Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Cedar Strong Prevention & Intervention Society
Location: Hope, British Columbia
Position: Permanent, Full-Time | On-site
Salary: $90,000–$105,000 per year
Reports to: Executive Director
Direct Reports: Manager of Housing, Manager of Programs, Manager of Outreach Services, and Manager of Youth & Family Services
About Cedar Strong
Cedar Strong is a non-profit organization serving individuals and families in Hope, BC, and surrounding communities. Our work is grounded in trauma-informed, client-centred, prevention-focused, and culturally safe practice. We promote safety, dignity, belonging, and connection while recognizing the strengths and knowledge of the people we serve.
We acknowledge that our work takes place on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Stó:lō and Nlaka’pamux peoples, and approach our relationships with humility and respect.
The Opportunity
Cedar Strong is seeking an experienced, relational, and strategic Chief Operating Officer to lead effective, consistent, and sustainable operations across our housing, outreach, and youth and family programs.
Working alongside the Executive Director, the COO will translate strategy into practical action, strengthen organizational systems, and provide managers with the direction and support needed to lead their teams through growth and change.
A key priority is helping managers use program, operational, and outcome data to identify trends, improve services, and measure progress. The COO will bring information across programs together and communicate clear insights to leadership, the Board, funders, and community partners, demonstrating both measurable results and the human impact of our work.
This opportunity suits a leader who balances people, service quality, financial stewardship, and organizational accountability while staying connected to the realities of community-based service delivery.
Key Responsibilities
Strategy & Partnerships
- Work with the Executive Director to implement the strategic plan and establish program priorities, operational plans, and measurable goals.
- Identify emerging needs, service gaps, risks, and opportunities, and provide informed recommendations to leadership and the Board.
- Build relationships with funders, government agencies, and community partners, and represent Cedar Strong in collaborative initiatives.
- Assume leadership responsibilities on behalf of the Executive Director when required.
Programs & Manager Development
- Supervise, mentor, and guide program managers, strengthening their leadership, communication, coaching, and accountability.
- Oversee program development, delivery, monitoring, and evaluation.
- Ensure services align with organizational values, service models, policies, and funding requirements.
- Support managers with complex program, client-care, and case-management matters.
- Strengthen coordinated, trauma-informed, culturally safe, client- and family-centred services across programs and partner agencies.
Performance, Data & Communication
- Develop practical performance measures, benchmarks, and outcome-reporting approaches with managers.
- Combine information across programs to assess organizational performance, service gaps, and capacity pressures.
- Coach managers to interpret data and use findings to guide decisions, improve services, and strengthen accountability.
- Translate complex information into clear reports and presentations for managers, leadership, the Board, funders, and partners.
- Communicate organizational impact through measurable results and meaningful narrative.
- Strengthen consistent reporting practices and the effective use of dashboards and reporting tools.
Operations, Finance & Risk
- Work with the Executive Director to develop and monitor program budgets, grants, and reporting requirements.
- Ensure compliance with funding agreements, contracts, organizational policies, and applicable legislative and regulatory requirements.
- Strengthen operational standards, quality assurance, risk management, and coordination across facilities.
- Support long-term sustainability and provide leadership during urgent operational situations.
People, Culture & Change
- Develop managers’ capacity to lead teams, communicate expectations, coach employees, and address performance concerns consistently.
- Collaborate with Human Resources to identify staffing structures, leadership competencies, and training needs that support organizational goals.
- Lead hiring, evaluation, development, performance management, and, where necessary, discipline of program managers and coordinators in collaboration with HR.
- Support timely employee- and labour-relations processes, consistent policies, and occupational health and safety practices.
- Translate organizational changes into practical implementation plans with clear responsibilities, timelines, and communication.
- Support managers and teams through change by seeking feedback, addressing barriers, and monitoring progress.
- Promote respect, collaboration, safety, and employee wellness in emotionally demanding work.
Qualifications & Experience
- Five to seven years of related experience in programs serving people experiencing mental-health concerns, substance use, physical-health issues, homelessness, or other complex circumstances.
- At least three years of program leadership experience, including responsibility for staff, funding, budgeting, planning, policy, labour relations, and employee relations.
- Experience supporting teams, developing managers, and overseeing complex programs.
- Knowledge of trauma-informed, client- and family-centred practice; the housing continuum; BC health-care and social-service systems; and BC Housing programs and processes.
- Knowledge of program evaluation, continuous improvement, grants, funder reporting, and operational accountability.
- Strong analytical, financial, organizational, communication, and presentation skills.
- Comfort working in a rural or close-knit community.
- Post-secondary education in social work, human services, non-profit leadership, public or business administration, or a related field is preferred. An equivalent combination of education, training, professional and leadership experience, and relevant lived experience will be considered.
Preferred Experience
- Senior leadership or executive experience in a non-profit or community-service organization.
- Supporting organizational growth and change.
- Helping managers develop and use performance indicators, benchmarks, outcome-reporting frameworks and benchmarks to guide decisions and improve services.
- Bringing information across programs together to identify trends, service gaps, and organizational priorities.
- Translating program and operational data into into clear reports and presentations for managers, leadership, Boards, funders, and community partners.
- Communicating organizational impact through measurable outcomes and meaningful narrative.
- Working with dashboards, reporting tools, or human-services, housing, and case-management databases.
Leadership Approach
You lead with empathy, clarity, consistency, and accountability. You build trust, develop managers, resolve conflict, and turn strategy into practical action. You bring sound judgment, discretion, and calm decision-making to complex situations, along with a commitment to cultural humility, inclusion, and continuous learning.
Working Conditions
This full-time, on-site position is based in Hope, BC, with regular engagement across programs and community settings. Flexibility is required for occasional evening or weekend work.
A valid Class 5 BC driver’s licence and access to reliable transportation are required.
Following a conditional offer of employment, the successful candidate must complete a criminal record check, including vulnerable sector screening.
How to Apply
Submit your résumé and cover letter through Indeed or email hr@cedarstrong.org.
Please describe how your experience aligns with this role. We welcome examples of developing managers, overseeing community-service programs, using data to guide decisions, communicating organizational results, managing budgets and funding requirements, building partnerships, or leading change.
Applications will be reviewed as received. The posting may remain open until a suitable candidate is identified.
Inclusive Recruitment
Cedar Strong is committed to respectful, equitable, and inclusive employment practices. We welcome qualified applicants with diverse backgrounds, identities, perspectives, experiences, and ways of knowing.
Thank you for your interest. Only candidates selected to advance in the recruitment process will be contacted.
