Chief Operating Officer (COO), Scaling CVI for a Safer Chicago (SC2) (Chicago)

FLSA Status: Exempt

Reports to (job title of supervisor): SC2 Executive Director

**(PLEASE INCLUDE COVER LETTER WITH YOUR RESUME)**

Background:

Scaling Community Violence Intervention for a Safer Chicago (SC2) is a collaborative initiative that aims to expand community violence intervention (CVI) services to reach 50% of the highest-risk individuals in Chicago within five years and 75% within ten years. SC2 partners with community-based organizations (CBOs) to scale services in high-need neighborhoods, addressing street outreach, life coaching, mental/behavioral health, education, and employment readiness.

The SC2 initiative is guided by a Steering Committee composed of funders, CVI experts, and public sector representatives. SC2 staff are split across multiple organizations; this role is hosted at Chicago CRED, which was co-founded by Arne Duncan and Laurene Powell Jobs in 2016, and is a key partner in SC2 providing strategic oversight and direct staff support.

This position is hosted at Chicago CRED as the employer of record. Chicago CRED is a mission driven organization working to achieve transformational reduction in violence in Chicago. CRED does its work by offering direct services to those who are at the highest risk of violence, advocating for policy reform to increase public investment into community violence interventions, and promoting cross-sector coordination to achieve maximum impact.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

·     Oversee initiative-wide operations, including SC2’s Project Management Office (PMO), to ensure successful implementation (40% of time)

o  Provide executive oversight of SC2’s operations, ensuring alignment between strategy, implementation, and measurable outcomes

o  Establish performance management systems, identify enterprise-level risks, and ensure continuous improvement across teams

o  Track SC2 Implementation and External Partnerships Teams’ (the SC2 “Teams”) progress against plans to ensure efficient completion

o  Ensure Key Performance Indicators for SC2 initiatives are routinely updated and communicated to SC2 stakeholders

o  Proactively identify at-risk items, challenges, and resource needs and assist the SC2 Executive Director in efforts to mitigate as needed

o  Assist in developing roadmaps including timelines, responsibilities, and key checkpoints

·     Oversee SC2’s financial strategy, funding deployment, and long-term sustainability (30%)

o  Lead financial stewardship of the SC2 initiative, ensuring resources are deployed effectively to achieve scaling goals and long-term sustainability

o  Oversee multi-year financial planning, scenario modeling, and cash-flow projections to ensure SC2 maintains a strong financial position

o  Support budgeting and allocation of scaling funds across communities, ensuring resources are directed to highest-impact activities

o  Maintain an integrated view of public and private CVI funding streams, identifying funding gaps and risks to implementation

o  Develop strategies to mitigate financial risks and funding volatility, including contingency planning

o  Partner with Director of External Partnerships to align fundraising strategy with operational needs, including preparation of materials for funders

·     Support SC2 governance and organizational structure changes (10%)

o  Work with SC2 ED and Steering Committee to ensure SC2’s governance and organizational structure enable efficient operations

o  Sequence and structure discussions and decisions around key SC2 org structure and plans, ensuring clarity on roles, responsibilities, and accountability mechanisms

·     Engage with senior public sector and external stakeholders (10%)

o  Serve as senior operational counterpart to government and philanthropic partners

o  Facilitate regular meetings with ‘Entity Leads’ of government partners to ensure Government and SC2 are aware of latest updates and maintain strong partnership

·     Provide regular updates to the SC2 Executive Director and Steering Committee (10%)

o  For the Executive Director: review initiative progress, funding, org direction / strategy, and early awareness of any challenges or roadblocks

o  For the Steering Committee: review key task on- or off- track status, obstacles, and critical challenges or opportunities for SC2

Critical Skills/Competencies:

·     Strategic enterprise leadership in complex, multi-stakeholder environments – Ability to anticipate challenges, synthesize complex information, and make high impact decisions at a high-level in complicated settings

·     Large project and program management – Proven experience leading large, multi-stakeholder initiatives with clear milestones, deliverables, and accountability structures

·     Deep financial and business acumen – Ability to interpret and oversee multi-year financial projections, analyze key performance metrics, and anticipate operational risks

·     Executive presence and board-level communication skills – Ability to communicate with senior external audiences (including board, funders, and government officials) in clear and persuasive manner

·     Team management – Experience leading teams and operating teams as part of larger initiative

·     Strong interpersonal skills and cultural competency – Adept at fostering trusted relationships with individuals from diverse backgrounds and contexts

Preferred Qualifications:

·     10+ years of management experience

·     Experience with Senior Operations role

·     Experience overseeing multi-site or citywide initiatives

·     Familiarity with Chicago’s public safety landscape, specifically CVI providers, funders and stakeholders as well as the private and public funding landscape for CVI

Compensation:

Expected compensation will be $165-200K per year, depending on candidate’s experience.

Chicago CRED offers a competitive benefits package which includes medical, dental, vision, life, disability and 401K.

Location

This position will be based in Chicago’s West Side, South Side, etc. with local travel to site locations.

Physical Requirements and Working Environment

·     Ability to sit or stand for extended periods of time.

·     Ability to work with a computer for extended periods of time-up to 70%.

Chicago CRED offers a competitive benefits package which includes medical, dental, vision, life, disability and 401K.

Chicago CRED, Inc. is an equal employment opportunity employer dedicated to the fair and equal treatment of all its employees without regard to age, gender, race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, disability, political or union affiliation, maternity status, parental status, military status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

The above job description is meant to describe the general nature and level of work being performed; it is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required for the position.