Chief Operating Officer (COO)

At Make-A-Wish® Illinois, we are more than a great place to work - our work is life-changing. Together, we create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Nearly 40 years ago the inspiration for Make-A-Wish began with one little boy's wish to be a police officer. Today, together with our volunteers, donors, staff and supporters, Make-A-Wish Illinois has granted more than 17,000 life-changing wishes and transformed countless lives. We typically serve over 700 children per year with the goal to double our impact across our communities. The diversity of our team of staff and volunteers, and our board are of critical importance for us as it positions us to reach every child eligible for a wish with an equitable, high quality and impactful wish experience.

The Illinois chapter of Make-A-Wish is one of the largest chapters in the Make-A-Wish enterprise. It has a reputation for being an innovator and often is a collaborator on national opportunities, co-creating solutions for all chapters to adopt.

The Role

Reporting to the CEO, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) position serves as an integral member of the leadership team and leads a team of professionals across a diverse array of functions. The COO is responsible for the development and execution of the Foundation's strategies, policies, and procedures in all business operations areas including finance, accounting, technology, human resources, volunteer management, legal, and workplace administration. This position has a direct impact on our growth objective, optimizing the performance of the organization to collaboratively support the dynamic needs of a growing organization.

Major Responsibilities:

Strategy/Leadership

• Manages the Foundation in the development of its overall strategic and financial planning.
• Leads all aspects of financial planning, budgeting and forecasting, internal and external reporting, and audit oversight
• Establishes organizational policies, practices and procedures that promote a diverse and inclusive culture focused on high performance, collaboration, and continuous improvement

• Leads the Operations team, coaching and developing them in the attainment of organizational and professional development goals
• Responsible for strategy development, annual plans and goals for the Operations team
• Engages at various levels with the Foundation's broad and diverse constituent base, working closely with the Board of Directors
• Serves as the staff liaison for the Board Finance Committee facilitating finance policies, monitoring, and investment strategies with the external advisors and the Investment Sub-committee
• Incorporates and influences development of national support services and policies by Make-A-Wish America
• Develops, manages, and cultivates vendor partnerships
• Maximizes utilization of financial resources, ensuring the efficiency and integrity of accounting functions and internal controls
• Optimizes the use of data and technology in supporting business needs, leveraging resources and platforms from Make-A-Wish America and providing additional technology to meet the Foundation's needs
• Oversees the human resource function, developing a high-performance workforce of 55+ staff and 1200+ active volunteers through consistent and effective recruitment and hiring practices, development and training, and strong engagement of our team.
• Develops the organization's workplace model, including its business continuity plans, hybrid work structure, and oversight of office management and administration for offices in Chicago and Peoria
• Handles all legal matters for the Foundation, seeking external support as needed
• Performs other duties as required

• Not-for-profit experience preferred; or a scaling organization with lean resourcing and the ability to serve as a "player"/"coach" across the scope of responsibility
• Proven track record of team leadership and capacity building, and ability to work in a collaborative environment
• Strong analytical and problem-solving ability
• Demonstrated competency with strategic plan development and frameworks
• Strong financial acumen and skills in budgeting, financial analysis and modeling
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to translate complex concepts in easy to understand and transparent ways
• Excellent organizational, time and project management skills
• Solid understanding of business functions including human resources, finance, and technology
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite, financial accounting software, and CRM databases

• 10 or more years of experience in operational leadership
• 3+ years' experience as a Chief Operating Officer or divisional head of operations
• Bachelor's degree (masters preferred) in business related discipline

• Comprehensive benefit package: Blue Cross and Blue Shield Medical, Vision, Dental, Wellness
• Health Savings Account and Flexible Spending Account Options
• Medical Leave Bank
• Short Term Disability*, Long Term Disability* and Life Insurance
• 403(b) Retirement Savings Plan with 25% match on 1st 6% of contributions
• Competitive compensation with annual incentive potential
• Milestone Benefit Program
• Hybrid work style; flexible work schedules
• Training and Professional Development Opportunities

• 15 PTO days
• 8 Sick Days
• 8 Paid Holidays
• 1 Make-A-Wish Volunteer Day per year
• 1 Staff Appreciation Day per year
• 4 Developmental days for your continuous learning and growth