President/CEO – Position Description

Department:    Administration

FLSA:               Full Time

Location:         141 Mercy Drive, Belmont, NC 28012

Reports To:      Catherine’s House Board of Directors

Organizational Overview

Catherine’s House is a 501c3 nonprofit organization based in Belmont, NC with a mission of mercy – to love and empower women and children who are homeless by providing them with safe, transitional housing as well as supportive programs and services that help them build self-sufficiency. The organization strives for women to leave its programming with employment, a safe place to live, financial literacy and a savings account. Most importantly, program participants build the knowledge and confidence that they can support themselves and their families.

Catherine’s House serves women and children from a multi-county area in North and South Carolina, with the majority of residents from Mecklenburg and Gaston Counties. Catherine’s House serves 90-100 women and children annually.

History

Catherine’s House is a ministry of the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas. In 1991, Hester Tribble, a social worker and graduate of the former Sacred Heart College, approached the Sisters of Mercy regarding her dream to serve the homeless. The Sisters of Mercy agreed to help her by forming an active board and allowing the use of an empty building on the grounds of the former college. When Ms. Tribble was unable to continue, the Sisters of Mercy adopted the ministry, which opened in November 1992. They named it Catherine’s House in honor of their foundress, Catherine McAuley of Dublin, Ireland.

Throughout its nearly three decades of existence, 2,700 women have moved on from Catherine’s House with the ability to be self-sufficient.  For more information, please visit www.catherineshouseinc.org.

The Opportunity

Catherine’s House is a strong, financially-stable human services organization making a difference in the lives of women and children in need.  In recent years, the organization has prioritized increased visibility in the local and regional area. Through social media and relational outreach efforts, Catherine’s House has become better connected to community leaders, program partners, donors, and funders. Moving forward, the new President/CEO will be asked to build upon this renewed platform of engagement to further ensure sustainability of the organization.

Coming out of the current pandemic, the organization’s board of directors believes growth in impact will be a focus, with new programs and services under consideration to meet increased need. An expansion of the 14-bed facility is also a long-term goal.

The Role

The President/CEO will be committed to and have passion for the goals, philosophy and values of the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas. In addition, the successful candidate will provide executive leadership and administration for the organization, is accountable for achieving the defined goals and objectives of the Board of Directors through effective administration, and responsible for acting as the liaison among the board, staff, the Sisters of Mercy Ministry Office, media and the external community.

The President/CEO is accountable to the Board of Directors for the operation of the corporation, including overseeing finances, keeping fundraising activities on track, monitoring program operations, and compliance with regulations.  While day-to-day operation is delegated to direct reports for many activities, the President/CEO retains full responsibility. Key responsibilities include:

Development, Fundraising and Community Relations (30%)

  • Builds relationships with individual and corporate donors through outreach, written communication, and socialization in the communities served.
  • Leads Catherine’s House fundraising events including Car Raffle, Pink Lemonade Party, Holiday Homecoming, Community Foundation Run. Leads tours of Catherine’s House and engagements with community organizations.
  • Provides reports to the Development Committee and Board indicating progress in attaining objectives contained in the development plan.
  • Effectively networks on behalf of Catherine’s House with other community organizations working in the area of homelessness and related services.
  • Engage in frequent messaging and content development across social media platforms, newsletter, and Catherine’s House website.

Program Management (20%)          

  • Responsible for administering all programs and services offered by Catherine’s House consistent with the Mission of the Ministry and policies adopted by the Board of Directors.
  • Responsible for developing short-range operational goals and objectives consistent with and in furtherance of the longer-range strategic goals of the organization.
  • Responsible for monitoring “best practices” in the field and recommending program modifications for consideration by the Board.
  • Responsible for ensuring that Catherine’s House complies with rules of applicable regulatory agencies.

Human Resources Management (15%)

  • Works with the HR Committee and Board of Directors to ensure compensation and benefit packages are competitive in the industry.
  • Provides supervision of Catherine’s House staff including development of job descriptions, training, ongoing assessment, and the application of HR policies.
  • Responsible for the recruitment, hiring, and dismissal of staff consistent with applicable HR policies.

Board Engagement and Governance Support (15%):

  • Promotes the development of an effective Board of Directors by assisting in aggressive recruitment of qualified board members, participation in board training, and encouragement of leadership.
  • Advises the Board of Directors in matters regarding its governing functions in general and, specifically, as a sponsored ministry of the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas.
  • Serves effectively as a liaison between Catherine’s House and the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy. This involves implementing at the ministry level programs and policies developed by the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas.

Fiscal Management (10%):

  • Responsible for managing the organization consistent with the annual budget prepared by the finance committee and adopted by the Board of Directors. This includes review of revenue and expenses through monthly financial statements.
  • Works with the Board to establish policies and procedures to ensure sound fiscal management of the organization.
  • Works closely with the outside vendor that prepares financial statements for the organization and ensures that there is an annual review by a qualified accounting firm.

Facility Management (10%):

  • Ensures that the facility is maintained to meet the programmatic and administrative needs of the ministry.
  • Periodically, presents proposals for capital improvements to the Board, including potential funding sources.

Required Qualifications & Competencies

The ideal candidate will have the following capabilities and qualities:

  • A demonstrated commitment to the values of the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, Catherine’s House mission, values and the community in which it serves.
  • Demonstrated understanding and expertise in Catherine’s House programmatic areas and services.
  • Ability to serve as a compelling, relational leader with a demonstrated track record in fundraising, administrative operations, financial management, program growth and development, relationship-building, and advocacy skills.
  • Strong oral and written communication skills and the ability to transparently communicate goals and vision to staff, board and key stakeholders.
  • Expertise in strategic planning and development of metrics and key performance indicators to track organization-wide and team outcomes.
  • Previous experience in engaging board relations, developing policies, goals and objectives, and onboarding and training new members.
  • Ability to serve as the liaison among the board, staff, volunteers, the Sisters of Mercy Ministry Office, media and the external community.
  • Ability to serve as spokesperson and build relationships with community stakeholders to increase connectivity for the residents and individuals served.
  • A minimum of five years’ experience in the nonprofit sector in leadership roles; previous experience as an Executive Director/CEO preferred.
  • Master’s Degree (MA) preferred or equivalent experience in human services field.

Compensation Package
Base salary range is $95,000-$100,000. Benefits include a generous PTO policy and employee healthcare benefits.

Application Process

Catherine’s House has partnered with Next Stage to help in this hire. All inquiries, nominations, and applications should be directed via email to Next Stage (search@nextstage-consulting.com). Applications must include an original, compelling cover letter and resume to be considered for the role. Please also indicate where you learned of the opportunity. Please note that only those candidates invited for screening will be contacted. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE.

Catherine’s House makes recruitment, employment, promotional and all other Human Resource decisions without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, or veteran status in accordance with federal and state laws regarding equal employment opportunities. Individuals of color, and others from diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.

About Next Stage

Next Stage is a strategy and implementation firm based in Charlotte, NC and serves nonprofit organizations and social cause start-ups throughout the Carolinas. Next Stage works with nonprofit organizations to develop game-changing strategies and strengthened operations in service to mission and long-range vision. For more information about Next Stage, please visit nextstage-consulting.com.