Consultant: Chief of Staff to the Chief Program Officer

Request for Proposal

Chief of Staff to the Chief Program Officer

COOP Careers is seeking a qualified senior consultant to support the Chief Program Officer (CPO) as an exceptional project manager, operational leader and strategic partner in driving organizational efficiency and managing cross-functional priorities.

Organizational Background

COOP is building a diverse movement of upwardly mobile first-generation college grads overcoming underemployment through digital skills and peer connections. We want to reignite our nation’s promise of upward mobility for those who strive to achieve a brighter future for themselves and their families—to ensure the American Dream is a reality for all. We connect un-/underemployed first-gen college graduates to one another—within cohorts and across “generations” of cohorts. By growing their peer professional networks, members of our community achieve upward economic mobility by building the skills and connections they need for the careers they deserve.

Our intervention for underemployed graduates has produced compelling wage outcomes for thousands of first-generation and low-income grads in New York, California, Illinois, and Florida. Within 12 months of program completion, three-in-four COOP alumni are fully employed.

Summary

As we embark on our second decade, COOP is looking for a consultant to serve as a trusted advisor, operational leader, and problem-solver to support the operational management of cross-functional program initiatives, enabling the CPO to increase focus on strategic leadership. The group, known internally as the “Impact teams” includes six functions: Alumni, Design & Evaluation, Partnerships, Program Operations, Recruiting, and Social Work. This is a remote role with an expectation of ~25 hours per week (~5 hours per day, 5 days per week) for six months (roughly February to July 2025) with a potential option to extend based on mutual agreement. 

Scope of work

• Strategic program support
  • Project leadership and management: Serve as a project manager, operational leader and strategic partner to the CPO by helping to set and monitor priorities, goals, and milestones.
  • Cross-functional working groups: Create standard operating procedures (SOP) for starting, leading, and concluding strategic initiatives; help new and existing working group leaders effectively implement the SOP.
  • Select strategic initiatives: Serve as working group leader or co-leader when appropriate; ensure successful launch, facilitation, and conclusion of assigned strategic initiatives.
• Operational management and team support:
  • Key meetings: Gather input, define priorities, propose agenda, prepare materials, share pre-work, send follow-ups, and facilitate key meetings on behalf of CPO.
  • Functional leader cross-functional solutioning: Serve as a strategic thought-partner to functional leaders foster a culture of collaboration, accountability and operational excellence.
  • Cross-functional consultation meeting preparation: Partner with functional leaders to support preparation needs for strategic consultation sessions.
  • Impact teams dashboard: Monitor weekly Salesforce dashboard to ensure accuracy of the Impact team’s key metrics, and update reports as needed.
  • Communication and coordination: Manage the flow of information to and from the CPO to ensure clarity, timeliness, and accuracy.
  • Opportunity solving: Anticipate and address potential operational challenges and propose solutions to ensure cross-functional success.
  • Other duties/special projects: Lead or support high-priority special projects or initiatives as assigned by the CPO.
• Internal stakeholder engagement:
  • Impact reporting: Assist the CPO in collaborating with the Development and Design & Evaluation teams to highlight program impact and secure additional funding.
  • Technology solutions: Serve as a liaison between the CPO and Technology team to identify gaps, address challenges, and implement solutions to centralize data collection and ensure data integrity

Consultant Qualifications

The ideal consultant will have:

• 10+ years of professional experience, 4+ years in the nonprofit sector
• Senior leader experience (e.g. “lead”, “director” or “senior/managing director“), preferably at a nonprofit with extensive people management experience
• Strong project management and cross-functional collaboration skills
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and relationship-building skills
• Ability to influence without authority, leading diverse stakeholders to results
• Strong organizational skills and a high level of attention to detail
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Strong Excel and PowerPoint skills
• Preferred: leadership experience in nonprofit operations and/or program management functions

Proposal Guidelines

Interested consultants should submit a proposal that includes:

• Qualifications and relevant experience
• Typical availability and proposed weekly schedule
• Proposed budget 

Evaluation Criteria

• Experience and qualifications of the consultant
• Proposed approach to the work
• Scheduling and availability
• Budget considerations

Proposal Submission & Selection Process

• Proposal deadline: Submissions accepted on a rolling basis, priority deadline of Monday, February 10, 2025
• Decision communicated by: Friday, February 21, 2025 
• Desired start date: Monday, February 24, 2025 (start date is flexible)
• Submission contact: Kristen Smith at [email protected]

Shortlisted consultants may be invited for interviews or additional discussions to further assess fit and clarify expectations.