Marc Ian Tobias

About Marc Ian Tobias

Chief Operating Officer with 20+ years of experience leading operations for national nonprofits and associations, including oversight of multi-million dollar budgets and multi-state, remote-first teams. I oversee finance, human resources, IT, and administrative functions, partnering closely with CEOs and Boards to translate strategy into execution. My focus is making organizations run effectively by aligning teams, clarifying priorities, and building the systems needed to deliver results.I’m often brought into complex or constrained environments where clarity and structure are needed quickly. I align resources with priorities, strengthen systems, and help leadership teams make informed, confident decisions. Much of my work has been in organizations navigating change. I’ve led through restructuring, funding constraints, and periods of uncertainty while maintaining transparency and stability across teams. I bring deep experience working in unionized environments and across distributed workforces.

Experience

1. Chief Operating Officer

   Human Rights First

   Jan 2023 — Present

   Lead operations for a national human rights organization with a ~$12M budget and 60+ staff across a multi-state, unionized, remote-first workforce. Oversee finance, HR, IT, and administration, partnering closely with the CEO and Board.• Reduced operating expenses by 32% through cost restructuring, vendor strategy, and real estate optimization• Oversee cross-functional operations across finance, HR, IT, and administration• Drive organization-wide planning, resource allocation, and execution• Led organization-wide restructuring to align cost structure with projected revenue and stabilize operations• Advise CEO and Board on strategy, financial oversight, and enterprise risk• Oversee workforce planning and labor relations in a unionized environment• Strengthen systems and processes to improve reporting, decision-making, and operational efficiency

Education

• University of Maryland

  Independent Studies, Leadership and Group Dynamics