Chief Operating Officer

Chief Operating Officer

INvestEd

The Organization

INvestEd serves as a critical pillar of educational access and economic opportunity in Indianapolis and across the state of Indiana. Headquartered in Indianapolis, INvestEd is a mission‑driven, nonprofit public‑benefit organization dedicated to increasing postsecondary attainment and ensuring that Hoosier students and families can pursue education beyond high school in a financially responsible and informed manner. Established in the State of Indiana more than four decades ago, the organization operates as a trusted, statewide resource at the intersection of education, public policy, workforce readiness, and financial literacy.

INvestEd’s mission is rooted in helping Hoosiers plan for, access, and complete postsecondary education with the least possible debt. The organization provides free, expert financial aid and college‑planning guidance to students, families, school counselors, and educators throughout Indiana. Its work complements and supports statewide priorities tied to workforce development, economic mobility, and talent retention, including Indiana’s long‑term goal of increasing the percentage of working‑age adults with postsecondary credentials. In addition to its education‑focused outreach and advisory services, INvestEd plays a unique role as a nonprofit lender and refinancing provider, allowing it to support students before, during, and after their educational journey.

Operating across urban, suburban, and rural communities, INvestEd engages with a broad network of stakeholders that includes K‑12 school districts, colleges and universities, state agencies, workforce boards and nonprofit partners. Each year, the organization reaches thousands of Hoosiers through financial‑aid literacy events, FAFSA completion support, individualized counseling, and digital resources. This statewide presence positions INvestEd as a convener and connector—bringing together education, government, and community partners in service of a more skilled, equitable, and economically competitive Indiana.

Supported by an engaged Board of Directors and a mission‑aligned professional staff, INvestEd delivers its programs with a strong emphasis on accountability, prudent stewardship, and measurable impact. As Indianapolis continues to grow as a regional hub for education, life sciences, technology, and advanced manufacturing, INvestEd plays a vital role in ensuring that residents are prepared to participate in—and benefit from—the state’s evolving economy. Looking ahead, the organization is well‑positioned to expand its influence by deepening partnerships, strengthening public‑private alignment, and continuing to serve as Indiana’s trusted guide for postsecondary access, affordability, and student success.

Indianapolis, Indiana

Indianapolis serves as the political, economic, and cultural center of Indiana and is one of the largest and most dynamic cities in the Midwest. With a population of nearly one million residents within the city and more than two million across the greater metropolitan region, Indianapolis is recognized for its diversified economy, growing talent base, and strong civic and philanthropic infrastructure. The city consistently balances Midwestern affordability and accessibility with the scale and complexity of a major metropolitan area, making it an increasingly attractive place to live, work, and invest.

The Indianapolis economy is anchored by strength across healthcare and life sciences, advanced manufacturing, logistics and distribution, higher education, technology, financial services, and sports and tourism. Major employers and institutions—including Eli Lilly and Company, IU Health, Cummins, Salesforce, Anthem/Elevance Health, and multiple higher‑education systems—contribute to a resilient regional economy and a steady demand for skilled talent. As Indiana continues to prioritize workforce development and postsecondary attainment, Indianapolis plays a central role in shaping the state’s long‑term economic competitiveness.

Education and workforce readiness are defining priorities for the city and state. Indianapolis is home to a dense network of K‑12 school systems, colleges and universities, workforce boards, nonprofit organizations, and public‑private partnerships focused on expanding access to education, reducing barriers to completion, and aligning talent pipelines with employer needs. Ensuring that students and adults can pursue education and training beyond high school—while managing costs and debt responsibly—is critical to sustaining economic mobility and meeting the workforce demands of Indiana’s future.

Indianapolis is also known for its collaborative civic culture. The city benefits from strong cross‑sector partnerships among government, philanthropy, education, business, and nonprofit organizations, with a shared commitment to community impact and inclusive growth. This environment positions organizations like INvestEd as essential contributors to statewide progress—serving not only as service providers, but as trusted conveners and thought partners in advancing education, opportunity, and long‑term prosperity for Hoosiers across the state.

The Opportunity

Position: Chief Operating Officer

Location: Greater Indianapolis, IN

Reporting Relationship: Chief Executive Officer

Website: https://www.investedindiana.org/

Purpose of the Position

Reporting to the President & CEO, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) serves as a key member of INvestEd's executive leadership team, responsible for ensuring that the organization’s mission, strategic priorities, and public responsibilities are effectively translated into disciplined operations and consistent organizational performance. As a strategic partner to the President & CEO and the Board of Directors, this role exists to strengthen the internal infrastructure required to support INvestEd's statewide impact in financial aid literacy, postsecondary access, responsible lending, and workforce-aligned education initiatives — ensuring that systems, processes, and people are aligned to deliver measurable outcomes while maintaining compliance with statutory and regulatory obligations.

As the organization’s senior operational leader, the COO is responsible for turning strategy into action, working closely with senior leaders to implement operating plans, establish performance standards, and ensure consistent execution across departments. In partnership with the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), the COO supports sound fiscal management, resource optimization, and strategic investment planning, while also carrying responsibility for enterprise risk oversight, compliance exposure, and operational readiness. The COO partners closely with the Chief Marketing Officer, who leads marketing, communications, digital strategy, and overall brand impact, recognizing that a significant portion of revenue generation and marketing investment is managed within the CMO’s direct team, making this a critical cross‑functional relationship. As needed, the COO may represent INvestEd externally as a credible ambassador to partners, stakeholders, and public audiences in support of the President & CEO and organizational goals.

The COO is expected to lead, mentor, and support senior leaders and staff, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement. Through clear expectations, thoughtful leadership, and consistent communication, the COO will strengthen organizational capacity and help elevate performance at all levels. The role requires executive presence, sound judgment, and the ability to operate with autonomy while partnering effectively with the President & CEO on organizational priorities and special initiatives. As INvestEd continues to evolve in response to Indiana's education and workforce needs, the COO will play a pivotal role in modernizing systems, strengthening internal capabilities, and positioning the organization for long-term impact in expanding educational access and economic mobility for Hoosiers.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Operational Leadership and Organizational Alignment

• Translate INvestEd’s mission, strategy, and organizational priorities into integrated operational plans, ensuring alignment across teams, functions, and initiatives.
• Partner with the CEO and leadership team to drive enterprise-wide decision-making, planning, and resourcing that supports long-term sustainability and student-centered outcomes.
• Establish performance expectations, operating norms, and accountability mechanisms that support clarity, focus, and coordinated execution across the organization.
• Lead ongoing assessment and optimization of the organizational model, ensuring structure, roles, and processes enable growth, efficiency, and strategic impact.

Enterprise Operations, System, and Performance Management

• Oversee day-to-day enterprise operations, ensuring the delivery of efficient, reliable, and compliant services that support students, partners, and stakeholders.
• Strengthen data infrastructure, operational systems, and process workflows to improve service delivery, scale, and enterprise performance.
• Develop and manage the organization’s enterprise performance dashboard, defining key metrics, ensuring data integrity, and tracking progress against strategic goals.
• Champion continuous improvement, leveraging insights, feedback, and root-cause analysis to drive quality, consistency, and operational excellence.
• Provide CMO and broader mission activities support to ensure continued growth and success.

Financial Stewardship, Governance Partnership, and Risk Oversight

• Partner with the CFO to ensure strong financial management practices, including forecasting, budgeting, resource allocation, cost discipline, and strategic investment.
• Support and partner with the Board of Directors by preparing high-quality materials, ensuring transparency, and providing clear updates on operational and organizational performance.
• Lead risk identification, mitigation, and compliance frameworks to protect organizational integrity, safeguard assets, and ensure sound stewardship.
• Oversee the development and adherence to policies, controls, and standards that uphold the organization’s fiduciary and fiduciary-like responsibilities.

People Leadership, Culture Stewardship, and Organizational Capability

• Build, mentor, and empower high-performing teams through inclusive leadership, clear expectations, and ongoing development aligned with INvestEd’s values.
• Strengthen organizational culture by modeling collaboration, accountability, cross-functional communication, and a focus on mission and service.
• Partner with external human resources consultant to enhance talent processes—including workforce planning, performance management, career development, and succession readiness.
• Ensure the organization has the capabilities, capacity, and change-readiness required to meet future strategic and operational demands.

External Representation and Strategic Partnership

• Represent INvestEd with external partners, government entities, education institutions, and community stakeholders in alignment with organizational strategy.
• Strengthen and steward key partnerships that expand impact, enhance student success, and advance the organization’s visibility and credibility.
• Collaborate with external stakeholders to support policy, programmatic, and operational initiatives tied to college access, financial literacy, and student outcomes.
• Serve as an ambassador for operational excellence, fostering trust, transparency, and collaboration with partners across the broader ecosystem.

Direct Reports

The Chief Operating Officer directly oversees the following executive leaders:

• Chief Financial Officer
• Chief Marketing Officer

The Candidate

Experience and Professional Qualifications

The inaugural Chief Operating Officer of INvestEd will be a disciplined, mission-driven operational leader who earns the trust of staff through clarity, consistency, and follow-through. This individual must approach the role with humility and sound judgment, bringing deep respect for INvestEd's public responsibility, regulatory environment, and statewide impact regarding student success and educational access. Equally important, the COO will be a steward of INvestEd's internal culture — leading capable, purpose-driven teams with accountability, transparency, and empowerment, while thoughtfully evolving organizational culture as INvestEd scales its impact.

Strategically, INvestEd seeks a COO with experience in complex, regulated, or policy-adjacent environments where execution, compliance, and enterprise coordination are critical. Strong candidates may come from nonprofit, education, financial services, or other mission-driven organizations with multi-department operations and statewide or multi-market reach. Demonstrated success translating strategy into action, managing operational risk, and aligning people, processes, and systems in support of long‑term organizational goals will be critical. The role also requires a credible thought partner to the President & CEO and Board, with the ability to step into external settings as needed — representing INvestEd with confidence among partners, funders, policymakers, and community stakeholders.

Operational and financial acumen are foundational to this role. The ideal COO will bring demonstrated experience overseeing budgets, managing enterprise risk, optimizing resources, and building scalable infrastructure with the ability to partner with senior finance leadership— all in service of an organization where stewardship of public trust is paramount. Above all, INvestEd seeks a leader with unquestionable integrity who balances discipline with flexibility, decisiveness with collaboration, and continuity with thoughtful modernization, anchoring performance and strengthening internal capacity as the organization advances its mission of educational attainment and economic mobility across Indiana.

Specific experience, qualifications and characteristics sought include:

• Proven ability to lead complex, mission-driven operations in a regulated or policy-adjacent environment, with experience coordinating across multiple internal functions, managing enterprise risk and compliance, and stewarding public trust in service of an organization's statewide or multi-market impact.
• Track record of translating strategic priorities into operational plans, systems, and measurable outcomes, including experience serving as a trusted operating partner to a Chief Executive Officer and Board of Directors — contributing to enterprise decision-making, governance alignment, and the effective integration of strategy, policy, and execution.
• Strong organizational leadership background across functions such as operations, finance, compliance, risk management, human capital, and enterprise performance, with demonstrated success building scalable internal infrastructure to support organizational growth and long-term sustainability.
• Demonstrated experience overseeing communications strategy and digital engagement to effectively advance and protect the organization’s brand preferred.
• Financial and resource stewardship experience, including partnering closely with senior finance leadership to manage budgets, optimize resources, support strategic investments, and ensure fiscal discipline in environments where accountability to public or mission-driven mandates is paramount.
• Demonstrated success cultivating high-trust, high-accountability organizational cultures within purpose-driven teams, with experience leading and mentoring senior leaders, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and strengthening leadership capacity at all levels through coaching, clear expectations, and performance management.
• Ability to operate with autonomy and sound judgment in high-responsibility environments, leading through influence rather than visibility, while maintaining close alignment with executive leadership and stepping into external ambassador roles as needed with partners, funders, policymakers, or community stakeholders.
• Leadership style characterized by integrity, humility, and emotional intelligence, with the capacity to balance continuity with thoughtful operational modernization — driving improvements to systems, processes, and structure while honoring INvestEd's history, public role, and commitment to equitable educational access.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree required; MBA or advanced degree preferred.

Compensation & Benefits

• INvestEd offers a competitive compensation package including an expected base salary of $250,000 - $275,000, a performance-based incentives of up to 50%, and a robust benefits package.

Application & Nominations

• Applications should direct a resume/CV to:
  • INvestEdChiefOperatingOfficer@KornFerry.com

INvestEd is dedicated to the achievement of equality of opportunity for all of its employees and applicants for employment. This broadly interpreted policy not only prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, age, national origin, disability, veteran status or any protected category under state, local or federal law, but also ensures that qualified individuals will be given the opportunity to join INvestEd and progress within INvestEd in accordance with their own abilities.