Interim Chief Operations Officer

Interim Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Location: Edmonton

Work Type: In Person

Engagement Type: Interim Contract (40 hours per week)

Term: Until a permanent position is hired, approximately 5 months from start date

Reports To: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Position Overview

Our client is a leading nonprofit, charitable organization committed to strengthening the Edmonton and Northern Alberta community through healthy living, and social responsibility. The Chief Operating Officer (COO) is a key leadership position that provides guidance, direction, and strategic implementation of Association priorities. The COO plays an important role as ‘Second in Command’ (2IC) to the CEO and provides mentorship, coaching and support to others within the Sr. Leadership team. As the Northern Alberta environment changes and community needs evolve, the COO is tasked with analyzing, understanding local environment(s) and creating strategic opportunities for the Association as best‑suited to the Mission and core competencies. The COO’s portfolio includes day‑to‑day operations of 3 divisions and capital projects. The COO portfolio also includes operational, partnership and programmatic areas as assigned. This is an important position to ensure responsiveness, future preparedness, and optimization of the Association’s impact on the community.

Key Responsibilities

• Operational Leadership: Lead the execution of organizational strategy by overseeing day‑to‑day operations, ensuring alignment between strategic priorities, operational objectives, and organizational performance.
• Strategic Planning & Execution: Translate strategic plans into actionable operational initiatives, driving continuous improvement, organizational effectiveness, and long‑term sustainability.
• Program & Service Delivery: Oversee the delivery of diverse programs, services, and operational functions, ensuring safe, high‑quality, customer‑focused experiences while achieving performance and impact objectives.
• Partnership Development: Build and strengthen strategic partnerships with community organizations, government, funders, industry partners, and other key stakeholders to enhance organizational impact and service delivery.
• Research, Analytics & Performance: Establish and oversee organizational performance measurement frameworks, leveraging research, analytics, and outcomes data to inform strategic decisions, operational priorities, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Customer & Digital Experience: Champion service excellence by enhancing customer experiences through innovation, process optimization, technology adoption, and digital transformation initiatives.
• Leadership & Talent Development: Lead, coach, mentor, and develop senior leaders and cross‑functional teams, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuous learning.
• Governance & Board Support: Partner with the Chief Executive Officer and Board of Directors by preparing operational reports, presenting organizational updates, supporting governance activities, and contributing to strategic planning and Board initiatives.
• Enterprise Collaboration: Foster collaboration across departments, leadership teams, staff, volunteers, and external stakeholders to achieve organizational goals and strengthen organizational culture.
• Risk, Health & Safety: Provide executive oversight for organizational risk management, health and safety programs, crisis response, business continuity planning, and regulatory compliance.
• Executive Leadership: Serve as a member of the executive leadership team, providing organizational leadership and acting on behalf of the Chief Executive Officer as required.
• Committee & External Representation: Lead and participate in executive committees, organizational initiatives, and external regional, provincial, or national committees while representing the organization with professionalism and integrity.

Qualifications

Education & Security Clearance

• Post-secondary degree in Business, Management, Human Services, Social Services, or a related discipline. An equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.
• Ability to provide a clear Police Information Check with Vulnerable Sector Search.

Experience

• Senior Leadership: Minimum of 8–10 years of progressive senior leadership experience overseeing multi‑functional operations within a complex, customer‑oriented organization.
• Operational & Financial Leadership: Demonstrated experience managing operational performance, budgets, income statements, balance sheets, and financial planning while driving organizational sustainability and growth.
• Customer Growth: Proven success leading customer acquisition, engagement, retention, and service excellence initiatives that improve organizational performance and stakeholder satisfaction.
• People Leadership: Experience leading, coaching, mentoring, and developing senior leaders and multi‑site or cross‑functional leadership teams while fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and high performance.
• Strategic Planning: Experience translating organizational strategy into operational plans and measurable business outcomes.
• Program & Service Oversight: Experience overseeing large programs, services, or customer experience strategies is considered an asset.
• Mission-Driven Leadership: Experience leading within a purpose‑driven, charitable, non‑profit, public sector, or community‑focused organization is considered an asset.

Engagement Expectations

• This is an interim COO role operating at approximately 40 hours per week and will be ongoing until a permanent hire is in place, with an approximate end date of November 30, 2026.
• This is an "in-person" position and requires candidates to reside in the Edmonton, Alberta area.
• Occasional travel may be required to support the business.