Chief Operating Officer

The mission of Mount Tamalpais College is to provide an intellectually rigorous, inclusive Associate of Arts degree program and college preparatory program, free of charge, to people at San Quentin State Prison; to expand access to quality higher education for incarcerated people; and to foster the values of equity, civic engagement, independence of thought, and freedom of expression. Mount Tamalpais College is a national leader in providing quality higher education opportunities to incarcerated people and in expanding access to higher education within California’s prison system and nationwide. After over 20 years of operating a robust Associate of Arts extension site of a local university at San Quentin, we have recently become independently accredited. Mount Tamalpais College is the first liberal arts college based inside a correctional facility, designed solely for incarcerated students.

Mount Tamalpais College currently has 30 employees and a budget of $5M.

Position summary

Reporting directly to the President, the COO will be an integral member of the executive team, responsible for overseeing Mount Tamalpais College’s financial, human resource, and operational management, including IT. They will also play a collaborative role in developing, planning, and implementing MTC’s strategic priorities. The COO will be responsible for developing and implementing successful processes, systems, and procedures to enable operational efficiency, cross-functional coordination, communication, accountability, and timely decision-making. This position requires an individual who is both strategic and tactical. The COO role is an outstanding opportunity for someone with significant finance, HR, and operations experience; professional maturity; and emotional intelligence to join an innovative, mission-driven organization.

This is a hybrid position, with a minimum of two days on-site at the San Rafael office.

Responsibilities and duties

Strategy, Vision, and Leadership

• Partner with the executive team to establish financial and strategic objectives, implement organizational strategy, and oversee mission critical projects and initiatives.
• Provide a strong leadership presence to cultivate the values of the organization, support an inclusive and engaged work environment, and provide problem-solving and management support for all employees.
• Oversee, direct, and organize the work of the finance, HR, and operations team; supervise the Finance and HR Administrator and Office Manager.

Finance

• Direct and coordinate financial planning and budget management, including the annual budget process and quarterly forecasting.
• Manage all accounting functions including A/P, A/R, payroll, bank reconciliations, cash management, month and year-end close functions, and ensure conformity with generally accepted accounting principles.
• Coordinate financial audits and provide recommendations for procedural improvements.
• Coordinate with the Advancement team to track and forecast organizational revenue and provide financial and budget information in support of grants and other funding opportunities.
• Continuously improve controls, systems, policies, and procedures for efficiency and to safeguard the assets of MTC and ensure data integrity.
• Advise the president and executive team on financial planning, budgeting, cash flow, and policy matters.
• Serve as the management liaison to the board finance, investment, and audit committees; effectively communicate and present financial matters to the board.
• Serve as primary liaison and relationship manager with banks, landlord, legal advisors, insurance broker, IT support, and other operations related service providers and vendors.

Human Resources

• Oversee payroll and benefits administration, and other HR functions including recruiting, onboarding, off-boarding, performance management, training, and compliance.
• Coordinate professional development planning and implementation across the organization.
• Review employee benefits, with attention to offering a competitive, cost-effective, and supportive menu of offerings.
• In partnership with the executive team, develop a compensation philosophy and implement a salary structure that is competitive and supports MTC in hiring and retaining excellent staff.

Operations

• Oversee the IT function, ensuring that the organization has the appropriate data management structure, software tools, and hardware to support organizational efficiency and efficacy; manage outsourced IT support.

Who you are

• Minimum of ten years of professional experience in finance, HR, and operations roles, with at least five years in a similar senior role, ideally in a non-profit organization
• Deep knowledge of nonprofit accounting
• A strategic and visionary approach for problem-solving around core business challenges
• Ease in building trusting relationships and inspiring confidence with a variety of stakeholders, including colleagues, board members, staff, and external partners
• Commitment to financial rigor and integrity
• Experience with creating and implementing new processes, procedures, and systems in a collaborative environment
• An innovative and initiative-oriented mindset that values teamwork and reaching goals
• High proficiency with common accounting software (FundEZ), Google Drive, and Excel
• Experience working with a board of trustees and a finance committee
• Transparent and clear communication style
• A “roll up your” sleeves approach to getting work done
• Commitment to the mission of Mount Tamalpais College

Education

Bachelor’s degree required, MBA/MPA or CPA desired.

Compensation and Benefits

Mount Tamalpais College offers competitive compensation, flexible work policies, and a collaborative work environment. Our benefits package includes medical, dental, and vision insurance, and the full cost for employees of each plan is covered by Mount Tamalpais College. We also offer vacation, sick, and holiday pay as well as time-off at the end of the year. MTC values learning and growth and offers opportunities for professional development.

The salary range for this position is $160,000-$180,000, depending on experience.

How to Apply

Please submit your cover letter and resume. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Applications without a cover letter and/or that do not specifically address this position will not be considered.

We seek candidates who share a commitment to Mount Tamalpais College’s mission. We especially encourage applications from candidates of diverse socio-economic backgrounds; and/or who reflect the cultural, ethnic, and racial diversity of our student body; as well as people directly impacted by incarceration. We welcome applicants who are LGBTQ and/or gender diverse.

Statement of Non-Discrimination

Mount Tamalpais College provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.