Chief Operating Officer

Chief Operating Officer

Location: Remote

The preferred application deadline for this position is October 3, 2025.  Please note that we do not guarantee review of applications received after this date.
 

About
Watershed Advisors (Watershed) is an education consulting firm that powers leaders with the vision, talent, and insight to conceive of high-value education and workforce ideas, and supports them to make those visions an enduring reality for children, families, and workers across entire geographies. 
 

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) will serve as a member of Watershed’s Executive Leadership Team, reporting to the CEO and President. The COO will have the opportunity to shape Watershed’s direction in its next phase of growth by building and executing the company’s vision and strategy alongside the CEO and President. The individual hired in this role will lead a team of five that supports Watershed’s daily operations and will tee up key decisions that will support the growth and scaling of the company. This role requires a business builder who takes initiative - someone who excels in high-growth, fast-paced environments but also values organization-wide engagement, iteration, and clear communication as critical levers to long-term success.

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Partner with the CEO and President to understand the organization’s vision, build the strategy and the systems to support it, and ensure strong execution 
• Lead the annual and multi-year goal-setting and planning processes, including strategy, revenue projections, and hiring needs assessment
• Lead capacity planning and forecasting for the organization 
• Strengthen the executive team’s capacity to act quickly and strategically

Operational Management

• Ensure strong operational systems, including routines, checklists, and technological support across multiple domains (talent, finance/financial planning, events, and employee/client experience systems), to support growth and culture
• Build knowledge management systems that allow codification and sharing of key insights 
• Create a shared understanding of systems across the organization through codification, training, and other appropriate methods

Cross-Functional Partnership and Execution

• Partner closely with the Leadership Team to ensure operational priorities are responsive to and account for programmatic priorities 
• Develop deep understanding of operational pain points including talent, legal, and procurement, proposing solutions and building buy-in for new approaches
• Employ a clear, iterative process that solicits and is responsive to diverse viewpoints from the operations team, Leadership Team, Senior Directors, Directors, Senior Analysts, and Analysts in building systems and processes that support both scale and culture
• Proactively and strategically plan for change management when introducing new processes and tools
• Communicate clearly and consistently with employees and leaders

Team & Organization-Wide Leadership and Culture

• Attract, develop, and retain top talent in operations roles and support the Leadership Team to do the same
• Ensure Operations team and the entire organization is properly organized and staffed and that roles and responsibilities are both clear and support future growth
• Provide feedback, coaching, and development opportunities for individual team members
• Foster a high-performance, entrepreneurial culture rooted in accountability and results for the operations team and for the entire organization in partnership with the Leadership Team
• Lead with clarity, transparency, and empathy

Preferred Qualifications

• 5+ years of operational leadership experience with demonstrated results, ideally at a mid-size, high-growth company
• Demonstrated ability to develop, implement, and oversee effective operational systems in talent, finance, knowledge management, and a knowledge of effective technology systems to support these operations
• Strategic mindset with the ability to anticipate organizational needs and build plans and optimize systems in anticipation of those needs
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to inspire and develop high-performing teams and build buy-in and trust with others
• Demonstrated ability to create and share an inspiring vision for the organization
• The inclination to seek and analyze data from a variety of sources (including qualitative feedback from staff) to support decisions and to align others with the organization's overall strategy
• Comfort with ambiguity and uncertainty; the ability to adapt nimbly and lead others through complex situations
• A commitment to modeling continuous improvement, recognizing that the best ideas emerge through collaboration and iteration
• Ability to connect and build strong relationships with others, demonstrating strong emotional intelligence and an ability to communicate clearly and persuasively
• Creates a sense of purpose/meaning for the team that engages others in the greater purpose of the organization as a whole
• Demonstrates a commitment to justice.  At Watershed, we believe that systemic, longstanding bias within our nation’s institutions has too often harmed Black and brown Americans, low-income individuals and families, people with disabilities, and immigrants. Our work aims to build systems that serve all people and that bolster the prosperity and rights of those who have been excluded from educational and economic opportunities.

The salary range for the COO position will be between $225,000-$300,000. The final salary within this range will be determined based on experience and qualifications. Watershed Advisors offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, short-term disability, life and AD&D insurance, paid sick and personal leave, and stipends for work-from-home expenses and professional development. We also offer a 401(k) plan and match up to 4% of employee contributions. All employees are eligible for end-of-year bonus pay. We utilize a tenure system that allows for equitable, consistent, and predictable salary growth over time.
 

Location

This position is fully remote. Travel is required for three in-person convenings and potentially eight to ten face to face coworking days per year, either with the Executive Leadership Team, the Leadership Team, or the entire organization.
 

To Apply

Applicants should apply here. Note: the application deadline for this position is October 3, 2025. We do not guarantee review of applications submitted after this date.

Watershed is an equal-opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.