- Pay
- $325–350k
- Where
- This search is being managed exclusively by our executive search partner, Egon Zehnder. To be considered for the opportunity, please email your resume and cover letter to upstream@egonzehnder.com, with "Upstream COO" in the subject line. Please do not apply on Upstream's career site.
- Level
- Senior
Organizational Summary
Contraceptive care is basic healthcare. Yet too many patients in the U.S. struggle to access the care they need, when they need it. Founded in 2014, Upstream USA is a national, nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to ensuring that equitable, patient-centered contraceptive care is available to everyone.
Our Mission and Impact
Upstream works to ensure individuals can make fully informed, autonomous decisions about the contraceptive methods that are best for them. We are currently the largest contraceptive organization in the country improving contraceptive care in primary care settings, operating in 37 states and Washington, D.C.
While our foundational work focuses on partnering with healthcare organizations offering primary care, such as federally qualified healthcare centers (FQHC) and health systems, we are always evolving. We are actively pursuing additional, innovative paths to ensure every patient has streamlined access to the contraceptive service of their choice, where and when it is most convenient for them.
A Different Kind of Nonprofit
Upstream is a venture philanthropy-backed nonprofit with a current annual budget of $50M+. Operating in a dynamic external landscape, Upstream maintains a high-performance culture anchored in actionable, observable behaviors. It keeps its patient-centered mission at the core of every decision, continually adapting and embracing change to meet evolving patient needs. Its culture prioritizes resilience, strategic nimbleness, and a focus on measurable outcomes over effort—ensuring it remains responsive, accountable, and capable of driving long-term impact at scale.
Recognition: We are a 2023 Audacious Project recipient, with our work featured in publications like Harvard Public Health , Bloomberg , and MedPage Today .
We welcome individuals who are driven by impact and scale to join us in making equitable contraceptive access a reality for all.
This search is being managed exclusively by our executive search partner, Egon Zehnder. To be considered for the opportunity, please email your resume and cover letter to upstream@egonzehnder.com , with "Upstream COO" in the subject line. Please do not apply on Upstream's career site.
The Chief Operating Officer (COO) will serve as a member of Upstream's senior leadership team, reporting into the CEO, and will lead the execution of the organization's strategy to rapidly scale its growth, effectiveness and impact. Beyond operational excellence, this role is fundamentally about driving and enabling ambitious, large-scale impact nationwide. At a time of rapid change and ambiguity in the highly complex and fluid birth control marketplace, the COO will own all current and future Upstream programs to enable as many patients as possible to make fully informed, autonomous decisions about the contraceptive methods that are best for them .
To drive pace and change, the Upstream COO will play a key role in helping shape the future trajectory of a nationally recognized, fast-growth, mission-driven organization. This presents a unique opportunity for an experienced builder and operator who loves driving results across multiple teams, is comfortable with final decision-making authority in a collaborative environment and is excited about leading efforts in a fast-changing environment where innovation is the norm, new products are coming online, and pivots are essential.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Own programs end-to-end: Own Upstream's current and future programs, including to launch, scale, learn, adapt, and drive towards continued growth. Launch: Partner with the Vice President of Strategy and Innovation to take new, tested innovations to scale. Rapidly understand what works and what doesn't work. Prioritize and invest in those with highest potential. Grow: Lead and execute marketing and sales of existing, core programs (e.g., training and technical assistance) as well as new, innovative programs as they come online (e.g., FreeBC and…