Chief Operations Officer (COO)

About the University Co-op:

NOT-FOR-PROFIT & INDEPENDENT SINCE 1896. EVERY PENNY OF PROFIT DIRECTLY BENEFITS COURSE MATERIAL SCHOLARSHIPS!

Founded in 1896, The Co-op’s original mission was to address the rising cost of course materials for Longhorn students. Staying true to the original mission and vision set by future UT President, Dr. William J. Battle, today the Co-op envisions a world in which the cost of course materials never prevents a single student from attending or graduating from The University of Texas at Austin.

Position Summary:

The Chief Operating Officer is an exempt role and oversees the day-to-day operations of the University Co-op's business and ensures that the operations are consistently aligned with the company's objectives. Reports directly to the President and CEO. They encourage and provide mentoring to ensure the development of a high performance team. The top accountabilities aligned with this role are leading, managing and holding people accountable (LMA); building and managing an effective organizational structure, providing leadership and mentoring to maintain high performance, managing daily operations; oversee the day-to-day operations to ensure everything runs smoothly and aligns with the company's objectives, assess and mitigate risks; identify and manage the main risks associated with business operations to protect the organization, drive business performance; set goals for sales, profitability, and growth, and motivate the team to achieve and exceed these targets, and implement strategies; design and execute business strategies and processes to improve performance, reduce costs, and enhance overall efficiency.

Key Competencies for Success:

Asset Management, Visioning & Alignment, Business Acumen, Ensuring Accountability, Nurturing Innovation, Organizational Awareness, Communication, Managing Resources

Key Accountabilities & Achievements:

1. Oversee the day-to-day operations of the University Co-op.
2. Assess and manage the principal risks of the organization's business operations.
3. Build and manage an organizational structure that effectively responds to the evolving needs of the business, and ensure that all day-to-day operations are consistently aligned with organizational objectives.
4. Encourage and provide mentoring and effective leadership as a cornerstone for maintaining effective work relationships and a high performance management team.
5. Motivate the company to achieve and surpass sales, profitability, cash flow, and business goals and objectives.
6. Design and implement business strategies, plans, and procedures.
7. Set comprehensive goals for performance and growth.
8. Ensure that functional teams have adequate governance processes in place.
9. Recommend and implement strategies for enhanced business performance through cost reduction, capacity increase, or quality improvement.
10. Enable the efficient and effective running of the organization and relieve the CEO of day-to-day operating concerns.

Knowledge, Abilities & Experience for Success:

1. Business / Commerce (Bachelor's degree) or Business Administration (Bachelor's degree) or Finance (Bachelor's degree).
2. Minimum three years of experience leading operations.
3. Business planning, finance, project management.

Physical Demands:

1. Substantial movements (motion) of the wrist, hands, and/or fingers in a repetitive manner.
2. Manual dexterity sufficient to reach/handle items and work with the fingers.
3. Close vision (clear vision at 20 inches or less); distance vision (clear vision at 20 feet or more); color vision (ability to identify and distinguish colors).
4. Continuous sitting, standing, walking, using stairs, hearing, talking, bending, crouching, and working closely with others.
5. Exerting up to 50 pounds (up to 100 pounds via dolly) of force occasionally to lift, carry, pull, or otherwise move objects.

Work Environment:

1. Well-lighted, heated and/or air-conditioned indoor retail environment.
2. Indoor and outdoor work environment with occasional exposure to moving mechanical parts, fumes, or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals and outside weather.
3. Potential for travel to industry conferences as needed.

Please note that this role profile is not intended to provide an exhaustive list of competencies, accountabilities, and achievements required of the team member in this role.

Our commitment to equal opportunity employment (EOE) extends to all aspects of the employment relationship, including recruitment, hiring, promotion, transfer, disciplinary action, layoff, training, and benefits. We strive to provide a work environment free from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.