Chief Operations Officer

The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) seeks a Chief Operations Officer (COO) who is mission-focused, energetic, results-oriented, experienced, and competent in directing and scaling nonprofit or business operations and implementing strategic initiatives. The COO will work with the President and Director-Counsel and with the Associate Directors-Counsel and play a direct leadership role in organizational development, strategic operations, and administration processes. 

The COO is a member of LDF’s senior leadership team, which provides strategic leadership and executive guidance for the entire organization. The COO has direct oversight of five departments: Human Resources, Information Technology, Security, Risk and Compliance, and Facilities/Operations. The COO directly supervises the leaders of these departments, as well as the special director of operational effectiveness, and an executive assistant. The COO indirectly oversees a team of 15-20 employees across these portfolio departments. The COO also works closely with the General Counsel and external consultants on matters of compliance, policy, and security.

LDF employs over 200 professional and support staff at its headquarters in New York City and offices in Washington, DC, and Atlanta, GA. The COO will be a key leader and drive the planning and execution of the organization's operational, infrastructure, and people and culture aspects.

The ideal candidate will be a skilled, strategic, and highly organized senior leader with over ten years of professional experience in the non-profit, government, or business sector and at least five to eight years of senior leadership experience in operational/administrative management. The COO will bring a well-developed capacity for systematic analysis, relationship-building, and leading complex teams of mission-driven professionals in a fast-paced environment with a culture defined by passion, deep personal commitment, excellence, and high performance. The COO must be a leader who can help others deliver measurable, cost-effective, high-impact results that make LDF’s organizational vision a reality. The successful COO will have the executive, cultural, and social competence and skills to help steward the rapid growth of a legacy organization and confidently tap into the power and promise of its multi-generational, multi-cultural staff.

This position is based in LDF’s New York, NY office and reports to the President and Director-Counsel and one of the Associate Directors-Counsel. The expected salary range for this role is $215,000 - $270,000.

Please direct all inquiries, nominations, referrals, and applications in strict confidence electronically below. Electronic submission of materials is strongly encouraged. Applications and nominations submitted by May 15, 2025, will receive priority consideration. 

Ernest Brooks is leading this search with Janette Martinez.

LDF is an Equal Opportunity Employer. LDF is committed to providing equal employment opportunities without regard to race, creed, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, veteran status, sexual orientation, and disability.