Chief Operating Officer

Position Title: Chief Operating Officer

Department: Systems

Reports to: Co-Executive Directors

Status: Full-time, exempt

Salary Level: Executive

PURPOSE:

World Renew is in an exciting stage of transformational growth and we need a seasoned Chief Operating Officer (COO) to join our global executive team. Reporting to our Co-Executive Directors, the COO will be a vital contributor to our progress and mission, with strong leadership skills and the ability to approach business with both a systems lens and an innovative perspective, while collaborating successfully across all functions and levels of the organization. The COO will play a significant leadership role across our team in support of high-performing professionals flourishing.

The ideal candidate has extensive experience within the INGO sector, specifically in the realms of humanitarian emergency affairs, transformational development, and peace building and justice, preferably having worked their way up to an executive leadership role. We believe this trajectory helps a person develop a unique mix of business pedigree and management expertise, plus proficiency with the practices, policies, and procedures of our sector.

While this role is ideally based out of our Byron Center, MI, USA office under a hybrid work arrangement, the opportunity is open to candidates who are legally entitled (possessing status or permission) to work in Canada or the United States of America. The successful applicant needs to be prepared to have some presence in one of our offices, either our Byron Center office, or potentially our Canadian office in Burlington, ON, with some travel expected.

We do not discriminate based on disability, culture, ethnicity, or gender, and welcome and encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Strategic Leadership

• Collaborate with Co-Executive Directors and executive team in setting and driving organizational vision, creating and delivering on the strategic plan, and fulfilling our mission through strong and effective strategies and plans that align with short- and long-term objectives.
• Play a leadership role in the strategic planning process and cycle, acting as point of contact for executive team leaders to ensure coordinated and seamless interplay across each area of the strategic plan.
• Apply sound capital investment, management, and procurement strategies to org-wide activities in collaboration with relevant functional leaders and stakeholders.

Operational Leadership:

• Provide overall leadership and direction to the organization’s operational functions and create strong collaborative relationships with others on the executive team and beyond.
• Translate strategy into actionable steps for growth, aligned with organization-wide goals.
• Contribute strategies, policies, and operating practices that look for ongoing improvements to our organizational systems and knowledge management, and foster a culture that contributes to employee productivity, engagement, flourishing, and effectiveness.
• Establish/enhance systematic approaches to policy creation, approval and management, procedures, and processes. Ensure follow through of policy ownership.
• Analyze internal operations and identify areas for business process enhancements; lead and oversee organizational processes and implement LEAN (or similar) approaches as necessary.
• Contemplate impacts of change on the organization, and partner with other functional leaders and/or external parties (as required) on effective change management strategies when relevant (e.g. on a system or process change).
• Provide regular reports to the Executive Directors on operational performance, key metrics/KPIs, and forecasts.
• Participate in preparation and presentation of Board Reporting.
• Ensure effective and timely communication across the organization for both urgent matters and routines.

Technology and Information Systems (IS)

• Provide leadership across the IS team, overseeing our technology architecture, infrastructure, and information systems to support World Renew’s global operations.
• Identify opportunities to leverage technology to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
• Create/uphold relevant policies that aim to achieve alignment, prevent organizational risk, and ensure optimal operations and investment (including procurement practices).
• Ensure strong focus on data protection and privacy and compliance with regulatory requirements across global locations.

Compliance and Risk Management

• Provide leadership to our Safeguarding function and ensure that World Renew implements and maintains policies, processes, training, and practices to ensure our staff, volunteers, and program participants (in the communities we work) have appropriate knowledge, accessibility, and measures in place.

• Ensure that World Renew meets/exceeds requirements and maintains good standing as a globally recognized Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) accredited organization.
• Contribute to maintaining standards and membership in various accrediting bodies, such as CCCC
• Ensure the organization complies with relevant laws, regulations, and standards applicable to the scope of work, taking jurisdictions into account.
• Oversee ‘safe reporting’ practices, in partnership with People & Culture (HR) and Finance as relevant.
• Ensure World Renew operates with an appropriate risk management framework, working closely with the Co-Executive Directors and Boards as needed.
• Act as lead on advising and partnering to maintain compliance practices and accountability across functions within World Renew; ensuring audit practices are in place appropriate to the needs, scale, and nature of the organization.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES REQUIRED:

• Commitment to live out World Renew’s mission, vision and values.
• Active engagement in local Christian community and able to sign World Renew’s Statement of Faith.
• Demonstrated commitment to Christ and able to recognize this position as one that contributes to the work of His Kingdom
• Demonstrated commitment to contribute to and promote a work and service environment (locally and in the communities that we serve) that values diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB), localization and decolonization.
• Committed to working towards gender equality, equity, and justice in all aspects of our programming, plans, policies, and organizational structure.
• Ability to think strategically, with a systems-level approach, and envision long-term goals.
• Able to build and maintain trusting relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Excellent leadership skills, with steadfast resolve and personal integrity; strong communication, interpersonal skills, and collaborative problem-solving ability.
• Understanding of advanced business planning and regulatory issues; ideally knowledge of non-profit regulations and compliance.
• Solid grasp of data analysis and performance metrics.
• Ability to diagnose problems quickly and foresee potential issues.

• International business experience/ability to apply knowledge appropriately and forge strong relationships with staff and stakeholders across diverse geographies.
• Must be an accomplished project manager at an executive level, and highly proficient in Microsoft Office suite.
• Familiarity with LEAN, Six Sigma or other optimization approaches desired for promotion of process improvement.
• Familiar with change management models and strategies to support people through change.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, accounting, finance, or a related field required.
• Master’s degree in a relevant field (such as business administration/MBA, non-profit management, or a related discipline) strongly preferred.
• Minimum of 10 years of management experience, with 5 years or more as an executive leader.
• In-depth industry understanding including risk management, compliance, and regulatory landscape.
• Demonstrated strategic and change leadership ability.

LANGUAGE SKILLS:

• Must be highly fluent in English, with degree of professional acumen required to execute job accountabilities. Fluency in additional languages would be advantageous.

WORK ENVIRONMENT, PHYSICAL AND OTHER DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Computer work and concentrated reading, sitting for long periods of time.
• Flexibility to be available across multiple time-zones
• Work is challenging and diversified and requires frequent application of independent thinking to originate and develop procedures, techniques or ideas within the parameters of a broad conceptual outline.

TRAVEL:

• Requires travel within North America for meetings and conferences, as needed.
• Requires occasional international travel. International travel includes the possibility of destinations with rough terrain, unreliable access to water and electricity, and increased exposure to illness.

With World Renew's commitment to Core Humanitarian Standard and Safeguarding responsibilities, as part of the recruitment process, a successful candidate can expect to go through a thorough background check.

Why Work with World Renew? We Value Flexibility! Effective January 2022 full-time positions transitioned to a 36-hour workweek (1,872 hours annually) with Fridays being 'Focus Fridays' #nomeetings

• Work that follows a relentless mission to end hunger and starvation in the world

• Full-Time Flexible Work Arrangements

• Generous Vacation and Holiday Time

• Embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion

• Benefits include Health, Welfare, & Retirement

• Professional Development Opportunities

• Contributing to an organization that is making an impact in the world

• Up to 1 week of paid time off for voluntary mission/service project trip

World Renew is its own 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and is governed by its U.S. and Canadian Boards of Directors.