Chief Operations Officer NEO-SMART

Salary Grade

Case Western Reserve University is committed to providing a transparent estimate of the salary range available for this position at the time of its posting. The salary range is between $118,409 and $159,853, depending on qualifications, experience, department budgets, and industry data.

Employees receive more than just a paycheck. University employees enjoy a comprehensive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare, retirement plans, tuition assistance, paid time off, and a winter recess.

Job Description

POSITION OBJECTIVE

The Chief Operations Officer (COO) of Northeast Ohio Strengthening Manufacturing for American Resilience through Technology (NEO-SMART) NSF Engine serves as the senior operational leader responsible for translating the Engine¿s strategic vision into disciplined day-to-day execution. Reporting directly to the CEO, the COO ensures that all programs, partnerships, finances, compliance obligations, and internal operations function with excellence across a complex, multi-institutional coalition of academic, industry, government, and community partners.

The COO is accountable for the operational infrastructure that enables the Engine to deliver on its core pillars of use-inspired research, commercialization and adoption, workforce development, and economic growth. The ideal candidate brings a proven track record in operational leadership within complex organizations, deep familiarity with federally funded programs and cooperative agreement requirements, and the ability to build and lead high-performing teams in a fast-moving, entrepreneurial environment. This role is the connective tissue of the Engine, ensuring that every programmatic effort is adequately resourced, on schedule, and aligned to NSF deliverables and the Engines long-term mission.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Lead the day-to-day operational execution of NEO-SMART, ensuring all program pillars, use-inspired R&D, commercialization and adoption, workforce development, and community engagement, are progressing against annual, quarterly, and monthly plans. Work with the CEO and pillar leaders to develop and implement operational strategies, standard operating procedures, and performance management systems that drive organizational effectiveness and accountability. Manage and develop a team of NEO-SMART staff and operational leads, including external partner liaisons; coordinate workflows, resolve cross-functional issues, and maintain organizational momentum. Support external program partners in designing and implementing NEO-SMART programs; serve as a primary operational point of contact for partner institutions and subrecipient organizations.(35%)
• Oversee all aspects of NEO-SMART budget management, financial planning, and resource allocation in alignment with NSF cooperative agreement requirements and the NEO-SMART¿s strategic objectives. Ensure accurate and timely federal financial reporting to NSF; coordinate between leadership, program sponsor representatives, and external partners on all cooperative agreement communications and compliance obligations. Monitor budget performance across program pillars and partner subawards; proactively identify variances, realignment needs, and opportunities to optimize the use of available resources. Participate in grant writing and proposal development in response to state, federal, and local funding opportunities that expand NEO-SMART programs and sustainability. (30%)
• Ensure full compliance with NSF cooperative agreement terms and conditions, including programmatic, financial, IP, data management, and reporting requirements. Oversee accurate and timely submission of all NSF reporting deliverables, including annual reports, strategic planning documents, site visit preparation, and milestone documentation. Coordinate with the external independent evaluator for program assessment, evaluation design, and sponsor reporting; translate evaluation findings into operational improvements. (20%)
• Support pillar leaders and the CEO in outreach to external industry stakeholders, government partners, and community organizations; cultivate new partnerships that grow the regional ecosystem. Represent NEO-SMART in operational and administrative capacities at convenings, coalition meetings, and partner forums across Northeast Ohio. Serve on relevant NEO-SMART governance committees or working groups as designated by the CEO. Support Governing Board, Steering Committee, Working Group and advisory committee meeting preparation and logistics. (10%)

NONESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Perform other duties as assigned. (5%)

CONTACTS

Department: Regular contact with the Executive Vice President for Research and Economic Development and Associate Vice President for Strategic Partnerships. Regular contact with faculty. Daily contact with internal Engine leadership, including CEO and staff.

University: Contact with all departments and university faculty participating in research and education. Regular contact with the Office of Research and Technology Management and the VP of Development to discuss strategic directions and report on progress in implementing strategic plans. Regular contact with Corporate Relations and Government and Foundation Relations. Contact directors of relevant centers and departments across the campus.

External: Frequent contact with local government and economic development leaders (e.g., City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Greater Cleveland Partnership, Greater Akron Chamber, Team NEO, JumpStart). Regular contact with State of Ohio agencies and leadership. Regular contact with federal government representatives such as DOE, DOD, NASA and NSF program directors, center directors, and administrators. Regular contact with all 70+ NEO-SMART partners which include industry, government, philanthropic, non-profit, and academic partners. At least bi-annual contact with NEO-SMARTs advisory board to discuss strategic and technical directions and report on progress in implementing NEO-SMARTs strategic plans. Contact representatives of local, national, and international companies as well as representatives of private investments (e.g., investors, venture capital, angel investors, etc.).

Students: Occasional (through workforce development programming, internship pipelines, and ecosystem-building events)

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

The COO holds direct supervisory authority over Engine operational staff. Anticipated direct reports include: Program Manager(s) for each NEO-SMART pillar (2). The COO also exercises indirect operational oversight over staff embedded at partner institutions, specifically the Workforce Liaison (LCCC), who are funded by and contribute to NEO-SMART program delivery.

QUALIFICATIONS

Experience: Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in operational leadership, program management, or administration within a complex, multi-stakeholder organization. Demonstrated experience managing federally funded programs, preferably including NSF cooperative agreements or comparable grants from DOE, EDA, NIH, or similar agencies; familiarity with federal financial reporting requirements strongly preferred. Proven ability to manage multi-million-dollar budgets across multiple funding sources and subrecipient organizations with rigor and transparency. Track record of building and leading high-performing teams in dynamic, entrepreneurial, or mission-driven environments. Experience working within or alongside academic institutions, economic development organizations, industry coalitions, or regional innovation ecosystems strongly preferred. Experience in technology transfer, commercialization programming, or workforce development is preferred.

Education: Bachelors degree in business, public administration, engineering, physical or life sciences, or a related field required. Advanced degree (MBA, MPA, MS, JD, or PhD in a relevant field) strongly preferred.

REQUIRED SKILLS

• Deep understanding of federal grant compliance requirements, specifically 2 CFR Part 200 (Uniform Guidance), NSF cooperative agreement terms, and overarching programmatic reporting obligations.
• Exceptional organizational and systems-thinking skills with a proven ability to concurrently manage multiple diverse, complex workstreams and execute effectively against measurable goals.
• Strong experience developing and managing budgets, financial reports, and resource allocation plans within complex, multi-source funding environments.
• Outstanding oral and written communication skills; demonstrated ability to convey complex information clearly and build effective relationships across a diverse coalition of academic, industry, government, and nonprofit partners, often without direct positional authority.
• High analytical aptitude, creativity, and judgment; comfort operating with discipline in high-ambiguity, rapidly changing, or entrepreneurial environments while remaining effective under stress.
• High integrity with conflict resolution capabilities and the ability to interact professionally with faculty, staff, and external stakeholders both in person and remotely.
• Willingness to learn, adopt, and work with artificial intelligence (AI) tools and emerging technologies as they apply to operational and program management functions.
• Ability to maintain strict operational confidentiality, meet consistent attendance requirements across a split schedule, and interact face-to-face daily within a busy, shared building environment.

WORKING CONDITIONS

General work environment that includes normal office activities, with regular travel across the region to partner institutions, community organizations, and program sites. Periodic travel outside the region is required for conferences and NSF meetings. The role involves occasional evening and weekend commitments for events, board functions, and stakeholder engagements.

Hybrid Eligibility

This position is eligible for hybrid work arrangement up to two remote days per week at the discretion of the department. New employees may begin a hybrid schedule upon approval from the supervisor, successful completion of an orientation period and signing the remote work checklist certification form.

EEO Statement

Case Western Reserve University is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants are protected under federal and state laws and university policy from discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national or ethnic origin, protected veteran status, disability, age and genetic information.

Reasonable Accommodations

Case Western Reserve University complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act regarding reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities. Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the CWRU Office of Equity at 216-368-3066 to request a reasonable accommodation. Determinations as to granting reasonable accommodations for any applicants will be made on a case-by-case basis.

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