Reach Out and Read Chief Executive Officer

About Reach Out and Read

In deep partnership with a network of clinicians, Reach Out and Read leverages the near-universal reach of the pediatric well-child visit. It uses children’s books and shared reading to support parents and caregivers in strengthening healthy relationships with their infants and young children from birth through 5 years old.

Reach Out and Read works directly with pediatric care providers to share the lifelong benefits of parents reading aloud with their children daily. And that guidance is sorely needed: Only a third (37 percent) of U.S. babies — and barely a quarter (27 percent) of those in low-income households — are read to every day.

Nurturing, language-rich interactions like shared reading give young children a foundation for success — building early language and literacy skills; teaching curiosity, patience, and empathy; and creating deep bonds between parents and their children. By integrating our evidence-based model into pediatric care and providing the tools and encouragement families need to read aloud together, we can transform pediatric care practices, foster healthy families and communities, and give children of all backgrounds and means a better start to life.

Born 35 years ago in Boston, Reach Out and Read is the only national pediatric literacy model endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, that reaches 4.6 million children across every state in the country through 39,000 medical providers. The nonprofit recently set a strategic goal to double its impact by 2030, to serve 10 million young children — 50 percent of all U.S. children from birth to 5.

The Impact:

• Reach Out and Read program sites are located in 6,500 clinics, safety net hospitals, medical systems, and other healthcare settings in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
• Reach Out and Read serves 4.6 million children and their families annually.
• More than 7.7 million new, developmentally appropriate books are integrated into well-child visits with families annually.
• 39,000 clinicians currently participate in Reach Out and Read
• Our peer-reviewed body of evidence demonstrates that Reach Out and Read parents are two-and-a-half times more likely to read regularly to their children, and that children experiencing Reach Out and Read show enhanced language development.

To learn more about Reach Out and Read, visit www.reachoutandread.org.

The Opportunity

As Chief Executive Officer (CEO), you will lead Reach Out and Read through a transformational period by implementing our ambitious strategic plan - developed collaboratively by staff and board members. This comprehensive plan charts our path to serving 10 million children by 2030, marking a significant expansion of our impact. Your leadership will focus on executing this strategy, building and inspiring a high-performing, inclusive team, driving sustainable fundraising growth, and advancing our organizational vision.

Reach Out and Read is uniquely positioned as a vital partner in pediatric primary care, working alongside its longstanding network of committed clinicians to integrate early literacy into healthcare, strengthen parent-child bonds, and promote lifelong learning. Our nationwide clinical network has evolved into diverse operational models - including programs directly under Reach Out and Read Inc., independent 501(c)(3) affiliates, institutional partnerships, and AAP chapter collaborations - reflecting our grassroots growth and regional healthcare variations. With a strong strategic plan, the next CEO will focus on executing this vision with precision and impact. This includes ensuring the program scales with fidelity, integrates seamlessly into healthcare systems, and sustains long-term success through strategic partnerships, fundraising, and efficient operations.

We seek an experienced and collaborative executive to serve as CEO. The CEO must be an inspiring and effective communicator capable of building and nurturing strong relationships internally and externally. This includes overseeing Reach Out and Read's leadership team and affiliate and program partners, as well as partnering with the Board of Directors while cultivating relationships with key regional and national funders to ensure financial stability and growth.

The ideal candidate will be a results-driven leader with a track record of successfully guiding national organizations of similar size, complexity, and trajectory. A key component of this role will be fostering partnerships across diverse communities and ensuring that equity and inclusion remain central to the organization's mission and operations. Applicants should demonstrate deep knowledge of systemic inequities and a commitment to addressing structural injustices that impact underserved children and families.

Success in this role will be defined by the ability to drive the strategic plan forward, lead a dynamic team, strengthen partnerships with clinicians, and expand Reach Out and Read's impact nationwide.

Responsibilities

The CEO reports to the Board of Directors and has overall fiduciary and managerial responsibility for the organization’s activities. Reach Out and Read has an annual budget of over $30 million and sufficient assets, funding, and revenue to support operations and planned growth. The CEO leads a diverse 100-person team who are committed to equity, inclusion, and belonging as core to their work. The CEO will directly manage Reach Out and Read’s Senior Leadership Team, including its Chief Operating Officer, Chief of Research and Innovation, Chief Development Officer, Chief External Affairs Officer, Chief of Staff, Senior Director of Growth, and Chief of Finance and Administration and receive support from an Administrative Associate.

Reach Out and Read’s next CEO will assume leadership of a highly-respected organization with significant strengths that include:

• Interdisciplinary team of high-performing professionals with many years of institutional knowledge
• Track record of influence and impact achieved over 35 years of operations
• Significant philanthropic funding to fuel ambitious growth
• Existing relations with partners in the medical, publishing, and early literacy field

As a key focus of their work, the CEO will be responsible for the following:

Leadership and Strategy

• Serve as an innovative and visionary leader for Reach Out and Read, driving the execution of the strategic plan.
• Lead the Senior Leadership Team, ensuring alignment across departments and facilitating data-driven decision-making.
• Mentor and develop leaders on the leadership team by creating high-impact opportunities that move the organization forward.
• Work closely with the Board of Directors to refine, evolve, and implement strategic priorities that expand Reach Out and Read's reach and impact, while ensuring effective communication and timely provision of information needed for efficient governance.
• Balance a collaborative, relationship-driven approach with strong business acumen to ensure sustainability and long-term success.
• Maintain strong connections with the Board of Directors, Medical Leadership, staff, and key stakeholders to support Reach Out and Read’s mission and growth.

Program and Network Support & Growth

• Strengthen Reach Out and Read’s position within pediatric primary care through partnerships with clinicians and staff, conferences, and policy meetings.
• Oversee and enhance the core Reach Out and Read program model to ensure high-quality execution and long-term impact.
• Support the growth of new affiliates in partnership with the Senior Director of Growth.
• Ensure affiliates have the necessary structures to develop, flourish, and maintain program fidelity.
• Strengthen the national center’s role in supporting affiliates by fostering best practice sharing and network connectivity.

Policy and Advocacy

• Guide policy efforts in collaboration with movement leaders and medical directors to promote relational health, early brain development, early literacy, and school readiness through pediatric primary care.
• Identify and implement scalable, sustainable non-philanthropic funding mechanisms, including Medicaid, health systems, public investment, earned revenue, and other payer structures.
• Engage with media and influencers (TV, radio, podcasts, op-eds, social media) to advance Reach Out and Read’s policy and impact agenda in partnership with staff, Medical Directors, and partners.
• Represent Reach Out and Read and its stakeholders in movement-wide settings, including advocacy organizations, policymakers, and within the Reach Out and Read network.

Fundraising and Financial Sustainability

• Lead the organization’s fundraising strategy with the Chief Development Officer and Executive Directors.
• Build and nurture relationships with major regional and national funders, leveraging recent fundraising successes.
• Develop strategies for diversifying revenue streams (e.g., corporate partnerships, earned revenue, vendor partnerships) in collaboration with the Board and senior leaders.
• Inspire a culture of innovation that leads to new, fundable initiatives aligned with Reach Out and Read’s mission and strategic plan.
• Ensure financial viability and stewardship of resources to sustain Reach Out and Read’s mission and growth.

Operational Excellence

• Ensure strong collaboration across affiliates, local sites, and national departments to enhance day-to-day operations.
• Oversee the implementation of new systems, structures, and processes that improve efficiency and organizational effectiveness.
• Maintain financial integrity and operational sustainability, ensuring the organization meets the highest resource steward standards.
• Foster alignment between departments to support the successful execution of Reach Out and Read’s strategic goals.
• Lead planning, resource allocation, and operational oversight to drive purposeful and ambitious expansion.

Advance our Commitment to Equity, Inclusion and Belonging

• Create a culture of learning and respect that improves the organization’s ability to address challenges around issues of race, ethnicity, gender and sexual identity, disability, age, and more
• Foster an inclusive and engaged workplace; demonstrate transparency, empathy, and respect; support a culture of authenticity and self-care
• Coach and facilitate the team in support of a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment

Qualifications

There are innumerable ways to learn, grow, and excel professionally. We respect this when we review applications and take a broad look at the experience of each applicant. We want to get to know you and learn about the unique strengths you will bring to the work. This said, we are most likely to be interested in your candidacy if you can demonstrate most of the qualifications and experiences listed below.

• Commitment to increasing equity in opportunity and outcomes for children and to recognizing factors known to significantly impact differential outcomes for children, including race, ethnicity, language, and socio-economic status
• Progressive senior-level leadership experience with a proven track record of successfully leading, managing, and growing a multi-site, performance- and outcomes-based organization or enterprise, preferably within the educational, healthcare, community, nonprofit,, or philanthropic sectors
• A proven track record and passion for fundraising that is demonstrated in a commitment to maintaining current funders, a zest for cultivating new donors, an ability to generate new revenue streams, and a history of successfully taking organizations to the next level of sustained philanthropic support
• Proven ability to assess, coach, and mentor senior-level staff and build a highly integrated, collaborative team
• Commitment and experience to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging best practices and continuous learning; able to ground their work and leadership within your own learning journey and lived experiences
• Thrives in a highly relational and collaborative environment; demonstrates the integrity, wisdom, persistence, and humor necessary to address the practicalities of a growing, dynamic organization
• A management style that combines respectful collaboration with disciplined productivity; the respect and team orientation to effectively mentor, coach, and support staff
• Self-motivated and inspirational problem solver with maturity and tact to collaborate effectively with colleagues, Board Members, external partners, and team members
• Excellent strategic, analytical, and problem-solving skills with the ability to overcome challenges through the development of thoughtful and creative solutions
• Exceptional oral and written communication, networking, and public engagement skills, including the ability to adapt style and approach to diverse local constituencies and needs
• Ability to build sustainable and productive partnerships with nonprofits, philanthropic partners, and academic and medical institutions. Comfortable and capable of speaking to these constituents and other stakeholders about the power and potential of Reach Out and Read’s model.
• Ability to compel others to action as a key storyteller of our path to impact, priorities for growth, and ongoing contributions to the communities and families we serve
• Experience in developing and supporting legislative and administrative policy-making processes and proven ability to influence those processes

Compensation and Benefits

Reach Out and Read offers a comprehensive benefits package. The salary range for this position is $350,000, with the potential of a performance-based bonus of up to 10%. Reach Out and Read’s national headquarters is in downtown Boston, and the organization’s affiliate and partner network spans the United States. The CEO can be based anywhere in the US. Travel to Boston’s national headquarters, affiliates, and partner sites is expected to be at least 30% of the time or what is deemed necessary to run a national organization effectively.

How to Apply

To apply to this position, please have an updated resume ready and a thoughtfully written cover letter to the attention of Reach Out and Read’s Executive Search Committee. For confidential inquiries or assistance in completing the application, please contact us via email at search@positivelypartners.org, and a member of our team will follow up.

Timeline and Hiring Process

We will review and respond to all applications received. While subject to change, candidates elected to advance throughout the process can expect two interviews with Positively Partners, an interview with members of the Search Committee (representatives of the Board and staff), and for finalists, an interview day with Board members and staff, including a robust and holistic reference check process. The expected start date is the summer of 2025.

Commitment to Diversity

Reach Out and Read is committed to building an organization that embraces diversity, pursues equity, and fosters an environment of inclusion. ROR sits at the intersection of health and education, uniquely positioned to play a critical role in addressing systemic disparities and inequities in the public health framework. ROR strives to be an antiracist organization, using its influence to fight against social injustice by supporting a culture of learning, empowerment, equity, and a deep appreciation for the unique experiences that we each bring to our communities. And, we believe that changing the world begins with holding ourselves and our workplace to that same standard.

ROR is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Reach Out and Read is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, cultural heritage, ancestry, political belief, age, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability or veteran status. Reach Out and Read is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and we are committed to making special accommodations for your interview or work as a member of our team. If specific accommodations are needed, please email HR @ reachoutandread.org and our HR team will work to accommodate your needs.