Title:

Chief Administrative Officer (CAO)

Group/Team:

- C-Suite

Reports To:

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Status:

Full Time

Category:

Executive

FLSA

Classification:

Exempt

Salary:

$145,000 - $160,000

Position Summary

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) serves as the organization's senior administrative and organizational effectiveness leader. The CAO partners closely with the CEO and other C-Suite peers to translate strategic priorities into coordinated action, strengthen internal systems, and ensure accountability across key administrative functions.

The CAO oversees human resources, workforce strategy, facilities management, enterprise compliance, risk management, governance, contract administration, procurement, vendor management, policy administration, and organizational effectiveness. The role manages two to four direct reports and provides direct leadership, coaching, performance management, and accountability for assigned administrative teams.

Working collaboratively with C-Suite, the CAO helps remove operational barriers, improve interdepartmental coordination, and advance measurable progress toward organizational goals.

The CAO serves as a strategic advisor to the CEO on organizational effectiveness, workforce capacity, administrative operations, risk, governance, change management, and organizational performance.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Execution and Organizational Leadership

Partner with the CEO and C-Suite to implement organizational strategic priorities and annual operating plans.

Translate strategic priorities into operational action, organizational alignment, and measurable outcomes.

Strengthen cross-functional collaboration to improve execution, efficiency, and mission impact.

• Identify organizational barriers to execution and develop solutions that improve effectiveness, efficiency, and results.
• Lead and support organizational change management initiatives that advance strategic objectives and strengthen organizational effectiveness.

Provide reports and recommendations to the CEO on organizational performance, risks, opportunities, and resource needs.

• Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, continuous learning, collaboration, and high performance throughout the organization.

Human Resources and Workforce Strategy

Provide leadership for Human Resources functions, systems, policies, and practices.

• Directly manage two to four staff members, including setting expectations, coaching performance, supporting professional development, and ensuring accountability for assigned work.

Lead talent acquisition, recruitment, onboarding, workforce planning, and retention strategies.

• Demonstrate high emotional intelligence (EQ), with the ability to foster trust, build strong relationships, and effectively engage diverse internal and external stakeholders.

• Promote employee engagement, retention, succession planning, leadership development, and workforce readiness.
• Partner with organizational leaders to develop and sustain a high-performing, mission-driven, and accountable culture.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable employment laws, regulations, and personnel policies.
• Oversee employee relations, organizational development, performance management systems, and change management initiatives.
• Ensure workforce policies, procedures, and practices are consistently administered and aligned with organizational values and strategic goals.

Compliance, Governance, and Enterprise Risk Management

• Lead the organization's enterprise compliance and risk management functions.
• Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, grant requirements, contractual obligations, and organizational policies.
• Develop and maintain systems for identifying, assessing, mitigating, monitoring, and reporting organizational risks.
• Oversee organizational policy administration and governance processes to ensure policies remain current, effective, and consistently applied.
• Support organizational accountability, transparency, ethical business practices, and governance excellence.
• Coordinate organizational preparedness for audits, monitoring reviews, accreditation requirements, compliance assessments, and external evaluations.

Advise the C-Suite regarding emerging compliance risks, regulatory developments, and organizational risk exposures.

• Ensure enterprise-wide administrative practices, contractual obligations, facilities operations, and workforce policies are managed in a manner that minimizes organizational risk and supports long-term sustainability.

Contract Administration, Procurement, and Vendor Management

• Provide executive oversight of the organization's contract administration, procurement, and vendor management functions.
• Lead the review, negotiation, execution, administration, and monitoring of organizational contracts, agreements, memoranda of understanding, leases, and strategic partnerships.
• Develop and maintain contract management systems that ensure compliance with contractual obligations, performance requirements, deliverables, reporting deadlines, and renewal schedules.
• Establish procurement policies, purchasing standards, and vendor selection processes that promote transparency, accountability, risk mitigation, and cost-effectiveness.
• Oversee contract lifecycle management, including contract evaluation, risk assessment, approval processes, implementation, monitoring, and closeout activities.
• Partner with legal counsel and organizational leadership to identify, evaluate, and mitigate contractual, operational, and regulatory risks.
• Ensure contractual agreements align with organizational strategy, operational needs, compliance requirements, and business objectives.
• Evaluate vendor performance and service quality through established performance measurements, service-level expectations, and contract compliance standards.
• Lead negotiations with vendors, service providers, consultants, landlords, and strategic partners to maximize organizational value and minimize risk exposure.
• Maintain oversight of organizational insurance requirements, contractual risk transfer provisions, and applicable indemnification protections.
• Develop and implement internal controls that promote effective management of contracts, purchasing activities, vendor relationships, and organizational assets.

Facilities and Administrative Services

• Provide executive oversight of facilities operations, workplace safety, administrative services, and organizational assets.
• Ensure facilities and administrative systems effectively support staff productivity, operational efficiency, and mission delivery.
• Oversee facility maintenance, occupancy planning, safety programs, and related vendor relationships.
• Ensure compliance with applicable facility, safety, risk management, and operational requirements.
• Develop and implement policies and procedures that contribute to a safe, compliant, and effective work environment.
• Ensure business continuity, emergency preparedness, and operational readiness plans are maintained and regularly reviewed.

Organizational Effectiveness and Continuous Improvement

• Lead organizational process improvement initiatives that strengthen effectiveness, efficiency, accountability, and service delivery.
• Oversee the development, implementation, documentation, and ongoing refinement of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and organizational workflows.
• Utilize performance data, metrics, dashboards, and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to drive decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Assess organizational capacity and recommend improvements that support scalability, sustainability, and mission impact.
• Champion innovation, best practices, and operational excellence across administrative functions.
• Lead enterprise-wide initiatives that improve collaboration, communication, efficiency, and organizational performance.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, learning, and organizational effectiveness.

Education and Experience

Required

Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Organizational Leadership, Public Administration, Human Resources, Management, or a related field; equivalent combination of education and similar experience may be considered.

Minimum of fifteen (15) years of progressively responsible leadership experience, or a comparable combination of years of service and similar experience, in organizational administration, operations, human resources, compliance, or executive management.

• Demonstrated experience leading strategic plan implementation, organizational effectiveness initiatives, and enterprise-wide change management efforts.
• Experience overseeing human resources, compliance programs, risk management, governance, contracts, procurement, and administrative functions.
• Experience developing policies, procedures, performance management frameworks, and organizational accountability systems.
• Proven record of successfully leading organizational transformation, process improvement, and cross-functional collaboration initiatives.

Preferred

• Master's Degree in Business Administration (MBA), Public Administration (MPA), Organizational Leadership, Juris Doctor (JD), or related advanced degree.

• Executive leadership experience in a nonprofit or mission-driven organization.

• Knowledge of and experience with federal, state, and local grant-funded programs.
• Knowledge of federal and state grant contracts, grant compliance requirements, monitoring practices, reporting obligations, and audit processes.
• Experience supporting organizations receiving public funding, government grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, or other regulated funding sources.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Demonstrated ability to translate strategic vision into operational execution and measurable organizational outcomes.
• Strong knowledge of organizational leadership, governance, compliance, human resources, enterprise risk management, contract administration, procurement, and organizational development.
• Knowledge of applicable employment laws, regulatory compliance requirements, contract management practices, and policy governance principles.
• Knowledge of federal and state grant contract requirements, grant compliance standards, monitoring practices, and audit processes preferred.
• Experience implementing strategic plans and managing complex cross-functional initiatives.
• Strong business and organizational acumen with the ability to assess organizational challenges and develop practical, results-oriented solutions.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, facilitation, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to influence, motivate, and align diverse stakeholders around organizational priorities and strategic objectives.
• Experience developing organizational performance metrics, dashboards, KPIs, and accountability systems.
• Strong project management, organizational change, process improvement, and continuous improvement capabilities.
• Ability to effectively manage multiple priorities in a dynamic and evolving environment.
• Commitment to ethical leadership, transparency, accountability, and mission-focused decision-making.
• Ability to speak, read, and write English; additional language skills are preferred.
• Candidates of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.