Part-Time Chief Operating Officer

​SCIENTISTA MISSION
The Scientista Foundation is a small, volunteer-run, non-profit organization that endeavors to empower and advance the careers of young women and underrepresented groups in science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine (STEMM) disciplines through online content, chapter communities, and conferences. One of our primary efforts is our annual Scientista Symposium which is a three-day conference that includes a career fair, poster session, pitch competition, workshops, career panels and numerous networking events.


POSITION
The Scientista Foundation has been growing steadily and is now seeking to dramatically accelerate growth. The Board of Directors (BOD) is looking for a mission-focused, seasoned, strategic, and process-minded leader with experience scaling an organization, leading an executive management team, and developing a performance culture among a group of diverse, talented individuals. The COO must be a leader who is able to help others at Scientista deliver measurable, cost-effective results that make the vision a reality. Importantly, the successful COO will have the skills, sensitivity, and personal confidence to tap into the power that each member of the team brings to this mission.


RESPONSIBILITIES
Reporting to the BOD of Scientista, the COO will lead all internal operations and will have the following responsibilities:

• Work in partnership with the BOD, create a strategic five-year plan and implement new processes and approaches to achieve it
  • Serve as the internal leader of the organization:
  • Coordinate the annual operations plan and budget
  • Lead the performance management process that measures and evaluates progress against goals for the organization
  • Provide for all staff, a strong day-to-day leadership presence; bridge national and regional operations and support an open-door policy among all staff
• Lead and manage the organization’s staff, who have the following responsibilities:
  • Scientista Symposium Conference
  • Campus Chapter Program
  • Online Magazine Program
  • Fundraising and Development
• Work with the national board of directors: present to the board at quarterly meetings and serve on several board committees

KEY QUALIFICATIONS
As a prerequisite, the successful candidate must believe in the core values of Scientista and be driven by the mission. The candidate should demonstrate a passion for breaking new ground to lead social change. Beyond that, we are seeking a candidate that has proven experience in scaling a multi-site organization and a demonstrated ability to both lead and build the capabilities of a driven, bright, diverse team.

The successful candidate will most likely have had management experience with a for-profit or non-for-profit organization. As noted, this is an organization driven by the values of its people, so experience in managing a “values-driven” organization will be highly prized.

The ideal candidate will have the following qualifications:

• Results-proven track record of exceeding goals and a bottom-line orientation; evidence of the ability to consistently make good decisions through a combination of analysis, wisdom, experience, and judgment; high level of business acumen including successful budget management; the ability to balance the delivery of programs against the realities of a budget; and problem solving, project management, and creative   resourcefulness
• Strategic Vision and Agility — ability to think strategically, anticipate future consequences and trends, and incorporate them into the organizational plan
• Capacity Building — ability to effectively build organization and staff capacity, developing a top-notch workforce and the processes that ensure the organization runs smoothly
• Leadership and Organization — exceptional capacity for managing and leading people; a team builder who has experience in scaling up organizations; ability to connect with staff both on an individual level and in large groups; capacity to enforce accountability, develop and empower top-notch leaders from the bottom up, lead from the top down, cultivate entrepreneurship, and learn the strengths and weaknesses of the team so as to put people in a position to succeed
• Action Oriented — enjoys working hard and looks for challenges; able to act and react as necessary, even if limited information is available; not afraid to take charge of a situation; can overcome resistance to leadership and take unpopular stands when necessary
• General Management — thorough understanding of finance, systems, and HR; broad experience with the full range of business functions and systems, including strategic development and planning, budgeting, business analysis, finance, information systems, human resources, and marketing
• Educational Background — undergraduate degree required; MBA or similar advanced degree highly desired

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EXPECTATIONS
Service as the COO role is without remuneration. This is an outstanding opportunity for a highly motivated professional or student to assume a pivotal role in the evolution of a fast-growing, highly respected organization. We are seeking an individual of outstanding quality with a respected track record. Scientista offers a very attractive work flexibility, including setting one's own hours and working from home.

There will be opportunity for upward mobility for the right candidate based upon a strong performance.

If you have any questions about this position, please email contact@scientistafoundation.com. ​

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