Chief Operating Officer (COO) for FutureTex

PG196211TM

18JH_FT01

Temporary

FutureTEX is building the nation’s premier fiber and textile manufacturing innovation ecosystem. The COO will play a foundational role in transforming America’s textile industrial base into a stronger, faster, smarter, and more resilient national asset.

Position Summary

FutureTEX is seeking a visionary and execution-focused Chief Operating Officer (COO) to build, lead, and scale the operational infrastructure of a national Manufacturing Innovation Institute and OTA Consortium dedicated to strengthening America’s textile and fiber manufacturing industrial base.

Reporting directly to the CEO, the COO will be responsible for the day-to-day leadership and operational execution of FutureTEX, ensuring the organization delivers measurable outcomes in advanced manufacturing, supply chain resilience, workforce development, commercialization, and national security readiness. The COO will oversee finance, administration, compliance, human resources, facilities, contracts, information technology, security, membership operations, and performance management while enabling a culture of innovation, accountability, and operational excellence.

The COO will work closely with the CEO, CTO, Chief of Manufacturing, Workforce Development Director, Governance Board, Government Stakeholder Council, industry partners, universities, federal agencies, and consortium members nationwide.

No

As a Pack member, you belong here, and can enjoy exclusive perks designed to enhance your personal and professional well-being. As you consider this opportunity, we encourage you to review our Employee Value Proposition and learn more about what makes NC State the best place to learn and work for everyone.
What we offer:

• Health Insurance for Temporary Employees
• Enhance your career with LEAD courses
• Attend non-revenue generating sporting events for free.
  
  

Gaston College, Kimbrell Campus, Belmont, North Carolina (Headquarters)

FutureTex

Temporary-Professional NonFaculty

Chief Operating Officer (COO) for FutureTex

Will vary greatly based upon demands of the projects

Key Responsibilities

Organizational Leadership & Strategy

• Serve as a strategic partner to the CEO in executing FutureTEX’s mission, vision, and long-term growth strategy.
  
  
• Translate strategic objectives into operational plans, measurable outcomes, budgets, and performance targets.
  
  
• Lead operational execution across the FutureTEX hub-and-spoke national ecosystem.
  
  
• Develop and maintain organizational dashboards, KPIs, and reporting systems to measure organizational performance.
  
  
• Support Board and Governance Committee activities through operational planning, reporting, and performance management.
  
  
• Drive a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.
  
  

• Direct all core business and administrative functions of FutureTEX.
  
  
• Develop scalable operating systems, policies, and procedures that support rapid execution while maintaining compliance.
  
  
• Ensure effective coordination across technical, workforce, commercialization, and consortium management functions.
  
  
• Oversee operational planning for national programs, member services, innovation sprints, workshops, industry days, and annual symposiums.
  
  
• Establish business continuity and operational resilience practices.
  
  

• Oversee budgeting, financial planning, forecasting, reporting, audits, and internal controls.
  
  
• Ensure compliance with federal awards, OTA agreements, nonprofit regulations, and applicable government requirements.
  
  
• Establish and maintain systems for financial oversight, cost-share validation, milestone-based funding, and project accountability.
  
  
• Supervise contract administration, procurement processes, subawards, and project agreement execution.
  
  
• Coordinate annual audits and maintain audit-ready financial systems.
  
  

• Lead operational execution of FutureTEX’s national consortium model.
  
  
• Oversee membership growth, onboarding, retention, and engagement initiatives.
  
  
• Ensure delivery of member services, communications, portal operations, and collaborative activities.
  
  
• Support development of strategic partnerships with manufacturers, universities, industry associations, nonprofits, and government stakeholders.
  
  
• Drive member satisfaction and measurable member value creation.
  
  

• Implement governance policies approved by the Governance Board.
  
  
• Maintain organizational policies covering ethics, conflict of interest, data management, intellectual property, and program administration.
  
  
• Lead enterprise risk management and organizational compliance efforts.
  
  
• Provide operational support to Governance Board committees, including Audit/Finance, Membership, and Commercialization activities.
  
  
• Ensure operational alignment with federal stewardship and nonprofit governance standards.
  
  

• Oversee enterprise information technology, cybersecurity, data governance, and secure collaboration systems.
  
  
• Ensure operational readiness for CUI, ITAR, EAR, CMMC, NIST 800-171, and other applicable federal requirements.
  
  
• Support development and operation of FutureTEX’s secure digital platform and member collaboration environment.
  
  
• Coordinate security planning with the CTO, security personnel, and government stakeholders.
  
  

• Oversee headquarters operations and national hub-and-spoke infrastructure.
  
  
• Manage facilities planning, capital projects, equipment investments, and shared operational assets.
  
  
• Ensure efficient utilization of laboratories, pilot facilities, member resources, and collaborative infrastructure.
  
  
• Support expansion of FutureTEX’s national manufacturing innovation ecosystem.
  
  

• Establish KPI frameworks across organizational, operational, financial, and programmatic activities.
  
  
• Monitor performance against mission outcomes, budgets, schedules, and strategic objectives.
  
  
• Lead quarterly and annual reporting to leadership, boards, funders, and government stakeholders.
  
  
• Drive operational excellence through data-driven decision making and continuous improvement methodologies.
  
  

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, Supply Chain, Public Administration, or related discipline.
  
  
• Minimum 15 years of progressive senior leadership experience.
  
  
• Minimum 10 years leading complex multi-stakeholder organizations, consortiums, manufacturing enterprises, innovation institutes, government-funded initiatives, or technology organizations.
  
  

• Demonstrated experience managing significant budgets, contracts, and operational teams.
  
  
• Experience developing scalable organizational systems and performance management frameworks.
  
  
• Knowledge of federal contracting, grants, cooperative agreements, OTA environments, or government-funded programs.
  
  
• Strong leadership, organizational, financial, and relationship-building skills.
  
  
• Ability to operate effectively across industry, academia, government, and nonprofit sectors.
  
  

• Master’s degree (MBA, MPA, Engineering Management, Operations, or related field).
  
  
• Experience with Manufacturing USA Institutes, Defense Industrial Base initiatives, manufacturing innovation organizations, or public-private partnerships.
  
  
• Familiarity with defense, advanced manufacturing, textile manufacturing, supply chain resilience, or workforce development ecosystems.
  
  
• Experience building organizations from startup or growth-stage environments.
  
  
• Knowledge of compliance frameworks including CMMC, NIST 800-171, ITAR/EAR, and federal audit requirements.
  
  
• Active or previous security clearance preferred.
  
  

N/A

Yes

No

Commensurate based on experience

09/16/2026

https://jobs.ncsu.edu/postings/234959

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