Chief Operating Officer

PROSPECTUS-4; Coventry; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading independent grant making foundation in the West Midlands is seeking a Chief Operating Officer. This pivotal role involves supporting the CEO and driving the operational strategy to improve efficiency and diversify income streams. Ideal candidates will possess senior management experience in nonprofits, along with a commitment to the mission of making a social impact. The role includes hybrid working with 2 days in the Coventry office and offers a competitive salary of £60,000-£65,000 plus benefits.

Qualifications

• Senior management experience in a nonprofit, charitable or comparable grant-making organisation.
• Proven ability in strategic planning and execution.
• Passion for making a difference to the lives of people in the community.

Responsibilities

• Play a central role in the leadership and strategic direction of the Foundation.
• Implement the organisational strategy and business plan.
• Lead on the grant making strategy and ensure compliance.
• Oversee operational management including systems, policies, and processes.
• Manage fundholder relationships and program delivery commitments.
• Conduct research and ensure effective horizon scanning for trends.
• Strengthen HR and marketing strategies.

Skills

Senior management experience within a nonprofit

Strategic planning and execution

Strong commitment to mission and values

Job description

We are proud to be supporting the leading independent grant making foundation in the west Midlands and Warwickshire, in their search for a Chief Operating Officer.

They nurture philanthropy, connecting people who care with incredible causes that matter. They help unlock the resources to tackle local issues, and support people and communities to thrive across the region.

They are recruiting for a new position, a Chief Operating Officer, to support the CEO, having overall accountability for the organisation’s operations. The COO will play a pivotal role in implementing their strategy, aimed at improving operational efficiency and diversifying income streams.

Chief Operating Officer

£60,000-£65,000 + benefits

Hybrid working, 2 days in the office in Coventry

The COO will ensure that ways of working are as effective as possible, enabling the team to meet their ambitions and modernise their internal operations and governance, freeing up capacity for the CEO to build strong relationships with donors and partners working with communities.

Key responsibilities

• Play a central role as a member of the executive team in the overall leadership, strategic direction and governance of the Foundation.
• Work with the whole team to implement the organisational strategy and business plan.
• Lead on the development of the grant making strategy, ensuring processes are efficient, compliant and deliver an outstanding experience for applicants and donors.
• Oversee the day‑to‑day operational management of the Foundation, ensuring systems, policies and processes are appropriate and effective.
• Oversee fundholder relationships, demonstrating value and impact whilst overseeing performance against programme delivery commitments.
• Oversee research, insight and impact inputs and ensure effective horizon scanning for emerging trends and technologies.
• Oversee HR and marketing strategies to strengthen the culture and visibility.

As COO, you will have a strong commitment to the mission and values of the foundation, with a passion for making a difference to the lives of people in the West Midlands and Warwickshire. You will need Senior management experience within a nonprofit, charitable or comparable grant‑making organisation, evidenced by successful strategic planning and execution.

How to Apply

To apply for the role, please upload your CV together with a supporting statement (of no more than 1000 words) onto the Prospectus website via the link below.

Please ensure that you have included a telephone number, as well as any dates when you will not be available or might have difficulty with the recruitment timetable.

If you wish to apply using an alternative format, please contact Prospectus.

If you would like to have an informal conversation about the role, please contact our retained partners.

At Prospectus we believe passionately that a truly inclusive workplace leads to increased social impact. We are committed to supporting our clients build more inclusive teams. To understand how we are performing, we ask that you kindly complete the brief equal opportunities questionnaire when you submit your application via our website. Please be assured that your responses are kept confidential, separate from your candidate record, are not part of any application you make, and that the consultants never see individual responses to the questionnaire.

Recruitment Timetable

Deadline for applications : Sunday 8th Feb (midnight)

Interviews with Prospectus : 24th Feb – 2nd March

First stage interviews with the foundation : 17th and 19th March

Second stage with the foundation : 24th March