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THE ORGANIZATION

Mission

SAY San Diego’s mission is to partner with youth, adults, families, and communities to reach their full potential. Its vision is opportunity, equity, and well-being for all San Diegans.

About SAY San Diego

Founded in 1971, Social Advocates for Youth San Diego (“SAY San Diego”) has advanced opportunity, equity and well-being for children, families, and communities throughout San Diego County for 50+ years. The organization has evolved from a $1,500 grassroots organization to one with $30 million to strengthen the whole child, whole family, and whole community.

SAY San Diego touches the lives of 30,000 San Diegans every year through more than 30 community-linked programs by partnering with youth, adults, families, and communities to reach their full potential by focusing on three key areas:

• Child and youth development, including early home visiting, preschools, and before and after school programs across more than 45 sites throughout San Diego.
• Youth, adult, and family wellness, including child abuse prevention, foster care and kinship parenting support, mental health counseling for youth and adults, healthcare and housing navigation, case management and related services.
• Community engagement, including community organizing, coalition building and collective impact that increases resident and youth involvement in improving neighborhood safety and well-being, as well as operating multi-service family resource centers to provide vital support to military, refugee, and economically insecure families.

SAY San Diego brings unique value though its emphasis on eco-system support, meaning serving children and individuals in the context of their family and community life, and its engagement of children, families, and residents in their daily lives at home, in schools and through neighborhood-based family resource centers. SAY San Diego is also well known for its focus on preventing harm and hardship, and engaging community members in building community solutions – including refugee and asylee community members, military families, LGBTQ+ communities, and culturally, racially, linguistically, and economically diverse communities.

To learn more about SAY San Diego, please visit saysandiego.org.

THE POSITION

SAY San Diego is in search of a visionary, strategic, impact-focused, and mission-driven leader to be its next CEO. Reporting to the Board of Directors (“Board”), the CEO will provide strategic direction and overall leadership by articulating a clear vision, reinforcing organizational culture, setting goals, and empowering the executive management team.

Casting the Vision – Leads with an inclusive, compelling vision of the future that inspires and motivates SAY San Diego’s workforce and constituents. Uses a collaborative approach to respond to the needs of children, families, and communities in the region. Develops both a vivid picture of what a better tomorrow could look like, as well as collective commitment to the operational, programmatic, and revenue-generating goals needed to get there.

Setting the Strategy - Partners with the Board and the executive management team to build and implement organization-wide effectiveness and enable financial/resource conditions needed for sustainability and growth within a complex, evolving landscape.

Building the Community - Leads an energized culture of service, engagement, and learning for all employees with a commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion. Sustains and expands important networks with key stakeholders in the community. Serves as an influential ambassador and advocate for SAY San Diego.

With over 400 employees at SAY San Diego, the CEO will directly oversee an experienced executive team composed of: Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO); Vice President, Strategy & Development; Vice President, Child & Youth Development; Vice President, Youth, Adult & Family Wellness; Vice President, Community Engagement; Associate Vice President of People and Workplace Culture, and Associate Vice President, Philanthropy.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Provide inspirational leadership and team collaboration for all employees. In partnership with the executive management team, implement best practices, build a strong culture, and provide transparent communication centered around equity and inclusivity. Nurture a culture of continuous improvement achieved through an ongoing process of defining goals, developing strategies, implementing processes and systems, and measuring and rewarding performance results. 
• Ensure the organization is operated on a sound fiscal basis to ensure organizational sustainability and innovation. Collaborating with the CFO and other executive management team members, oversee the development of the organization’s budget, manage within the budget, and keep the Board regularly informed of the financial status of the organization. Lead the process to secure, manage and administer all revenue streams, including philanthropy, corporate and government contracts, and grants.
• Reinforce an inclusive and equitable workplace at SAY San Diego that welcomes diverse perspectives and experiences. Ensure opportunities for staff development and mentorship, including promoting a culture that supports work-life balance and the well-being of all employees.
• Oversee fundraising and pursue an agenda of donor outreach and exceptional donor stewardship to increase the organization’s financial resources. Foster sustainable relationships with key donors, individual and corporate sponsors, program partners, school officials, elected officials and public agencies.
• Serve as a visible, influential champion, and voice for all constituents: clients, families, partners, donors, sponsors, media, and the public. Serve as a primary spokesperson/advocate for SAY San Diego and promote its mission by clearly articulating its programs and impact on the community.  
• Establish and grow mutually beneficial relationships with nonprofits, government agencies, elected government officials, corporations, funders, community leaders, educational institutions, media, and others to support the growth and development of the organization.
• Oversee continuous quality improvement efforts in areas such as finance, human resources, infrastructure and technology, administration, data and evaluation, program impact, and equity, diversity, and inclusion.
• Engage the Board of Directors in a strong partnership with the Executive Team and one another, including leveraging individual and collective board member skills, resources, and networks for SAY San Diego. Work closely with the Board leaders to ensure that the Board has all the needed information and resources to carry out its roles in recruitment, governance, strategic planning and resource development.

TRAITS AND CHARACTERISTICS DESIRED

The ideal candidate will be a visionary and big-picture thinker with the ability to strategize and innovate to achieve the organization’s priorities. The CEO should also have strong financial acumen, enabling them to make effective decisions for the organization’s future.

Essential knowledge and experience include the ability to motivate, coach, and develop staff while meeting objectives, anticipating challenges, identifying issues, and developing solutions. The ideal candidate will be a transparent and inspirational leader with a clear and consistent management style that fosters collaborative, team-oriented approaches to fulfilling the mission. The CEO will have a passion for supporting the community’s most vulnerable members as well as empathy and compassion for the staff of SAY San Diego. They should demonstrate a commitment to applying an equity lens to their work and have a history of prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion as core organizational values.

The CEO should be well-versed in current issues affecting child and family services and committed to implementing best practices for service delivery. The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of the political landscape surrounding child and family services and will actively collaborate with key stakeholders involved in funding.

The CEO will be an active and intuitive listener who fosters genuine relationships with staff, board members, donors, and community and government partners. It is essential for the CEO to have a proven ability to engage with and build effective, collaborative relationships within a diverse community. Additionally, the CEO should be adept at facilitating group discussions, decision-making, and collective action.

The ideal candidate will be a decision-maker and strong leader capable of guiding the organization to new heights. The ability to exhibit empathy, humility, compassion, integrity, honesty, trustworthiness, emotional intelligence, strong ethics, and fairness is important.

CAREER TRACK LEADING TO THIS POSITION

Ideal CEO candidates will bring extensive leadership experience and subject matter expertise in human services, including child and youth development, healthcare, community organizing, mental and behavioral health services, social justice, and social determinants of health. Candidates from various sectors such as nonprofit, government, education, social enterprise, and public policy will be considered.

Candidates should have wisdom and prudence in the deployment of financial resources and sufficient fiscal management experience to be conversant with the fiduciary responsibility of a complex organization. Familiarity with the process and accountability required for government funding is strongly preferred.

Demonstrated successful experience in fundraising, strategic planning, and board relations will be highly valued. A record of sustaining effective partnerships with diverse constituencies, including businesses, elected officials, government entities, community organizations, private foundations and donors, managed care, and education leaders will be highly valued.

EDUCATION

An advanced degree in social work, human services management, public administration, nonprofit management, or a related field is preferred. However, a demonstrated successful history serving in a senior leadership position in a complex human services organization recognized for their commitment to exemplary service to the community and clients will be considered of equivalent value to a degree.

COMPENSATION & ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

The annual salary range for this position is $240,000 to $270,000. Relocation assistance, if needed, is negotiable. A comprehensive and competitive benefits package will be provided.

The CEO is expected to have a regular presence in the office and be available for frequent in-person meetings with staff, board members, donors, and community members.

SAY San Diego and its people value diversity in our workforce and all relationships as a vital, creative, and moral strength and key to success. To read more about Say San Diego’s commitment to equity, opportunity, inclusion and well-being, please click here.