Full-time CSO, ORNL Federal Credit Union

Following initial onboarding and training, this position may transition to a

hybrid remote work arrangement, allowing performance of job duties to be

completed both from home and on-site, with a structured schedule designed to

support flexibility, business objectives, and consistent collaboration.

The Chief Strategy Officer & Chief of Staff (CSO/COS) serves as a strategic

advisor to the President & CEO and a key member of the executive leadership

team. This role is responsible for leading the enterprise strategic planning

process and supports the CEO in maintaining alignment among the Board of

Directors and executive leadership team, translating the credit union's

long-term vision into coordinated priorities, measurable outcomes, and sustained

execution.

40% - Enterprise Strategy & Strategic Planning:

• Designs and leads the enterprise strategic planning process cycle, including
• the annual offsite and quarterly update sessions, and supports the CEO in
• maintaining alignment among the Board and executive leadership team,
• translating the credit union’s long-term direction into coordinated
• priorities, measurable outcomes, and sustained execution.
• Establishes the objectives, agendas, decision frameworks, and supporting
• materials necessary for effective strategic discussions and decisions by the
• Board, CEO, and executive leadership team.
• Maintains an integrated view of strategic priorities, performance measures,
• dependencies, risks, and resource requirements while preserving each
• executive’s authorities and accountability for execution within their areas
• and serves as Vice Chair of the Project Steering Committee to ensure
• initiatives critical to the successful execution of the three-year strategic
• plan are appropriately prioritized and resourced.
• Monitors execution of the strategic plan and provides the CEO and Board with
• clear, timely reporting on progress, achievements, emerging challenges, and
• material deviations from expectations, recommending adjustments to strategic
• priorities, sequencing, resource allocation, or expected outcomes when
• performance, organizational capacity, or changing conditions warrant
• reconsideration.
• Coordinates across executive leadership and functional areas to maintain
• alignment among the strategic plan, departmental priorities, major
• initiatives, and organizational communication and partners with the
• communications function to ensure employees understand the credit union’s
• strategic direction, progress, and their role in execution, coordinating
• material strategic communications with the CEO.
• Evaluates strategic results against original objectives and ensures lessons
• from execution inform future planning and decision-making.
• 25% - Strategic Intelligence, Growth & Transformation:
• Identifies emerging trends and disruptive forces affecting credit unions,
• including demographic change, member expectations, technology, artificial
• intelligence, payments, fintech, economic conditions, regulation, and
• workforce trends.
• Evaluates strategic opportunities involving geographic expansion, new
• markets, products and services, partnerships, fintech relationships,
• acquisitions, mergers, and other growth opportunities.
• Develops business cases and decision frameworks for significant enterprise
• investments and strategic choices.
• Ensures strategic decisions consider financial performance, member value,
• organizational capacity, employee impact, risk, and sustainable community
• impact.
• Maintains an external perspective on competitive dynamics and identifies
• opportunities for the credit union to differentiate and remain relevant over
• the long term.
• 20% - Chief of Staff & CEO Effectiveness:
• Serves as a strategic advisor and thought partner to the CEO, providing
• independent analysis, sound judgment, and constructive challenge when
• appropriate, increasing CEO and executive-team effectiveness by identifying
• issues requiring leadership attention and ensuring appropriate preparation,
• coordination, and follow-through.
• Partners with executive leaders to resolve cross-functional barriers and
• organizational dependencies that could impede strategic execution.
• Coordinates executive leadership meeting agendas around enterprise
• priorities, decisions, performance, and strategic issues rather than routine
• operational reporting.
• Maintains visibility into major enterprise initiatives and proactively
• elevates risks, conflicts, resource constraints, or decisions requiring CEO
• attention.
• 10% - Board & Executive Alignment:
• Partners with the CEO and appropriate executives in preparing Board strategy
• discussions, retreats, presentations, and decision materials.
• Helps ensure alignment between Board-approved strategic direction and
• management execution while maintaining clear distinctions between governance
• and management responsibilities.
• Develops concise executive and Board-level reporting that communicates
• progress, risks, tradeoffs, decisions required, and strategic outcomes.
• Champions an enterprise perspective and encourages leaders to make decisions
• based on what is best for the overall credit union rather than individual
• functions.
• Performs other executive-level responsibilities and special assignments as
• directed by the President & CEO.
• 5% - Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

02Work Experience

• 12+ years of progressively responsible leadership experience, including
• significant experience in strategy, financial services, management
• consulting, enterprise transformation, corporate development, operations, or
• executive leadership is required.
• Experience working within a complex, regulated financial institution is

strongly preferred. Credit union experience is desirable but not required

when the candidate brings substantial financial-services and strategic

leadership experience is required.

• Demonstrated experience advising senior executives, leading enterprise
• strategic planning, managing complex cross-functional initiatives, and
• preparing executive- and Board-level materials is required.
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate significant business opportunities and
• influence outcomes without relying solely on direct authority is required.

03Education, Licenses, and Certifications

• Bachelors Degree in business administration, finance, economics, strategy,
• organizational leadership, or an equivalent combination of education
• experience, or military service is required.
• Masters Degree MBA, or equivalent advanced education is preferred.
• Credit Union industry leadership certifications is preferred.

04Other Skills

• Quality, clarity, and organizational understanding of the enterprise
• strategy.
• Achievement of strategic objectives, milestones, and expected outcomes.
• Percentage of enterprise strategic initiatives on track and timely visibility
• into initiatives at risk.
• Speed and quality of enterprise decision-making and resolution of
• cross-functional issues.
• Executive-team alignment and effectiveness around enterprise priorities.
• Quality and effectiveness of Board strategy discussions and decision
• materials.
• Realization of expected benefits from major strategic investments and
• transformation efforts.
• Physical Requirements:
• The demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an

employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable

accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform

these functions.

• Employee must have the ability to sit and/or stand at a desk for a minimum of
• 8 hours a day and complete tasks requiring repetitive use of hands.
• Employee must have the ability to lift and move items up to fifteen pounds.
• Employee must have the ability to see written documents and computer screens,
• and to adjust focus.