USA Diving
Chief Operations Officer
USA Diving - Senior
United States · Remote
General Management/Profit & Loss · Executive Leadership · Communications Department Management
0
1
hour ago
Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Location: Remote (U.S.-based) with approximately 20% travel
Compensation: Competitive base salary plus performance incentive, commensurate with experience
Reports To: President & CEO
Status: Full-Time | Exempt
Compensation: Competitive base salary plus performance incentive, commensurate with experience
Reports To: President & CEO
Status: Full-Time | Exempt
About USA Diving
USA Diving is the national governing body for the Olympic sport of diving in the United States. From grassroots development to Olympic competition, USA Diving supports athletes, coaches, clubs, officials, and events across the country while stewarding one of the most visible and tradition-rich Olympic sports in the world.
As the organization continues to evolve leading into the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic cycle and beyond, USA Diving is seeking a mission-driven and operationally sophisticated Chief Operating Officer (COO) to help strengthen and scale the organization’s internal operations, systems, leadership structure, and execution capabilities.
This is a rare opportunity to help shape the operational future of an Olympic sport at a pivotal moment in its growth and evolution.
The Opportunity
The COO will serve as the primary internal operating leader for USA Diving and will play a central role in building a more scalable, integrated, accountable, and execution-focused organization.
This role calls for a strategic, results-driven operator who thrives in dynamic environments, develops people effectively, creates organizational clarity, and builds systems that allow teams to perform at a consistently high level.
The COO will oversee day-to-day organizational operations and work closely with departmental leaders across:
- Events
- Membership
- Communications
- Finance
- Compliance
- Operational Planning & Systems
The role is intentionally structured to allow the President & CEO to focus more fully on:
- Strategic partnerships
- Fundraising and donor engagement
- Organizational growth
- National and international positioning
- Long-term athlete and organizational performance development
The ideal candidate understands how to build operational discipline and accountability while maintaining a collaborative, athlete-centered culture.
Key Responsibilities
Organizational Leadership & Execution
- Translate strategic priorities into clear operational execution plans.
- Establish organizational cadence, accountability systems, and performance expectations.
- Ensure alignment and communication across departments.
- Ensure consistent, professional external communication across all organizational channels and stakeholder groups.
- Support organizational brand development and positioning.
- Build scalable systems, workflows, and operational infrastructure.
Staff Leadership & Culture Development
- Directly manage and mentor department leaders.
- Foster a culture of ownership, professionalism, collaboration, and accountability.
- Develop staff leadership capacity and organizational depth.
- Lead operational assessments and continuous improvement initiatives.
Event & Program Oversight
- Provide executive oversight of USA Diving’s national event portfolio and operational initiatives.
- Ensure events are delivered with consistency, professionalism, and operational excellence.
- Support cross-functional coordination between operations, communications, membership, and event teams.
Operational Systems & Organizational Effectiveness
- Implement KPI-driven operational management and reporting systems.
- Improve internal communication flow and organizational responsiveness.
- Reduce operational dependency on key individuals through systems and process development.
- Support organizational budgeting, planning, and resource alignment.
Executive Partnership
- Serve as a trusted operational partner to the President & CEO.
- Progressively assume operational responsibilities currently managed by the President.
- Represent USA Diving externally with partners, vendors, venues, and stakeholders as delegated.
What Success Looks Like
Within the first 12 months, the successful candidate will:
- Establish stronger organizational structure and operational consistency.
- Improve communication flow and cross-functional execution.
- Strengthen accountability and leadership development across staff.
- Create measurable operational efficiencies.
- Allow the President & CEO to redirect significant time toward strategic growth initiatives and Olympic-cycle leadership.
Ideal Candidate Background
The ideal candidate is:
- A strong operator and organizational builder.
- Highly collaborative but comfortable making decisions.
- Emotionally intelligent and people-oriented.
- Disciplined, structured, and execution-focused.
- Passionate about mission-driven leadership.
- Committed to achieving measurable results.
Candidates may come from:
- Sports organizations
- Collegiate athletics
- Nonprofit leadership
- Membership associations
- Event-driven organizations
- Operationally complex mission-focused businesses
Direct Olympic or NGB experience is welcomed but not required.
Preferred Qualifications
- 10+ years of operational, executive, or senior leadership experience.
- Demonstrated success leading teams and building organizational systems.
- Strong experience managing people, priorities, and cross-functional execution.
- Excellent communication and leadership skills.
- Proven ability to develop staff while maintaining high standards and accountability.
- Experience operating effectively in dynamic, fast-paced, and resource-conscious environments.
- Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or equivalent leadership experience preferred.
Additional Information
- Remote position with approximately 20% travel.
- Travel may include national events, leadership meetings, and periodic visits to USA Diving offices.
- Performance incentive compensation included.
- Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States.
USA Diving is seeking a leader who embraces accountability, values people development, and is energized by the opportunity to help shape the future of an Olympic sport during a transformative period of organizational growth and evolution.
To Apply
Qualified candidates should submit:
- Resume/CV
- Cover Letter
- Leadership Philosophy Statement (optional but encouraged)
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Job Questions:
Yes/No: I have a background in diving.
