Chief Operating Officer

About AgeOptions

AgeOptions believes that quality of life is essential to everyone, communities that care make a difference, knowledge is powerful, and good choices depend on reliable resources.

The mission of AgeOptions is to innovate, partner, and advocate to improve systems and services in order to strengthen communities so people thrive as they age.

AgeOptions is part of a national network of Area Agencies on Aging established by the federal Older Americans Act of 1965. Designated by the Illinois Department on Aging in 1974 as the Suburban Cook County Area Agency on Aging and by Administration Community Living to serve Older Adults, Caregivers, and those with disabilities. In 2006, AgeOptions adopted its current name and doubled down on its commitment to creates and sustains a variety of innovative programs that serve aging communities and older adults. Currently AgeOptions serve a diverse population of more than 480,000 older adults in 130 communities in suburban Cook County.

With a budget of over $40 million, AgeOptions provides resources to community agencies for the delivery of essential services to older persons. These include:

• Community and home delivered meals.
• Information and assistance so older persons, their families and caregivers have local, reliable and knowledgeable resource centers for information.
• Culturally appropriate services and supports for limited-English-speaking and newly arrived residents.
• Elder abuse, neglect and financial exploitation services to support older persons through local senior service agencies.
• In-home care.
• Legal assistance.
• Transportation & housing assistance.
• Respite support for family caregivers.
• Ombudsman services for older persons in long term care and assisted living facilities.
• Health promotion and disease prevention.
• Medication management.

While many of AgeOptions’ programs are concentrated in suburban Cook County, AgeOptions also leads coalitions and has direct responsibility for several programs that serve metropolitan Chicago and the entire state of Illinois. Programs initiated with AgeOptions’ support are often, in time, carried forward totally by state and local agencies. As an agency, AgeOptions is known for its innovative work, developing and testing programs, such as:

• Caring Together Living Better (CTLB) is program supporting West suburban faith- and community-based organizations providing services to support caregivers in Black and Latinx communities.
• Counseling individuals with severe economic challenges through the multifaceted Economic Security Initiative;
• Powerful video advocacy initiatives to advance support for caregivers and older adults demonstrating the importance of Older Americans Act programs to tackle major economic issues affecting older persons;
• H.O.P.E. by AgeOptions is a program supporting individuals to transition from nursing facilities to the community with person-centered advocacy and support;
• Illinois Pathways to Health which provides information and self-management skills to help individuals better manage their chronic conditions, reduce their risk of falls, improve health, and well-being through interactive workshops.
• Thrive with Pride Cafes were created to combat social isolation among LGBT+ older adults and caregivers.

To learn more about the organization’s services, visit their website.

The Opportunity

Reporting to the CEO, the Chief Operating Officer (“COO”) is an opportunity for an innovative leader to join an outstanding organization and lead a group of passionate and talented staff in the continued support of aging and older adults in Illinois.  

The COO should have a history of collaborating for success with a staff, leadership team, and suite of external partners to build on past organization achievement and foster continued development for AgeOptions. The COO will work in collaboration with the entire leadership team advancing our organizational efforts and increasing opportunities to increase revenue and funding sources.  Ensuring AgeOptions continues its work of supporting aging populations to achieve safety and security by identifying and implementing new systems, services, and policies to improve programming and internal operations efficiently and effectively. Moreover, and as part of AgeOptions’ Leadership Team, the COO will be a key participant in shaping the strategic direction of the organization, developing and executing strategy, leveraging best practices, and identifying areas of opportunity for organizational growth.

The COO and their team will lead all programming and health collaborations, assist in providing oversight of the organization’s operations including facilities/workplace, finance, HR, talent, compliance, and data technology functions. In partnership with the CEO, the COO will provide the necessary leadership, vision, and management skills to effectively lead the organization’s growth and new partnerships with health care entities. The COO will have 6 direct reports in the Core Programs and Planning, H.O.P.E. Program, Health Collaborations & Innovations, MIS and Grant Making, Finance, and HR departments.

The COO will embody AgeOptions commitment to social and racial justice and will have the character and confidence to work comfortably in a highly visible role.

The COO’s responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

• Working with Leadership Team to establish and translate organizational strategy into actionable goals for performance and growth, helping to implement organization-wide, goal setting, performance management, and annual operating planning;
• Serving as a trusted thought partner and collaborator with the CEO and Leadership Team, playing a key role in the Strategic Planning process for the agency;
• Leading efforts to identify and establish new sources for revenue that align with the organization’s mission and values;
• Collaborating with staff and senior leadership to implement the usage and tracking of key metrics and data across the organization;  
• Providing oversight to the organization's financial, administrative, public funding grant management and human resources activities;
• Implementing and maintaining strategic changes and internal systems based on data, circumstances, and sound reasoning;
• Assisting in the development and maintenance of relationships with external partners and other Area Agencies on Aging;
• Offering insight to interdepartmental initiatives while developing consultative working relationships throughout the organization; and
• Leading a high functioning team that meets and exceeds performance expectations.

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate will have the following professional and personal qualities, skills, and characteristics:

An Effective Relationship Builder and Change Manager

A resourceful coach and capable facilitator, the COO will have the ability to lead and guide their staff to both embrace and cultivate change where necessary. The COO will be skilled at listening to and learning from others with a deep belief in fostering a transparent, empowered, and productive organizational culture. They will be able to provide honest, kind and thoughtful but direct feedback to team members at all levels.  Deeply invested in staff voice, the COO will foster an atmosphere of collaboration and partnership across the organization. This empathetic leader will have a deep understanding of the issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility and will infuse these concepts and values across the organization. Culturally competent, the successful candidate will have the character and integrity necessary to develop rapport with people of varying experiences, backgrounds, and philosophies.

A Strategic and Visionary Leader

This leader will have the ability to build specific strategies focused on the achievement of outcomes and long-term strategic goals to position the organization’s internal systems for the future. The COO will possess an acute level of foresight with the ability to forecast for the future and proactively shift strategic goals as needed. They will be highly strategic, setting priorities decisively but collaboratively, delegating responsibilities, ensuring accountability, and effectively allocating resources to ensure results. A great listener and sound problem solver with excellent reasoning skills, this executive has the ability to understand and deal with complexities with ease and creatively overcome obstacles to achieve goals.

A Strong Program Evaluator and Team Builder

A proven leader, the COO will make a significant contribution to ensuring that AgeOptions programs operate efficiently and effectively. The COO will possess a strong orientation towards collaboration and a proven ability to use metrics to drive cohesive operational, programmatic, and quality decisions. An essential quality the COO will possess is the ability to develop program goals around inputs and outcomes. This capable leader will demonstrate proven experience translating programmatic goals into overall strategic planning and systems, and will be constantly mindful of the relationship of present realities and AgeOptions’ future. A natural top priority for the COO will be to expand opportunities to increase revenue, such as fee-for-service opportunities, corporate partnerships, and other funding sources. This leader will have the ability to conceptualize and analyze problems and solutions in a proactive, constructive, and collaborative manner in order to improve performance across all AgeOptions programming to maximize the impact on individuals, families, and communities served. Implementing strategies aimed at creating a culture of learning and quality improvement will be key to their success.

Passion for the Mission of AgeOptions

The COO will embody the values and mission AgeOptions and, as a result, will inspire and motivate others to push the mission forward in a collaborative manner. The COO will catalyze others’ commitment to advance the wellbeing of aging populations by investing in programs to disrupt the common difficulties that face older adults. They will lead by example with an understanding that, at times, empathy is an essential quality. This leader will have an eye consistently focused on the future and how to best adapt the organization to its changing environment while staying true to the mission of AgeOptions. The COO is someone who can be trusted without reservation and build a strong sense of community within the greater organization.  

Compensation & Benefits

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. The salary range for this role is $140,000 - $160,000 and includes comprehensive benefits.  

Contact

Koya Partners has been exclusively retained for this engagement, which is being led by George Theotokatos. Express interest in this role by filling out our Talent Profile or emailing the search team directly. All inquiries and discussions are strictly confidential.

Koya Partners l Diversified Search Group is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email [email protected]. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.

AgeOptions is an Equal Opportunity Employer where diversity is celebrated and is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all.

About Koya Partners l Diversified Search Group

Koya Partners, a Diversified Search Group company, is the nation’s premier search firm dedicated to mission-driven leadership. Since its founding in 2004, Koya has had an exclusive focus on mission-driven clients and was founded on the belief that the right leader can transform an organization and have a deep and measurable impact on our world. Koya works with nonprofits & NGOs, responsible businesses, and social enterprises in local communities and around the world.

Diversified Search Group is consistently recognized by Forbes on its top 10 list of “America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms” and is an industry leader in recruiting transformational leaders for a changing world. The firm is deliberately different in its approach, with best-in-class teams who have decades of experience in cultivating inclusive leaders, understanding the dimensions of diversity, and building equitable teams.

Learn more about Koya Partners l Diversified Search Group via the firm's website.