POSITION SUMMARYThe Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) provides executive leadership in developing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating the organization's strategic direction and operational performance. The CSO works closely with the Chief Executive Officer, Covenant House California (CHC) executive leadership, management, staff, board of directors, Covenant House International (CHI) and community partners to ensure that organizational strategies, programs, services, and resources are aligned with the mission, vision, values, and long-term goals of the organization.
The CSO provides leadership and hands-on support of work efforts across strategic planning, performance management, performance and quality improvement, quality assurance, risk management, human resources management, data management, advocacy, and organizational effectiveness. The position establishes systems of accountability, continuous improvement, and data-informed decision-making while identifying opportunities to strengthen organizational capacity, service quality, sustainability, and community impact.
ESSENTIAL DUTIESStrategic Planning and Organizational Strategy- Lead the development, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the organization's strategic plan.
- Translate the organization's mission, vision, and strategic priorities into measurable goals, objectives, initiatives, and performance indicators.
- In partnership with the Executive Leadership Team, establish annual operating priorities and ensure alignment between strategic objectives, departmental work plans, budgets, and organizational resources.
- Ensure alignment between CHC's strategic plan and the priorities outlined in CHI's Journey Home.
- Monitor progress toward strategic goals and provide regular reports and recommendations to the CEO and Board of Directors.
- Conduct environmental scans, organizational assessments, and trend analyses to identify opportunities, emerging needs, threats, and areas for growth.
- Develop strategies to strengthen organizational sustainability, effectiveness, innovation, and competitive positioning.
- Facilitate cross-functional collaboration to ensure consistent execution of strategic initiatives.
- Lead organizational change initiatives and support leadership and staff through periods of growth, restructuring, or transformation.
Performance Management- Develop and oversee an organization-wide performance management framework.
- Establish key performance indicators (KPIs), benchmarks, targets, and accountability measures.
- Partner with department leaders to ensure performance expectations are clearly defined, measurable, and aligned with strategic priorities.
- Work closely with the institutional giving team to ensure KPI alignment with funder objectives, and that accurate data is available for funder reporting.
- Oversee the quality assurance teams monitoring of individual, departmental, programmatic, and organizational performance, and partner with the executive leadership team to ensure accountability.
- Establish regular performance review processes and dashboards for leadership and management.
- Identify performance gaps and develop corrective action and improvement plans.
- Promote a culture of accountability, transparency, continuous learning, and results.
- Provide executive leadership with analysis and recommendations regarding organizational performance.
Performance and Quality Improvement- Implement and lead the organization's Performance and Quality Improvement (PQI) program.
- Establish systems for continuous quality improvement across programs, services, and administrative functions.
- Analyze performance trends, outcomes, complaints, incidents, audits, surveys, and other indicators to identify improvement opportunities.
- Develop and monitor quality improvement plans and corrective action plans.
- Promote the use of root-cause analysis and other problem-solving methodologies.
- Ensure improvement activities result in measurable and sustainable outcomes.
- Report quality and performance findings to executive leadership and the Board as appropriate.
Quality Assurance and Compliance- Oversee organizational quality assurance systems and processes.
- Establish policies, procedures, standards, and monitoring mechanisms to ensure consistent service quality.
- Ensure that CHC is meeting wellness metrics and compliance benchmarks established by CHI.
- Serve as the site lead for CHI's wellness review, and ensure CHC's review readiness.
- Oversee quality assurance team's internal reviews, funder audits, compliance monitoring, and program evaluations.
- Ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, contractual requirements, accreditation standards, and organizational policies.
- Monitor findings from audits, inspections, investigations, and external reviews and ensure timely corrective action.
- Identify systemic issues and recommend policy, process, or operational changes.
- Promote a culture in which quality, safety, compliance, and continuous improvement are organizational priorities.
Risk Management- Develop and oversee an enterprise-wide risk management framework.
- Implement a Risk Management team approach to, assess, prioritize, and monitor organizational, operational, financial, regulatory, workforce, technology, data, and reputational risks.
- Oversee maintenance of organizational risk registers and mitigation plans.
- Oversee processes for incident reporting, investigation, and resolution and work closely with site Child Protection Officer to ensure proper notification to CHI where appropriate.
- Work with executive leadership and department heads to develop appropriate risk mitigation and contingency strategies.
- Monitor emerging risks and recommend proactive measures to protect the organization and its stakeholders.
- Ensure significant risks are communicated to the CEO.
- Support business continuity, emergency preparedness, and organizational resilience initiatives.
- Oversee the implementation of an organization-wide Safety Committee that is actively engaged in risk mitigation.
Talent Management Strategy and Workforce Development- Collaborate with SVP People and Culture and the executive leadership to provide strategic leadership and oversight of all stages of the talent management lifecycle.
- Collaborate with senior leadership and human resources functions to ensure alignment of workforce planning, talent management strategies and workforce planning efforts with the organization's mission, strategic priorities, and operational goals.
- Partner with the HR, finance and institutional funding teams to ensure accurate capture of personnel and allocation to funding sources for grant maximization.
- Develop and manage succession plans for critical leadership and organizational functions
- Alongside the SVP People and Culture, ensure HR policies, practices, and training requirements are consistent with applicable employment laws, compliance regulations, and organizational policies, and that CHC maintains a current Employee Handbook.
- Ensure collaboration between HR and internal partners to address workforce challenges, strengthen organizational culture, and to engage in continuous process improvement efforts involving people operations workstreams.
- Monitor, analyze, and make data-informed recommendations based on workforce performance measures and staffing trends including (but not limited to) turnover, vacancies, and organizational capacity.
- Collaborate with HR and Development team to support talent-related grant applications, reporting, and outcomes
Data Management, Analytics, and Reporting- Provide strategic oversight of organizational data management.
- Ensure data is being captured in alignment with CHC and CHI requirements.
- Establish standards for data integrity, accuracy, security, accessibility, and confidentiality.
- Ensure quality assurance team develops systems for collecting, analyzing, interpreting, and reporting organizational and programmatic data.
- Oversee maintenance of dashboards, data collection and performance reports to support decision-making.
- Ensure data is used effectively to evaluate programs, measure outcomes, identify trends, and improve organizational performance.
Advocacy and External Relations- Provide strategic leadership for organizational advocacy and policy initiatives.
- Oversee CHC's Southern California advocacy strategy and work closely with the executive leadership team on statewide and federal advocacy.
- Ensure CHC's policy and advocacy strategy is in alignment with CHI's unified policies, and ensure that CHC is submitting its annual advocacy plan for CHI approval.
- Represent the organization with government agencies, community organizations, funders, professional associations, coalitions, and other external stakeholders.
- Monitor legislative, regulatory, policy, and community trends that may affect the organization and the populations it serves, and relay relevant information to the executive leadership team.
- Develop advocacy strategies aligned with the organization's mission and strategic priorities.
- Build and maintain strategic partnerships and community relationships.
- Support public policy initiatives and organizational positions on issues relevant to the organization's mission.
- Serve as a spokesperson for the organization, representing CHC at public meetings and providing public comment.
- Prepare leadership and Board members with data, analysis, and messaging to support advocacy efforts.
- Identify opportunities to increase the organization's visibility, influence, and community impact.
Organizational Effectiveness- Evaluate organizational structures, systems, processes, and workflows to identify opportunities for greater efficiency and effectiveness.
- Lead initiatives designed to improve operational efficiency, service delivery, employee engagement, and stakeholder satisfaction.
- Facilitate cross-departmental problem solving and collaboration.
- Develop organizational policies, procedures, and systems that support strategic priorities.
- Identify opportunities for innovation, process improvement, and organizational growth.
- Ensure organizational resources are aligned with strategic priorities and measurable outcomes.
Board and Executive Leadership Support- Serve as a strategic advisor to the CEO and executive leadership team.
- Prepare strategic, performance, quality, risk, workforce, and organizational reports for the Board of Directors.
- Support Board committees as assigned.
- Other duties as assigned to support the mission and strategic priorities of the organization
JOB REQUIREMENTS:Education, Licensure, and Certification- Master's degree in social services, public administration, nonprofit management, or JD preferred
- Board of Behavioral Sciences Licensure strongly preferred
