Company: Children's Alliance of Kansas
Title: Chief Executive Officer ("CEO")
Job Classification: Exempt, Full-time
Work Schedule: Varies, based on needs of the company. Some in person response is required regularly with team, board members, and members of the legislature.
Reporting Relationship: Executive Committee; Board of Directors
Location: Some onsite work required, option of some hybrid work. (must be in the commutable Topeka area)
Salary: dependent on experience, bottom of range $100,000

About Children’s Alliance of Kansas

Children’s Alliance of Kansas drives systems-level change to strengthen children & families through advocacy, networking, and education. We are the only Kansas trade association with a focused mission of improving the child welfare and family wellbeing system. We are proud to represent our members as we elevate critical advocacy issues at the state and national levels.

Children’s Alliance also provides learning experiences for parents and caregivers, professional development for social service workers, and training development for agencies serving families.
One of our key initiatives is to build support for caregivers of children in the foster care system.

Primary Responsibility:

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) serves as the key visionary leader, policy advocate, spokesperson, and administrator of the Children’s Alliance of Kansas, Inc. and its subsidiary the Children’s Alliance Resource Network, Inc. (hereinafter “Alliance”). The CEO is responsible for ensuring the effective overall functioning of the Alliance including programs and services, advocacy efforts, and membership support and services. The CEO leads the vision for growth of Alliance programs and services to meet the needs of children, staff and resource families who are part of the child welfare system both in Kansas and throughout the country. The CEO advances advocacy efforts, policies and practices that help inform the legislature about members, agencies, and services and the needs of Kansas families who are part of the Kansas child welfare system. The CEO oversees services to members of the Alliance including: outreach, recruitment, and retention of members and prospective members of the Alliance.

The CEO is accountable to the Board of Directors. The Chief Executive Officer communicates with the Board in a timely manner and exercises high-level skills of problem solving and decision-making in matters that have a major impact on the ongoing success of the Alliance.

Major Duties:

• Works with Board of Directors in developing a vision and strategic plan to guide the Alliance
• Directs the advocacy initiatives and lobbying activities that promote best practices in the work performed by Alliance members and positive outcomes in the child welfare system
• Ensures effective administration, sustainability, and growth of grants, contracts, and business lines
• Ensures effective financial management of the association
• Oversees outreach, recruitment, and retention of members and prospective members of the Alliance
• Ensures that a strong and positive image of the association is presented internally, to the membership and to the public
• Reports to and works with the Executive Committee and Board of Directors who are themselves leaders in their respective organizations

Policy Advocacy and Public Relations:

• Identifies, assesses, and informs the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of internal and external issues that affect the association
• Proposes, to the Board of Directors, an annual legislative agenda which furthers the goals and purposes of the association and its members
• Represents the association to the public and media
• Maintains consistent awareness of legislative and social issues affecting children and families
• When necessary and authorized by the board leads policy initiatives
• Cultivates and maintains positive working relations with agencies, professional groups, and other key players as a spokesperson for the Alliance
• Communicates with the many stakeholder groups keeping them informed of the work of the association
• Leads policy advocacy in a bipartisan manner and works across political aisles on behalf of members and Kansas families in need

Programs, Grants, and Services:

• Leads the strategic vision for services and program operations
• Ensures programs and services remain sustainable, relevant, and adapt for growth as needs and expectations change, including MAPP programs
• Ensures the efficient and effective day to day operations of the association.
• Ensures the planning, implementation, evaluation, fidelity, and marketing of Alliance programs in Kansas and nationally
• Maintains internal and external transparency

Board and Member Services:

• Provides administrative support to the Board and Board Committees
• Oversees outreach, recruitment, and retention of members and prospective members of the Alliance
• Identifies potential new members for recruitment of agencies for Alliance membership
• Assists in the recruitment and engagement of prospective members of the Alliance
• Fosters ongoing communication with members of the Board to support member satisfaction and retention
• Assures development and implementation of various services to members that promote their effectiveness
• Fosters effective teamwork between the Board and the staff
• Ensures that Alliance programs and services operations meets or exceeds the expectations of Board members

Administration:

• Ensures legal and regulatory compliance and effective business practices in human resources, financial management, and technology
• Ensures implementation of appropriate policies and processes for recruitment, selection, onboarding, performance management, and retention of qualified staff to support the work of the Alliance
• Maintains close awareness of any personnel or performance issues and informs the executive Board as needed
• Ensures a motivated and capable staff in a positive work environment
• Effectively models the mission, vision, and values of the Alliance to staff by making them clear, concise, and readily available
• Embraces technological advances to further work of the association, and ensures appropriate technological security protocols are implemented and maintained
• Oversees the finances of the association and ensures funding is adequate for Alliance operations
• Ensures the preparation of an annual budget proposal and approves the annual budget proposal to the Board
• Plans with the Board and implements initiatives for the expansion of resource opportunities for the association
• Ensures policies and practices are implemented to maintains official records of the organization to ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations
• Engages legal services as appropriate

Professional Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degrees preferred.
• Five (5) or more years of progressive management experience, preferably in the arena of child welfare and/or association management
• Experience with advocacy work and lobbying is required.
• Ability to communicate well both verbally and in writing is required.
• Demonstrated ability to monitor and sustain financial performance.
• Strong organizational abilities, including planning, delegating and managing staff.
• Ability to envision and convey the organizations strategic future to staff, board and strategic partners.

Physical Demands:

• Ability to sit for extended periods of time
• Ability to read computer screens and mail, talk on the phone.
• Ability to lift up to 25 pounds
• Ability to travel as needed.
• Valid driver’s license is required.

Work Environment:

• Professional and deadline-oriented environment in an office setting
• Interaction with Board, staff, members, Agency Staff, clients, donors and guests.

Additional Duties:

Additional duties and responsibilities may be added to this position description at any time. The position description does not state or imply that these are the only activities to be performed by the employee holding this position. Employees are required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related responsibilities as requested by their supervisor.

Application

• Upload your resume and cover letter to apply. Applications without these materials may not be considered.