The Chief Operating Officer (COO) is a key member of the Senior Leadership Team. You will be responsible for driving operational excellence across the organization and ensuring that Shamiri continues to scale with quality, sustainability, and innovation. You will translate vision into execution, ensuring day-to-day operations and long-term strategy are aligned. You will oversee internal systems and infrastructure, service delivery, earned revenue operations (including clinics and the Shamiri Academy), and cross-functional teams. You are a strategic thinker, systems builder, and collaborative leader who thrives in dynamic environments and brings rigor and heart to execution.

Roles and responsibilities:

Organizational Leadership & Strategic Execution

• Serve as a thought partner to the CEO and Head of Growth and Strategy in translating vision into actionable operational plans.
• Lead annual and quarterly strategic planning processes, ensuring alignment across departments and measurable progress toward goals.
• Drive cross-functional priorities and change management efforts to support Shamiri’s growth and strategic repositioning.

Day-to-Day Operations Management

• Manage the organization’s daily operations, ensuring efficient coordination and execution across all teams.
• Oversee internal workflows and optimize systems and tools to drive operational effectiveness and scalability.
• Identify and resolve operational bottlenecks and cross-functional challenges swiftly.

Service Delivery and Program Management

• Oversee the implementation and delivery of Shamiri’s core programs and services, maintaining high quality and fidelity.
• Integrate and align service delivery across school-based programs, clinics, and digital platforms.
• Continuously monitor program KPIs, refine delivery models, and promote operational learning and adaptation.

Operational Systems and Infrastructure

• Design and maintain systems for project management, internal coordination, and cross-team communication.
• Introduce and scale technology and data tools that improve visibility, performance tracking, and decision-making.
• Build and oversee contingency and risk management systems for operations continuity.

People and Culture Development

• Co-lead the People function, working closely with the Senior Associate (People) to build and retain high-performing teams.
• Champion Shamiri’s values and culture, fostering an environment of accountability, equity, and belonging.
• Lead talent development, performance management, and succession planning initiatives.

Earned Revenue and Business Operations

• Oversee operations of revenue-generating arms (Shamiri Clinics and Shamiri Academy), ensuring efficiency, quality, and growth.
• Align business operations with financial sustainability, impact, and customer experience goals.
• Coordinate with strategy, product, and finance teams to drive growth of earned revenue streams.

Financial and Administrative Oversight

• Partner with the CFO to oversee budgeting, cost management, and financial performance across the organization.
• Ensure compliance with financial and administrative policies, as well as donor and legal requirements.
• Approve major operational contracts and lead negotiations with key vendors and service providers.

Performance Monitoring and Reporting

• Define, track, and report on KPIs across all functional areas, ensuring transparency and accountability.
• Produce regular updates and reports for the CEO and Board on operational performance, risks, and progress.
• Build systems for real-time data access and decision-support across the leadership team.

Who we’re looking for:

• 7+ years of senior operations, general management, or COO-level experience in a high-growth, impact-oriented organization.
• Proven experience leading strategy execution and cross-functional teams.
• Deep understanding of nonprofit and/or social enterprise operations, including compliance, HR, and financial systems.
• Demonstrated success scaling systems and teams while maintaining quality and organizational culture.
• Strategic thinker with exceptional execution skills and a strong bias for action.
• Outstanding interpersonal and leadership skills with the ability to inspire and align diverse teams.
• Strong data literacy and ability to make decisions using performance metrics.
• East Africa experience or familiarity with comparable contexts preferred.