Chief Operating Officer

This position sits on NP Strategy's leadership team and carries accountability for the firm's operational excellence by aligning shared values, and empowering staff to maximize performance. The COO is a direct extension of the CEO, serving as a partner in organizational decision-making. This individual is trusted and empowered to think strategically, anticipate what the firm will need before it becomes urgent, and protect the firm's interests and standards, even when no one is watching. This is a leadership role that requires ownership, judgement, and the credibility to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with C-suite clients and partners. Partnership with the CEO Serve as the CEO's strategic partner, working side-by-side on firm decisions. Anticipate issues, opportunities, and operational needs before they surface, including delivering a forward-looking risk and opportunity assessment to the CEO each quarter. Protect the integrity of NP Strategy's processes and standards alongside the Chief Administrative Officer, catching gaps and inconsistencies before they become problems. Serve as a trusted advisor to the CEO on personnel, client, and business matters. Increase the CEO's capacity to focus on growth by owning the operational excellence of the firm. Devote full working time and attention to NP Strategy, with responsiveness that matches the pace and stakes of the work, including same business-day turn around. Availability outside normal business hours when a situation requires it. Carry the mindset that the firm's success is a shared, ongoing responsibility and constantly staying attuned to what the firm needs. Own the firm's collective billable and collections performance, holding the team accountable to the billable and collections targets established with the CEO each year. In support of this accountability, the COO will provide input into staffing allocation and pricing decisions. Actively participate in the firm’s annual budgeting process, including setting individual production goals and billable and collections targets for members of the client-service team and monitoring performance against those targets throughout the year. Client Management Serve as a senior leader to NP Strategy clients, ensuring each engagement delivers ROI and reflects the firm's standard of excellence, including timely responses. Partner with client teams to guide strategic communications, media relations, social media engagement, and message development. Remain even-keeled under pressure, providing steady, composed leadership when a client issue or crisis demands it, including serving as a decision-maker on crisis response and approving client-facing holding statements within the timeframes the situation requires. Provide final review and sign-off on high-stakes, client-ready communications and deliverables. Set the standard for feedback and quality control across the team. Bring an executive presence and external credibility to represent the firm at the highest levels with client and partners. Team Management Serve as the human resources liaison between NP Strategy and Maynard Nexsen to include leading hiring, onboarding and performance of team members. Lead the recruitment and hiring process of new NP Strategy team members. Manage and develop NP Strategy's Vice Presidents, including regular one-on-ones and performance feedback. Serve as the operational backbone of the firm by keeping people, processes, and priorities running smoothly and ahead of schedule partnering with the Chief Administrative Officer. Provide judgement and confidence to challenge leadership’s thinking and hold firm when the operational reality may not match the desire. Easily step into ambiguous, unassigned problems and own the outcomes. Model and hold others to a deep commitment to the firm and its clients. Provide a readiness to step up whenever a client or team member needs it. Work with CEO to establish, announce and execute the annual review and comp process. Business and Firm Development Identify and secure new business opportunities. Ensure alignment across all NP Strategy branding and marketing. Serve as a partner to the team on business development, new client leads, and expansion of existing relationships. Lead cross-selling initiatives, including new project and initiative conception. Deepen relationships with Maynard Nexsen attorneys to identify opportunities for collaboration and cross-selling. Play a lead role in signing new clients, renewing client work, and expanding existing relationships annually. Represent NP Strategy in new business pitches, bringing experience and industry insight to the table. Serve as a visible, engaged leader in the community, representing the firm in a way that reflects its values. Experience and Minimum Qualifications Minimum of 15 years of professional experience in strategic communications, public affairs, public relations, or a closely related field, including at least 5 years in a senior leadership or executive role with direct profit-and-loss or operational accountability. Demonstrated experience leading and developing a team of senior professionals, including managers who themselves manage others. Demonstrated business development track record, including originating new client relationships and expanding existing ones, with measurable revenue results. Experience with budgeting, billable-hours, developing fixed fee engagements and collections management in a professional services or agency environment. Outside boards, teaching, advisory, or other compensated engagements require advance written approval from the CEO; passive investments and civic, charitable, and community involvement are permitted and encouraged. What Success Looks Like (First 12-24 Months) The CEO's day-to-day operational load is measurably lighter, with the COO owning processes and decisions that previously required CEO involvement. The "NP Strategy Way" is fully embedded across the firm. Visible in how the team delivers client work, communicates, and holds itself accountable. The firm meets or exceeds annual billable and collections goals across all markets. At least one new business line, cross-sell initiative, or significant client expansion is signed and generating revenue with a goal of signing an additional $250,000 of new revenue in the first year. Leadership team members show measurable growth in their own leadership and client-service capabilities under the COO's management. Client retention and satisfaction remain strong or improve, even as the COO takes on more senior-level client relationships. #J-18808-Ljbffr