Chief Operating Officer

Chief Operating Officer – Full-Time Exempt

TransForm, a leading environmental and social equity nonprofit, is seeking an experienced professional to join our executive team in the position of Chief Operating Officer.

ABOUT TRANSFORM
TransForm works to create world-class public transportation and walkable communities in the Bay Area and beyond. We build diverse coalitions, influence policy, and develop innovative programs to improve the lives of all people and protect the environment. We can only achieve this mission by working with people from a broad range of backgrounds and perspectives.
TransForm works to maximize social justice and environmental benefits, as well as economic sustainability, efficiency and fairness. We seek to benefit everyone, and we prioritize benefits for disadvantaged communities – low-income families, people of color, people with disabilities, youth and seniors. These groups, more than others, depend on transportation choices to access the jobs, schools, homes and services they need to build a better life. Transportation and land use are inherently social justice issues. We believe society as a whole benefits when more people can achieve their potential.

TransForm and our partners have helped win billions of dollars and groundbreaking policies to support public transportation, smart growth, affordable homes, and bicycle and pedestrian safety in the Bay Area. We have also launched a series of innovative programs that help create more people-friendly places by increasing the number of children walking and biking safely to school and engaging people in planning for great communities. TransForm’s Bay Area work is often used as a model for change at the state and national level. Over the past four years we have also expanded our state-level work to increase funding for public transportation funding and ensure that California’s laws to combat climate change also create more walkable communities, promote affordable homes and save open space.
TransForm is an entrepreneurial organization with a collaborative and inclusive culture. We have 32 staff and coordinate significant collaborations that bring together a diverse range of partners committed to a common cause. Our main office is in downtown Oakland; we also have two satellite offices, in Sacramento and San Jose.

ABOUT THE POSITION
The Chief Operating Officer provides leadership on TransForm’s equity and inclusion initiatives and organizational development, and oversight on finance and administration, and communications. This position is part of a three-person executive team along with the Executive Director and Deputy Director, whose responsibilities are focused on policy initiatives, program development and fundraising.

This is a unique opportunity to play a leadership role in shaping the future development of a highly respected, nationally recognized organization. The position is based in our Oakland office and will report to the Executive Director. The Chief Operating Officer will lead a 4 FTE administrative team that includes our Director of Finance and Office Manager and oversee a 2.5 FTE communications team led by our Communications Director.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Responsibilities of the COO will include:
Organizational leadership and management: the design and implementation of organization-wide planning and systems; develop the organization, its values and culture in partnership with the Executive Director and Deputy Director.
Organizational planning: Lead TransForm’s impact assessment and equity and inclusion initiatives; support TransForm’s strategic thinking and planning and track progress on the strategic plan; develop TransForm’s annual operational plan; oversee financial planning and operational policies; and advise on TransForm’s staff structure and the centralization of systems to increase organizational efficiency.
Financial: Oversee financial management.
Board development and relations: Work with the Executive Director to achieve TransForm’s vision for its future board and to support Board operations and Board development. Attend Board meetings and relevant Board Committees and staff the Board Excellence Committee.
Risk management and legal activities: Oversee risk management, contract management and other legal activities.
Human Resources/personnel: Oversee and manage the HR function and HR policy development. Design and conduct needs assessments. Support a workplace environment that furthers TransForm’s values and vision.
Office management & information technology (IT): Oversee office management and IT systems to support the smooth functioning of TransForm’s offices.
Staff management: Lead on professional development for TransForm and provide staff directly reporting to this position with professional growth opportunities and annual goals that support TransForm’s operational plan.
QUALIFICATIONS AND ATTRIBUTES
We are seeking a candidate with a diverse range of experience who enjoys managing complex situations and who has the initiative, skills, and sensitivity needed to manage organizational change and create systems that increase organizational effectiveness while supporting TransForm’s dynamic, creative culture.

Essential qualifications and attributes
- Substantial executive and/or senior level leadership and management experience, including the areas of organizational development, operations and finance described above.
- Strong track record in creating systems that increase organizational effectiveness.
- Demonstrated ability to articulate and implement strategies for organizational development that account for organizational culture and promote collaboration and inclusion.
- Demonstrated ability to be analytical, capable of building trust and working in partnership with staff to achieve results.
- Ability to partner with the Executive Director in building a strong Board of Directors.
- Ability to advance equity and inclusion efforts across an organization
- Passion for making positive social change in the world.

Desired qualifications and attributes
- Leadership experience in highly collaborative organizations with entrepreneurial cultures.
- Demonstrated results working within a rapidly changing, fast-paced and demanding work environment.
- Experience in an organization that runs advocacy campaigns.
- Solid understanding of nonprofit branding and communications
- Experience in impact assessment / evaluation.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
This is a full-time (37.5 hours/week), exempt position. Competitive salary, commensurate with experience. Compensation includes health and dental insurance, generous vacation time and an exciting team-oriented work environment. TransForm also administers an employee contribution 403b retirement plan and contributes to the Commuter Check program. We offer a friendly, fast-paced, flexible workplace.

Our staff is focused on making positive change in the world, celebrates diversity and is committed to being intentionally inclusive in all of our relationships. TransForm is an equal opportunity employer. People of color and women are strongly encouraged to apply.

HOW TO APPLY
Interested individuals are invited to email a letter of interest and resume as attachments to: COOjob2012@TransFormCA.org
Attachments should be in Word or PDF format, titled as follows:
lastname_firstname_resume.doc OR lastname_firstname_resume.pdf
lastname_firstname_letter.doc OR lastname_firstname_letter.pdf
Please, no faxes or mailed hard copies.
The position was posted Monday, April 2, 2012 and is open until filled. To see if the position is still available, please go to www.TransFormCA.org and check if it is still listed in the “Jobs” section of our website.

TransForm
436 14th Street, Suite 600, Oakland, CA
www.TransFormCA.org