Chief Operations Officer

Description

Position Overview

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) serves as a key executive leader responsible for ensuring that Change Church operates with excellence, efficiency, compliance, and disciplined execution. Overseeing Operations, Human Resources, Information Technology, and Security, the COO leads the systems, infrastructure, and teams that enable a healthy, scalable, multi-campus ministry.

Reporting directly to the Lead Pastor, the COO translates vision into strategy, strategy into systems, and systems into results. This leader ensures organizational execution runs with clarity, accountability, and consistency removing bottlenecks, strengthening communication, mitigating risk, and building structures that support sustainable growth.

The COO serves as the architect of organizational effectiveness, continually evaluating systems, structures, workflows, and resource allocation to identify inefficiencies, eliminate waste, and improve execution. This leader creates operational clarity across all campuses by establishing standardized processes, scalable infrastructure, and measurable accountability systems that enable ministry growth without organizational complexity.

The COO serves as a guardian of organizational standards, accountability, and healthy culture. This leader is responsible for ensuring that decisions are executed, expectations are upheld, and difficult organizational issues are addressed with both grace and firmness. The COO provides the courage, clarity, and consistency necessary to protect the mission, people, and long-term health of the organization.

Core Competencies

• Strategic Leadership: Able to translate vision into actionable plans, ensuring organizational alignment with the Lead Pastor’s direction and long-term goals.
• Operational Excellence: Skilled in designing, optimizing, and managing systems that improve efficiency, accountability, and resource stewardship.
• Technology & Systems Integration: Skilled in evaluating, implementing, and optimizing systems, software, and IT tools that support organizational function and multi-campus coordination.
• Courageous Accountability & Organizational Leadership: Demonstrated ability to make difficult decisions, address performance and organizational challenges directly, uphold standards consistently, and lead difficult conversations with wisdom, fairness, and conviction while preserving relationships whenever possible.
• Process Improvement & Organizational Effectiveness: Demonstrated ability to identify operational inefficiencies, eliminate waste, redesign workflows, and build scalable systems, SOPs, and accountability structures that improve organizational performance across multiple campuses.
• Executive Collaboration: Demonstrated ability to partner with executive and pastoral leaders to balance ministry and business priorities.
• Expansion & Infrastructure Development: Experience leading operational planning for campus expansion, capital projects, and ministry growth initiatives.

Character Traits

• Integrity & Accountability: Operates with transparency, humility, and consistency in word and action.
• Vision-Driven & Strategic: Thinks long-term while managing immediate execution.
• Wise & Discerning: Balances business acumen with spiritual insight and sound judgment.
• Empowering & Relational: Builds trust and develops others through encouragement, coaching, and accountability.
• Courageous & Decisive: Leads confidently through complexity, addresses difficult situations directly, and makes timely decisions that protect the health and effectiveness of the organization
• Servant-Leader: Models humility, empathy, and a genuine heart for ministry and people.

Spiritual Responsibilities

• Uncompromised commitment to Change Church's vision, values, core beliefs and statement of faith.
• Agree to be an active participant in Change Church's ministry.
• Be a born-again Christian who conducts affairs in accordance with the Bible and maintains a lifestyle consistent with the Scriptures.
• Understand that in this role, you are a critical part of Change Church's mission to help change people's lives with the Gospel so that they can change the world, and that part of your responsibilities as a church employee includes being considered a spiritual leader in the church.
• Commit to pray for the first family, leadership, and membership of Change Church.
• Lead in generosity to the church through consistent giving of tithe and offerings.
• Champion, support, and advocate for the vision of the church.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

General Expectations:

• Serve in excellence by being early and prepared for all scheduled meetings.
• Establish and foster an exemplary relationship with staff, volunteers, church members, and the community at large.
• Demonstrate a servant’s heart with a willingness to perform additional duties as needs arise.

Strategic Leadership & Organizational Vision

• Partner with the Lead Pastor and Executive Team to establish organizational priorities
• Translate strategic goals into executable operational plans
• Ensure organizational structure, staffing, and systems support sustainable growth
• Establish performance expectations and accountability frameworks across departments
• Monitor organizational health metrics and drive continuous improvement

Operational Systems, Workflows & Process Optimization

• Design and implement workflows that create clarity, eliminate duplication, and ensure consistency across campuses
• Build, document, and maintain SOPs for all core operational functions
• Establish operational rhythm including reporting cadence, decision pathways, and execution checkpoints
• Conduct regular operational audits to identify inefficiencies and resource waste
• Implement scalable systems designed to support future growth
• Train leaders and staff on systems, workflows, and operational standards
• Lead continuous process improvement initiatives across all operational functions.
• Identify and eliminate inefficiencies, redundancies, bottlenecks, and unnecessary expenditures.
• Establish organization-wide standards for process documentation, workflow mapping, and operational accountability.
• Create scalable operational frameworks that ensure consistency across all campuses while allowing for campus-specific needs.
• Evaluate operational effectiveness through metrics, reporting, and performance analysis, implementing improvements as needed.

Organizational Effectiveness & Continuous Improvement

• Champion a culture of operational excellence and continuous improvement throughout the organization.
• Lead organizational assessments to identify opportunities for increased effectiveness, stewardship, and scalability.
• Develop key operational metrics and dashboards that provide visibility into organizational performance.
• Facilitate process redesign initiatives that improve staff productivity, communication, and execution.
• Ensure operational systems evolve alongside organizational growth and strategic priorities.

Information Technology (IT) Leadership & Infrastructure Oversight

• Oversee IT operations ensuring secure, reliable, and scalable infrastructure
• Ensure adoption and optimization of HRIS, CRM, project management, and communication systems
• Establish IT policies related to security, access, data integrity, and device management
• Manage IT vendor relationships and technology investments
• Support the implementation of tools that enhance efficiency and collaboration

Ministry Expansion, Facilities & Capital Projects

• Provide executive leadership for operational planning related to campus expansion and building projects
• Partner with executive leadership to assess feasibility, timelines, and resource requirements
• Oversee cross-functional coordination for capital initiatives
• Establish governance structures, milestones, and accountability for large projects
• Ensure expansion efforts are operationally sustainable and financially responsible

Organizational Efficiency & Human Capital Excellence

• Oversee HR functions to ensure alignment between people strategy and organizational goals
• Implement systems that clarify roles, expectations, and workflows
• Attract, develop, and retain high-performing staff
• Strengthen leadership development pathways aligned with H7 values and Third Way leadership
• Foster a culture of collaboration, excellence, and accountability

Multi-Site Operational Leadership & Cross-Campus Alignment

• Strengthen communication and coordination across campuses and departments.
• Partner with Campus Pastors and ministry leaders to provide operational solutions.
• Ensure operational excellence supports guest and member experience.
• Establish operational standards that create consistency across all campuses while preserving ministry effectiveness.
• Ensure policies, systems, workflows, and operational expectations are implemented uniformly across locations.
• Facilitate operational collaboration between campus leadership and central support teams.
• Identify opportunities to centralize functions, leverage shared resources, and improve organizational efficiency across campuses.
• Ensure incident reporting, escalation, and resolution processes are followed consistently

Additional Responsibilities

Other related duties as assigned.

Supervisor Responsibilities:

• Director of Operations
• Director of IT
• Executive Director of Human Resources
• Director of Security
• Director of Organizational Effectiveness

Pay Transparency Notice: At Change Church Inc, we value transparency in compensation. The target annual rate for this position ranges from $140,000.00 to $160,000, based on relevant experience, qualifications, skills, and work location.

We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes, but is not limited to:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Health Savings Account (HSA) options
• 401(k) retirement plan
• Paid time off (PTO)
• Paid holidays

Equal Employment Commitment:
Change Church Inc is an equal opportunity employer.

Applicant Rights & Required Notices 

Requirements

The ideal candidate is a seasoned executive leader who thrives at the intersection of ministry and operations. They possess the strategic mindset to help shape the future of the organization while also having the operational discipline to ensure execution, accountability, and results.

This leader has successfully guided organizations through growth, increasing complexity, and organizational change. They understand how to build systems, develop leaders, improve processes, steward resources, and create organizational clarity without losing sight of people and culture.

The successful candidate will be equally comfortable navigating executive strategy, operational execution, financial stewardship, team development, risk management, and difficult conversations. They possess the wisdom to lead with grace, the courage to uphold standards, and the discernment to make decisions that protect the long-term health and mission of the organization.

Most importantly, they have a demonstrated passion for ministry and a commitment to leveraging their leadership gifts to advance the mission of the local church.Qualifications & Requirements

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Organizational Leadership, Operations Management, Human Resources, Nonprofit Management, Ministry Leadership, or a related field required.
• Master's degree preferred (MBA, MPA, Organizational Leadership, Nonprofit Leadership, Ministry Leadership, or related discipline).

Experience

• Minimum of 10 years of progressive leadership experience in operations, administration, organizational leadership, or executive management.
• Minimum of 5 years of senior leadership experience overseeing multiple departments, leaders, or major organizational functions.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex organizations, multi-site operations, or large-scale operational environments.
• Proven experience developing and implementing organizational systems, workflows, policies, and accountability structures.
• Experience leading organizational change, process improvement initiatives, and strategic projects.
• Experience managing budgets, resource allocation, vendor relationships, and operational planning.
• Experience leading and developing high-performing teams and organizational leaders.
• Must have experience leading organizations through growth, organizational change, increasing complexity, and operational scaling.
• Minimum of 5 years of leadership experience within a church, ministry, faith-based nonprofit, or comparable mission-driven organization required.
• Demonstrated understanding of the unique challenges of ministry leadership, volunteer cultures, pastoral leadership environments, and mission-driven organizations.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong strategic planning and organizational leadership capabilities.
• Demonstrated ability to translate vision into executable strategies, systems, and measurable outcomes.
• Exceptional project management and execution skills.
• Strong financial acumen with the ability to evaluate budgets, operational performance, resource utilization, and organizational stewardship.
• Knowledge of organizational compliance, risk management, governance, and operational best practices.
• Strong negotiation, conflict resolution, and decision-making abilities.
• Ability to lead difficult conversations, address organizational challenges, and uphold standards with both grace and accountability.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to build alignment and influence across multiple departments, campuses, and stakeholder groups.
• High level of discretion and ability to handle confidential and sensitive information.
• Demonstrated ability to balance ministry priorities with operational excellence and business discipline.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience serving as a Chief Operating Officer, Executive Director, Executive Pastor, Vice President, Director of Operations, or equivalent executive leadership role.
• Experience supporting a founder-led, visionary-led, or rapidly growing organization.
• Experience overseeing Human Resources, Information Technology, Security, Facilities, Risk Management, or Organizational Development functions.
• Experience leading campus expansion projects, facility initiatives, organizational restructuring, or operational scaling efforts.
• Experience implementing enterprise software platforms, operational systems, or organizational technology initiatives.
• Experience leading multi-campus ministry operations.
• Experience serving in an organization with 100+ employees and significant volunteer engagement.

Preferred Certifications

• Project Management Professional (PMP)
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt
• SHRM-SCP, SHRM-CP, SPHR, or PHR
• Organizational Development, Change Management, or Process Improvement certifications