--- title: 'Chief Operating Officer at Pursuit' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/chief-operating-officer-pursuit-new-york-qvy4fkmwa84a' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-10-15' --- # Chief Operating Officer at Pursuit - **Company:** Pursuit - **Location:** New York, NY - **Posted:** 2026-10-02 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-15 - **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/pursuit/jobs/8249041 ## Job description PLEASE NOTE: We are partnering with On-Ramps to manage hiring for this role. Applications submitted through this portal will not be monitored. Please submit your application directly via [On-Ramps here](https://www.on-ramps.com/jobs/3782) to be considered. --- ## About the Organization Short Summary Pursuit is a pioneering AI-native organization building the nation's premier tech workforce pipeline to unlock lasting economic mobility for low-income and underrepresented communities. Long Summary For over a decade, Pursuit has unlocked economic mobility by propelling thousands of adults from low-income backgrounds into high-wage tech careers, taking average starting incomes from $17K to $94K and generating nearly $1B in lifetime wage gains. We've also pioneered the Pursuit Bond, an innovative outcomes-based financing model that aligns investor returns with long-term economic mobility, allowing us to scale impact in a financially sustainable way. Now, as AI reshapes the global economy, Pursuit is pioneering the nation's premier AI-Native workforce pipeline. We are transforming how economic opportunity works at scale through a rigorous, full-funnel training model combining in-person collaborative learning, real-time curriculum adaptation, and deep employer integration. Powered by $20M in scale funding from organizations like Google, Anthropic, Adobe, Blackstone, Robin Hood and others, Pursuit is building a roadmap of growth to directly train thousands of more Americans and to build enduring workforce training solutions that can support the ecosystem at large. ## About the Position ## What You'll Do As Pursuit scales its AI-Native workforce model and launches in early 2027 the New York AI Jobs Institute (AIJI)—our new premier NYC institute backed by $13M in public funding to unite leaders across government, industry, and education to train millions of residents for AI careers—we are strengthening our operational infrastructure to match our accelerating impact. We are seeking a Chief Operating Officer (COO) to serve as our chief architect of operational excellence. Reporting directly to the CEO, this leader will be a central pillar of the executive leadership team, driving strategic decision-making and actively shaping the future of Pursuit's training programs and job placement initiatives. While managing the finance, operations, and people functions, they will architect the foundational systems required to scale our mission and impact. Beyond executive strategy, as a true strategic partner to the CEO, the COO will translate organizational vision into high-performing infrastructure—architecting the KPIs, dashboards, and organizational systems that power our next phase of scale.. More than building systems, they will cultivate a culture of accountability and high performance, aligning elite teams around shared standards while fiercely protecting the values that brought us here. This is a rare opportunity for a transformative leader to elevate an organization at a defining inflection point. Key responsibilities include but are not limited to: Organizational Leadership and Performance Excellence - Serve as key organizational leader who helps lead strategic decisions and embeds operational rigor and accelerates enterprise-wide execution across all functions and in particular, Program, Go-To-Market Job Placement, Partnerships, Growth and Earned Revenue . - Serve as the executive architect of organizational performance, establishing the enterprise metrics, dashboards, and analytical systems that guide executive decision-making and Board governance. - Design and maintain the dashboards and KPI architecture that give the CEO, leadership team, and Board a real-time, accurate view of organizational health. - Spearhead the optimization of Pursuit's internal infrastructure, scaling the tools, workflows, and AI-native processes necessary for rapid, sustainable growth - Establish robust performance management systems and accountability structures that empower elite teams to excel. Organizational Design & Scale - Architect Pursuit's evolving organizational structure, designing reporting lines and team topologies intentionally aligned with our forward-looking strategy rather than historical growth. - Partner with the CEO and other leaders on enterprise-wide workforce planning, capacity building, and talent scaling. - Establish robust change management strategies and cross-functional collaboration frameworks to ensure seamless organizational transitions as Pursuit scales its impact. Business Operations - Exercise executive ownership over all business operations, unifying finance, HR, talent, culture, and core organizational workflows into a seamlessly integrated operational backbone. - Provide direct managerial leadership and oversight to the VP of Finance and VP of People, guiding their strategic direction and aligning team priorities with enterprise goals. - Drive financial leadership in partnership with the VP of Finance, overseeing multi-year budgeting, resource allocation, financial modeling, and sound fiscal governance across all departments. - Champion talent acquisition, HR infrastructure, and human capital strategy alongside the VP of People to attract, retain, and develop world-class teams. - Cultivate and safeguard Pursuit's organizational culture, fostering an environment of accountability, continuous learning, high performance, and mission alignment. - Oversee core operational processes, facilities management, internal systems, and revenue collections (including the Pursuit Bond) to scale efficiency as the organization grows. Who You'll Work With You will report to the Chief Executive Officer and as a member of the executive team you will be a key strategic shaper of the future and optimization of every function at Pursuit — Program, Go-To-Market Job Placement, Partnerships, Growth and Earned Revenue. You will directly manage the VP of Finance, VP of People, General Counsel, Head of AI implementation, Head of Facilities and Operations and more. Required Skills and Experience - 8–12 years of experience in business operations or leadership operations roles, ideally spanning both a strategy/consulting environment and a hands-on operating role inside a growing company or organization. - Previous consultative experience (e.g., management consulting or a similar advisory background), paired with real experience actually running operations, not just advising on them. - Exceptional analytical and strategic thinking skills with experience leading or partnering closely with strategic finance functions - A history of cultivating elite teams and establishing high-performance standards amidst rapid organizational scaling. - Demonstrated success and track-record in architecting robust operational systems, processes, and infrastructure that drive enterprise-wide execution and long-term quality. - Extensive experience designing and governing executive-level KPI frameworks, real-time dashboards, and strategic reporting systems for complex, fast-growing organizations. - Deep expertise in organizational design, structural transformation, and team topology scaling to align operational architecture with long-term enterprise strategy. - Experience building or running business operations and HR/People systems and practices at scale. - High tolerance for ambiguity and bias toward building, comfortable creating structure where none exists yet. - Deeply motivated by Pursuit's mission of economic transformation and expanded opportunity for low-income and underrepresented communities. - MBA or equivalent advanced degree preferred. ## Compensation The salary range for this role is $300,000 - $330,000, inclusive of base and bonus and a full benefits package. The compensation above reflects the expectations laid out in this job description; however, we are often open to a wide variety of profiles and recognize that the person we hire may be less experienced (or more senior) than this posting. If that ends up being the case, the updated salary range will be communicated to you as a candidate. Additional Details Location and Work Environment This role is based in NYC. Pursuit currently operates on a hybrid schedule, Tuesday through Thursday on-site at our office in New York City,, with a Monday/Friday work-from-anywhere policy. ## Benefits - Full benefits package including vision and dental - Unlimited PTO, plus an all-Pursuit summer break (last week of August) and a week-long holiday break (last week of December) - 401k match - Hybrid and flexible work policy, as described above - Dedicated time to build in AI and develop your own AI skills Equity at Pursuit We prioritize the richness of diversity across all categories. We welcome new perspectives and make employment decisions without regard to race, color, ancestry, religion, national origin, age, familial or marital status, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local law. Pursuit is an equal-opportunity employer. --- PLEASE NOTE: We are partnering with On-Ramps to manage hiring for this role. Applications submitted through this portal will not be monitored. Please submit your application directly via [On-Ramps here](https://www.on-ramps.com/jobs/3782) to be considered. ## About Pursuit ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Pursuit is a social impact organization that transforms lives by training adults from underrepresented communities for high-growth careers in AI and technology, using an innovative outcomes-based financing model. - **Entity Type**: Private (Nonprofit) - **Headquarters**: Long Island City, New York, USA - **Founded**: Not publicly available - **Founders**: Not publicly available ## Core Business - Primary industry: Workforce development, technology education, AI training, and employer services. - Target customers: B2B (employer partners ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies) and B2C (adult learners, referred to as “Builders,” from low-income and underrepresented backgrounds). - Mission or purpose statement: “To create transformation” by catalyzing long-term change through community development, a revolutionary training and employment program, an innovative financing model, and sustained career support. ## Products & Services - **Pursuit AI-Native Program**: Flagship training program that equips Builders with AI skills, professional competencies, and community support to thrive in AI-driven workplaces. Includes career coaching and a sourced job opportunity with partner employers. - **Employer Partnerships (Pursuit Commit)**: Helps companies hire, retain, and nurture talent from non-traditional backgrounds through on-the-job support, training, and retention services. - **Pursuit Bond**: An outcomes-based financing model that ties funding to successful long-term career outcomes, leveraging impact investment and capital markets alongside philanthropy. - **Community Development**: Outreach and programs that introduce AI concepts early, making technology approachable and accessible to excluded communities. ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not applicable (nonprofit). The organization is in the early stages of a multi-year campaign with a directional goal of $45 million over three years. - **Key Metric**: Historically, program participants have experienced a 400%+ jump in income on average, earning a starting salary of approximately $94,000 (up from an average of $18,000 before the program). - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Employer hiring partners include venture-backed startups and Fortune 500 companies. Specific names not listed in sources, but cited as “best-in-class partners, funders, and employers.” - **Growth Signals**: Shift to an AI-first curriculum, scaling fundraising to $45M, hybrid work model, and active hiring for senior roles (Director of Individual Giving, Chief of Staff, Account Executive for Job Outcomes). ## Competitive Advantages - **Outcomes-Based Financing (Pursuit Bond)**: Aligns funding with actual job placement and career success, reducing risk for funders and incentivizing long-term support. - **Integrated Model**: Combines community development, AI training, employer partnerships, and lifelong career support in a single, compounding system. - **Proven Income Lift**: 400%+ average income increase and $2M lifetime earnings boost per Builder. - **AI-Native Focus**: Early mover in preparing non-traditional talent for AI-driven roles, with a curriculum built around AI skills. ## Strategic Focus - Scaling the AI-Native Program to meet growing demand for AI talent. - Expanding employer partnerships to secure more job opportunities and improve retention. - Raising $45 million through a multi-year campaign to fund growth and sustainability. - Strengthening individual giving and philanthropy to diversify funding sources. ## Why Work Here - **Mission-Driven Impact**: Employees directly contribute to economic transformation for individuals, families, and communities, tackling systemic inequality. - **Hybrid Work Culture**: Office in Long Island City with a hybrid approach; includes group lunches, happy hours, and game nights. - **Benefits**: Premium health, dental, and vision coverage; virtual care and mental health platforms; health club/fitness class memberships; unlimited PTO; flexible parental leave; 401k with robust employer matching; pre-tax commuter benefits; flexible spending accounts. - **Team & Values**: Diverse, passionate team with backgrounds in workforce development, tech, impact, policy, and operations. Values diversity and inclusion, equal opportunity employer. - **Growth Opportunities**: Active hiring for senior leadership roles (Chief of Staff, Director of Individual Giving) and operational roles (Account Executive for Job Outcomes), signaling organizational expansion. ## Sources 1. [Pursuit Careers](https://www.pursuit.org/careers) 2. [Pursuit Homepage](https://www.pursuit.org/) 3. [Pursuit Our Approach](https://www.pursuit.org/our-approach) 4. [Pursuit Our Team](https://www.pursuit.org/our-team) 5. [Built In NYC](https://www.builtinnyc.com/company/pursuit) ## Other roles at Pursuit - [Vice President of Programs & Training](https://feeny.ai/job/vice-president-of-programs-training-pursuit-new-york-kh591qj1vqbz) — New York, NY - [Chief Strategy and Growth Officer](https://feeny.ai/job/chief-strategy-and-growth-officer-pursuit-new-york-a2mcymh8khp0) — New York, NY - [Founding Account Executive, AI Talent Placement](https://feeny.ai/job/founding-account-executive-ai-talent-placement-pursuit-new-york-zmc1we9hbaf8) — New York, NY - [AI Learning Experience Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/ai-learning-experience-lead-pursuit-new-york-46skrd3zxb1w) — New York, NY - [Data & AI Systems Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/data-ai-systems-manager-pursuit-new-york-ba4rpmr7xwsb) — New York, NY - [Vice President of People](https://feeny.ai/job/vice-president-of-people-pursuit-new-york-q8p1x0qvadz3) — New York, NY - [Senior Manager, Strategic Partnerships](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-manager-strategic-partnerships-pursuit-new-york-3rnrc79c96gp) — New York, NY - [Community Development & Partnership Associate](https://feeny.ai/job/community-development-partnership-associate-pursuit-new-york-3ev9xswyfznv) — New York, NY - [Career Coach](https://feeny.ai/job/career-coach-pursuit-new-york-5krvc6chdn9j) — New York, NY - [Community Development & Recruitment Associate](https://feeny.ai/job/community-development-recruitment-associate-pursuit-new-york-kvjf4pm7fvrs) — New York, NY