Chief Operating Officer

About the Role

The Allegheny Conference on Community Development is seeking a Chief Operating Officer (COO) to serve as a senior organizational leader and integrator, ensuring strategy translates into effective execution, strong operations, and a high-performing, mission-aligned culture.

The COO oversees the Conferences internal operations, including people, systems, communications, and investor relations, and works in close partnership with the CEO and fellow Chiefs to advance a unified agenda for regional competitiveness and growth.

This role is ideal for a collaborative, systems-minded leader who thrives at the intersection of strategy, execution, and organizational effectiveness.

Organizational Operations & Performance

• Lead the Operations portfolio, including Human Resources, Investor Relations, Communications & Events, and Administration.
• Design and continuously improve organizational systems, workflows, and policies that support efficiency, accountability, and collaboration.
• Guide organization-wide planning, goal setting, and performance tracking aligned with strategic priorities.
• Establish dashboards and feedback mechanisms that translate work into measurable outcomes and impact.

People, Talent & Culture

• Champion a high-performance, collaborative, and mission-driven organizational culture.
• Lead talent planning, recruitment, onboarding, and professional development across the organization.
• Oversee performance management practices that align individual and team goals with organizational priorities.
• Advance internal engagement, culture, and belonging practices.

Communications, Brand & Visibility

• Provide executive oversight of internal and external communications, branding, and event execution.
• Strengthen the Conferences visibility and credibility as the regions voice for economic competitiveness and growth.
• Collaborate with other Chiefs to align messaging with regional strategy and policy priorities.

Investor Relations & Member Engagement

• Lead investor relations and membership strategy, ensuring a high-touch engagement approach that demonstrates value and impact.
• Partner with the CEO and CFO on fundraising, sponsor ships, and partnership revenue efforts.
• Drive investor retention and growth through tiered engagement strategies aligned with organizational priorities.

Leadership & Cross-Functional Integration

• Serve as a key member of the Chiefs leadership team, supporting coordination and alignment across the organization.
• Facilitate information flow, decision tracking, and coordinated project management across departments.
• Provide executive leadership continuity in internal meetings, partnership discussions, and operational reviews, as needed.

Qualifications

• 1015 years of senior leadership experience in complex, mission-driven organizations (economic development, civic, policy, or large nonprofit environments preferred).
• Demonstrated success leading organizational operations, change initiatives, and performance management efforts.
• Demonstrated expertise in at least two of the following areas: people and talent leadership; communications and brand strategy; investor or member engagement.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively across functions and align strategy, programs, and financial stewardship.
• Strong communication, relationship-building, and executive presence.
• Experience with CRM platforms, performance dashboards, or project-management tools is a plus.

Why Join the Allegheny Conference

This is a high-impact leadership opportunity to help shape how the organization operates and delivers results at a critical moment for the region. The COO will play a central role in strengthening internal systems, supporting collaboration among Chiefs, and ensuring the Conference is positioned to advance regional competitiveness effectively and sustainably.

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