Chief Operating Officer (COO)

About Us

The Macro Institute for Social Policy and Action (MISPA) bridges the gap between frontline experience and policy spaces through education, community, and leadership development. We cultivate an interdisciplinary pipeline that equips emerging professionals and students across the social sciences to move from micro-level care to macro-level policy awareness and advocacy. We believe that those closest to community problems belong in the rooms where the laws are written.

MISPA is at an inflection point. With a growing network, upcoming fellowships, and national convenings, we are building a national institution. We are looking for an executive partner to help guide this expansion.

Position Overview

We are seeking a high-caliber, deeply passionate leader to step in as our Chief Operating Officer (COO). Serving as our second-in-command, you will work hand-in-hand with the Executive Director to translate MISPA's grand vision into scalable, sustainable operations.

As COO, you will oversee internal staffing, drive operational efficiency, and act as a relational bridge connecting our senior leadership staff with our newly established, student-governed YIM Council. This role requires someone who possesses elite organizational instincts, exceptional leadership skills, and an absolute passion for our mission to decentralize policy power. If you are a macro-minded builder who wants to help scale a grassroots movement into a massive national institution, this is your seat. Core Responsibilities

• Second-in-Command Executive Leadership: Partner directly with the Executive Director on organizational strategy, governance, and long-term scaling milestones. Step in to lead and represent the organization when needed.
• Staffing & Team Empowerment: Oversee internal personnel, foster a highly collaborative staff culture, and ensure our growing team (including upcoming program managers and social media teams) is supported, aligned, and meeting strategic goals.
• Youth Council Relational Bridge: Act as an essential point of connection between the senior MISPA staff and the student-led YIM Council executive branch, ensuring youth leaders feel mentored, integrated, and supported by the parent organization.
• Operational Expansion: Design, implement, and optimize the operational infrastructure required to transition MISPA from its current framework into a large-scale, nationwide operation.
• Financial Oversight Integration: Collaborate with our executive team and our Fiscal Sponsor's accounting team to ensure operational budgets, resource allocations, and earmarked grant funding cleanly align with our programmatic timelines.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Proven experience or an exceptional track record in leadership roles—ideally within non-profit management, social entrepreneurship, public policy networks, or graduate-level organizational leadership (MSW, MPP, MPH, MBA, or equivalent field experience).
• You aren't just looking for an administrative checklist. You have a deep, personal passion for social justice, systemic advocacy, and equipping frontline workers to drive macro change.
• Superior interpersonal skills with a natural ability to mentor students on the YIM Council while managing professional staff and interfacing with high-level stakeholders.
• A strategic thinker who isn't afraid of ambiguous, rapidly evolving environments and is energized by the challenge of building systems from the ground up.

Why Join Us as COO?

This is a rare opportunity to co-lead an organization on the verge of explosive growth. As COO, your footprint will be embedded in everything MISPA becomes. You will gain invaluable executive experience managing a national non-profit infrastructure, steering interdisciplinary teams, and directly shaping the future of macro advocacy in the United States.

How to Apply

Please submit your resume and a brief executive summary explaining your vision for this role and your alignment with MISPA's mission through the Idealist portal.