On-Ramps
Taken together, the success of its jail and prison alternative programs over the past 54 years in preventing the harm and trauma of incarceration; supporting participant achievement of education, employment, health, and housing goals; and reducing recidivism (relative to incarceration) provide evidence essential to advancing recent and ongoing reform efforts in New York City, including
- Raising the age of adult criminal responsibility
- Reducing the application of bail and thus pretrial detention
- Closing Rikers Island
- Supporting individuals with lived experience of the criminal legal system and behavioral health treatment systems to become Peer Specialists in community-based alternatives.
CASES Mission
The mission of CASES — legally established as the Center for Alternative Sentencing and Employment Services — is to provide innovative and effective services that reduce crime and incarceration; improve behavioral health, promote recovery and rehabilitation; and create opportunities for success in the community.
CASES Vision
A city in which a person’s previous criminal involvement or behavioral health needs do not limit the opportunity to realize their best life.
CASES Values
Serving our clients
- We help people—regardless of their past choices, present struggles, or future obstacles—to build the capacity and courage to change their lives.
- We tailor our services to everyone’s unique needs, risks, and strengths and believe the most effective programs are evidence-based, family-focused, and trauma-informed.
- We engage the community by leveraging partnerships and resources to maximize our clients’ opportunities for success.
Supporting our team
- We recognize that each CASES staff member is critical. We are a team strengthened by our diversity of backgrounds, perspectives, and talents and united by a common purpose.
- We continuously enhance our knowledge and skills, evaluate our results, and learn from our successes and failures.
Serving the community
- We believe public safety is best protected through alternatives to incarceration that combine accountability and support with empowerment and opportunity.
- We are committed—through continuous innovation and the strategic disruption of ineffective responses to crime, addiction, and mental illness—to creating solutions for some of the city’s most difficult public safety and public health challenges.
About The Position
CASES seeks a strategic, committed, and experienced leader to serve as its Chief Executive Officer. After a successful tenure of over thirty years, its founding Executive Director will be stepping down and the incoming CEO will join an organization in strong financial and strategic health with an exceptional team deeply committed to its mission, vision, and values.
The CEO will serve as the organization’s most senior advocate and executive, overseeing its strategy for continued growth, enabling the team to continue to deliver consistent, high-quality programs. As the organization’s primary strategic leader, the CEO will support its leadership team and staff to serve its program participants. In addition, the CEO will lead the development of the organization’s strategic plan and chart its course into the future.
CASES is guided by a Board of Trustees with experience in the fields in which it operates, as well as nonprofit and organizational management. Reporting to the Board of Trustees, the CEO will directly manage a senior leadership team and organization of over 500 staff.
The CEO will lead the organization’s ongoing efforts to advance racial equity and diversity, building a culture that supports staff at all levels, from all backgrounds, to reach their highest potential. The Board’s Racial Equity and Diversity Committee and the leadership team are developing ongoing initiatives with the explicit goal of advancing equity through both staff management and programmatic practices. The committee has engaged external consultants to support these efforts. The CEO will be expected to elevate and support these initiatives, and serve as a vocal advocate for racial equity internally and externally.
This is an ideal opportunity for a committed leader to help create a more effective and humane criminal legal system. Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to
- Strategic Leadership – Serve as CASES senior-most executive, ensuring the organization continues to excel in its current work, while building the culture and infrastructure necessary for CASES to launch new high-impact initiatives
- Racial Equity and Diversity – Advance ongoing efforts to illuminate structural racism, where it exists in both the criminal legal system and in internal management practices, and work to undo its harms; support the Racial Equity and Diversity Committee’s work to achieve these goals
- Team Management and Financial Oversight – Oversee all operations, with ultimate accountability for the success of the organization; coach and mentor a high-performing team committed to advancing programs in the following areas
- behavioral health
- clinical & community alternatives
- education
- career and enrichment; and
- pretrial services
- Fundraising – Drive fundraising strategies and activities that lead to sustainability and growth, engaging CASES existing donor base while cultivating new supporters among government, corporate, foundation, and individual funders
- Organizational Design and Development – Lead, working in close partnership with the leadership team, a review of organizational structure, with the goal of designing management structures that support growth, accountability, and programmatic success
- Board Stewardship – Act as lead liaison to the Board of Trustees, engaging Board members in the health and sustainability of the organization; and helping to ensure the Board reflects the expertise and diversity of the New York City community
- Culture Building – Continue to build and enhance the CASES culture, defined by its deep commitment to equity, its team, clients, and New Yorkers
- Thought Leadership – Amplify the work of the CASES program teams, contributing to the national dialogue on reforming the criminal legal system
- Relationship Management and Cultivation – Serve as the leading voice for the organization, enhancing the CASES brand recognition, partnerships, and credibility; act as an advocate in the movement for decarceration in New York City and beyond
- Program Leadership – Provide vision, oversight, and direction, ensuring continuous improvement of service delivery
Candidate Requirements
The Ideal Candidate Will Possess The Following Qualifications
Leadership and Organizational Management
- A minimum of fifteen years of professional work experience, including five years in a significant leadership role in a criminal justice and/or social service organization (and/or advanced degrees and ten years professional experience)
- Proven success as a leader of large teams, with the ability to articulate a clear and inspiring vision for CASES while managing and mentoring an organization of over 500 staff working across a wide array of efforts
- Experience overseeing budgets, with the capacity to allocate resources strategically and manage spending effectively
- Track record of creating and sustaining an organizational culture that fosters equity and belonging
- Deep understanding of structural racism within the criminal legal system and its inequitable impact on marginalized communities
- Ability to convene, facilitate, and contribute to public dialogue that leads to systemic changes
- Integrity, with a commitment to ethically and empathically serving individuals and families involved with the criminal legal system
External Relations
- Exceptional interpersonal skills, with strong relationships across a diverse spectrum of stakeholders, and to influence leaders in the private, public, and non-profit sectors
- Excellent public speaking and communication skills with the ability to serve as a strong external voice for the CASES and its work
- Listening orientation and curiosity, values the full range of stakeholders (community groups, government, funders, participants, etc.) engaged in CASES work
- Successful track record of working effectively with a range of funders
Strategic Planning and Oversight
- Ability to use quantitative and qualitative information to set a vision and support teams in creating strategies to achieve that vision
- Strong critical thinking skills and an ability to solve problems in the face of complexity and ambiguity
- Understanding of organizational design, with proven success developing systems and structures that foster positive employee engagement and successful programs
Compensation And Benefits
SALARY Target compensation is in the $250,000 – $275,000 range.
BENEFITS CASES offers a comprehensive benefits program that ensures we attract and employ highly skilled and talented employees. Our customized plans support the diversity of our staff by offering a wealth of resources and services. From health and wellness to a positive work/family balance, we make sure every aspect of our employees’ well-being is taken care of. Our comprehensive list of benefit programs includes Medical and Dental, Prescription Drug Coverage, Employee Assistance Program, 403(b) Retirement Savings Plan with a competitive matching contribution, Group Term Life Insurance, and Long-Term Disability. In addition, we offer Paid Time Off and Holidays, Flexible Spending Accounts, a NYS 529 College Saving Plan, and Tuition Reimbursement.
EQUITY STATEMENT
CASES seeks talented, dedicated individuals who possess a strong commitment to its mission and are passionate about creating better opportunities for youth and adults who have become involved in the criminal legal system. CASES recognizes that each staff member is critical, and that its team is strengthened by a diversity of backgrounds, perspectives, and talents and united by a common purpose. CASES is determined to continuously enhance our knowledge and skills, evaluate our results, and learn from our successes and failures. CASES is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment with CASES is based solely on qualifications and competence for a particular position without regard to race, color, ethnic or national origin, age, religion, creed, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or marital, military, or citizenship status. We also actively recruit individuals with prior involvement in the criminal justice system.
To apply for this job please visit www.on-ramps.com.