Chief Executive Officer

Job Description
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) reports to the Amara Board of Directors. The CEO is responsible for Amara’s visionary leadership, strategic direction and all aspects of organizational operations, including program development, fundraising, financial management, staff leadership.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the following satisfactorily;
other duties may be assigned. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Strategic Leadership &
Operational Management:
- Lead, with the Board of Directors, setting annual strategic priorities and goals along with a work plan to allocate resources (funds and personnel) to support organizational priorities.
- Lead the development, implementation, and evaluation of programs and services to meet the needs of the organization’s constituents, centering children at-risk of or impacted by the child welfare system.
- Develop and implement long-term strategic plans aligned to the organization’s mission and vision;
ensure objectives, activities, and decisions are in line with long-term strategic goals.
- Align programs to the organization’s mission and goals and achieve desired outcomes. Ensure that programs are developed strategically and in a fiscally responsible manner, with focus on potential impact and outcomes, and an understanding of organization-wide sustainability.
- Oversee preparation and management of budget, monitor financial performance, and ensure fiscal responsibility, including forecasting, cash flow monitoring and financial reporting with our CFO.
- Monitor trends, policy changes, and community needs to adapt organizational strategies accordingly.
- Drive a sense of accountability among team members by modeling performance standards.
- Identify and manage/mitigate potential organizational risks.
- Ensure compliance with relevant laws, regulations and ethical standards governing non-profit organizations. This includes overseeing legal and regulatory filings, maintaining corporate records, and ensuring adherence to established policies and procedures.
Program Development:
- Set clear objectives, priorities, and timelines for program implementation and evaluation.
- Ensure that programs are designed, piloted, and scaled with the focus of serving client needs and a vision towards system impact locally, in WA State, and Federally. Consider how programs drive practice and policies and seek to operate these thoughtfully in a way that challenges long-standing inequitable systems and structures.
- Regularly conduct needs assessments with a diverse group to identify and evaluate current programs aligned to the challenges, issues.
- Develop and support strategic partnerships with other organizations, funders, government agencies, and community groups to leverage resources, expertise, and support and expand program reach.
- Recruit, hire, and train staff needed to implement and manage program activities effectively. Provide guidance and support for staff members in building their capacity.
- Advocate for policies and initiatives that support the organization’s programmatic goals and address systemic issues impacting the community. Engage policymakers, advocacy groups and other stakeholders in policy discussions and advocacy efforts.
- Remain apprised of current trends, practices and legislation in child welfare and related policy areas.
Core Competencies:
- Team player who is energized by the mission, and who is caring and transparent, oriented toward the greater good of Amara and its overall strategic direction.
- Ability to build enduring relationships and leads with a thoughtful, positive, loyal, and strategic presence and garner loyalty and support from impacted communities and stakeholders.
- Respectful and accessible leadership style, comfortable with ambiguity and able to relate to a wide range of clients and constituencies.
- Ability to have difficult conversations and make difficult decisions.
- A demeanor that exudes care for others including children and families we serve.