Chief Operating Officer

Native Americans in Philanthropy (NAP) promotes equitable and effective philanthropy in Native communities. We have more than a 30-year presence in the field and work closely with our counterpart organizations advocating for Tribal communities. The cornerstone of our work is our relatives and our networks. We support several communities of stakeholders that work together to build knowledge, community, priorities, and power in the sector. These networks include Native professionals in philanthropy, elected Tribal leaders, Native youth leaders, Native philanthropic executives and board members, and Native nonprofit leaders.

We leverage the power and wisdom of these networks to:

• Increase the authentic visibility of Native people and communities
• Develop tools and resources to educate funders
• Establish more meaningful relationships that align with our Indigenous values
• Increase funding and accountability to Indigenous-led organizations, grassroots movements, and Tribal Nations.

Position Summary

Native Americans in Philanthropy’s Chief Operations Officer (COO) is a new leadership role created at a pivotal moment in the organization’s growth. Reporting to and working in close partnership with the CEO, the COO will serve as NAP’s senior-most internal leader, responsible for supporting the overall management and direction of the organization’s day-to-day operations to ensure its continued growth, sustainability, and financial health.

The COO will provide strategic leadership and daily management of NAP’s finance, people, and IT functions and will be responsible for ensuring that NAP has the internal systems, procedures, and infrastructure to support its geographically dispersed team and an efficient and high-functioning organization. They will also serve as a steward of NAP’s organizational values and culture – investing in the staff and cultivating a culture aligned with NAP’s guiding values.

The ideal candidate is an entrepreneurial leader with a proven ability to develop organizational capacity, exceptional strategic, financial, and operational acumen, and a demonstrated talent for the continuous improvement of teams, systems, and processes. They are a highly relational and collaborative leader with an empowering management style and the ability to balance big-picture strategy with immediate needs. Finally, the ideal candidate will have a deep commitment to serving Native American communities and a passion for inspiring, developing, and empowering teams.

Strategic Leadership

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as a trusted advisor and strategic thought partner to the CEO, working closely with the Leadership team and Board of Directors, ensuring that the strategic priorities are operationalized across NAP
• Work collaboratively with NAP’s Leadership team to promote overall organizational effectiveness
• Ensure effective communication of priority issues and projects and promote organizational learning across the organization
• Provide executive-level “problem solving” support for the CEO and Leadership team, assessing the urgency and importance of situations and leveraging the CEO’s involvement as appropriate
• Assist the CEO with directing the overall management of NAP’s activities and programs, staff, and financial assets
• Identify opportunities for improved processes across the organization to streamline operations and implement increased standardization across NAP with an eye toward continuous improvement
• Performs other duties consistent with the position as assigned by the CEO

Staff Support And Development

• Promote and encourage a strong commitment to NAP’s mission, vision, and values
• Manage a high-functioning and growing team, including providing best practice education and mentoring
• Ensure that staff goals, work plans, and tasks are clearly articulated and met, and that professional development is prioritized across the organization
• Build leadership practices that support the recruitment, development, engagement, and retention of a diverse and talented team
• Ensure that employee appreciation events are prioritized, and that staff members are rewarded for their commitment and positive performance
• Optimize HR systems, ensure consistent implementations of HR policies and procedures, and leverage opportunities to innovate and create efficiencies where possible

Culture

• Cultivate an organizational culture that reflects NAP’s commitment to its guiding values
• Support a learning culture that engenders knowledge sharing, feedback, and continuous growth
• Implement best practices in organizational management, performance management, and leadership development

Finance, Operations, And Impact Management

• Lead the creation of the annual budget and work collaboratively with the Finance team in the monthly tracking and reconciliation of donations and grants, and the development of budgets for grant requests
• Optimize NAP’s finance and accounting policies, financial controls, and compliance systems; implement policies and procedures that model best practices in each of these areas
• Lead the annual audit process to produce an unqualified and timely audit and clean management report findings
• Supervise the maintenance of financial records, including payroll, accounts payable, and accounts receivables
• Lead identification and implementation of new systems for program management, fundraising, customer relations management, and building efficient work streams
• Optimize NAP’s finance and accounting policies, financial controls, and compliance systems; implement policies and systems that model best practices in each of these areas
• Ensure effective operations of short-term and long-term projects

Desired Qualifications

• Experience working with Native American communities and Tribal organizations, and a demonstrated commitment to and passion for NAP’s mission, vision, and values
• 15+ years of senior management experience working cross-functionally across finance, operations, human resources, and IT in complex organizations; philanthropic and/or nonprofit experience strongly preferred
• A “builder” who brings experience creating organizational systems in high growth environments
• Proven ability to partner with and support program leaders throughout an organization, as well as with other members of senior management and the Board of Directors
• A strategic, analytical, and systems thinker, with a demonstrated capacity to successfully problem solve, plan, and create the necessary infrastructure required to support growth in a dynamic organization
• Innovative, creative, and willing to think outside of the box to develop solutions that meet NAP’s unique needs and support our high-performing team
• Highly organized and able to effectively prioritize diverse responsibilities and tasks in a fast-paced environment
• A flexible, collaborative, and transparent leadership style with a track record of motivating and inspiring confidence, communicating clear expectations, and providing constructive feedback
• Experience attracting, retaining, and empowering talented and high-performing teams and cultivating values-driven organizational cultures
• Superb interpersonal skills, collaborative and transparent management style, and cross-cultural competencies
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to articulate complex ideas effectively to diverse audiences, both verbally and in writing
• Comfort identifying new technology platforms and tools to leverage the work of the team; technologically savvy and curious
• Unwavering commitment to quality programs and data-driven program evaluation
• Demonstrated ability to get results; think strategically, proactively, and creatively
• Commitment to highly professional, ethical standards, sound judgment, and a diverse workplace

Compensation And Benefits

The COO role has a flexible location, with up to 25% travel required once it is safe to do so. NAP offers a competitive salary, a generous benefits package, and a supportive working environment. The annual compensation range for the COO role is $175,000-$200,000.