Chief Operating Officer

About Texas Census Institute

The Texas Census Institute (TxCI) is on a mission to provide independent, nonpartisan, and data-driven census policy and program guidance to overcome operational and motivational barriers to census participation so that, through a complete count, all Texans can enjoy a great quality of life. We are a small (4 FTEs currently) but growing nonprofit that was recently granted independent 501(c)(3) status by the IRS.

The 2020 Census resulted in approximately 550,000 person undercount in Texas, potentially costing Texans almost $25 Billion in lost federal funds by 2031 and causing the loss of one U.S. House seat. As Texas grows, robust census participation will help leaders make sound policy decisions, wise investments, and appropriate resource allocations so Texas remains a great place to live and work. The Texas Census Institute is working to help secure a complete count in 2030 and beyond in order to restore lost funding and ensure representation for all Texans.

Summary

This is a new position that will help guide the current and future expansion of TxCI. Reporting to the President & CEO, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) will be an integral member of TxCI’s leadership team, providing leadership, strategic thinking, and expertise in human resources (HR), financial management, organizational strategy and design, and operational excellence to a growing nonprofit organization. The COO will lead the business functions of TxCI and be an architect of efficient and effective processes necessary for translating our ambitious vision into operational success. As the first person in this role, the successful candidate will need to be creative, flexible, and patient as they help bring together and align various teams, perspectives, and goals to engineer success in a dynamic environment, pitching in where necessary to identify opportunities and remove barriers so teams can excel. The COO will bring clarity and purpose and be a champion for how the organization can execute TxCI’s strategic plan for a complete count in 2030 and beyond.

Key Responsibilities

Be a Key Executive Partner

• Partner with the CEO to clarify vision, translate strategy into execution, and bring strong internal leadership to a talented team committed to an ambitious vision for the future.
• Lead TxCI’s business process review in order to drive alignment, surface insights, and track progress towards creating a high performing operations team.
• Build and strengthen internal communications across the organization—ensuring clarity, connection, and momentum in times of change, stewarding an increase in organizational capacity.

Elevate People Strategy and Talent Systems

• Bring a calm, authentic, inclusive leadership presence to building and leading a high-performing, inclusive culture from the ground up—designing and implementing systems where people are challenged, supported, and set up to thrive.
• Guide improved talent infrastructure and policies across hiring, onboarding, performance, development, and retention.
• Lead a growing team of operations professionals, including a full-time Operations Manager and contract-support personnel, while helping support and supervise managers on other teams.
• Oversee workforce planning and organizational design to ensure we scale with clarity and care across various teams.
• Lead employee engagement tracking and response—surfacing data-driven insights and supporting a thriving workplace.
• Have a highly collaborative approach and a “can-do” mindset as you partner with leadership to embed TxCI’s values and operating norms across the organization.

Drive Financial Strategy and Oversight

• Partner with the CEO and Board to develop long-term financial plans, scenario models, and investment strategies that balance ambition and sustainability, translating strategy into operational goals and actionable tasks.
• Lead the annual budgeting process, audit preparation, and financial reporting—ensuring rigor, clarity, and alignment with TxCI’s goals and strategic plan.
• Oversee financial operations and establish policies for managing cash flow, legal compliance, and financial controls as TxCI establishes itself as an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
• Use financial data and insight to inform strategy, assess tradeoffs, and guide choices that drive impact.

Advance Strategic Operations & Organizational Infrastructure

• Oversee tech ops, internal workflows, and day-to-day systems to ensure the Operations team and the organization as a whole is set up to work effectively and efficiently in a hybrid working environment, particularly with respect to development-related tasks and systems. We currently use Google Workspaces, ClickUp, and Salesforce for our primary operations and being familiar with these applications will be helpful to the successful candidate.
• Strengthen operational transparency and planning across the organization—bringing visibility to timelines, goals, and shared priorities.
• Manage TxCI’s contracting process and core administrative functions.
• Drive progress tracking against organizational priorities and help translate big ideas into clear, achievable work plans.
• Collaborate across functions to reduce friction and streamline cross-org processes across various teams.

Note: This list is not exhaustive and may be subject to modification as job duties evolve.

Qualifications

• At least 5 years in a senior leadership role with cross-functional experience across finance, operations, talent, and related functions
• At least 5 years of experience supervising and mentoring junior and mid-career staff members.
• Proven success building and scaling systems and teams in evolving, mission-driven environments.
• Deep understanding of nonprofit financial management and GAAP; you know how to use budgets, forecasts, and models to inform strategy and assess tradeoffs in a nonprofit setting.
• Demonstrated ability to move fluidly between high-level strategy and day-to-day problem-solving, guiding the team through ambiguity and pitching in where needed.
• Demonstrated comfort with prioritizing and making necessary trade offs in an ambiguous and dynamic environment.

Working Environment

• Remote position, with flexible working hours - Texas-based preferred but at least able to travel to DFW Metroplex and potentially other sites in Texas 3-5 times a year, as necessary.
• May require occasional weekend and/or evening work.

Compensation and Benefits

• Staff at TxCI are paid monthly on or around the 1st of the month (depending on holidays and weekends).
• We offer a 401k plan (without match) and a stipend for health insurance.
• The successful candidate will be responsible for helping expand our employee benefit plan as we work towards creating a core of full-time staff and benefits commensurate with the high-quality team we intend to assemble.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The Texas Census Institute is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to creating a workplace that reflects the diversity of Texas. We do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

Our commitment to equal opportunity applies to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, hiring, training, promotion, compensation, benefits, and termination. We also strictly prohibit retaliation against any individual who reports discrimination, files a complaint, or participates in an investigation or proceeding related to equal employment opportunity.

We value diverse perspectives and experiences, and we encourage candidates from historically underrepresented communities to apply.

Application Process

To apply, submit your application through this form. Applications will be manually reviewed, with interview candidates identified and asked to participate in three rounds of interviews, starting with a job fit interview, then a team fit interview, and finally with an organizational fit interview before a hiring decision is made. We plan to begin our first round of interviews the week of September 8th. Priority review will be given for applications submitted by 11:59pm CT, September 1, 2025. Please submit your materials by this date to ensure your application is considered. Applications after this date will be considered only if there are an insufficient number of qualified candidates in the interview pool. Questions about this process can be sent to hiring@texascensus.org.