Chief Operating Officer

Description

Organization Information 

GrowNYC is a 54-year-old environmental nonprofit organization helping more than 3 million New Yorkers by providing essential services and taking action to make NYC a livable city, one where every person can enjoy a healthier, more sustainable life. GrowNYC Programs include: 

• Our network of Greenmarkets, Farmstands, and the work of GrowNYC Wholesale ensure that all New Yorkers have access to the freshest, healthiest local food. 
• We build and support community and school gardens through volunteer days, technical assistance, training, grants and more. 
• We provide 70,000 children each year with programs that provide meaningful interactions with the natural environment. 

Position Summary 

The Chief Operating Officer will oversee operations for the programs at GrowNYC such as Education, Recycling and Waste Reduction, Food Access and Agriculture and Green Space. The COO will lead the organization’s strategic and ongoing planning processes and the organization’s execution of those plans, operationalizing best practices in management systems, including appropriate integration and collaboration of teams and functional areas, to ensure strong organizational performance to meet goals. The COO collaborates with senior management to ensure operational success. 

Requirements

Responsibilities (include but are not limited to):

Staff Management 

• Lead employees to encourage maximum performance and dedication.
• Work with directors to oversee the management of the programs and operations team, including hiring, training, workflow, KPIs, individual work plans, etc.
• Conduct individual and team staff meetings.
• Collaborate with HR on employee matters as needed.

Budget & Fiscal Management 

• Support the Director of Finance to develop the annual budget, meet budget goals, review financial performance, and improve program budgeting and reporting practices.
• Work with the Directors to provide fiscally sound management of operations budget through responsible oversight and data-driven financial decision making.

Operations and Administration 

• Establish policies that promote organization's efficiency and effectiveness while maintaining a keen eye on mission, culture, and vision.
• Closely oversee daily operations of the organization to ensure optimal performance.
• Anticipate operational disruptions and work collaboratively with Safety and Risk Management Senior Advisor to establish best practices.
• Prepare and facilitate weekly operations meetings with directors and program managers to coordinate communications and logistics amongst market staff. 
• Visit sites on a rotational basis to assess quality of operations.
• Assist CEO in fundraising ventures.
• Work closely with the Development Team to ensure alignment of programs and funding opportunities and to support the involvement of program leaders in fundraising.
• Evaluate performance by analyzing and interpreting data and metrics.
• Maintain up-to-date information about the organization’s operations and report in a timely and thorough manner.
• Always stay informed about operational trends and benchmarking. 

Required Qualifications

• 8-10 years of proven experience as a Chief Operating Officer or in a relevant role
• BSc/BA or MSc/MBA in Business Administration or relevant field 
• Industry knowledge
• Proven success leading a collaborative strategic planning process and ensuring its effective implementation
• Understanding of business functions such as HR, Finance, marketing etc.
• Demonstrable competency in strategic planning and business development
• Working knowledge of data analysis and performance/operations metrics
• Working knowledge of IT/Business infrastructure and Google Suite 
• Outstanding organizational and leadership abilities
• Excellent written and public speaking communication skills, with a desire and proven ability to communicate with people from diverse backgrounds and knowledge levels
• Aptitude in decision-making and problem-solving
• A valid NY driver’s license
• Experience with public speaking and presentations

Ideal Qualifications

• Proven experience in fundraising
• Knowledge of sustainable local agriculture/farming, food systems, food access, and/or food justice (preferred)

Schedule

The position will be expected to work primarily Monday-Friday 9am-5pm 35-40 hours per week, on-site at GrowNYC’s office in downtown Manhattan (three days). In-office presence is required every Wednesday.

Compensation

The position is an exempt and full-time, salaried position. It pays $200,000-$225,000 per year and includes full benefits (medical, dental, vision, life insurance, pet insurance, long term disability, Incentive Savings Plan, paid holidays, sick leave, PTO, commute, and FSA programs, parental leave for full-time regular employees who have been employed with GrowNYC for 175 days and FSA programs. GrowNYC is eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.) This position is managerial, not part of the bargaining unit.

Location

Minimum of 3-days office presence, including mandatory Wednesdays attendance. Field work, including periodic visits to the Hub is required. GrowNYC’s main office is located on 100 Gold Street, New York, NY and the Hub is located at 298 Halleck St Bronx, NY 10474 and participation in other employee-related events is required.

Applications

Qualified candidates for the Chief Operating Officer position should submit a cover letter, resume, and three references. 

Interviews will take place on a rolling basis. Due to the volume of employment applications received, GrowNYC is unable to respond to each application individually. Applicants will be contacted directly if selected as a candidate. No phone calls or recruiters or recruiting agencies, please. 

Application deadline is June 15th, 2026

Contact

GrowNYC 

P.O. Box 2327

New York, NY 10272

212-788-7900

For additional information, please see our website: grownyc.org 

GrowNYC is an Affirmative Action Equal Opportunity Employer and hires without regard to race, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation or physical disability.