Executive Vice President, Chief Operating and Program Officer

Lutheran Social Services of Southern California•Orange, CA

just now

About The Position

Job Summary: The Executive Vice President (EVP), Chief Operating and Program Officer is the organization’s senior leader responsible for overseeing all programmatic operations and core infrastructure functions. As a key strategic partner to the CEO and member of the Executive Leadership Team, the EVP ensures the effective delivery, integration, and impact of services across all departments while optimizing organizational performance, compliance, and long-term sustainability. The EVP leads through a lens of equity, innovation, and accountability, aligning systems, people, and resources to fulfill the organization’s mission and strategic objectives.

Requirements

Extensive senior executive experience in operations and program leadership, preferably within a nonprofit or mission-driven organization
Strong background in managing complex, multi-site, or multi-program operations
Strategic thinker with a successful track record of executing large-scale initiatives
Deep understanding of service delivery models, organizational infrastructure, and change management
Excellent leadership, people management, and team-building skills
Proficiency in financial oversight and department-wide budgeting
Demonstrated commitment to equity, innovation, and outcomes-based decision-making
Exceptional communication and collaboration skills across all levels
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Nonprofit Management, Social Services, or a related field is required.
Must read, speak and write fluent English.
Ability to follow directions, policies, and procedures.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Must be able to communicate clearly and effectively with clients and staff.
Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide into all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.
Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form. Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.
To perform this job successfully, an individual should have proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and Microsoft 365 AI tools, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and the use of AI-powered features to enhance productivity, communication, and data analysis.
Adapts to changes in the work environment; Changes approach or method to best fit the situation; Able to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events.
Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand; walk; sit; use hands and fingers to handle or feel; reach with hands and arms and talk or hear.
The employee is occasionally required to walk.
The employee is also required to drive.

Nice To Haves

A Master’s degree in a relevant discipline is preferred but not required.
More than 10 years of substantial senior executive leadership experience with a proven track record may be considered in lieu of formal education.
Bilingual is a plus.

Responsibilities

Partner with the CEO to shape and implement organization-wide strategies and initiatives
Serve as a key contributor to strategic planning and long-term visioning
Lead cross-departmental planning and execution to ensure alignment between operations and programs.
Represent operations and program interests at the executive level to inform budgeting, resource allocation, policy, and external partnerships.
Provide executive-level supervision and guidance to all program departments and service lines
Ensure all programs are aligned with the organization’s mission, values, and strategic priorities
Establish, monitor, and evaluate key performance indicators (KPIs) and outcome metrics across all program areas
Ensure that all programs consistently meet or exceed established goals related to service volume, clientoutcomes, compliance, and contractual performance
Implement systems for regular data collection, performance tracking, and continuous quality improvement
Lead performance management reviews to assess program impact and identify opportunities for innovation, improvement, and scaling
Support a culture of accountability by setting clear expectations, timelines, and benchmarks for program leadership teams
Promote data-informed decision-making and ensure programmatic performance is communicated to executive leadership as needed
Oversee core operational functions including Facilities, Information Technology, Safety, and Risk Management
Build and refine operational infrastructure that enables effective, efficient, and responsive service delivery across all sites and programs
Ensure strong internal systems that support organizational resilience, continuity of operations, and adherence to safety and regulatory standards
Collaborate with department leaders to strengthen workflows, improve service coordination, and support cross-functional integration
Supervise and support a team of senior leaders including program and operational directors
Foster a culture of high performance, integrity, collaboration, and continuous learning
Advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in all internal practices and service models
Provide mentorship, coaching, and leadership development to emerging and existing leaders
Partner with the Chief Financial Officer to develop and monitor budgets for all programs and operations
Ensure programs operate within budget while maintaining quality and responsiveness
Contribute to business development and funding strategies including public contracts and philanthropic initiatives
Lead internal efforts to ensure risk management and adherence to legal and regulatory requirements
Work closely with legal, finance, and operational teams to proactively identify and mitigate organizational risk
Promote cross-functional integration and seamless systems across departments to improve efficiency and cohesion