Chief Operating Officer/Executive Vice President

Great opportunity at the YMCA of Greater Cleveland!

Job Description

The Chief Operating Officer/Executive Vice President (COO/EVP) provides enterprise-wide operational leadership for the YMCA of Greater Cleveland, ensuring alignment between strategy, day-to-day execution, and measurable results.

Reporting to and working closely with the President/CEO, this role leads multiple disciplines through high expectations, consistent operating cadence, and strong cross-functional partnership to advance mission outcomes, member experience, quality standards, and financial performance.

The COO/EVP oversees Branch Operations and Branch Operations support functions, and directly supervises Youth Development, Behavioral Health Services, Marketing, and Facilities/Property. The COO/EVP monitors operational performance and rigor in real time, using data and disciplined follow-through to identify risks and opportunities, remove barriers, and drive continuous improvement across the Association.

The COO/EVP partners with executive peers to ensure a high-performing Association, including coordinated planning, budgeting, people strategy, philanthropy support, risk management, and transparent reporting to the CEO and Board.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required in business, public administration, human services, or related field; master’s degree preferred.
• Ten or more years of progressive senior leadership experience in the YMCA or another complex nonprofit/mission-driven organization, including multi-site operations and direct supervision of senior leaders.
• Demonstrated expertise leading operations with measurable outcomes, including financial management, performance dashboards/KPIs, risk management, and continuous improvement; experience across multiple disciplines such as branch operations, facilities/property, marketing, and youth/behavioral health services preferred.
• Deep understanding of the YMCA’s mission and operating model, including the respective roles of volunteers and staff, and the ability to lead within a community-governed environment.
• Ability to relate effectively to diverse groups of people from all social and economic segments of the community; executive presence with a track record of building authentic, constructive relationships with volunteers, staff, community leaders, and partners.
• YMCA Organizational Leader certification preferred (or willingness to obtain within an agreed-upon timeframe).
  
  

Essential Functions

• Provides enterprise operational leadership for the Association, aligning annual priorities and multi-year strategy to execution across Branch Operations, Youth Development, Behavioral Health Services, Marketing, and Facilities/Property. Establishes clear expectations, decision rights, and operating rhythms that drive consistent results.
• Directly supervises District Executives and assigned executives (VP of Property, Sr VP of Behavioral Health, Sr VP of Youth Development, and Chief Marketing Officer) to ensure strong leadership, sound operations, quality standards, and mission impact. Coaches, develops, and holds leaders accountable for performance.
• Leads an Association-wide operational performance management system with key performance indicators (KPIs), dashboards, and meeting cadences to monitor operational performance and rigor in real time. Identifies trends, risks, and opportunities; drives corrective action and continuous improvement.
• In partnership with the CEO and CFO, ensures strong financial stewardship across the operating portfolio, including revenue growth strategies, expense discipline, forecasting, and execution against annual budget targets.
• Through the Chief Marketing Officer, leads marketing strategy and execution that supports membership growth, program enrollment, community awareness, brand stewardship, and clear communication across the Association. Oversees Youth Development and Behavioral Health Services to ensure high-quality, mission-aligned programming, measurable outcomes, appropriate staffing models, and effective partnerships that strengthen community impact.
• Partners with the Chief Development Officer and operating leaders to support an integrated culture of philanthropy, including branch-based annual campaign execution, stewardship, and volunteer engagement that advances Association priorities. Oversee Facilities/Property to ensure safe, welcoming, and well-maintained environments, effective capital and maintenance planning, and regulatory compliance. Ensures alignment with Association safety and risk management standards and supports Board-level oversight in partnership with the CEO and appropriate committees.
• Develops and maintains measurement systems and dashboards for operating leaders (membership, program quality, outcomes, risk, facilities, and customer experience) and ensures timely reporting to the CEO, peers, appropriate committees, and the Board.
• Ensures leaders across the operating portfolio meet or exceed core expectations for safety, quality, compliance, people leadership, financial performance, and mission impact.