Global Chief Operating Officer — Mission‑Driven Leader

Malala Fund; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 250,000 - 450,000; Full time

Job summary

Malala Fund is seeking a Chief Operating Officer to partner with the CEO and lead major enterprise functions across Strategy, Finance, Operations, and Risk. The role drives multi-year planning, annual budgeting, and organizational resilience in a globally distributed environment.

The COO will oversee governance, safeguarding, and program support, shaping cross-functional execution and learning to advance the foundation's mission for girls' education worldwide.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive senior leadership experience spanning operations, finance and enterprise management.
• Experience leading operations and/or finance in a global and similarly sized organization.
• Strong financial strategy and stewardship, including budgeting, forecasting, scenario planning, and board-level financial communication.

Responsibilities

• Set annual strategic priorities and translate direction into multi-year and annual operating plans.
• Oversee finance, operations, risk, safeguarding, and governance to ensure sustainable execution.
• Lead enterprise risk, compliance, and safeguarding oversight across jurisdictions.
• Provide MEL (Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning) leadership to strengthen decision-making and impact.
• Lead change management and align functions with organizational strategy, ensuring accountability.

Skills

Leadership

Operations management

Financial stewardship

Strategic planning

Cross-cultural communication

English fluency

Travel willingness

Education

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

ERP systems

Job description

Malala Fund is seeking a Chief Operating Officer to partner with the CEO and lead major enterprise functions across Strategy, Finance, Operations, and Risk. The role drives multi-year planning, annual budgeting, and organizational resilience in a globally distributed environment.

The COO will oversee governance, safeguarding, and program support, shaping cross-functional execution and learning to advance the foundation's mission for girls' education worldwide.