Executive Director

Posting: Executive Director

About Vermont CARES

Vermont CARES, now in its 36th year, began as a grassroots HIV/AIDS service provider and has evolved to be one of the largest harm reduction services organizations in the state, serving thousands of individuals each year. Vermont CARES provides harm reduction services, education and resources to Vermonters affected by HIV, Hep C and substance use by increasing access to care, reducing social stigmas, and building relationships. The organization’s services are designed to reduce opioid overdose death, prevent injection-related disease transmission, and improve the lives of people who use drugs.

We have offices in Burlington, Colchester, Rutland, Saint Johnsbury and Barre VT where on-site services are available Mon-Fri. In addition, we have a robust mobile program that spans 11 of the 14 counties in Vermont.

The Opportunity

Vermont Cares is seeking a visionary leader with a deep commitment to harm reduction, racial and social justice, and community empowerment to serve as the next Executive Director. The Executive Director provides leadership, vision, and strategic direction for the agency and oversees all operations, programs, financials, and technical systems. They will support fund development, grant writing, management and compliance, and represent the organization on national, state, city, and community levels.

The next Executive Director will embrace collaborative leadership and a growth mindset. They will uphold and nurture an organizational culture of integrity, inclusivity, transparency, respect and acceptance. The ideal candidate will have lived or living experience of drug use, have a deep commitment to the autonomous rights of people who use drugs, and promote the support and hiring of people with lived experience. Vermont CARES Executive Director will be committed to advancing racial and health equity work within the organization and the field of harm reduction and drug policy.

Essential Functions & Responsibilities:

Human Resources: Overall responsibility for development, support, and retention of staff and volunteers, including specific responsibility for working collaboratively with the identified Leadership Team to ensure a positive work environment.

Recruit, supervise and support the leadership team, maintain staff connections; and

Collaborate with other leadership to oversee HR functions and legal compliance.

Fund Development: oversee implementation of strategies to build productive relationships and generate continuing support from foundations, corporate sponsors, and individual donors. Develop, oversee implementation, and monitor financial outcomes from diverse funding streams.

Research, write and coordinate grant applications and reporting to private foundations, federal/public sources and municipalities;

Serve as chief lobbyist at state and national levels to advocate for additional funding and drug policy reform

Cultivate donor relationships, coordinate fundraising events, and seek funding opportunities

Financial Management: continuous monitoring of financial performance, and development and implementation of revisions to financial strategies as needed. Ensure the maintenance of effective systems for service delivery through budget to actual reporting and the use of fiscal data as a management tool for decisions and timely financial reports to the board of directors.

Foster transparency, accountability, and long-term financial planning;

Prepare and manage annual financial budgets and develop annual strategic development plan with the board and leadership/management staff;

Provide oversight for annual audits, collaborate with auditors, and implement recommendations;

In collaboration with the Operations or Finance Director, coordinate fringe benefits, payroll and compensation, and tax liability oversight;

In conjunction with the leadership and management teams, oversee and manage project budgets, prepare and submit contract invoices and reporting, and payables and receivables;

Provide financial management functions other than bookkeeping: journal entries, banking and debt management, and regulatory compliance;

Oversee agency assets, contracting, facilities and insurance, and legal and financial compliance.

Planning and Evaluation: engage the board and staff in ongoing evaluation of the effectiveness of Vermont CARES strategic plan and capacity, and to identify program, financial, and infrastructure development goals and strategies.

Collaborate with leadership to advance strategic plan and address operational needs;

Develop outcomes measures and tracking systems, analyze quarterly milestones, and evaluate and report annually;

Create a systematic change management plan for reasonable implementation pace of strategic priorities; and

Coordinate with leadership, staff, and board to develop opportunities for feedback and continuous plan iteration and improvement.

Community and Partner Relationships: Build awareness of the impact of Vermont CARES work and role in the community. Sustain relationships with key nonprofit, business, and governmental partners to better serve the needs of Vermont Cares mission.

Collaborate with partners to adapt strategies and evolve the harm reduction landscape; and

Contribute to coalitions and initiatives on advancing harm reduction

Handle media inquiries, represent the agency on local, state, and national levels; and

Cultivate a positive culture, community impact, and image.

Board Support: facilitate effective board participation in strategic planning, financial oversight, community outreach, and fundraising.

Promote the development and fiduciary oversight of the Board of Directors;

Support outreach, recruitment, onboarding, and engagement; and

Facilitate active engagement in organizational promotion and fundraising.

Qualifications:

While we understand that applicants will likely not possess all of the below qualifications, we seek the candidate with the best combination of the below experiences:

Strongly Preferred

A minimum of 5 years of senior-level management experience preferably with a focus on harm reduction;

3-5 years experience setting strategic direction and effectively leading and managing organizational growth and change;

Knowledge of federal funding streams, including HRSA, Ryan White Title II, CDC and the Department of Health;

A minimum of 3-5 years experience in grant writing, management, reporting and compliance;

Experience in nonprofit human resource, IT, data evaluation, financial oversight, and program management;

A minimum of 3 years experience in project management, with a multi-project portfolio, responsibility delegation, and successful outcomes; and

Excellent interpersonal communication skills and the ability and desire to work collaboratively with people with lived/living experience, staff, volunteers, members of the board and other agencies.

Desired

Success with diversified fundraising including public funding, foundation and corporate grants, events, and individual giving;

Direct experience with HIV, hepatitis C, substance use, and the stigmas and drivers of these related public health and social impacts;

A graduate degree in human service, administration, public health or a related field;

Familiarity with the legislative process, particularly the budget cycle;

Familiarity with human service delivery in rural states; and

Knowledge of Vermont politics, geography and culture.

Desired Characteristics:

Values aligned leader with a deep commitment to harm reduction and the leadership of those with lived and living experience;

Ability to navigate complex legislative, operational and financial landscapes;

Committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, championing these values within the organization and beyond;

Ability to balance strategic thinking with pragmatic implementation

Lived or living experience

Status: Full-time, Exempt. Flexible hours, with some evening and weekend hours.

Location: Vermont CARES is based in Burlington and the staff work at multiple locations both in-person and virtually. The Executive Director is primarily an in-person role and requires some statewide travel.

Reports to: Board of Directors

Supervises: Operations Director, Syringe Service Program Mgr. & Finance staff

Compensation: $75,000-85,000 based on experience and qualifications, plus benefits that include Health, vision, dental coverage, HSA and FSA. Employer also provides STD and LTD, and life insurance coverage. CTO (combined time off) is generous and increases each year for the first 3 years, beginning with 30 days in year 1. We close all offices for 11 holidays throughout the year.

To Apply: Vermont CARES is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants with diverse backgrounds, life experiences, abilities and perspectives are encouraged to apply by submitting a resume and cover letter to jobs@vtcares.org, with the subject line: Executive Director Application-{candidate last name}. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. No phone calls, please.