Chief Program Officer

New Life Center•Fargo, ND

About The Position

The Chief Program Officer (CPO) provides executive leadership and strategic direction for New Life Center’s Programs, Facilities, and Chaplaincy functions. Reporting to the Executive Director and serving on the Senior Leadership Team, the CPO oversees the Program Director, Operations Director, and Chaplain and is accountable for the overall guest experience across Emergency Services, Recovery Services, spiritual care, hospitality, dining, safety, and facilities. The CPO establishes ministry direction, service standards, and desired outcomes while empowering departmental leaders to manage daily operations. The position also leads strategic initiatives, stewards departmental resources, and develops community partnerships. Through personal example and executive leadership, the CPO advances a Christ-centered culture and keeps spiritual care and opportunities for transformation central to the organization’s work. New Life Center’s work is rooted in Christian faith and its mission to guide people experiencing homelessness or addiction toward holistic transformation through the love of Jesus. Team members are expected to follow Jesus Christ, affirm the organization’s Statement of Faith, and demonstrate its BEACON values: Bring Your Best, Engage with Empathy, Act in Unity, Choose Humility, Offer Hope, and Never Stop Growing. The CPO leads and develops teams; sets ministry philosophy and program strategy; establishes guest outcomes and service standards; oversees spiritual ministry; ensures operational excellence, safety, and compliance; leads strategic initiatives and organizational change; develops and manages departmental budgets and resources; and builds community partnerships. The position works across administrative offices, program spaces, shelter facilities, operational areas, and community locations. The schedule requires flexibility and may include occasional early mornings, evenings, weekends, or extended hours to address organizational needs or emergencies. The role involves regular interaction with staff, volunteers, guests, and community partners, including people experiencing crisis or transitional life circumstances, and requires professional boundaries and adherence to organizational policies.

Requirements

Must be engaged in a local church and exhibit a personal, evident, growing relationship with Jesus Christ.
Compassionate heart for people in need, willingness to serve others, and desire to see people transformed through the love of Christ.
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Nonprofit Management, Ministry, Social Work, or a related field, or equivalent leadership education and experience.
At least five years of progressively responsible leadership and management experience, including overseeing multiple departments, developing leaders, and achieving organizational objectives.
Demonstrated experience developing and managing departmental or organizational budgets, evaluating financial performance, and making responsible resource-allocation decisions.
Demonstrated experience leading significant organizational changes, including changes to leadership structures, operational systems, or service-delivery models.
Ability to lead through other leaders, establish expectations, empower decisions, develop leadership capabilities, and hold leaders accountable without unnecessary involvement in daily operations.
Ability to evaluate complex challenges, set priorities, develop practical solutions, and translate strategy into measurable results.
Ability to navigate disagreements among experienced leaders, address difficult issues respectfully, make timely decisions when consensus cannot be reached, and maintain unity and accountability.
Ability to lead budget development, analyze financial information, evaluate resource needs, and hold departmental leaders accountable for responsible financial management.
Ability to guide significant organizational changes while building trust, communicating effectively, and maintaining stability and unity.
Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills; ability to build trust, collaborate, and represent New Life Center professionally with diverse audiences.
Demonstrated humility, sound judgment, discretion, confidentiality, and commitment to ethical leadership and New Life Center’s BEACON values.
Ability to pass a pre-employment drug test and background check.
Valid driver’s license, acceptable driving record under the organization’s insurance-carrier requirements, and proof of insurance as required for job duties.
Ability to perform the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation.
Alignment with New Life Center’s Statement of Faith and values may be considered a bona fide occupational qualification; employees are expected to conduct themselves consistently with the organization’s Christian mission, beliefs, and code of conduct.

Nice To Haves

Experience in rescue ministry, homelessness services, addiction recovery, social services, or a related human-services field.
Experience leading within a Christian ministry or faith-based nonprofit organization.
Experience with the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) or a comparable organizational management and accountability framework.
Experience with public speaking, community presentations, or representing an organization in external forums.
Seven to 10 years of progressively responsible leadership and management experience, including overseeing multiple departments, developing leaders, and achieving organizational objectives.

Responsibilities

Provide vision, direction, and alignment for the Program Team; model organizational values and foster a healthy, high-performing culture, including leading teams in prayer.
Ensure appropriate staffing and role assignments; set expectations and monitor performance through communication, coaching, and problem-solving.
Hold self and others accountable to goals, priorities, measurable outcomes, follow-through, and continuous improvement.
Set ministry philosophy, strategic direction, service models, and standards for Emergency Services and Recovery Services; identify opportunities to strengthen programs.
Establish desired guest outcomes, evaluate program effectiveness, and hold program leadership accountable for results and continuous improvement.
Set expectations for compassionate, dignified, Christ-centered care across programs, case management, hospitality, dining, safety, and facilities.
Set spiritual direction and expectations for guest-facing ministry; directly supervise the Chaplain and integrate prayer, discipleship, spiritual care, and opportunities to share the Gospel into programs.
Ensure spiritual encouragement, prayer, and referrals are available to employees.
Establish expectations for effective, consistent operations in the Program and Facilities departments; address significant barriers and hold leaders accountable for solutions and performance.
Ensure Programs and Facilities operate in unity through communication, coordination, and shared accountability.
Make significant operational decisions within delegated authority, considering departmental input and ensuring timely implementation and leadership alignment.
Establish expectations for safety, security, emergency preparedness, operational risk, and compliance with applicable regulations, contractual obligations, and organizational policies.
Translate organizational direction and emerging ministry needs into strategic priorities for Programs and Facilities.
Lead assigned strategic initiatives and EOS Rocks by establishing objectives, coordinating milestones, and ensuring execution.
Direct significant changes to service models, operational systems, and departmental structures, ensuring effective planning and implementation.
Collaborate with Senior Leadership Team peers to advance priorities, address shared challenges, and fulfill cross-department commitments.
Lead annual budget development for Programs and Facilities with departmental input and in collaboration with the Finance Director.
Ensure departmental leaders manage approved budgets, review financial performance, address variances, and steward resources responsibly.
Guide allocation of staffing, equipment, facilities, and other resources within approved budgets, policies, and delegated authority; collaborate with the CFO and Executive Director on significant financial decisions.
Develop relationships with community organizations, healthcare providers, government agencies, and service partners to strengthen programs and guest outcomes.
Participate in appropriate community service systems and collaborative initiatives; advocate for established ministry approaches and coordinate public messaging and organizational positioning with the Executive Director and Marketing Director.
Set expectations for service coordination and referral relationships, and evaluate significant partnerships for mission alignment and organizational benefit.
Maintain professional boundaries and respectful workplace conduct in a recovery-adjacent environment.
Travel locally as needed to community meetings, partner organizations, events, and off-site program locations, including operating a motor vehicle.