Chief Operating Officer

Korn Ferry has partnered with our client on their search for the role, Chief Operating Officer.

Purpose of the Position

Reporting to the President & CEO, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) serves as a key member of INvestEd's executive leadership team, responsible for ensuring that the organization’s mission, strategic priorities, and public responsibilities are effectively translated into disciplined operations and consistent organizational performance. As a strategic partner to the President & CEO and the Board of Directors, this role exists to strengthen the internal infrastructure required to support INvestEd's statewide impact in financial aid literacy, postsecondary access, responsible lending, and workforce-aligned education initiatives — ensuring that systems, processes, and people are aligned to deliver measurable outcomes while maintaining compliance with statutory and regulatory obligations.

As the organization’s senior operational leader, the COO is responsible for turning strategy into action, working closely with senior leaders to implement operating plans, establish performance standards, and ensure consistent execution across departments. In partnership with the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), the COO supports sound fiscal management, resource optimization, and strategic investment planning, while also carrying responsibility for enterprise risk oversight, compliance exposure, and operational readiness. The COO partners closely with the Chief Marketing Officer, who leads marketing, communications, digital strategy, and overall brand impact, recognizing that a significant portion of revenue generation and marketing investment is managed within the CMO’s direct team, making this a critical cross‑functional relationship. As needed, the COO may represent INvestEd externally as a credible ambassador to partners, stakeholders, and public audiences in support of the President & CEO and organizational goals.

The COO is expected to lead, mentor, and support senior leaders and staff, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement. Through clear expectations, thoughtful leadership, and consistent communication, the COO will strengthen organizational capacity and help elevate performance at all levels. The role requires executive presence, sound judgment, and the ability to operate with autonomy while partnering effectively with the President & CEO on organizational priorities and special initiatives. As INvestEd continues to evolve in response to Indiana's education and workforce needs, the COO will play a pivotal role in modernizing systems, strengthening internal capabilities, and positioning the organization for long-term impact in expanding educational access and economic mobility for Hoosiers.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Operational Leadership and Organizational Alignment

• Translate INvestEd’s mission and strategy into integrated operational plans, ensuring alignment across teams, functions, and initiatives.
• Partner with the CEO and leadership team to drive enterprise-wide decision-making, planning, and resource allocation in support of long-term sustainability and student-centered outcomes.
• Establish performance expectations, accountability mechanisms, and an optimized organizational model that enables clarity, efficiency, and strategic impact.

Enterprise Operations, System, and Performance Management

• Oversee day-to-day enterprise operations, ensuring efficient, compliant, and high-quality service delivery to students, partners, and stakeholders.
• Strengthen data infrastructure, operational systems, and workflows to support scalability, performance, and continuous improvement.
• Lead enterprise performance management, including dashboards, key metrics, and insights to drive accountability, growth, and operational excellence, while supporting CMO and mission-driven initiatives.

Financial Stewardship, Governance Partnership, and Risk Oversight

• Partner with the CFO to drive strong financial management, including budgeting, forecasting, resource allocation, and disciplined investment.
• Support the Board of Directors through transparent reporting, high-quality materials, and clear updates on organizational performance.
• Lead risk management and compliance efforts, ensuring effective policies, controls, and stewardship of organizational assets and responsibilities.

People Leadership, Culture Stewardship, and Organizational Capability

• Build and lead high-performing teams through inclusive leadership, clear expectations, and ongoing development aligned with INvestEd’s values.
• Foster a collaborative, accountable, and mission-driven culture, strengthening cross-functional communication and execution.
• Partner with HR to enhance talent strategy, workforce planning, and organizational readiness to meet future growth and change.

External Representation and Strategic Partnership

• Represent INvestEd with external stakeholders, including government, education institutions, and community partners.
• Strengthen and expand partnerships to enhance student impact, organizational visibility, and long-term success.
• Collaborate externally to advance initiatives in college access, financial literacy, and student outcomes, while serving as an ambassador for operational excellence.

The Candidate

Experience and Professional Qualifications

The inaugural Chief Operating Officer of INvestEd will be a disciplined, mission-driven operational leader who earns the trust of staff through clarity, consistency, and follow-through. This individual must approach the role with humility and sound judgment, bringing deep respect for INvestEd's public responsibility, regulatory environment, and statewide impact regarding student success and educational access. Equally important, the COO will be a steward of INvestEd's internal culture — leading capable, purpose-driven teams with accountability, transparency, and empowerment, while thoughtfully evolving organizational culture as INvestEd scales its impact.

Operational and financial acumen are foundational to this role. The ideal COO will bring demonstrated experience overseeing budgets, managing enterprise risk, optimizing resources, and building scalable infrastructure with the ability to partner with senior finance leadership— all in service of an organization where stewardship of public trust is paramount. Above all, INvestEd seeks a leader with unquestionable integrity who balances discipline with flexibility, decisiveness with collaboration, and continuity with thoughtful modernization, anchoring performance and strengthening internal capacity as the organization advances its mission of educational attainment and economic mobility across Indiana.

Specific experience, qualifications and characteristics sought include:

• Proven ability to lead complex, mission-driven operations in a regulated or policy-adjacent environment, with experience coordinating across multiple internal functions, managing enterprise risk and compliance, and stewarding public trust in service of an organization's statewide or multi-market impact.
• Track record of translating strategic priorities into operational plans, systems, and measurable outcomes, including experience serving as a trusted operating partner to a Chief Executive Officer and Board of Directors — contributing to enterprise decision-making, governance alignment, and the effective integration of strategy, policy, and execution.
• Strong organizational leadership background across functions such as operations, finance, compliance, risk management, human capital, and enterprise performance, with demonstrated success building scalable internal infrastructure to support organizational growth and long-term sustainability.
• Demonstrated experience overseeing communications strategy and digital engagement to effectively advance and protect the organization’s brand preferred.
• Financial and resource stewardship experience, including partnering closely with senior finance leadership to manage budgets, optimize resources, support strategic investments, and ensure fiscal discipline in environments where accountability to public or mission-driven mandates is paramount.
• Demonstrated success cultivating high-trust, high-accountability organizational cultures within purpose-driven teams, with experience leading and mentoring senior leaders, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and strengthening leadership capacity at all levels through coaching, clear expectations, and performance management.
• Ability to operate with autonomy and sound judgment in high-responsibility environments, leading through influence rather than visibility, while maintaining close alignment with executive leadership and stepping into external ambassador roles as needed with partners, funders, policymakers, or community stakeholders.
• Leadership style characterized by integrity, humility, and emotional intelligence, with the capacity to balance continuity with thoughtful operational modernization — driving improvements to systems, processes, and structure while honoring INvestEd's history, public role, and commitment to equitable educational access.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree required; MBA or advanced degree preferred.

Compensation & Benefits

• INvestEd offers a competitive compensation package including an expected base salary of $250,000 - $275,000, a performance-based incentives of up to 50%, and a robust benefits package.

Application & Nominations

• Applications should direct a resume/CV to: INvestEdChiefOperatingOfficer@KornFerry.com.

SE: 510775233