Job Description
Interested candidates complete the online application which can be found at https://recruiterflow.com/sagency/jobs/243
- Upload your resume and cover letter.
- Include a cover letter highlighting your experience in leading mission driven organizations, particularly how you have or intend to align operational strategies with long-term vision and built collaborative, cross functional teams. To set yourself apart, emphasize your proven track record in data-driven decision-making, showing specific examples where you used data to guide impactful operational changes. Describe your
approach to fostering transparent communication between leadership and operational teams, sharing how this has strengthened trust and improved organizational outcomes. - Share experiences that highlight your commitment to values such as empathy, adaptability, and resource stewardship—qualities that align with Feeding South Dakota’s core values of serving with compassion, working with purpose, and connecting with intention
- The online application will be posted until the position is filled.
About Feeding South Dakota
Feeding South Dakota is the state's largest hunger-relief organization, with a mission to end hunger in South Dakota. Through its programs and agency partners they provide food in all 66 counties of the state and fight hunger in rural communities, metro areas and Native American Reservations. The organization’s vision is a state where no one person's health, well-being, or potential is hindered by the availability of nutritious food. Together, with the support of incredible volunteers and South Dakota communities, Feeding South Dakota is impacting food insecurity rates by filling the tables of neighbors facing hunger.
Feeding South Dakota distributed 14 million pounds of food in its 2024 Fiscal Year through 231 agencies, 85 school partners, and 119 monthly mobile food distributions throughout the state. The work of the organization is supported by individual donors, community, corporate sponsors, non-profit agency partners, and volunteers. Operations are headquartered in Sioux Falls with additional distribution centers in Rapid City and Pierre. The statewide team consists of 65 staff members and more than 10,182 volunteers who donated 58,983 hours of their time last year to help the over 106,000 South Dakotans that are food insecure, including 1 in 6 children. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors that consists of 16 individuals who represent numerous industries and regions across South Dakota.
Opportunity Overview
The Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Feeding South Dakota (FSD) is pivotal in providing visionary leadership and operational alignment, ensuring all initiatives resonate with FSD’s mission to end hunger. This role encompasses the strategic oversight of FSD’s hunger relief programs, operational functions, and administrative support to cultivate a cohesive, mission-focused organization. The COO collaborates closely with other senior leaders to drive data-informed decisions, prioritize cross functional communication, and enhance operational excellence. The COO empowers staff, volunteers, and partners to deliver impactful, mission-driven results by fostering a guest-centric, resilient operations culture and mentoring teams.
As a Feeding South Dakota leadership team member, the COO leads with FSD’s core values of Serving with Compassion, Working with Purpose, and Connecting with Intention. Through strategic planning, organizational evaluation, and support to the board of directors, the COO actively contributes to FSD’s commitment to innovation and growth. This position will join a dedicated network of staff, board members, donors, and community partners in sustaining a collaborative, solutions-oriented culture that celebrates achievements and advances Feeding South Dakota’s vision to make a lasting impact on hunger relief across the great state of South Dakota.
Key Accountabilities
Visionary Leadership and Organizational Alignment
Collaborate with senior leaders to ensure solid alignment of operational efforts with Feeding South Dakota’s mission, helping create a cohesive and supportive senior team dynamic. Strong COO leadership and effective communication help motivate the organization and promote growth by mentoring, strengthening internal collaboration, and building strong internal and external partnerships.
Data-Driven Strategic Decision Making
Leverage strategic foresight and the ability to identify critical data to make relevant, impactful recommendations that meet immediate needs while promoting innovation, adaptability, and alignment with the organization’s long-term vision. Lead the Board’s strategic initiatives committee, oversee the development and execution of strategic operational plans, and contribute to quarterly strategy meetings to monitor progress, engage stakeholders, and celebrate key achievements.
Operational Excellence
Lead operations with a guest-centric and efficiency-focused approach, actively engaging and empowering the operations team and volunteers to collaboratively enhance service quality, ensure operational consistency, and build long-term resiliency.
Cross-Functional Collaboration and Transparent Communication
Prioritize open, inclusive communication, bridging operations and senior leadership to ensure alignment and build trust. Commit to accurately conveying messages from the senior team to operations and bringing operational insights and concerns to senior leadership, fostering authentic dialogue and constructive problem-solving across all levels of the organization.
Commitment to Mission-Driven Objectives
Lead with empathy and resilience, guided by Feeding South Dakota core values: Serve with Compassion, Work with Purpose, and Connect with Intention. Celebrate achievements that advance FSD’s mission to end hunger and demonstrate effective resource stewardship to maximize impact, ensuring that every effort aligns with our commitment to meaningful, mission-focused service.
Adaptive Problem-Solving and Innovation
Promote a solutions-oriented culture, modeling flexibility and using structured approaches and best practices to empower the team and support ongoing professional growth.
Education, Experience and Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in a related field; advanced degree preferred.
- Minimum of 5 years’ experience in a senior leadership position.
- Experience in organizational development, operational management, financial administration, personnel management, program development and administration preferred.
- Valid driver’s license, ability to travel statewide and flexibility to attend
meetings and events in evenings and/or on weekends required.
Skills and Competencies
- Passionate about mission.
- Inquisitive, innovative, strategic thinker.
- Future-orientated and solution-driven, with strong change management skills
- Strong communicator that possesses excellent written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills.
- Proven ability in building a strong, engaged staff
- Critical thinking skills to identify strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with multi-faceted demands and deadlines
- Strong internal and external customer service skills.
- Ability to build collaboration across teams and departments.