Job Description

Job Details

Job Location : 191 PEACHTREE STREET NE. SUITE 1000, - ATLANTA, GA

Salary Range : Undisclosed

Chief Operating Officer

Organization Overview

The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta (The Foundation) is one of the nation’s premier philanthropic institutions, managing over $1.6 billion in assets and serving as a trusted partner to more than 1,000 donors and nonprofit organizations. The Foundation works to advance equity and shared prosperity all across metro Atlanta through donor-advised funds, strategic grantmaking, civic leadership, and community investment.

Founded in 1951, The Foundation ranks among the 15 largest community foundations in the U.S. and has deep roots in the region’s civic infrastructure. It plays a pivotal role in addressing systemic barriers in affordable housing, the arts, equity, and economic opportunity while connecting generosity to impact across the community.

As The Foundation continues to evolve its infrastructure to match the scale and ambition of its mission, it seeks a strategic, operationally seasoned, and change-oriented Chief Operating Officer (COO) to lead its internal systems, support organizational coherence and accountability, and drive operational excellence across the enterprise.

Position Summary

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) is a key member of The Foundation’s Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and the senior-most executive responsible for internal management, reporting directly to the President & CEO. The COO oversees The Foundation’s Shared Services—including Finance & Accounting and Organizational Operations—while serving as a cross-functional leader to Information Technology, Human Resources, and Legal & Compliance.

This role is central to ensuring that The Foundation’s internal operations are effective, integrated, and mission-aligned. The COO will also be instrumental in fostering a high-performing and inclusive organizational culture—one that emphasizes trust, collaboration, and continuous learning in support of The Foundation’s mission and people. Critically, the COO will lead organization-wide change management initiatives to help The Foundation scale sustainably, modernize systems, and embed accountability and transparency into everyday practices. \

This is a high-impact, collaborative leadership opportunity for a candidate with demonstrated experience leading change across complex nonprofit and corporate environments, someone who brings operational discipline alongside a deep commitment to people, purpose, and performance.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Organizational Alignment

• Partner closely with the President & CEO to implement The Foundation’s strategic plan through operational execution and cross-functional coordination.
• Translate organizational goals into annual work plans, scalable systems, and performance dashboards that drive execution.
• Serve as an integrator across departments, ensuring consistent priorities, strong internal communication, and a unified direction across the Foundation.

Change Management & Organizational Transformation

• Serve as the executive lead on internal change management efforts, including process redesign, team structure alignment, cultural transformation, and digital modernization.
• Build internal readiness for change through communication planning, stakeholder engagement, and strategic alignment.
• Design and deploy frameworks for managing transitions, monitoring adoption, and embedding new ways of working across teams.

Shared Services Oversight: Finance & Accounting, Operations

• Provide executive oversight of Shared Services, including financial operations, budgeting, cash flow, reporting, and audits, in partnership with the Controller.
• Lead operational teams responsible for facilities, vendor management, and administrative systems—ensuring smooth, efficient, and future-ready internal operations.
• Improve workflow efficiency and integrate automation tools and technology to enhance service delivery.
• Provide oversight for the GoATL Funds’ financial management in coordination with the finance and housing teams to ensure alignment with investment guidelines and fiscal accountability.

Enterprise Collaboration: HR, IT, Legal

• Partner with the HR Leader to align talent strategies with business needs and ensure equity, engagement, and performance remain top organizational priorities.
• Collaborate with the Managing Director of IT to ensure that technology platforms not only support day-to-day operations but also drive innovation, inform strategic decision-making, enable predictive analytics, and position CFGA as a leader in the philanthropic sector’s use of data and technology.
• Coordinate closely with Legal/Compliance partners on risk identification, data governance, contract negotiation, and regulatory readiness.

Culture & People Leadership

• In collaboration with the President & CEO, champion a collaborative, transparent, and results- focused workplace culture that aligns with The Foundation’s values and commitment to equity.
• In partnership with the Marketing and Comms team, lead efforts to improve internal communication, clarify decision-making authority, and reinforce team accountability across departments.
• Aligned with HR expertise, promote professional growth, internal mobility, and team development by mentoring mid-level leaders and supporting staff performance initiatives.

Financial Operations, Planning, and Reporting

• Lead the preparation of the annual budget and long-term financial projections.
• Monitor organizational performance against the budget, identifying and addressing variances.
• Ensure alignment between financial plans and programmatic priorities.
• Oversee accounting, accounts payable/receivable, payroll and grants management functions.
• Prepare accurate, timely financial reports for internal and external stakeholders, including the Board and funders.
• Maintain internal control systems to safeguard assets and ensure financial integrity.

Investments

• Manages the outsourced chief investment officer services to ensure effective administration of The Foundation’s investment program, working with investment managers and custodian(s) to implement strategies adopted by the Board and Investment Committee, including asset allocation and other strategic decisions.
• Provides oversight for CFGA’s Investment Management Firm (IMF) program and helps manage relationships with participating wealth managers, in close partnership with the finance team. This includes supporting strategy, accountability, and alignment with donor and institutional expectations.

Governance & Risk Management

• Support the work of Board-level committees related to finance, operations, audit, and risk— ensuring timely reporting, informed decisions, and strategic oversight.
• Lead enterprise risk mitigation efforts with input from finance, legal, HR, and IT leaders.
• Oversee implementation of internal control systems, business continuity planning, and compliance with nonprofit governance standards.
• Handles real estate transactions (purchase/sale/lease). Collaborate with outside attorneys and insurance companies in matters involving lawsuits or complaints.
• Provides leadership and direction in overseeing the risk management program for The Foundation. Manages all liability insurance administration (property & casualty, D&O, auto & ge]]>

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