Chief Operating Officer

Job Description

Job Description

The Academy of Rome is seeking a COO to join their team. This new hire serves as the principal executive responsible for day-to-day financial management and operations of the institution, ensuring efficient, compliant, and mission-aligned execution of all support functions.

The COO is a trusted strategic leader reporting directly to the President & CEO and partners with the Executive Leadership Team. The COO manages strategic execution across financial, operational, and administrative domains and oversees eight direct reports spanning seven departments.

This position requires bilingual and cross-cultural fluency, exceptional management skills, and expertise in financial operations and administration. Our client is a residential institute for advanced work in the arts and humanities. Beyond its core academic mission, the Academy also operates as a hotel accommodating approximately 100 people each night, a restaurant serving about 80 people twice daily during the week, a historic property on 11 acres subject to oversight by two landmarks commissions, and one of Rome’s premier venues for events and rentals.

The COO will ensure that this multifaceted institution functions as an efficient and strategically managed organization. Success in the role will be defined by improved organizational performance, operational strength and effectiveness, and effective strategic execution. The COO will oversee the daily operations of the Academy, lead and implement institutional change, bring deep business and financial expertise to the senior management team, and serve as both a complement to the President and CEO and a close partner in advancing the Academy’s mission and long-term sustainability. The COO is responsible for the operational and financial management of the Academy, not its intellectual or academic direction. That responsibility remains with the Rome Director. By placing operations in the COO’s portfolio, the Academy frees the Director to focus more fully on shaping the intellectual life of the institution.

Key Responsibilities

1. Executive and Organizational Leadership

Serve as a key member of the Executive Leadership Team (ELT), which meets regularly to align on strategy, advise the President and CEO, coordinate cross-departmental priorities, and strengthen the Academy’s overall effectiveness.

Manage alignment and execution of AAR’s operational systems with its mission, programs, and long-term strategic goals.

Lead and establish policy and protocols for high-quality and efficient operations within a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement across the organization.

Represent the Academy internally at Board meetings, meals with Fellows and visitors, and externally with stakeholders, partners, and counterparts in both Italy and the U.S.

2. Financial Management

Serve as the chief financial steward of the Academy, acting as a strategic partner to the President and ELT to ensure the Academy’s short- and long-term financial health, sustainability, and capacity for strategic growth.

Manage the Finance function, overseeing budgeting, forecasting, multi-year financial planning, reporting, cash flow management, and audit processes.

Oversee the endowment through regular communication with the institution’s outside investment advisors.

Ensure compliance with all applicable U.S. and Italian laws and regulations, including maintenance of tax-exempt status in both countries.

Bring international experience with U.S. GAAP and other accounting standards, ensuring compliant, transparent financial management across currencies, transactions, and jurisdictions.

Advise and liaise with key Board committees—Audit, Compensation, Executive, Finance, Investment, and Plant, Planning & Preservation—providing clear, timely financial analysis, risk assessments, and strategic recommendations.

Manage relationships with external auditors, investment advisors, and other financial partners to safeguard assets and optimize returns in line with mission and risk tolerance.

3. General Operations & Compliance

Manage daily operations and strategy of Finance, Facilities, Residential Life, Sustainable Food Program, HR, and IT.

Ensure compliance with Italian and U.S. laws and regulations governing non-profit organizations.

Maintain and update institutional policies, including risk management, insurance, contracting, and legal compliance across both countries.

Oversee the Academy’s contractual relationship with Janus S.r.l., the entity leasing Villa Aurelia, to ensure well-managed operations and fiscal accountability.

Partner in guiding and executing on institutional planning, including strategic planning, KPIs, and performance tracking.

Develop and maintain internal controls to safeguard assets and institutional integrity.

4. Facilities, Residential Life & Campus Management

Oversee the high-quality operation and preservation of AAR’s historic campus, including residential facilities, gardens, kitchen/dining services, and common areas.

Lead the Residential Life team to ensure the highest standards in housing, dining, and hospitality for Fellows, Residents, Visiting Artists/Scholars, Trustees, and Guests. This includes managing room quality and upkeep, occupancy logistics, dining services, and the operational details that underpin a seamless residential experience, distinct from the programmatic and intellectual dimensions led by the Programs team.

Ensure security, health, and safety protocols are observed across campus.

Supervise capital improvements, renovations, and routine maintenance within the priorities of strategic planning.

In collaboration with the Director, oversee the Sustainable Food Program. Where the Director has primary responsibility for the intersection of food and programming, the COO has primary responsibility for staffing, costs, and materials.

5. Human Resources & Staff Development

Lead strategic workforce planning, employee relations, performance management, and staff development across departments.

Recruit, develop, and retain high-performing staff across operational and administrative functions; exercise authority in hiring and separation decisions in alignment with institutional policies and culture.

Ensure equitable and transparent HR policies, compliant with U.S. and Italian labor law and relevant international best practices.

Cultivate an organizational culture that reflects AAR’s values of intellectual courage, excellence without elitism, civic responsibility, Roman roots, collaboration and exchange, and stewardship of the future.

Manage payroll, contracts, benefits administration, and legal compliance in collaboration with external service providers.

6. Technology & Systems

Manage strategic development of IT infrastructure, including systems support for administration, programs, risk management, and communications.

Ensure data security and continuity of operations across platforms (finance, HR, digital archives, library systems).

Align digital tools with staff and fellow/resident needs; support innovation in remote and hybrid program delivery.

7. External Engagement & Institutional Stewardship

Act as liaison with legal counsel, government offices in both the U.S. and Italy, vendors, and other institutions as needed.

Represent AAR’s interests in operational matters with authorities, contractors, and external stakeholders in both geographies.

Support special projects and strategic initiatives as delegated by the President.

Preferred Qualifications

10+ years of senior operational and finance leadership experience in nonprofit and/or for-profit organizations, ideally with cross-border responsibilities.

Strong background in financial management, strategic planning, compliance, and risk management in a multinational context.

Fluency in English required; proficiency in Italian strongly preferred.

Experience leading and managing cross-functional teams and working across cultures.

Demonstrated ability to manage complex budgets, capital projects, and internal systems.

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; tactful, discerning, strategic, consensus-builder, and collaborative.