In collaboration with System Provost and President of the Research Foundation, Dr. Melur "Ram" Ramasubramanian, the RFCOO will play a critical role on the RF leadership team, working to establish an environment that expertly and efficiently supports research and discovery across the SUNY System. The RFCOO will oversee the disciplined execution and continuous improvement of the core functions of the RF, including the efficient and transparent administration of sponsored programs and technology. This individual has day-to-day oversight of the strategic, operational, and financial goals of all areas within the RF, coordinating with elected officers and working with the leadership team members responsible for key functional areas.At its core, this is an operational leadership role requiring a hands-on, service-oriented executive who ensures that strategy translates into consistent, high-quality delivery across a complex, distributed system. The RFCOO provides essential leadership in supporting the Presidents, Operations Managers, and other leaders at SUNY's campuses, building trusted relationships and credibility by listening closely, responding with urgency, and delivering solutions that meet campus needs. They ensure that initiatives and projects are executed effectively, with clear accountability, measurable outcomes, and a strong customer-service orientation. The RFCOO is a key strategic partner to the RF President and acts in the place of the President during the President's absence. The COO is the main liaison to the RF Board of Directors on all operational matters and attends all Board Committee meetings. The COO is also the staff liaison to the Executive Committee of the RF Board of Directors. The RFCOO will evaluate the RF's current operating practices, ensuring that they are optimized to cultivate, support, and facilitate campuses' ability to establish and increase faculty scholarship, cutting edge research, and the recruitment and retention of strong faculty researchers across the System. This leader will bring a continuous-improvement mindset, strengthening processes, service delivery models, and performance management systems to ensure responsiveness and reliability for campuses. To that end, they will scale and optimize operations to support SUNY's efforts to elevate research expenditures, technology transfer, and cross-institutional research collaboration. The RFCOO will be responsible for leading and motivating a high-performing team, with a portfolio that includes Industry and External Affairs, Human Resources, Information Technology Services, and Sponsored Program Administration and Regulatory Affairs.