Chief Operating Officer

Children's Museum of Manhattan; New York (NY); On-site; USD 200,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free museum admission

Comprehensive benefits

Paid holidays & leave

Job summary

Children's Museum of Manhattan (CMOM) seeks a visionary Chief Operating Officer to partner with the CEO in maturing CMOM's operational systems as we scale for a major transition to a new 96th Street site. The COO will lead day-to-day operations, oversee an expanding team, and ensure culture of operational excellence.

The role requires a track record of guiding nonprofit institutions through growth, with hands-on experience in budgeting, staff development, and enterprise-wide technology upgrades

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; Advanced degree in Business or Nonprofit Management preferred.
• 10+ years of executive operating experience in nonprofit/cultural organizations.
• 5+ years of senior executive management with cross-disciplinary staff leadership.

Responsibilities

• Partner with CEO to mature operational systems and budget as CMOM scales.
• Oversee all Operations functions including Visitor Services, HR, IT, Security, and Maintenance.
• Lead organizational transition to the new museum, including staffing and deployment models.

Skills

Executive leadership

Nonprofit operations

Staff development

Strategic planning

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree in Business/Nonprofit Management

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

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 Cityand 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 OperatingOfficer (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 COO will 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

The spirit of CMOM is collaborative, creative, and entrepreneurial. The ideal candidate will bring an inspiring,results-driven leadership style alongside a proven track record of guiding institutions through massiveinflection points of growth and change.

• 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 around proactive 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.