Executive Director

Executive Director

Location: Atlanta, Georgia metro area preferred; remote possible.

Compensation: $120,000-$140,000, plus benefits

Work Schedule & Travel Requirements: Hybrid.

• Candidates located within the Atlanta metro area can expect to meet with the team in person, for a full-day, several days a month.
• Candidates located outside of the Atlanta metro area can expect to travel (mostly to metro Atlanta) up to 25% of the year.

About Hopebound:

Hopebound is a growth-phase mental-health nonprofit entering its 5th academic year of providing services to youth from marginalized communities who identify as BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and/or low-income. We exclusively utilize pre-licensed clinicians as our providers and invest heavily in their training and supervision, as we are committed to “taking care of the youth of today while training the therapists of tomorrow.”

With an annual operating budget of $850k, Hopebound is well-positioned to enter a new phase of growth. We are seeking our next Executive Director to continue our strong programmatic impact and lead us into and through this upcoming chapter.

The role:

As the Executive Director, you will be responsible for ensuring the organization’s financial and operational health while overseeing partnership and community engagement, program operations, outcomes, strategic growth, and board management. The Executive Director will have the opportunity to lead an innovative, mission-driven program while overseeing a small-but-mighty team of three full-time employees along with several part-time contractors/consultants, emerging clinicians, a Clinical Advisory Board, a Youth Advisory Board, and an engaged Board of Directors.

We are seeking a dynamic candidate who recognizes the importance and transformative potential of our work, and who can build alongside the leadership of our staff as we engage in community care. The ideal candidate is curious, proactive, and people-centered, with experience in fundraising, partnership cultivation, and community relationships. They should possess high emotional intelligence, be comfortable in a collaborative leadership approach, and have the ability to engage and inspire stakeholders. We encourage candidates with nontraditional backgrounds, including in grassroots organizing and other unique career pathways, to apply.

Hopebound’s hybrid work balance and organizational culture:

Hopebound operates on a hybrid work schedule. Candidates in the Atlanta metro area are expected to meet with the team in person for full-day sessions several times a month. Those outside the area should anticipate traveling to Atlanta approximately 25% of the year. Hopebound’s staff work 9am-5pm EST, and we value a candidate who will maintain respect for these boundaries, regardless of their time zone.

We offer a modest relocation stipend for candidates outside the metro area who choose to move. While we welcome candidates from across the United States, most of our partnerships, staff, and the families we serve are located in the metro Atlanta area. Our work is rooted in the American South, and we expect that our new Executive Director will have a connection to and experience with the communities of this region.

Primary Responsibilities:

Organizational Strategy & Leadership

• Maintain alignment between all programs and the overall vision, mission, and core values of the organization.
• Lead as a strategist to maintain and expand Hopebound’s programmatic offerings and chart a course for its growth.
• Navigate complexities within regional, state, and national mental health policy, research, stakeholders, and systems.
• Ensure effective systems are in place to track progress to goals, regularly evaluate program components, and communicate outcomes to the board, funders, and partners.
• Develop, maintain, and support a strong working relationship with the Board of Directors to define and implement governance best practices.

Fundraising and Development

• Refine and enhance Hopebound’s fundraising strategy, including grants, major gifts, special events, and campaigns, in collaboration with our external fundraising firm.
• Establish short and long-term goals for the organization’s fundraising efforts, analyze revenue, and seek to minimize downtrends and financial risks.
• Manage, cultivate, and retain a solid donor base within and outside the mental health landscape.
• Lead successful major gifts campaigns and solicit and secure gifts up to six figures in size.

Systems and Operations

• Ensure that standard and effective operating processes and procedures are in place, in collaboration with the Operations team.
• Manage and grow Hopebound’s operating budget of $850K+ and steward institutional resources.
• Manage Hopebound’s systems and processes related to human resources, staff benefits, payroll, etc.
• Oversee compliance in collaboration with an external accounting firm and contracted legal counsel.
• Lead the organization’s clinical services quality assurance–monitoring, assessing, and adjusting key aspects of patient care and programmatic design.

People Development and Cultural Leadership

• Hire, manage, lead, retain, and empower a diverse and high-performing team of approximately 20 people (a sample makeup would be three full-time employees, seven part-time contractors or consultants, and seven emerging clinicians).
• Foster an organizational culture that is rooted in the mission and values of the organization.
• Create policies and practices that foster diversity, equity, and inclusiveness to ensure inclusive and equitable staff experiences.
• Invest in talent to build successors for key roles, contributing to the sustainability of the regional team and organization.
• Coach and manage a high-performing team while overseeing the day-to-day operations of the organization.

The strongest candidates will have the following skills, mindsets, and experiences:

• A demonstrated dedication to youth-focused organizations, ideally those who work with youth who hold marginalized identities (including, but not limited to, youth who are: people of color, from a low-income background, and/or members of the LGBTQIA+ community).
• A passion for community care, with experience in engaging directly with the communities Hopebound serves.
• A background in grassroots or community-organizing work, particularly within small, local, or growth-phase organizations.
• Skill in developing deep and influential relationships with board members, donors, and other key stakeholders, with experience diversifying funding streams and donor portfolios to include both institutional and individual donors.
• Experience as a nonprofit leader who has managed staff, established new programs, overseen significant budgets, and/or navigated organizational ambiguity.
• Demonstrated ability to lead with curiosity, prioritize high-impact, collaborative work, and excel in organizational structures that leverage team members’ insight and feedback as a valuable aspect of the decision-making process.
• Ability to strategically plan for and grow an organization in a thoughtful, measured, and sustainable way.
• Profound commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in all decision-making processes.
• Deep-seated dedication to fostering an inclusive organizational culture, ensuring that DEI principles are integrated into every aspect of leadership and management.
• Proven track record of achieving outstanding results through strategic clarity and excellence in operational and organizational leadership
• Comfort rolling up sleeves and doing the day-to-day work alongside a small team of staff, embodying a leadership approach of collaboration and humility.
• Demonstrated skill in navigating ambiguous, complex, and high-stake situations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Bachelor’s degree or similar experience strongly preferred.