Chief Operating Officer

Citizens of the Reef; Cairns Regional; On-site; AUD 250,000 - 320,000; Full time

Job summary

Citizens of the Reef is seeking a Chief Operating Officer to partner with the CEO in driving operational and commercial performance as we scale our conservation impact. You will have line management responsibility for major departments and lead cross-functional teams across finance, operations, programs, technology and engagement.

We seek a senior executive with a proven track record in P&L, revenue growth, governance and risk management, able to build systems and revenue streams in a

Qualifications

• Experience as COO or equivalent senior executive with proven mandate.
• Hands-on deal‑making: negotiating contracts and partnerships.
• Ability to manage multiple departments with cross‑functional accountability.
• 10+ years of senior executive leadership, including P&L.
• Proven track record in commercial growth and scaling.
• Strong financial literacy and budgeting experience.
• Experience building operating systems, processes, controls.
• Experience with board-level reporting and risk governance.
• Proven people leadership with high‑performing teams.
• Excellent stakeholder management and executive communication.
• High integrity and strategic judgement.

Responsibilities

• This role supports the CEO in driving operational and commercial performance as we scale.
• Lead line management for major departments across the organisation.
• Develop and execute the organisation's commercial strategy and growth plans.
• Oversee budgeting, forecasting and financial planning across programs and functions.
• Represent the organisation at senior external forums and with key partners.
• Scale operations and governance to support a global reef conservation network.

Skills

COO/Executive leadership

Commercial deal-making

Cross-functional leadership

P&L management

Strategic planning

Budget management

Financial modelling

Board/exec governance

Stakeholder management

Team leadership

Job description

Citizens of the Reef uses the combined power of people, AI technology, and marine science to protect and restore coral reefs. We exist to close the gap between surveying the state of reefs and implementing practical conservation solutions where they matter most, in a way that is cost-effective and highly scalable.

Our programs are built around collaborative partnerships and the use of existing assets, including the latest reef intervention techniques, cutting-edge AI, and, most importantly, the power of communities working together, both in the water and online as virtual volunteers. By integrating marine scientists, reef managers, Indigenous Ecological Knowledge, boat operators and everyday citizens, we are scaling conservation on the Great Barrier Reef, the Red Sea, Hawai’i and the Coral Triangle, with more regions to come.

Citizens is a fast growing organisation with major committed partners and a strong funding runway and is evolving rapidly to support the expansion of its work around the globe.

ABOUT THE ROLE

We are seeking a Chief Operating Officer to support the CEO in driving the organisation, operational and commercial performance as we scale. This is a senior executive role reporting directly to the CEO with direct line management responsibility for major departments within the organisation.

ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCE

• Prior experience operating specifically in a Chief Operating Officer (or directly equivalent COO-level) role, with a demonstrated track record of success in that mandate.
• Hands‑on commercial deal‑making experience: structuring, negotiating and developing commercial contracts, partnership agreements and terms, supporting the CEO with execution and management.
• Proven experience managing multiple, diverse departments or functions concurrently (e.g. finance, operations, marketing/engagement, programs, technology), with accountability for cross‑functional coordination, prioritisation and performance.
• 10+ years of senior executive leadership experience, including significant time operating at COO or equivalent C‑suite / senior executive level.
• A demonstrated, verifiable track record of senior leadership within a commercial, private‑sector organisation — including direct accountability for P&L, revenue growth, or operational scaling — in addition to any purpose‑led or regulated‑sector experience.
• Strong commercial acumen, with experience developing and executing commercial strategy, and building new revenue streams.
• Significant experience in budget development and management — building annual and multi‑year budgets from the ground up, and managing complex, multi‑stream operating budgets through the full cycle (planning, forecasting, variance management and reforecasting).
• Advanced financial literacy: investment appraisal and financial/commercial modelling.
• A track record of building and scaling operating systems, processes and controls within growth‑stage or scaling organisations.
• Experience operating at Board or Executive Committee level, including preparing board‑grade papers and advising on risk, governance and commercial strategy.
• Proven, risk‑aware people leadership capability, with experience building high‑performing senior teams.
• Exceptional stakeholder management, negotiation and executive communication skills.
• High integrity and sound judgement, with the credibility to represent the organisation externally at a senior commercial level.

WHAT WE OFFER

Citizens of the Reef is entering its next chapter. Having proven our model on the Great Barrier Reef and successfully completed pilots in Hawai‘i, the Coral Triangle and the Red Sea, off the back of these pilots we are now rapidly scaling up operations to support reefs worldwide. This role will lead that work in close partnership with our CEO.

• A senior executive role with the mandate to shape how Citizens operates as we grow from one reef system into a global network.
• A model with strong evidence behind it, including 23,000+ citizen scientists from 80+ countries, 95–99% accuracy against expert scientists for key coral groups confirmed in peer‑reviewed research, and data now informing multiple conservation outcomes.
• A clear 2030 ambition to build a one‑million‑strong community and a Global Reef Cooperative, where conservation is led by the people who live with reefs.
• The opportunity to work with a world‑class network of partners across science, technology, industry, government, Traditional Owners and local reef communities.
• A small, ambitious team that values innovation, vision and operational efficiency, and is committed to scaling capability without high overhead.