Executive Director, Parenting Journey (Boston or NYC)

PARENTING JOURNEY SEEKS AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Parenting Journey’s mission is to assist and inspire families in becoming more resilient by supporting them in developing the inner strengths, life skills, and networks of resources they need to succeed.

Parenting Journey seeks an innovative and business-oriented leader to expand the adoption of Parenting Journey programs nationally and internationally. We are looking for an Executive Director skilled as a respectful and facilitative leader of people, with a solid inclination for growth, and who has been successful in cultivating talent and influencing culture.

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION

Parenting Journey is a nonprofit Training Institute serving social services agencies and clinicians nationally and globally by helping parents build stronger, more resilient families. Since its founding in 1982, Parenting Journey has trained more than 3,300 human service professionals who offer Parenting Journey’s programs at more than 500 sites/organizations nationally and internationally, to the benefit of more than 52,000 parents and their 130,000 children.

Parenting Journey’s model is experiential and sits at the intersection of social justice, equity, and clinical practice by applying trauma-informed and strengths-based strategies for family development and resilience. Our work is anchored in Parenting Journey, our signature program. We also offer specialized versions of the program for immigrant parents and parents in recovery, and we are planning an expansion of our training, coaching, and advisory offerings. We serve several professional audiences by:

• Partnering with parent- and family-serving organizations to provide transformative experiences through trauma- and stressor-informed programs
• Engaging professionals and paraprofessionals working with families at risk and under-resourced communities to discern and build on the strengths of those they serve
• Equipping clinicians to incorporate these therapeutic strategies into their practice

Ten staff are employed by Parenting Journey in two locations: New York City and Somerville, MA. It’s annual operating budget is approximately $1.8 million with net assets of nearly $8 million. It is stewarded by a 12-member Board of Directors.

Parenting Journey is undertaking a phase of expansion and investment in its programs, along with field building on a national and international scale. Our goal is to transform the health and well-being of families by expanding the adoption of Parenting Journey programs and practices in a way that is deeply intertwined with host agencies’ core mission and service models.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Executive Director will have overall strategic and operational responsibility for growing Parenting Journey on a national and international scale, developing a sustainable funding base, building and leading a best-in-class management team, and creating a culture of teamwork and performance among a diverse and talented group of individuals. The Executive Director will work closely with the Program Director to craft and lead a multi-year growth plan that builds on the direction and momentum from Parenting Journey’s strategic planning process in 2021.

The Executive Director’s overall responsibilities will be:

• Overseeing Parenting Journey’s operations, programs, and staff, including:

1. Leading external communications, market development, and field-building with family serving agencies, thought leaders and researchers, and public and private funders
2. Building Parent Journey business through selling the program to prospective agencies
3. Working closely with an executive team overseeing strategy and execution for program development and life cycle management, training delivery and clinical services, research, and evaluation, and overseeing finance and administration functions

• Providing organizational leadership, including attracting, developing, and retaining staff while cultivating and promoting a collaborative, supportive, and impact-focused culture
• Working closely with the Board to build and maintain a diversified and sustainable funding base that includes earned revenue from training and other services as well as grants from individual donors, private and community foundations, corporations, and government
• Cultivating and collaborating with the Board of Directors and Advisory Board on governance and innovation

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

Parenting Journey’s next executive has all of this to leverage. We seek candidates who have served in senior leadership within a mission-driven organization (for-profit or non-profit). While we recognize that candidates will not possess all the following qualities, ideal applicants will exemplify a number of these attributes, skills, and experiences:

A Strategic and Entrepreneurial Leader

• Experience with or knowledge of training programs and curriculum development
• Understands the trauma/stress informed perspective of wellbeing
• Entrepreneurial in approach with experience in evolving a curriculum or program for relevancy
• A business builder who can sell the program to new agencies
• Agile and thrives in an environment of change
• Clinical training in social work, mental health or related fields, or experience working closely with social services clinicians and other professionals

A Deep Commitment to and Experience with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

• Human rights activist
• Proven champion of racial and social equity
• A confidence builder across a diverse group of stakeholders
• Demonstrated success in integrating social justice and equity principles into overall organizational strategy
• Experience in developing a welcoming, collaborative, diverse and inclusive work culture and climate

An Authentic and Facilitative Leader

• Holds a spirit of humility
• Passion for and commitment to the mission of Parenting Journey and the participants it serves and represents
• Experience as a consensus decision maker
• Exhibits warmth and humility
• Is curious and accessible with the aptitude to motivate, coach, appreciate, and respect staff

A Strong Communicator

• A track record of successful fundraising across all areas of development and a network of funding resources
• Strong oral and writing skills and experience leading communications and stakeholder engagement
• Is inspirational and a talented public spokesperson committed to raising Parenting Journey’s profile
• Demonstrated leadership with collaboratives and collaborative relationships

A Seasoned Organizational Leader

• 10+ years of professional experience working with mission-driven organizations with strategic, operational, and organizational responsibilities
• Business acumen in operations, management, and governance leadership at an organization of Parenting Journey’s scale
• A track record of developing talent and building a culture of teamwork and performance
• Success working closely with the organizational founder or emeritus, board, and other stakeholders on strategy, governance and stewardship, fundraising, and donor development

POSITION PROVISIONS

This position is located in metro-New York or Boston and requires an ability to travel periodically to Parenting Journey offices, professional meetings, and partner agencies.

The salary range being offered is $140,000 – $160,000.

APPLICATION GUIDELINES

Candidates must include a resume and a cover letter that describes how their qualifications and experience match the needs and mission of Parenting Journey. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Send required documents to: https://eostransitions.applicantpool.com/jobs/

Parenting Journey is an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer and looks forward to an inclusive hiring process. It encourages a broad range of applicants, including candidates from diverse backgrounds and cultures.

This executive search is being conducted by Eos Transition Partners consultant Nancy Jackson. All submissions will be acknowledged and are confidential, and any questions must be submitted to Nancy Jackson at: [email protected].