Chief Operating Officer

The Museum Association of New York; New York (NY); On-site; USD 200,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

Dental coverage

Vision coverage

403B

Life insurance

EAP

Paid holidays

Paid time off

Pet insurance

Free museum admission

Job summary

The Children’s Museum of Manhattan (CMOM) seeks a visionary Chief Operating Officer to guide strategic and operational transformation as it scales its new landmark home.

Reporting to the CEO, the COO will unify day‑to‑day operations, oversee Visitor Services, HR, IT, Facilities, and security, and build scalable systems and teams for multi‑site operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred in related field.
• 10+ years of executive operating experience in nonprofit/cultural/public-facing org.
• 5+ years of senior executive management experience with multi-disciplinary staff.
• Experience scaling organizations and managing transitions.
• Proven crisis management and sound judgment.
• Highest standards of ethics and integrity.
• Resourcefulness in driving strategic change.
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management.
• In-person work 5 days/week including weekends during events.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and enterprise software audits/implementation.

Responsibilities

• Serve as primary strategic partner to CEO, translating vision into scalable operational strategies.
• Collaborate with leadership to align departments and operations.
• Present to Board with governance updates and data-driven insights.
• Lead organizational maturity, professionalizing systems and policies.
• Oversee operations including visitor services, HR, IT, security, and maintenance.
• Develop and manage budgets aligned to scaling objectives.
• Support major events in coordination with Development and Education teams.
• Modernize technology to improve efficiency and data access.
• Lead People Operations for 60+ staff and build equitable benefits.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Stakeholder engagement

People leadership

Change management

Team building

Communication

Availability for in-person work

Visionary leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree in Business/Nonprofit Management

Tools

Microsoft Office

Enterprise software implementation

Job description

Children's Museum of Manhattan - New York, NY

Full-time

Salary: $200,000.00 - $250,000.00 Annually

Application Deadline: N/A

Nonprofit

POSITION: Chief Operating Officer (COO)

REPORTS TO: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

LOCATION: 212 West 83rd Street, New York, NY 10024 (Transitioning to 361 Central Park West)

WEBSITE: www.CMOM.org

ABOUT THE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM

The Children’s Museum of Manhattan (CMOM) is a dynamic, mission-driven cultural institution dedicated tonurturing creativity, curiosity, and lifelong learning in children and families. Through interactive exhibitions,educational programs, and community partnerships, CMOM serves diverse audiences across New York City and beyond, creating meaningful experiences that inspire and empower young minds.

Founded in 1973, the Children’s Museum of Manhattan (CMOM) is a premier NYC institution for children andfamilies. Currently operating in the Upper West Side with 250,000+ annual visitors, CMOM is preparing for aperiod of unprecedented growth and strategic evolution as we prepare to launch a new museum (scheduledfor late 2028/early 2029) in our new home (7 floors, 80,000 square feet) at 361 Central Park West to welcome in 500,000 visitors each year.

ABOUT THE POSITION

The Children’s Museum of Manhattan (CMOM) seeks a visionary, dynamic, and experienced Chief Operating Officer (COO) to step into a leadership role during a historic, once-in-a-generation moment of transformationand scaling. Serving as the primary strategic partner to the Chief Executive Officer, the COO will play a critical hand in maturing the operational systems of this beloved organization as it moves into its next chapter anddoubles its footprint, staff, visitors, and operating budget.

Working in close collaboration with CEO and Executive Leadership Team, and CMOM staff broadly, the COOwill lead the evolution of CMOM's operating plan, organizational structure, and team culture for our newlandmark home at 96th Street. This executive will unify and elevate our day-to-day operations, directlymanaging an expanding operating team (Visitor and Guest Experience, Buildings Operations, Clean Team,Exhibits Maintenance, Security, Technology, and Human Resources) to ensure a culture of operationalexcellence, deep staff engagement, and mission delivery.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Leadership & Partnership

• Serve as a primary strategic partner to the CEO, translating institutional vision into scalable,sustainable operational strategies.
• Work in collaboration with Executive Leadership team and CMOM staff broadly to develop alignmentacross departments.
• Present regularly to the Board of Directors (& committees as appropriate) to provide transparentoperational updates, governance support, and data-driven insights.
• Lead the organizational maturityof CMOM by professionalizing systems, workflows, and policies tosupport a budget and operation twice its current size.

Operational & Team Excellence

• Oversee all functional areas of Operations including Visitor Services, HR, IT, Security, and Maintenanceacross current and future sites.
• Develop, manage, and optimizethe comprehensive Operations team budget to align with scalingobjectives.
• Support high-profile special events and public programming in close coordination with theDevelopment and Educational teams.

Technology & Human Resources Optimization

• Modernize and optimize technologyenterprise-wide to increase organizational efficiency, dataaccessibility, and information accuracy.
• Lead a people-centered People Operations strategyfor an expanding team of 60+; architect talentacquisition pipelines, transparent compensation structures, and inclusive benefits models thatoperationalize equity, cultivate a culture of trust and mutual respect, and ensure staff thrive as theorganization scales.

Transition & Scale Execution

• Serve as an executive leader of the Transition Team responsible for the successful grand opening andongoing operations of the new Museum at 96th Street and Central Park West.
• Design and execute a comprehensive blueprint for transitioning staff, assets, and workflows to thenew museum.
• Formulate a clear, actionable staffing and deployment model tailored to the unique operationaldemands of the new, scaled facility.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Education: Bachelor's degree required; Advanced degree in Business, Nonprofit Management, orrelated field preferred.
• Experience: 10+ years of executive operating experience at a nonprofit, cultural institution, or public facing organization.
• Leadership: 5+ years of senior executive management experience, with a proven ability to lead, mentor, and inspire multi-disciplinary staff through periods of profound transformation.
• Scale & Growth: Demonstrated success in scaling organizations, professionalizing complex operations,and managing organizational transitions.
• Crisis & Judgment: Proved sound judgment and the ability to make rapid, high-stakes operationaldecisions in a fast-paced, public-facing environment.
• Integrity & Ethics: Highest standards of professional ethics, personal integrity, and sound judgment
• Resourcefulness: Ability to drive strategic change by maximizing resources and rallying teams aroundproactive problem-solving.
• Communication: Exceptional interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills; ability to influence and build trust with board members, external stakeholders, and frontline staff.
• Availability: Position requires 5 days in-person, which will include weekends as required by highattendance periods, marquee events, and special programs (offset by time off on weekdays).
• Technical Skills: Proficiency in Microsoft Office and experience auditing/implementing enterprisesoftware platforms.

COMPENSATION

$200,000-$250,000 annually

BENEFITS

• Our company offers a comprehensive benefits package including vision, dental and medical (free medicalcoverage for employees, with premium plans available for dependents), 403B, life insurance, EAP, PaidHolidays, Personal Time Off, Vacation leave, and Sick leave.
• We also offer a range of voluntary benefits, suchas FSA, critical illness, accident insurance, legal services, and pet insurance.
• As a CMOM employee, you areeligible for free admission to other New York City cultural institutions.

The Children’s Museum of Manhattan is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We encourage people from allbackgrounds, ages, abilities, and experiences to apply.