Executive Director

The Moran Company•Stockton, CA

6d•$145,000 - $165,000•Onsite

About The Position

Friends of the Children - Stockton is seeking a highly relational, entrepreneurial, and community-centered Executive Director to lead the organization through its start-up growth and impact phase. Reporting to the Board of Directors and in collaboration with Friends of the Children National, the Executive Director will serve as the chief executive, fundraiser, strategist, ambassador, and culture-builder. This role offers the opportunity to build upon existing momentum, expand visibility, increase philanthropic investment, strengthen community partnerships, enhance organizational capacity, and grow long-term impact for children and families in Stockton and San Joaquin County. The Executive Director will be a passionate advocate for children and families, an effective communicator and storyteller, and skilled at building authentic relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders. The ideal candidate will possess strategic sophistication, humility, accessibility, and a hands-on leadership style, translating vision into action and building systems without bureaucracy. This is an ideal role for an accomplished nonprofit executive leader with both strategic vision and execution capabilities, entrepreneurial business acumen, a deep commitment to mission, and a desire to scale a high-impact organization in a new market.

Requirements

A bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.
Ten or more years of progressively responsible executive leadership experience in nonprofit or related environments is desired.
A passionate appreciation for child development, youth outcomes, and long-term mentoring models.
Demonstrated success leading an organization and motivating others within a fast-paced, start-up work environment.
Strategic thinker with experience building, scaling, launching, and leading organizational growth initiatives.
Demonstrated success leading across fundraising, operations, finance, strategy, and people leadership.
Significant fundraising experience and the ability to successfully secure major gifts and diversified revenue streams.
Strong executive presence and credibility with donors, board members, community leaders, and public stakeholders.
Cultural competence and sensitivity when working with diverse communities and family structures.
Exceptional listening skills and an approachable, empowering leadership style.
Outstanding storytelling, written and verbal communication skills, and public speaking abilities.
Creativity, innovation, and willingness to explore new approaches.
Exceptional decision-making, organizational, and time management, delegation, and follow-up skills.
Effective leadership and supervisory skills; ability to collaboratively set goals, provide direction, ensure accountability, and motivate others to achieve and overcome barriers.
Ability to assess opportunities and mitigate strategic risks, while monitoring progress and making timely course corrections.
A team player, with a commitment to collaboration and partnership with National and peer leadership.

Nice To Haves

Working knowledge and experience in the Stockton and San Joaquin County philanthropic and business communities strongly preferred.
Bilingual English/Spanish language skills are a valuable asset.

Responsibilities

Provide enthusiastic leadership, inspiration, strategic direction, focus, and long-term vision for the organization.
Be the lead fundraising champion and enthusiastic spokesperson, ambassador, and advocate for Friends of the Children - Stockton.
Build trust across staff, board, community partners, families, and donors. Model professionalism and high ethical standards throughout the organization.
Partner with the Board to expand governance capacity, strengthen committee infrastructure, and diversify leadership representation.
Lead and model Friends of the Children’s commitment to fostering a culture of engagement, empowerment, support, belonging, and mutual respect.
Foster a transparent, approachable, collaborative, and servant-oriented leadership culture where staff feel heard, valued, and supported.
Work closely with the National CEO and National staff to ensure that Friends of the Children - Stockton and National are working together as collaborators, that the program is administered with fidelity, and to promote and grow the mission locally and across the county.
Work closely with other Executive Directors in the state of California to align around opportunities for leadership, fundraising, and statewide collaboration.
Lead all fundraising and resource development efforts, including establishing clear fundraising goals, objectives, and results.
Define, prioritize, cultivate, solicit, and steward major donors, foundations, and corporations, including local and regional funding opportunities that deepen community investment.
Explore and develop diversified and earned-income revenue opportunities that strengthen long-term sustainability.
Represent the organization throughout Stockton's philanthropic, civic, business, and nonprofit communities.
Serve as the organization's chief storyteller and external relationship builder.
Work closely with public officials to develop a funding base that includes an appropriate amount of public funding (city, county, state, and federal).
Work with the nonprofit community to implement and sustain strategic partnerships and collaborations.
Develop and execute strategic plans, annual operating plans, budgets, revenue and expense projections, and growth initiatives.
Identify opportunities for expansion, innovation, and increased community impact.
Monitor organizational performance and proactively manage risk.
Partner with the Board and National leadership to achieve long-term goals.
Ensure fidelity to the Friends of the Children model.
Support program leadership in delivering exceptional service and outcomes for youth and families.
Monitor outcomes and foster continuous improvement.
Cultivate quality feedback loops for program participants (youth, caregivers).
Work with the Program Director to ensure that systems are in place to validate effective program implementation.
Support the ongoing training and development of program staff to meet the requirements of the program with regard to skills, knowledge, and understanding of program content.
Maintain alignment of the organizational structure and staffing to maximize effectiveness and results.
Provide sound financial stewardship and organizational sustainability.
Recruit, develop, supervise, and retain a high-performing team; ensure the effective supervision, guidance, development, and evaluation of all staff, and a work environment that results in positive morale and employee retention.
Maintain accurate and timely communications with the Board of Directors and staff.
Maximize organizational effectiveness without compromising program and organizational performance.
Collaborate with, and benefit from, National team Finance, HR, and Operational resources to maximize effectiveness.