Chief Operating Officer

ABOUT THE DAVID AND LUCILE PACKARD FOUNDATION
Founded in 1964 by David and Lucile Packard, the Packard Foundation is a family philanthropy dedicated to supporting leaders and organizations around the world working to invest in children and families, protect and restore the natural world, and create just and inclusive societies.

For more than six decades, the Foundation has advanced scientific innovation, championed reproductive health and rights, conserved and restored our natural world, and invested in the well-being of children and families. To achieve lasting change, we also strive to address root causes of longstanding problems, including building a thriving, resilient U.S. democracy; advancing racial justice in the United States and gender equity globally; and supporting a strong civil society around the globe.

Inclusive collaboration is the heart of our approach. We believe that actively listening to and learning from people with a wide range of views is the best way to create solutions that match the scale and urgency of the challenges we face. We are dedicated to supporting community-based solutions shaped by the knowledge and experience of the people whose lives are most affected and informed by data. We recognize that meaningful solutions require patience, urgency, and supporting the conditions for transformational change. We are committed to addressing complex issues over the long term while making tangible progress today.

OUR VISION: A just and equitable world where both people and nature flourish.  

OUR MISSION: We work with people and communities to create enduring solutions for just societies and a healthy, resilient natural world. 

OUR VALUES: Equity, Integrity, Belief in Individual Leadership, Thinking Big, Respect, and Effectiveness. 

POSITION SUMMARY
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation seeks a Chief Operating Officer (COO) to ensure that our values – shaped over more than six decades – are reflected in every aspect of our operations. Working closely with the CEO and serving on the Executive Team, the COO will be a strategic partner helping the Foundation achieve its mission through effective, values-driven management and organizational excellence. With an endowment of approximately $8.7 billion and annual grantmaking of $350-$450 million, the Packard Foundation is one of the largest private foundation in the United States, supporting nonprofits and initiatives around the world.
Rooted in the values that guided David and Lucile Packard – and inspired by the principles of “the HP Way” – the Foundation was built to evolve with a changing world. Today, the Packard Foundation continues to adapt, supporting its grantee partners as they navigate new challenges and opportunities. The COO plays a vital leadership role in this evolution, ensuring that Packard’s operations and strategy remain responsive to the needs of its grantee partners and the world they serve.
The COO serves as an officer of the Foundation and partner to the CEO, providing strategic leadership across organizational operations. This role offers executive oversight of finance and accounting, aligning planning, budgeting, audit, and compliance with the Foundation’s priorities. The COO also drives operational excellence by streamlining processes, reducing administrative burdens, and leading enterprise risk management from identification through mitigation.
Among the COO’s responsibilities is leading the Foundation’s commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions across its operations by 2040. The role also includes oversight of Packard’s LEED® Platinum-certified headquarters, designed to produce as much energy as it consumes each year – an embodiment of the Foundation’s values in action.
The COO also plays a key role in administering Packard’s Mission Investments (MI), including low-interest loans administered by the Foundation to partners. Finally, in coordination with the Director of Finance and Accounting: the COO plays a significant role in supporting the Chief Investment Officer to ensure Packard maximizes its assets to support its important work.
The COO will work closely with the Board’s Audit and Finance committees and serves as chair of the Employee Benefits Administrative Committee.

PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Strategic Leadership and Management
Serve as an officer of the Foundation and partner to the CEO, contributing to executive decision-making, organizational strategy and Board-level discussions
Hire, manage, coach, and develop direct reports and senior leaders to ensure clarity of goals, accountability and performance excellence
Foster cross-departmental collaboration, learning, and alignment to strengthen organizational effectiveness
Model and reinforce the Foundation’s values and culture in all interactions and cultivate a positive, innovative, and feedback-rich team culture

Executive Oversight of Finance
Lead the finance and accounting function, ensuring planning, budgeting, audit, and compliance align with organizational priorities
Collaborate across functions to embed financial practices that support operational efficiency, transparency, and mission impact
Partner with the Finance & Accounting Director and CEO to prepare and deliver Board and committee communications on financial and operational strategy

Operational Effectiveness, Efficiency, and Risk Management
Oversee daily operations and business processes to ensure efficiency, consistency, and service excellence
Identify and implement process improvements that streamline workflows and reduce administrative burden
Lead institution-wide risk management efforts, including identification, assessment, and mitigation of risks

Grant Administration
Provide executive oversight of the grants administration function to ensure the integrity, compliance, and efficiency of all grantmaking activities, maintaining equitable, transparent, and mission-aligned standard
Oversee systems, policies, and procedures supporting the full grants lifecycle and ensure compliance with legal, tax, and regulatory requirements
Oversee data governance practices related to grants, ensuring reliable reporting and insights that inform strategy, evaluation, and communications

Mission Investing
Provide oversight and guidance to the Mission Investing Director, and support communications about Mission Investing program with Executive Team and Board of Directors.
Act as liaison with Finance & Accounting function on issues of Mission Investing nexus within overall Foundation operations (for example on issues such as reporting, accounting treatment, and cash management).
Provide guidance and thought partnership, in collaboration with Mission Investing Director, on strategy evolution, portfolio management and new investment recommendations, including any variances in financial/risk parameters from historical practices. (Note that approval authority for new mission investments and significant strategy changes ultimately rests with the Board.)

Information Technology
Oversee the Foundation’s IT strategy to ensure secure, reliable, and user-centered systems
Oversee infrastructure, data management, cybersecurity, and technology services, ensuring business continuity and disaster recovery plans are in place and regularly tested
Champion data and technology use to improve cross-functional decision-making and organizational efficiency

Facilities and Administrative Services
Confer with the CEO, executive team and staff to coordinate and prioritize capital and process improvements, providing service enhancements to reduce unnecessary work and costs while maintaining Foundation standards
Oversee the management of facilities and real estate, ensuring safe, sustainable, and well-maintained workplaces

Salary : $350 - $450