Chief Operating Officer

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Tahirih Justice Center is a national, non-profit organization that supports immigrant survivors, with a focus on women and girls, seeking safety and justice. Our holistic, interdisciplinary, trauma-informed model for service combines free legal and social services with bridge-building policy advocacy, and research-based training and education. We amplify the voices of survivors in communities, courts, and Congress to create a world where women and girls enjoy equality and live in safety and with dignity. Tahirih’s 105 employees work from offices in the DC Metro Area, Baltimore, Houston, Atlanta, and the San Francisco Bay Area. To learn more about Tahirih Justice Center and its work, please visit: https://www.tahirih.org/. 

Tahirih is seeking to hire a Chief Operating Officer (COO) to provide strategic management, in partnership with the CEO, in executing Tahirih’s mission and strategy. The COO will oversee the human resources, finance, information technology and operations functions for Tahirih nationally providing a strong day to day leadership presence and bridge between local and national operations. This role requires a consultative, innovative, agile leader committed to Tahirih’s core values and mission of advancing equity and social justice. Expertise in diversity, equity, and inclusion are critical and experience in restorative HR practices an asset.

Tahirih is currently on fully remote working status. We intend to return employees to work through a phased approach at an unidentified time in the future when health and safety standards permit. When we fully return to offices, this position will commute to one of our five office locations (Falls Church, VA; Atlanta, GA; Houston, TX; San Bruno, CA; or Baltimore, MD). It could be located in any of our five offices.

Strategic Management

• In partnership with the CEO, oversee the articulation and implementation of the organization’s strategies  and implement new processes and approaches to achieve it
• In partnership with the CEO, reinforce policies and practices to ensure equitable, efficient, and consultative decision-making throughout the organization
• Lead the organization-wide performance management process that establishes annual goals and evaluates ongoing progress to these goals 
• Work with the national board of directors to ensure financial health and manage organizational risk; serve on Board committees as needed
• Lead the Finance, Information Technology, Operations, and Human Resources functions, directly supervising the national staff responsible for those areas and matrix manage local staff responsible for those areas.

Talent Management and Culture

• Ensure the clarity and consistency of Tahirih’s culture nationally 
• Oversee the implementation of Tahirih’s Equity Framework in alignment with our DEI vision and practice
• Actively model and promote Tahirih’s values and ensure organizational alignment with our values throughout all teams
• Supervise the Director of Human Resources and oversee all associated human resource functions with a focus on equity, continuous improvement, employee engagement and employee development. 
• Monitor staff engagement and work with the Director of Human Resources to enhance staff retention strategies
• Ensure compliance with applicable labor laws 

Finance

• Oversee organizational cash flow and forecasting; ensure both restricted and unrestricted cash flows support operational requirements
• Supervise the Director of Finance and oversee all associated finance functions with a focus on continuous improvement, ensuring controls are adequate and financial policies evolve with external requirements and internal needs
• Ensure coordination of the annual operations plan with the annual approved budget
• Ensure clear and timely communication of monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements, projections, and critical financial matters to the organization’s leadership and the Board
• Ensure accurate and compliant financial, project/program, and grants reporting, with particular focus on meeting the financial terms of grant awards and successfully utilizing all restricted grant funds
• Work in partnership with the each budget owner to ensure the appropriate use, tracking and reporting of monies in accordance with donor requirements
• Ensure the successful completion of the annual audit, 990 preparation and state solicitation filing process

Operations & Risk Management

• Supervise the National Office Administrator and oversee all of Tahirih’s internal operations in partnership with local office directors and administrative staff
• Ensure organization wide compliance with contract terms and policies 
• Supervise General Counsel and partner on ensuring compliance with applicable federal, state and local laws and risk-mitigation
• Ensure maintenance of active business status in all states in which Tahirih operates, including valid solicitations permits, current business registration, current insurance coverage, timely tax filings etc.
• Work with local office directors and administrative staff to ensure the adequacy, safety and security of office space and that appropriate office management and security systems and procedures are in place
• Lead the identification, communication, measurement, and management of organization-wide risk

Technology

• Ensure current technology infrastructure supports the security of our data and systems, growth of specific programs and the organization overall
• Supervise IT Director and oversee all associated IT operations including IT vendors
• Oversee all locations’ office infrastructure to ensure it can support current and future growth
• Ensure office hardware and software tools are current and meet business needs and that staff are trained in their use.

TAHIRIH’S DEI VISION AND PRACTICE

Tahirih Justice Center centers our work in the communities with whom we advocate, we challenge ongoing oppression and we work to create an inclusive environment that is free of violence, hate and harassment. We acknowledge historic marginalization of multiple systems of oppression which impact individuals at various ways and oftentimes result in compounding levels of harm. We practice inclusiveness in decision making through consultation with employees throughout the organization. Our core values speak to the world we are creating in which women and girls can enjoy equality and live in safety and with dignity. Because we honor the dignity and right to self-determination of the whole person, we are charged with reevaluating how we are best positioned to serve our clients and how we realize this driving principle among our workforce. A culture that recognizes and appreciates diversity, equity and inclusion principles can facilitate effective collaboration, create viable alternatives that lead to greater efficiencies, allow for the emergence of effective solutions, and prevent groupthink through encouraging different viewpoints.

We uphold a multi-directional approach within the organization which recognizes that those who hold positional leadership and all employees are critical partners in developing an inclusive culture. Management must possess diversity, equity and inclusion competencies to lead an engaged workforce. All team members must treat their colleagues with respect by listening to different viewpoints, opinions, thoughts and ideas and embracing a culture of inclusion. We seek leadership that is committed to further develop and expand cultural competencies, dispel stereotypes and build a work environment that is inclusive and based on mutual respect, tolerance and understanding.

Requirements

Qualifications of the Ideal Candidate

• Commitment to Tahirih’s mission, vision and value including a passion for breaking new ground to lead social change 
• Capacity Building - ability to effectively build organizational and staff capacity of a diverse team, developing a top-notch workforce and the consultative processes that ensure the organization runs smoothly while still valuing all perspectives
• Strategic Vision and Agility - ability to think strategically, anticipate future consequences and trends across lines of difference, and incorporate them into an organizational plan consistent with our commitment to equity
• Leadership and Organization - exceptional capacity for managing and leading a diverse team; a team builder who has experience in scaling up organizations while maintaining lean processes; ability to connect staff across lines of difference both on an individual level and in large groups; capacity to enforce accountability, develop and empower top-notch leaders from the bottom up, cultivate entrepreneurship, and learn the strengths and weaknesses of the team so as to put people in a position to succeed
• Action Oriented - enjoys working hard and looks for challenges; able to act and react as necessary, even if limited information is available; not afraid to take charge of a situation when needed but also willing to share power; can overcome resistance to and among leadership and take unpopular stands when necessary
• General Management - thorough understanding of finance systems, and HR; broad experience with the full range of business functions and systems, including strategic development and planning, budgeting, business analysis, finance, information systems, human resources, and marketing
• Results - proven track record of exceeding goals and a bottom-line orientation; evidence of the ability to consistently make good decisions through a combination of analysis, wisdom, experience, humility and judgment; high level of business acumen including successful P&L management; the ability to balance the delivery of programs against the realities of a budget; and problem solving, project management, and creative resourcefulness
• Equity and inclusion experience, skills, and values: deeply believes that racial equity and social justice are important and is driven to act on this belief; recognizes ways that race and other identities intersect and play out in the work, especially with communities we serve; understands the historical context for racial inequity, and its present-day implications, continually able to hear, reflect, and act on feedback re: identity and equity with the aim to learn.
• Ability to travel as needed to Tahirih office locations
• Bachelor’s degree

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in a multi-site organization 

• Experience leading a values driven organization 

• MBA or similar advanced degree highly desired

Annual salary and benefits: The salary range for this role is expected to be $135,000-$155,000 per year, with actual salary commensurate with experience. Generous benefits include employee health, vision and dental insurance; a 401(k) defined contribution retirement plan; flexible work schedules; professional development including in-house training programs, staff enrichment retreats and other growth opportunities. Employees have a very generous self-managed leave benefit inclusive of vacation, sick and holidays, including an office closure the week between Christmas and New Year’s. 

Submissions:  Please include a cover letter, resume, and a list of three references.

Please note: Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States.

Tahirih Justice Center is committed to diversity, equity and unity as core values. We practice inclusiveness in decision making through consultation with employees throughout the organization. Tahirih seeks to hire and retain employees whose diversity reflects the communities we serve. We encourage candidates who are committed to equity and who are from all backgrounds, experiences, abilities and identities to apply.