Chief Operations & Strategy Officer

Encounter; New York (NY); On-site; USD 180,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits package

Job summary

Encounter is seeking an Executive Vice President (EVP) to be its first operationally sophisticated, business-oriented leader as the organization grows. Reporting to the CEO, the EVP will translate vision into disciplined planning and execution across Finance & Operations, Israel-based programs, and U.S.

Jewish Engagement and Education. The role requires strategic thinking, strong senior-level management skills, and a track record of translating ideas into actionable operating plans while

Qualifications

• 10-15 years of progressively senior leadership experience in nonprofit, educational, or mission-driven organizations.
• Significant experience leading across multiple organizational functions including operations, finance, programs, and people management, and partnering closely with advancement.
• Demonstrated experience working as a close partner to a CEO or other senior executive.
• Proven success translating strategy into operating plans, building effective management systems, and driving execution and accountability.
• Experience leading organizations or teams through significant growth and change.
• Strong financial fluency, including budgeting, forecasting, financial analysis, and resource allocation.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the CEO’s primary operational partner, translating organizational strategy into priorities, plans, and results.
• Lead annual planning, establishing organization-wide priorities, goals, and measures of success aligned with the CEO’s vision.
• Manage senior leaders and hold them accountable for performance against agreed-upon goals.
• Ensure alignment and coordinated execution across functions and between the U.S. and Israel teams.
• Bring a business-minded lens to decisions about growth, scale, revenue, and organizational capacity.
• Identify and act on opportunities to strengthen organizational performance and scalability.
• Plan and set agendas for all-staff meetings and retreats.
• Establish the management rhythms, performance measures, and reporting needed to track progress, surface risks early, and drive accountability.
• Drive execution across functions and geographies, resolving obstacles, clarifying ownership, and intervening when work is off track.
• Strengthen systems, processes, and decision-making structures where they will improve performance and scalability.
• Ensure cross-functional priorities are effectively coordinated while maintaining clear ownership and avoiding bottlenecks.
• Build the organizational capacity and infrastructure required for growth while preserving speed, flexibility, and accountability.
• Use financial information to inform management, strategy, resource allocation, and organizational decision-making.
• Provide executive oversight of budgeting, forecasting, cash flow, and financial reporting.
• Develop program budgets and financial models to assess growth scenarios, resource needs, and tradeoffs.
• Manage the fractional CFO and bookkeeping firm, ensuring accurate, timely, and decision-useful financial reporting.
• Partner with the Managing Director on finance and administration in Israel, including budgeting, vendors, and audit.
• Ensure strong fiscal stewardship and compliance with legal, regulatory, and governance requirements.
• Support the CEO, Senior Director of Advancement, Finance Committee, and Board with clear financial analysis, planning, and reporting.

Job description

Encounter is seeking an Executive Vice President (EVP) to be its first operationally sophisticated, business-oriented leader as the organization grows. Reporting to the CEO, the EVP will translate vision into disciplined planning and execution across Finance & Operations, Israel-based programs, and U.S.

Jewish Engagement and Education. The role requires strategic thinking, strong senior-level management skills, and a track record of translating ideas into actionable operating plans while