Chief Operating Officer/General Counsel

What We Do

In the United States, too few students can access effective, high-performing public schools. At City Fund, we work to increase educational opportunities for students and families by partnering with city and state leaders to create innovative public school systems. We believe that public schools do best when educators have the power to make decisions that meet the diverse needs of their students, families are provided the information and access to choose the best schools for their children, and schools are held accountable for helping all students succeed.

City Fund provides financial support and expertise to local leaders seeking to improve educational opportunities in their cities. We support 18 cities across the country and hope to eventually reach most American cities. We focus on supporting:

• High quality, innovative K-12 schools with nonprofit governing structures and diverse leadership
• City leaders, including civic leaders and nonprofits that are working to build innovative public education systems
• Advocacy organizations that build the political power of families to shape education in ways that work for them

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

We believe that the work in cities will only succeed if it is led by leaders who reflect the students and families they serve. We are investing in increasing the number of diverse leaders who hold roles as superintendents, non-profit executives, and other city-level leadership positions.

What You’ll Do 

As Chief Operating Officer/General Counsel (COO/GC), you will work closely with the CEO and the President to develop and lead City Fund’s organizational vision and operations strategy for its next phase of growth. With your exceptional leadership and management strengths, you will lead the operations team and enable the organization’s strategic execution towards our mission and goals, including developing and improving key systems, supporting our staff and culture, and managing organizational risk – to set up City Fund for success over the next five years and beyond. The ideal candidate has executive-level experience within the nonprofit (both 501c3 and 501c4) space and is a licensed and practicing lawyer. 

As COO/GC, you will report to the CEO and be responsible for the following:

Strategic Vision, Leadership, and Management

• Collaborate with the CEO and the President in setting and driving organizational vision and an   operations strategy that enables the City Fund team to maximize our collective impact. 
• Lead the operations team and oversee all internal functions including Finance, Grants & Contracts, Legal, IT, and People, providing leadership and support to ensure that team members can thrive and collaborate effectively to achieve organizational goals. 
• Develop and own the vision and strategy for continuous improvement and operational excellence at City Fund, including full cycle project management of the org-wide goal setting process.

Systems Building and Continuous Improvement 

• Lead teams in designing and implementing cross-functional systems and processes that expand organizational impact.
• Identify and track key operational metrics, incorporating best practices and driving change initiatives to improve service delivery, workflow efficiency, and cost-effectiveness.
• Ensure communication, information flow, and collaboration within and among the operations teams, City Fund team, and external stakeholders.

Staff Engagement and Effectiveness

• Alongside the CEO and the President, guide and support the organization in achieving its goals in a way that centers our core values and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. 
• Support the People team to foster staff engagement and a meaningful work culture that inspires strong collaboration, learning, innovation, and personal and collective responsibility for shared goals.
• Oversee the full talent lifecycle and people experience to recruit, retain, and develop the leadership and overall effectiveness of our fully remote team of ~30 staff across the country.

Legal, Risk Management, and Compliance

• Develop and implement the organization’s legal and compliance strategy, including internal trainings and managing outside counsel.
• Provide strategic legal guidance and solutions to further the organization’s mission and vision. 
• Collaborate with the CEO, board, and internal teams to ensure effective corporate governance practices and compliance with federal, state, and local laws and regulations, including political and tax compliance.
• Ensure systems are in place to mitigate any technology, security, and financial risks to the organization and its grantees.

What We’re Looking For

To be successful in this role, you will need:

• A belief in educational equity, innovative school models, and a deep belief that internal operational excellence is a core driver of achieving great things for the children we serve 
• A demonstrated commitment to community-driven change, advancing racial equity, and centering the perspectives of those most impacted in decision-making, including experience working directly with people from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds 
• Exceptional leadership and management skills, with steadfast resolve and personal integrity 
• Executive-level experience and a track record of success leading an operations team, including finance, grants and contracts, legal, and HR, with experience effectively overseeing large institutional budgets, a high volume of time-sensitive operational tasks, facilitating change management efforts to optimize process, and leveraging reporting and analytics to enable data-driven decisions – particularly in a startup-like environment 
• Experience building trust and influence with a very senior and diverse leadership team, and the ability to both effectively lead and support the team in decision-making and execution 
• Autonomous, decisive, and adaptable, able to oversee and manage multiple strategic projects at the same time with an outcomes-focused and get-it-done attitude 
• Excellent written and verbal communication, and ability to manage across a wide array of internal and external stakeholders groups
• An aptitude for both strategy and execution, bringing thoughtful leadership and oversight, sound executive judgment in managing difficult tradeoffs, as well as timely and high quality work output day to day
• An active license to practice law and 8-10+ years of experience, preferably including roles at big law and nonprofits, with a strong understanding of regulatory implications for 501c3, 501c4 and 527 organizations

What You Get

City Fund is committed to creating and maintaining a total rewards system that supports our ability to recruit and retain a diverse and talented team. As we make decisions about total rewards, we will be guided by the following values: highly competitive pay, equitable pay, clarity, and transparency. 

The salary range for this role is $285,000-$425,000.

City Fund honors the diverse experiences that candidates bring to roles to which they are applying. Because we deeply value internal pay equity, City Fund does not currently differentiate starting salary offers based on years of experience, degree level, or employee geographic location.

City Fund offers a competitive total rewards package. For full-time roles, this includes 100% employer-paid health insurance, expanded PTO, 5% 401K match, 6 months of paid parental leave, and a host of other benefits.

How To Apply

Submit your application here. 

City Fund is an equal opportunity employer. Don’t think you check every box listed above? Please consider submitting an application anyway! We’ve learned that underrepresented groups are less likely to apply to a role unless they meet all the criteria on a job description. City Fund welcomes people of all backgrounds, and as we invest in work that is inclusive of everyone who shares our commitment to educational equity, we’re not looking for a “perfect” candidate. If you’re excited about this role and believe that students and their families deserve access to quality education, we look forward to receiving your application!