Location: Remote + Travel as needed

Employment Type: Full-time, exempt

Salary Range: $190,500 - $225,000

Benefits: High-quality health and dental insurance, paid vacation, employer-matched retirement plan

The Organization

At Thrive Scholars, we provide high-achieving students from under-resourced communities the opportunities they need to thrive at top colleges and in meaningful careers.

Our comprehensive and data-driven program model focuses on the key inflection points that can be the difference between graduating from any college and graduating from a top college with the grades, degree, career skills, and network needed to thrive in any career. Thrive Scholars originated in Los Angeles as South Central Scholars (“SCS”) twenty years ago. Over this time, the organization has refined its program model and, in the last five years, has focused on expanding nationally; reaching more high-achieving students from under-resourced communities; growing the number of Scholars we serve; and deepening our program impact. Thrive Scholars has begun to grow its footprint with new summer program offerings in additional cities. The organization has approximately 75 year-round employees and close to 200 summer employees.

The Position: 

Thrive Scholars is seeking a dynamic and experienced Chief Operating Officer (COO) to oversee and enhance the internal operations of our growing organization. Reporting directly to the CEO and working closely with a hands-on C-suite team, the COO will be responsible for optimizing Thrive’s infrastructure to support its growth and impact. This role will focus on operational expertise, strategic leadership, and analytical decision-making. This role will oversee the operations and finance teams. The ideal candidate will bring strong experience in data management, systems improvement, and organizational scaling to drive operational excellence and inform strategic initiatives. 

Key Responsibilities: 

Leadership & Collaboration

• Serve as an active member of the Senior Leadership Team, helping set organizational priorities and steward Thrive's growth and mission.

• Foster a culture of excellence, collaboration, innovation, and inclusion across Thrive Scholars' operational and administrative teams.
• Partner with the Managing Director of Talent & Operations to drive employee engagement initiatives and enhance Thrive’s remote-first workplace culture.

Organizational Operations and Financial Oversight

• Oversee and continuously improve internal operations, financial systems, and administrative infrastructure to support sustainable growth and mission delivery.
• Directly supervise the Managing Director of Talent & Operations and the Director of Finance, setting clear goals, driving performance, and building organizational capacity.
• Ensure strong financial reporting, budget management, and compliance across the organization.
• Collaborate with the CEO and SLT to align operational strategy with Thrive's strategic plan, mission priorities, and financial objectives.

Strategic Operational Leadership

• Serve as a thought partner to the CEO, providing insights that inform organizational strategy, resource allocation, and scaling decisions.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives to enhance operational efficiency, improve service delivery, and drive innovation.
• Anticipate and plan for operational needs associated with organizational growth, including staffing, technology, systems, and service delivery expansion.

Data Management and Technology Enablement

• Champion the organization's efforts to become increasingly data-driven by ensuring effective systems for data collection, management, and reporting.
• Use data and analytics to measure operational performance, identify areas for improvement, and drive informed decision-making across departments.

Compliance, Risk Management, and Process Excellence

• Ensure compliance with relevant laws, regulations, policies, and contractual obligations.
• Lead proactive risk management efforts, safeguarding Thrive Scholars' financial, operational, and human assets.
• Establish and refine business processes to promote consistency, quality, efficiency, and accountability across teams

Qualifications and Experience:
There are innumerable ways to learn, grow and excel professionally. We respect this when we review applications and take a broad look at the experience of each applicant. The qualifications and experiences listed below are intended as a guide; we do not expect candidates to check every box.  If you believe you can meet the expectations and responsibilities of this position, we want to get to know you and the unique strengths you will bring to the work. 

• Bachelor's degree required; relevant advanced degree preferred
• Minimum of 5 years of progressive senior leadership experience in nonprofit, education, corporate, or mission-driven organizations
• Significant experience overseeing or partnering closely with Finance and Operations functions, including financial management, compliance, budgeting, and strategic planning
• Proven track record of leading cross-functional teams, driving organizational change, and implementing scalable systems and processes
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with experience using data to guide decision-making and measure performance
• Demonstrated success in organizational planning, resource allocation, and operational improvement
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to work effectively with staff, senior leaders, board members, and external partners
• Experience with remote or distributed work environments is a plus
• Commitment to Thrive Scholars mission

Competencies:

Along with the specific qualifications and experiences noted above, leaders at Thrive Scholars are expected to demonstrate the following leadership competencies:

• Setting Strategy: Creates clear, effective strategies that inform the team’s work and build towards the larger vision. 
• Building: Creates new and better ways for the organization to be successful, shaping theory and/or practice in the field. 
• Leading through Change: Effectively engages and mobilizes stakeholders through change by mitigating stress, demonstrating compassion, and illustrating and planning for a desirable future. 
• Leadership Presence: Demonstrates confidence, authenticity and poise to both internal and external audiences.

Travel Expectations: 

This role will require national travel, approximately 6 times per year.

Equal Employment Opportunities:

Thrive Scholars provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, sexual orientation, age, disability, or veteran status. We strongly encourage people of all backgrounds to apply.

For more information, please visit thrivescholars.org