Chief Operating Officer

Community Solutions; Cleveland, Northern (OH, KY); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PTO & holidays

Sick leave

401(k) with employer contribution

Professional development budget

Tuition reimbursement

Health insurance

Downtown Cleveland office access

Fitness center access

Job summary

The Center for Community Solutions in Cleveland, OH seeks a mission-driven Chief Operating Officer to lead internal operations for a staff of up to 25. This senior leader partners with the President and CEO to align staff, board, and partners toward impact in a public policy setting.

You will manage HR, operations, planning, budgeting, and risk, while fostering an equitable, high-performing workplace. Hybrid work—two days on-site in Cleveland—supports policy-focused collaboration.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or equivalent experience preferred.
• 5–7 years of leadership or operations experience in a nonprofit, advocacy, public sector, or mission-driven organization.
• Strong understanding of the public policy environment and how organizations influence change.
• Experience managing organizational operations, strategic initiatives, and employee-related matters.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage sensitive issues, support organizational change, and build trust across teams.
• Experience supervising staff and leading cross-functional work.
• Commitment to equity, inclusion, nonpartisan policy analysis, and the mission of Community Solutions.

Responsibilities

• Serve as strategic and operational partner to the President and CEO and leadership team.
• Translate organizational priorities into actionable plans and track progress on key goals.
• Coordinate leadership meetings, planning processes, and cross-functional initiatives.
• Build alignment across staff, leadership, board members, community partners, and other external constituents.
• Navigate competing priorities with sound judgment, discretion, and political awareness.
• Support employee relations, staff development, and workplace culture.
• Partner on hiring, onboarding, performance management, and engagement.
• Maintain and improve HR policies, handbook updates, and personnel practices.
• Oversee operational planning, internal systems, and workflow improvements.
• Support budgeting, resource management, and coordination with finance partners.
• Ensure effective coordination across teams, with attention to administrative functions.
• Manage select board committee processes and organizational reporting.
• Support compliance, documentation, and risk management efforts.

Skills

Leadership

Operations management

Public policy awareness

Communication

Problem solving

Staff supervision

Equity & inclusion

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

The Center for Community Solutions seeks a highly organized, mission-driven and people-centered Chief Operating Officer to lead internal operations and support organizational effectiveness across a staff of up to 25.

Reporting to the President and CEO, this senior leadership role ensures the organization runs efficiently, collaboratively, and in alignment with its mission. The COO focuses on strengthening internal systems, staff experience, and execution so programmatic and external leaders can maximize impact in a complex public policy environment.

• Serve as a strategic and operational partner to the President and CEO and leadership team.
• Translate organizational priorities into actionable plans and track progress on key goals.
• Coordinate leadership meetings, planning processes, and cross-functional initiatives.
• Build alignment across staff, leadership, board members, community partners, and other external constituents.
• Navigate competing priorities with sound judgment, discretion, and political awareness.

Human Resources & Employee Experience

• Support employee relations, staff development, and workplace culture.
• Partner on hiring, onboarding, performance management, and engagement.
• Maintain and improve HR policies, handbook updates, and personnel practices.
• Address conflict and support a positive, equitable, and accountable work environment.

Operations & Organizational Effectiveness

• Oversee operational planning, internal systems, and workflow improvements.
• Support budgeting, resource management, and coordination with finance partners.
• Ensure effective coordination across teams, with attention to administrative functions.
• Manage select board committee processes and organizational reporting.
• Support compliance, documentation, and risk management efforts.

  Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or equivalent experience preferred.
  • 5–7 years of leadership or operations experience in a nonprofit, advocacy, public sector, or mission-driven organization.
  • Strong understanding of the public policy environment and how organizations influence change.
  • Experience managing organizational operations, strategic initiatives, and employee-related matters.
  • Excellent communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
  • Demonstrated ability to manage sensitive issues, support organizational change, and build trust across teams.
  • Experience supervising staff and leading cross-functional work.
  • Commitment to equity, inclusion, nonpartisan policy analysis, and the mission of Community Solutions.

  Preferred Attributes

  • Calm, steady, and solutions-oriented leadership style.
  • Strong judgment, emotional intelligence, and discretion.
  • Ability to balance strategy with day-to-day execution.
  • Comfort working in a fast-paced nonprofit and policy environment.
  • Skill in improving systems while maintaining strong relationships and culture.
  • Composure in politically sensitive or rapidly evolving situations.

  Salary range:$100,000 - $115,000, based on experience

  The Center for Community Solutions provides generous benefits.

  • Ample paid time offincludingup to 4 weeks of PTO, and 15 paid sick days annually, 11 paid holidays per year, and a week-long office closure between Christmas and New Year.
  • 401(k) retirement plan with automatic employer contribution of 3% of salary plus employer match of 0.5% for every 1% of employee contribution up to 4% of salary.
  • Annual budget for professionaldevelopment whichcovers conferences,trainings, and associated travel.
  • Tuition reimbursement opportunities for current students and support for employees seeking student loan forgiveness as employees of a nonprofit organization.
  • High deductiblehealth plan with employer covering 100% of the premium for the employee’s coverage and a monthly contribution to a Health Savings Account on the employee’s behalf.
  • Main offices in Class A office buildings in central downtownlocationwith lake views in Cleveland and overlooking Columbus Commons in Columbus.
  • Access to building amenitiesincludingfree access to the fitness center in the Cleveland building.

  Physical Demands & Work Environment

  Typical office setting with frequent sitting, standing, walking, and reaching.Occasional lifting up to 10 lbs.Approximately 10%localand regional travel for meetings and stakeholder engagements.

  Community Solutions is a permanent hybrid working environment. Expect to work from the assigned officein Cleveland at least two days per week.At this time, remote work locations must be within the state of Ohio.All staff must understand and value racial equity as an organizational operating principle and be committed tocontinuedlearning on issues related to race, equity, diversity, and inclusion.The specific statements shown in each section of this description are not intended to beall-inclusive.Theyrepresenttypical elements and criteria necessary to successfully perform the job.

  At the employee’s request, reasonableaccommodationsmay be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

  Employment and tenure with The Center for Community Solutions are based on the “at will” principle of employment. The Center for Community Solutions is an Equal OpportunityEmployerM/F/V/D/SO.

  Policy wonks and data nerds

  Our staff are experts in policy, data analysis, and communications. More than 80 percent of our staff hold advanced degrees. Our Board is comprised of executives, educators, and health professionals in legacy institutions in Northeast Ohio.

  Agencies and organizations in Northeast Ohio and across the state contract with Community Solutions for research and data analysis to improve conditions in their communities.