President & Chief Executive Officer

Southern Poverty Law Center•Montgomery, AL

11d•$450,000 - $525,000

About The Position

As SPLC enters this next era, it seeks an exceptional CEO to elevate the organization to new levels of strategic influence, operation, impact, and innovation—recognizing that these external achievements are rooted in a healthy institution with talented staff, strong partnerships, and a respected reputation in the field. The CEO will be responsible for ensuring the SPLC’s consistent fulfillment of its mission, strategic vision, and financial objectives, bringing transparency and visionary leadership to every facet of the organization. Reporting to the Board of Directors and leading a team of 360 professionals across 6 offices, the CEO will oversee strategies that support SPLC’s operational, financial, and cultural vitality. This includes fortifying internal systems, aligning resources with priorities, nurturing organizational culture, and ensuring transparent, mission-driven decision-making. The CEO will also play a critical role in strengthening resource development, elevating the organization’s profile, and maintaining a meaningful and accessible presence across SPLC’s footprint. This leader will embody SPLC’s unwavering commitment to racial and social justice, guiding the organization with clarity, integrity, and depth of experience. In doing so, the CEO will cultivate the conditions that allow SPLC’s programs, partnerships, and people to thrive—positioning the organization for sustained impact in the years ahead.

Requirements

Several years of experience building and leading strategic growth and change for a social justice mission.
Community-based experience supporting and partnering with communities most served by SPLC.
Deeply credible and meaningful work experience in the civil rights space, with leadership in law, advocacy, or other complex environments.
Experience and understanding of leadership in a multi-racial, multi-generational setting, fostering justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Experience working with development professionals to cultivate new donors and steward existing relationships with donors at all levels.
A commitment to a collaborative and constructive labor-management partnership.
Appreciation for the dynamics of a unionized work environment and a strong commitment to fostering collaborative, constructive labor–management partnerships.
Although a J.D. and/or legal background is preferred, candidates with exceptional backgrounds will be considered if able to bring or readily develop legal literacy needed to confidently lead SPLC’s civil rights mission and legacy.

Responsibilities

Serve as an inspirational, innovative, visionary leader for the SPLC, aligning bold mission aspirations with strong operational and business acumen and discipline to ensure sustainability and continued impact for the organization
In collaboration with the Board of Directors and the Leadership Team, enhance and drive the overall strategic plan and priorities to thoughtfully maximize capacity and resources to reach organizational goals
Promote the organization’s racial and social justice vision by elevating the voices of impacted communities, encouraging awareness, and inspiring others to join in the mission of uprooting hatred, bigotry, and inequality in our society.
Anticipate emerging threats and opportunities, using data, stakeholders' insight, and system thinking to drive through uncertainty.
Ensure transparent communication and accountability for progress toward strategic goals, keeping staff, partners, and Board aligned on direction, decisions, and outcomes.
Provide inspirational, supportive, accountable, and disciplined leadership for a diverse range of extraordinarily passionate, committed, and skilled staff members across multiple locations; strengthen a culture of trust, openness, communication, transparency and shared responsibility
Assume overall operational and fiscal management and accountability for the organization, ensuring systems, structures and resources are aligned so that SPLC meets the highest standards in stewarding its financial and other resources
Lead organizational transformation by investing in development, role clarity, and cohesion of staff and leaders while modeling availability, collaboration, and attentiveness
Partner with the Leadership Team to enact sound, consistent, timely informed decision-making for staff leadership; manage the balance of internal leadership alongside external responsibilities through high levels of communication and collaboration
Ensure the implementation of measures that advance the SPLC’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
Partner closely with the Board of Directors to drive strategic vision, leverage its experience and expertise, and thoughtfully grow and evolve the Board as the organization moves forward
Serve as an advisor, keeping the Board informed with appropriate information to support its policymaking and oversight responsibility
Collaborate with the Board to ensure good governance and assist in the identification and cultivation of new Board Members.
Serve as a clear, persuasive, and compelling spokesperson for the SPLC by effectively representing its mission, goals, and services to the Board, staff, and both current and prospective partners and supporters
Inspire trust and confidence by developing and strengthening new and existing partnerships with key stakeholders and constituencies, including funding organizations and individual donors
Cultivate and grow relationships to strategically increase the SPLC’s funding and donor base
Identify, develop and engage key staff who can speak on behalf of the SPLC and enhance the organization’s visibility, reach and impact.