Chief Operating Officer

Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer

Full‑time position. Reports to the Executive Director and is responsible for ensuring HRW’s mission is implemented efficiently, effectively and with maximal impact by managing day‑to‑day internal operations, translating strategy into action, optimizing processes, managing resources and ensuring highly effective and professional internal communications throughout the organization.

• Establish a close partnership with the Executive Director and lead a clearly articulated operational strategy in support of HRW’s short‑ and long‑term goals.
• Focus on outcomes and improvement to ensure that the management, staffing and culture of the organization’s operational backbone are aligned with HRW’s mission and values.
• Work closely with the Executive Committee and senior leadership to ensure a culture of open and direct communication in a positive, fair and accountable workplace.
• Ensure consistent application of policies and practices, aligned with best practices, with the authority to ensure appropriate accountability across the organization.
• Work closely with the Deputy Executive Director, Chief Programs Officer and Chief Development Officer and ensure strong communication and collaboration between operations, programmatic and development teams and implementation of all structures, systems and processes.
• Optimize resource allocations to drive organizational priorities while managing long‑term financial stability of the organization, including investments.
• Support the development and delivery of a technology strategy that meets both programmatic and operational needs in a cost‑efficient manner.
• Oversee a modern and agile financial architecture to facilitate the optimization of annual financial planning.
• Lead the identification, evaluation, monitoring and mitigation of organization‑wide risk.
• Ensure that the organization attracts, supports and retains a skilled, diverse and high‑performing workforce, with special emphasis on implementing HRW’s initiatives on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and staff care.
• Oversee rigorous management training for HRW’s managers globally and ensure opportunities for development, growth and training of colleagues at all stages of their careers.
• Promote a healthy organizational culture, help staff build resilience and manage stress, lead by example and develop supportive systems for managing work effectively across multiple time zones.
• Collaborate with the Executive Committee to ensure effective strategic planning and implementation processes, including the setting of annual priorities and the alignment of financial tools.
• Institute proper monitoring and evaluation of performance throughout the organization.
• Perform other tasks as may be required.

The Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer is a purpose‑driven executive and critical strategic and operational partner who leads organizational and cultural change in service of HRW’s mission. While the Executive Director remains primarily externally and strategically focused as the face and voice of HRW, the COO brings the depth and breadth of experience needed to provide strong internal operational leadership and enhance the organization’s capacity to broaden HRW’s reach and impact domestically and globally.

• 15 or more years of executive‑level leadership in for‑profit or non‑profit organizations of comparable scale and complexity.
• Demonstrated success working as part of a senior leadership team driving innovative operational strategy, moving fluidly between serving as a strategic adviser and thought partner to the Executive Director, Board and senior leaders, and leading the detail‑oriented work of operations.
• Strong track record of leading internal change‑management processes, especially as it relates to organizational design, workforce management and culture, in addition to other areas of administrative oversight.
• A sophisticated understanding of financial management and the application of data to decision‑making; the ability to align systems, processes and objectives while encouraging individual initiative; proven analytical…