Deputy COO

Position Summary

The Deputy Chief Operating Officer (Deputy COO) supports the Chief Operating Officer in managing and strengthening the organization’s internal operations, systems, facilities, and administrative functions. Working closely with the COO, Senior Manager, Executive Support, and Director, IT & Systems, the Deputy COO ensures the organization’s infrastructure operates effectively, including oversight of facilities across our San Francisco and Washington, DC offices and support for remote staff.

Key Responsibilities

• Operational Execution & Organizational Coordination
  Partner with the COO to drive execution of organizational strategy and operational priorities
  Translate priorities into clear plans, timelines, and cross-team coordination
  Monitor operational performance and identify opportunities to improve systems and processes
  Support organization-wide planning, including annual operations planning and goal tracking
  Partner with the COO and People team on workforce planning to support organizational needs

• IT & Systems
  Set the strategic direction for the organization’s IT & Systems infrastructure, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities
  Lead the evolution and optimization of systems and data capabilities, including refining the organization’s use of AI and emerging technologies
  Partner with the Director, IT & Systems to guide priorities and strategy, ensuring a high-performing and forward-looking function

• Executive Support
  Oversee the Executive Support team to ensure coordinated, high-quality support for senior leadership
  Establish and refine systems and workflows to improve efficiency and alignment
  Partner with the Senior Manager, Executive Support on team development, capacity planning, and continuous improvement

• Facilities & Office Operations
  Provide strategic oversight of office operations across our San Francisco and DC offices, ensuring environments effectively support staff needs
  Oversee vendor and partner relationships to ensure effective and efficient facilities operations
  Identify opportunities to improve office systems, policies, and space utilization

• Team Leadership & Organizational Support
  Lead and support the IT & Systems and Executive Support teams, including performance management and professional development
  Foster strong communication and coordination across operational teams
  Serve as a trusted operational partner to the COO in addressing organizational needs and opportunities

Experience

• 10+ years of professional experience in operations, organizational management, nonprofit leadership, business administration, or a related field
• Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive information with discretion and sound judgment
• Experience leading or supporting change management initiatives in complex, evolving organizations
• Builder mindset, experience creating, refining, and scaling processes, systems, and teams
• Strong leadership and people management skills, including experience supervising teams and supporting staff development
• Experience improving organizational systems, processes, or workflows to increase efficiency and effectiveness
• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across teams and leadership levels
• Experience working in nonprofit, policy, or mission-driven organizations preferred

Work Environment & Physical Requirements

This role is done primarily in an office environment with travel to our Washington, DC office required approximately 2 times per year. An employee must be able to satisfy the following physical requirements with or without a reasonable accommodation:

• Remain in a stationary position (at a desk) for at least 75% of the day
• Use hand and fingers to type
• Frequently communicate via phone or video and email and must be able to communicate using those methods

SALARY

We provide a salary commensurate with qualifications and experience. The target salary range is $235,500 to $245,500. This role is required to be in our San Francisco office one to three days a week.

Benefits

• Up to 100% of premium paid for medical, dental, and vision
• Short term and long term disability insurance
• Company sponsored life insurance and voluntary life
• Carrot fertility and family planning benefits
• Student loan repayment assistance
• 401k retirement plan with a company match contribution
• Annual professional development budget
• Internet, cell phone, and health & wellness reimbursement
• 14 paid holidays and four weeks of paid time off (PTO)
• Paid parental leave, jury duty, and bereavement
• Public transportation benefit options for office staff
• Regular staff lunches and team building activities
• SF and DC office stocked with healthy snacks and beverages
• An innovative, collaborative, welcoming work culture

About Us

Climate change is governed by physical facts—about carbon sources, accumulation, impacts, and timing, and more importantly, about solutions that work. These facts must inform strategy: they show that avoiding dangerous climate change is only possible through strong policy to cut carbon, promptly, in the biggest countries. To address these issues, Climate Imperative was founded to provide resources to the field of climate policy in this decisive decade. Climate Imperative is a 501(c)(3) public charity focused on solving the climate crisis at speed and scale by providing funding, technical support, and expertise to win the world's most significant emissions reduction policy decisions this decade.