Chief Operating Officer

Are you a strategic, mission-driven leader with a passion for animal welfare and operational excellence? Ruff Start Rescue, a foster-based animal rescue organization, is seeking a dynamic Chief Operating Officer (COO) to oversee and strengthen our internal operations while advancing our mission of saving animals and supporting people and pets. 

As a key partner to the Executive Director and member of the leadership team, you will guide and support senior directors across all departments to ensure their success and the success of Ruff Start Rescue as a whole. With responsibility for the organization’s internal health and mission delivery, you will foster alignment, accountability, and collaboration across business operations, lifesaving programs, fundraising, and marketing, while empowering the Executive Director to focus on external initiatives such as partnerships, advocacy, and fundraising. 

Availability 

This is a full-time, salaried position requiring a commitment of at least 40 hours per week. Work schedule: 5 days per week on-site in Princeton, MN, with flexibility for some remote work. 

The COO is expected to be regularly available and responsive across multiple channels—including in-person and virtual meetings, phone, and email, to ensure effective communication and collaboration across the organization. 

This role also requires flexibility to occasionally work evenings or weekends when organizational needs arise. While Ruff Start Rescue values work–life balance, the COO must be prepared to step in during unexpected situations, cover vacant roles temporarily, and ensure continuity of leadership and operations when needed. 

Essential Job Functions: 

Mission-Driven Strategic Leadership 

• Partner with the Executive Director and Board to develop and implement strategic goals that advance animal welfare and lifesaving impact. 

• Establish measurable objectives with accountability, timelines, and adaptable systems. 

• Provide leadership to operational and financial insights, using performance metrics and dashboards to guide long-term planning and organizational communications. 

Operational Oversight & Change Management 

• Oversee and integrate all internal operations, ensuring the organization runs efficiently, sustainably, and in alignment with mission goals.

• Oversee and support department leaders through competent, effective, and timely supervision to maintain operational excellence and organizational cohesion.

• Lead change management efforts during growth, restructuring, or process improvement. 

• Establish accountability systems: including policies, procedures, annual goals, and performance metrics, that strengthen compliance, sustainability, and strategic progress.

• Lead budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting to ensure responsible stewardship of resources and donor trust. 

• Partner with the Advancement Director to strengthen contributed revenue streams, while collaborating with program and operations teams to identify and expand earned revenue opportunities that support long-term sustainability

• Assess organizational risks and opportunities with a balance of caution and innovation; ask critical questions, challenge assumptions, and adapt advisors' recommendations to ensure solutions align with the organization’s mission, sustainability, and long-term success. 

• Identify opportunities to improve processes, expand capacity, and increase lifesaving impact through data, technology, and innovation. Go beyond surface-level reporting to analyze trends, question assumptions, and uncover root causes behind changes in performance (e.g., adoption rates, volunteer engagement, or program outcomes). Encourage creative problem-solving and data-driven decision-making across all teams.

• Advance community and lifesaving initiatives that keep pets with their families, expand access to affordable veterinary and wellness care, and strengthen education, advocacy, and surrender prevention programs.

• Guide organizational growth by investing in scalable systems, sustainable revenue models, and facility improvements, ensuring infrastructure and partnerships evolve to meet long-term community and operational needs.

Team Development & Culture 

• Lead, develop, mentor, and support senior staff and teams with empathy—communicating with clarity and compassion to guide them through change while fostering a collaborative, high-performing culture aligned with mission goals 

• Provide clear performance expectations and hold everyone accountable at the organizational, functional, and individual employee levels. 

• Provide coaching and guida