Chief Operating Officer

FULL TIME JOB VACANCY
Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer
Executive Division
Multiple Locations Considered
Application Deadline: Open Until Filled

The Role
The Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer (COO) reports to the Executive Director and is responsible for ensuring that 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. By driving internal organizational operational excellence, the COO will enable the Executive Director (ED) to focus on external-facing and strategic matters, including fundraising, high-level advocacy, partnerships, board and stakeholder engagement, and long-term strategic planning. The COO works in close collaboration with the Executive Director and Deputy Executive Director-Chief Program Officer as a senior member of the Executive Committee, ensuring operational excellence consistent with HRW’s mission, vision, and values. The COO, together with the rest of the Executive Committee, will ensure that HRW operates as a high-impact complex organization, with a strong commitment to sustained excellence, financial discipline, and a positive collaborative culture built on respect and trust.

The COO will directly supervise the following organizational functions Finance & Accounting, Global Financial Operations, Information Security & Technology, General Counsel, People& Culture, Real Estate, and Security. In addition, they will have oversight authority to ensure HRW’s compliance with the highest organizational management standards, including rigorous budgetary and financial accounting processes; professional conduct at all levels; and a deep commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as the personal and professional growth of staff. Together with the Operations Leadership Team (OLT), which comprises the leaders of all the operations functions, the COO will ensure effective, transparent, and inclusive communication processes, including seeking input and feedback across HRW on the design and implementation of organization-wide policies and initiatives.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Establishing a close partnership with the Executive Director and leading a clearly articulated operational strategy in support of HRW’s short- and long-term goals;
2. Focusing 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;
3. Working closely with the Executive Committee and senior leadership to ensure a culture of open and direct communication in a positive, fair and accountable workplace;
4. Ensuring consistent application of policies and practices, aligned with best practices, with the authority to assure appropriate accountability across the organization;
5. Working closely with the Deputy Executive Director and Chief Programs Officer (CPO) and Chief Development Officer, ensuring strong communication and collaboration between the operations, programmatic, development teams and implementation of all structures, systems and processes;
6. Optimizing resource allocations to drive organizational priorities while managing long-term financial stability of the organization, including investments;
7. Supporting the development and delivery of a technology strategy that delivers for both programmatic and operational needs in a cost-efficient manner;
8. Overseeing a modern and agile financial architecture to facilitate the optimization of annual financial planning;
9. Being accountable for leading the identification, evaluation, monitoring, and mitigation of organization-wide risk;
10. Ensuring that the organization attracts, supports, and retains a skilled, diverse, and high performing workforce. Special emphasis will be given to implementing HRW’s initiatives on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and staff care;
11. Overseeing rigorous management training for HRW’s managers globally. Ensuring opportunities for development, growth and training of colleagues at all stages of their careers;
12. Promoting a healthy organizational culture and helping staff build resilience and manage stress, leading by example. Developing supportive systems for managing work effectively across multiple time zones;
13. In collaboration with the Executive Committee, ensuring that HRW has effective strategic planning and implementation processes, including the setting of annual priorities and the alignment of financial tools;
14. Instituting proper monitoring and evaluation of performance throughout the organization; and
15. Performing other tasks as may be required

Candidate Profile
The Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer (COO), reporting to the Executive Director (ED), will be a purpose-driven executive and critical strategic and operational partner, working closely alongside the Deputy Executive Director, Chief Program Officer, to lead organizational and cultural change in service of HRW’s mission.
While the ED will remain primarily externally and strategically focused—serving as the face, voice, and mission driver for HRW—the COO will bring 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.

IDEAL EXPERIENCE
1. 15 plus years of executive-level leadership in for-profit or non-profit organizations of comparable scale and complexity.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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 and problem-solving skills.
5. Proven experience in leading and motivating a diverse, high-performing workforce to achieve ambitious goals. Demonstrated cultural sensitivity and a strong track record of building effective relationships across geographies.
6. Deep, genuine commitment to the mission of human rights.

CRITICAL LEADERSHIP CAPABILITIES

Strategic Leadership
1. Under the direction of the Executive Director, advances organizational change by partnering with the Executive Committee, senior leadership, and members of the Board of Directors to create realistic, measurable, and clearly articulated goals aligned with strategic priorities.
2. Brings an innovative and data-driven approach to problem-solving that builds resilience in processes, ensures predictability, and encourages transparency, teamwork, and accountability.
3. Identifies and communicates strategic risks in a continually evolving, geopolitical environment.
4. Analyzes the programmatic and operational activities and functions of the organization and, in conjunction with the management team, develops opportunities to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization.

Driving Results
1. Communicates the executive leadership’s vision and strategy with enthusiasm and passion, frequently addressing long-term goals to reinforce the bigger picture and reviewing progress with both team members and leadership.
2. Incorporates best-in-class processes that deliver sustainable and significant productivity, leading by example, and driving results through transparent and consistent leadership.
3. Successfully balances the achievement of short-term goals with the advancement of long-term priorities and objectives to sustain organizational momentum; adaptable in complex, evolving situations, adjusts scope as needed and embraces change with agility and comfort amid ambiguity.
4. Identifies strategic changes and develops implementation plans that achieve buy-in across the organization.

People Leadership and Organizational Impact
1. Models the HRW’s values and norms, drawing on extensive experience to ensure the highest operational and management standards consistent with best practices for large, complex, international organizations.
2. Sets clear goals and fosters a culture that celebrates positive change and innovation, engaging others through thoughtful engagement and leadership.
3. Motivates, inspires, and mentors their teams, with a strong understanding of capability and potential, creating an environment to foster professional development for employees and promote individual growth.
4. Demonstrates respect for diversity in people, ideas, and backgrounds; promotes an organizational culture of diversity, equity and inclusion, managing performance in a fair, consistent, and transparent manner.
5. Cultivates energy, enthusiasm, commitment, and accountability among staff, creating a collaborative and motivating environment that strengthens organizational effectiveness.
6. Engages others in open dialogue, encourages constructive debate, actively listens, and adapts approach to influence diverse constituents in ways that address their interests and concerns.

LOCATION AND COMPENSATION
The position will be located in one of HRW’s global offices, with a strong preference for New York, Washington D.C., and London. Regardless of location, we anticipate that this role will require significant travel.

The estimated compensation for this position if based in the United States is $340,000 – 375,000. Compensation ranges in other locations vary according to the local market. Additionally, HRW offers comprehensive Total Rewards package.

Actual salary range will be dependent on the individual’s skills, experience, qualifications, and other relevant factors.

How to Apply or Nominate Candidates: If you wish to submit application materials or nominate someone to serve as the next Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of Human Rights Watch, please email: HRWCOO@SpencerStuart.com.

Human Rights Watch is strong because it is diverse. We actively seek a diverse applicant pool and encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply. Human Rights Watch does not discriminate on the basis of ability, age, gender identity and expression, national origin, race and ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or criminal record. We welcome all kinds of diversity. Our employees include people who are parents and nonparents, the self-taught and university educated, and from a wide span of socio-economic backgrounds and perspectives on the world. Human Rights Watch is an equal opportunity employer.

Human Rights Watch is an international human rights monitoring and advocacy organization known for its in-depth investigations, its incisive and timely reporting, its innovative and high-profile advocacy campaigns, and its success in changing the human rights-related policies and practices of influential governments and international institutions.