CEO

MissouriFull-time4 hours ago

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CEO Client Description Founded in 1864, Epworth Children & Family Services has been part of the St. Louis community for more than 160 years. What began as the Methodist Orphans’ Home has grown into a comprehensive 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization supporting youth and families as they navigate foster care, homelessness, trauma, and instability. Epworth’s main campus [...]

Creator sgoldenberg@benskintalent.com

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Client Description

Founded in 1864, Epworth Children & Family Services has been part of the St. Louis community for more than 160 years. What began as the Methodist Orphans’ Home has grown into a comprehensive 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization supporting youth and families as they navigate foster care, homelessness, trauma, and instability. Epworth’s main campus is located on seven acres in Webster Groves, with additional services provided throughout the St. Louis region, including a transitional living building in St. Louis City and Drop-in Center in North St. Louis County.

Staff provide outreach, case management, housing support, family therapy, psychological assessments, residential foster care, life skills development, and connections to community resources. Epworth is an $11M organization supported through government contracts and grants, private and foundation funding, program revenue, and charitable contributions. Across every program, Epworth’s team of 134 employees work alongside youth and families to help them build the skills, relationships, resources, and stability needed to move forward.

Principal Responsibilities

The CEO is responsible for leading Epworth in its mission to empower youth to realize their unique potential by meeting essential needs, cultivating resiliency, and building community. An essential part of this mission is helping those youth navigate the foster care system. With the Board and Executive Leadership Team, the CEO is responsible for the successful execution of Epworth’s mission through implementation of impactful programs, operational excellence, and sound and proactive fiscal management.

The CEO plays a leadership role in strengthening Epworth’s financial resources and external relationships, working in close partnership with the Director of Development, Board, government and institutional funders, donors and community partners. In their leadership capacity, they work with the executive leadership team to ensure that short-and long-term strategic initiatives are fulfilled and that Epworth is a healthy, functional place for both clients and staff.

Responsibilities include: Leadership: lead and direct the leadership team and partner with them to ensure operational, programmatic, cultural, and fiscal health of the organization. Inspire, model and implement best practices in leadership and management to advance the organizational culture and work to create a more cohesive and unified organization. Serve as the face of the organization.

Strategic Planning: the organization is in the process of updating its strategic plan for 2027 and beyond, and the CEO works in partnership with the Board and professional staff to develop and implement. The CEO participates in short- and long-range planning; ensures that programs, organizational activities and the developed vision support the mission of Epworth. General Management and Organizational Sustainability: provide executive oversight of operations and financial management to ensure a stable, sustainable and effectively managed organization. Establish clear accountability across functions, strengthen management systems and organizational discipline, and work with the leadership team and Board to improve financial performance, operational effectiveness and long-term sustainability.
Team Management and Culture: manage and nurture an organizational culture that embraces collaboration, transparency, creativity and accountability. Develop, inspire and retain a productive workforce and delegate authority and responsibilities appropriately. Cultivate a culture that values high staff morale, which includes promoting open and honest conversations that address concerns, needs, and conflict, fostering a safe psychological environment.
Fundraising and Donor Relations: expand relationships with donors, funding sources and the community. Work closely with the Director of Development in the execution of financial resource development campaigns and initiatives to increase philanthropic support, broaden the donor base, and identify and develop new donor pipelines.

Candidate Qualifications

Proven track record of executive leadership in a complex, mission-driven organization, including the ability to lead through periods of significant organizational change, strengthen operations, build an effective leadership team and translate strategy into execution. Must be willing to roll up sleeves and be involved in details of the business.
Experience in strategic planning and implementation. Ability to set organizational direction and create goals and objectives with the senior team based on the strategic plan. Demonstrated ability to assess organizational challenges, establish priorities, make difficult decisions when necessary and lead measurable organizational improvement.
Strong financial acumen and an understanding of organizational finances, revenue streams, and sustainable programs. Demonstrated ability to build credibility and productive relationships with donors, funders, government agencies, community partners and other external stakeholders; comfortable representing Epworth’s mission, priorities and financial needs and participating actively in cultivation and solicitation efforts.
Exceptional leader of people and attentive to organizational culture and values with experience in nurturing an environment that values staff across all levels of the organization. Significant experience with people management; skilled at empowering staff and delegating appropriately. Must have open, honest and collaborative communication style with excellent listening skills.
Ability to serve as the face of the business. Inspire, engage and motivate diverse constituencies including staff, board, volunteers, members, donors and other stakeholders. Experience working with a Board of Directors is strongly preferred.
Knowledge or understanding of behavioral health and working with youth preferred. Bachelor’s degree in social work (MSW), Psychology, Counseling, or a closely related human service area of study from an accredited school. Master’s degree preferred in same areas.