient, and future-ready internal operations.
• Improve workflow efficiency and integrate automation tools and technology to enhance service delivery.
• Provide oversight for the GoATL Funds’ financial management in coordination with the finance and housing teams to ensure alignment with investment guidelines and fiscal accountability.

Enterprise Collaboration: HR, IT, Legal

• Partner with the HR Leader to align talent strategies with business needs and ensure equity, engagement, and performance remain top organizational priorities.
• Collaborate with the Managing Director of IT to ensure that technology platforms not only support day-to-day operations but also drive innovation, inform strategic decision-making, enable predictive analytics, and position CFGA as a leader in the philanthropic sector’s use of data and technology.
• Coordinate closely with Legal/Compliance partners on risk identification, data governance, contract negotiation, and regulatory readiness.

Culture & People Leadership

• In collaboration with the President & CEO, champion a collaborative, transparent, and results- focused workplace culture that aligns with The Foundation’s values and commitment to equity.
• In partnership with the Marketing and Comms team, lead efforts to improve internal communication, clarify decision-making authority, and reinforce team accountability across departments.
• Aligned with HR expertise, promote professional growth, internal mobility, and team development by mentoring mid-level leaders and supporting staff performance initiatives.

Financial Operations, Planning, and Reporting

• Lead the preparation of the annual budget and long-term financial projections.
• Monitor organizational performance against the budget, identifying and addressing variances.
• Ensure alignment between financial plans and programmatic priorities.
• Oversee accounting, accounts payable/receivable, payroll and grants management functions.
• Prepare accurate, timely financial reports for internal and external stakeholders, including the Board and funders.
• Maintain internal control systems to safeguard assets and ensure financial integrity.

Investments

• Manages the outsourced chief investment officer services to ensure effective administration of The Foundation’s investment program, working with investment managers and custodian(s) to implement strategies adopted by the Board and Investment Committee, including asset allocation and other strategic decisions.
• Provides oversight for CFGA’s Investment Management Firm (IMF) program and helps manage relationships with participating wealth managers, in close partnership with the finance team. This includes supporting strategy, accountability, and alignment with donor and institutional expectations.

Governance & Risk Management

• Support the work of Board-level committees related to finance, operations, audit, and risk— ensuring timely reporting, informed decisions, and strategic oversight.
• Lead enterprise risk mitigation efforts with input from finance, legal, HR, and IT leaders.
• Oversee implementation of internal control systems, business continuity planning, and compliance with nonprofit governance standards.
• Handles real estate transactions (purchase/sale/lease). Collaborate with outside attorneys and insurance companies in matters involving lawsuits or complaints.
• Provides leadership and direction in overseeing the risk management program for The Foundation. Manages all liability insurance administration (property & casualty, D&O, auto & general, professional liability), including purchasing adequate coverage, handling all claims and assessing the adequacy of coverage to reduce exposure.
• Manage the preparedness for financial crises, including the ability to pivot strategies during economic downturns or other emergencies.
• Oversee the Foundation’s Supporting Organizations and the related relationship management responsibilities, including governance alignment, compliance, and strategic collaboration with key external partners.

Committee Leadership

Provide Leadership On Various Board Committees

• Serve as the Staff liaison for the following committees of the Board of Directors, engaging them around issues, trends and changes in the operating model and advancing short and long-term strategic initiatives and objectives of the Foundation:
• Finance and Audit Committee
• Investment Committee in partnership with the Committee liaison, responsible for developing meeting agendas, schedules, meeting materials, and facilitates committee meetings.

Relationships

• COO reports to the CEO & President
• Manages an organization of approximately 25 through four to five direct reports.

The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta seeks a mission-driven, experienced operator with a deep understanding of nonprofit finance and operations and a track record of leading organizational change. The ideal candidate brings a strategic mindset, sound judgment, and the interpersonal fluency needed to foster trust, collaboration, and clarity in a dynamic and growing environment.

Key Competencies

Change Leadership: Proven ability to plan and lead change management initiatives across multiple departments, with experience implementing new systems, structures, or cultures.
Strategic Execution: Ability to translate long-range strategies into short- and medium-term operational plans with clear ownership, sequencing, and accountability.
Financial and Operational Acumen: Deep understanding of nonprofit finance, budgeting, risk management, and shared services operations.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Skilled at navigating and influencing across IT, HR, Legal, and program teams—without silos or overreach.
Culture Building: Committed to fostering inclusive and high-trust work environments while strengthening team cohesion and performance.
Qualifications

15+ years of progressive leadership in nonprofit operations, finance, administration, or shared services—at least 5 years at an executive level
Experience leading major organizational change efforts, especially in a nonprofit or foundation context
Familiarity with philanthropic financial tools (e.g., endowment management, donor-advised funds, impact investing) is preferred
Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in business, nonprofit management, or public administration is required.
CPA is a plus, but not required.

Compensation

To be determined based upon experience and qualifications. This position is currently being benchmarked with the anticipated salary range of $300,000 – $350,000. This position is exempt and employee is eligible for The Foundation’s competitive health and benefits plan:

The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta values diversity, equity and inclusion; therefore, we honor the diverse needs, strengths, voices and backgrounds of all individuals in our regional community.