Third Sector New England
President and CEO, National Institute for Children's Health Quality

US-MA-Boston

Job ID: 2025-2588
# of Openings: 1
Category: Health
National Institute for Children's Health Quality

Overview

The Opportunity

NICHQ is an independent, 501(c)3, mission-driven nonprofit organization dedicated to driving meaningful and sustainable improvements in the complex issues facing maternal and child health. The Board of Directors is looking for a proven leader who brings credibility, business acumen and demonstrated expertise in healthcare.

The new President and CEO will report to the Board of Directors and work together to ensure NICHQ's continued ability to meet its mission by attracting and retaining talent, strengthening its financial position and pursuing and producing work with significant impact. The candidate will have proven success leading a fast-paced, multifaceted organization with complex administrative, financial, funding, operational, and service demands in a transformational and competitive landscape. A strategic and innovative healthcare leader and a collaborative team builder who can both inspire and delegate, the candidate will be skilled at identifying opportunities, bringing together people and resources, and leveraging them to maximize NICHQ's impact and position as a leader in the field. The candidate will maintain the high quality of NICHQ's products and processes and be a strong proponent of improvement science, appreciating the core this provides for the organization’s past successes.

NICHQ has a strong legacy of improving the health of children and families by working with public health partners, healthcare delivery organizations, foundations, government agencies and community organizations to achieve breakthrough improvements for children and families. Given the organization's national reputation and ability to attract public and private resources, along with its excellent team of dedicated staff and Board members, and external relationships, the new President and CEO has an opportunity to grow the organization's financial foundation and impact.

Organizational Overview

NICHQ has a team of 55 multicultural and dedicated project and administrative staff who work remotely, with a small office in Boston. NICHQ’s broad range of services include the application of quality improvement and implementation science, crosssector collaboration, system design, project management, applied research and evaluation, and patient and family engagement, and measuring improvements and health policy in areas that matter most for the health of children and families.

NICHQ has a budget of $12 million, of which 80% comes from government grants and 20% from private sources and foundations. Like many organizations that rely more heavily on government funding, it operates in an environment of unpredictability. However, unlike many non-profit organizations of its size, it has an operating reserve of $5 million. In the current environment, the new CEO will have opportunities, as well as challenges, to move the organization forward in the field of maternal and child health.

NICHQ Today

For NICHQ to move forward successfully and remain an important voice in children's health, we need strategic, innovative leadership, and strong organizational oversight from the new President and CEO.

The New President and CEO: After being appointed, the new leader will have the opportunity and responsibility to further define NICHQ’s future direction. There is an exp-ectation that the new President and CEO will develop a compelling vision and strategic plan for NICHQ’s future with the support of the Board and will be able to inspire NICHQ’s staff and key stakeholders to execute on that plan. To move forward, the candidate will need to clearly define roles and responsibilities, build a vigorous leadership team, and ensure a high level of accountability that builds upon the many strengths of NICHQ, while setting a clear course for its future.

The Environment: Currently, the healthcare environment is unpredictable, and it is a time of unprecedented change. The new President and CEO will need to clearly define NICHQ's specialty and be able to communicate the organization's value to funders and other stakeholders as the environment continues to evolve.

Diversification of Funding: While NICHQ is financially stable today, it is largely dependent on a pipeline of projects funded by government sources. Revenue diversification is a key priority for the new President and CEO as is building and maintaining a larger financial reserve. To do so, NICHQ, will require a strategic and methodical approach to develop new business opportunities and leverage past funders and partners to create new revenue streams.

Responsibilities

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the President and CEO will provide leadership and vision and work with the Board to set strategic direction. The candidate will be accountable for NICHQ’s overall performance, operational effectiveness and management and will pursue and develop new business and revenue streams to facilitate organizational growth and ensure future viability and financial sustainability.

The new President and CEO will be collaborative, communicate openly, and cultivate trusting relationships with staff, Board members, and a myriad of key stakeholder groups, including: public officials at all levels of government; funders; business and medical communities; and the organizations and people NICHQ serves. The candidate will invest in NICHQ's future by being forward thinking and agile, responding to the landscape with innovation and smart business practices.

Specific Responsibilities

Fundraising and Resource Development

• Experience in strategic, collaborative fundraising and building organizational capacity to creatively diversify fundraising opportunities from a diverse range of sources
• Create a strategic, thoughtful, and methodical approach to develop new business and leverage past funders and partners to attract new institutional and corporate funding
• Serve as primary external fundraiser, with support from the Director of Fundraising and development team, stewarding existing relationships and building new relationships to continue to grow public and private philanthropy
• Establish longterm financial sustainability, integrity and compliance with funders

Strategic Planning & Execution

• Develop a clear vision and strategic plan, long-and short-term goals, and a plan for implementation; successfully operationalize those plans
• Translate plans into funding and action to continue to ensure excellence
• Balance the organization’s passion for the mission with its need to effectively operate as a business with a balanced budget
• Set the tone for organizational culture that reflects NICHQ’s core values

People Centric Leadership & Nonprofit Management

• Lead and develop a talented and dedicated leadership team who are collaborative and are empowered to make decisions
• Be prepared to adapt to changes in the healthcare landscape to ensure the organization’s continued relevance and ability to contribute positively
• Encourage high professional standards
• Create a culture of program and product innovation and excellence
• Improve internal policy and procedures and cultivate a culture of openness and fairness that supports staff and encourages teamwork
• Work to retain and recruit a diverse team of talented, culturally humble, public health, project, evaluation and administrative staff who reflect the diversity of those NICHQ serves

Financial & Operational Oversight

• Create and execute a multi-year financial plan designed to diversify revenue sources through new business, institutional, or corporate funding opportunities while leveraging past funders and partners
• Ensure the financial plan and lines of business are responsive to the needs of the landscape, while meeting the organization’s goals and the needs of the populations it serves
• Identify emerging trends in digital health and/or AI-enabled technologies relevant [JB3] to maternal and child health and assess their potential to generate new funding opportunities or strengthen organizational performance
• Establish integrity and compliance with regulatory requirements of funders and others by building proper controls and providing timely, accurate and complete reporting of financial, administrative and operational information
• Oversee the assessment of systems, organizational structure and roles to determine infrastructure, process and communication needs
• Use data to evaluate and improve operations and effectiveness, and to document impact and value for current and potential partners, grantors and other funding sources

Strategic Partnerships & Advocacy

• Build mutual trust and strong working relationships with key organizations and other interested parties, including healthcare partners, government agencies, businesses, community organizations, and healthcare advocacy groups who can advance the mission of the organization
• Serve as a convener: cultivate partnerships with the families, communities, organizations and other constituencies on whose behalf NICHQ works
• Be proactive, contribute to innovative thinking and provide leadership

Board Relations & Communications

• Keep the Board informed on a timely basis about the organization’s financial and operational performance, regulatory compliance, and environmental factors that impact NICHQ’s work and opportunities
• Promote ongoing development of a strong Board; keep Board members and committees engaged and focused and leverage their talents
• Promote and maintain transparency

Qualifications

Skills and Experience

• Strategic and credible leader with vision, perseverance, and a track record of transforming ideas into reality
• A seasoned leader with deep expertise in fundraising and a proven record of diversifying revenue streams to strengthen longterm organizational sustainability
• Track record of leading and navigating change and growth to build vital, sustainable organizations
• Demonstrated success in business development, including grant procurement and revenue generation and diversification
• Effective manager with a demonstrated ability to inspire, delegate, and lead diverse, high- performing, collaborative teams
• Competence in financial management and budget oversight
• Highly skilled and effective at working with and for a nonprofit Board of Directors
• Proven success in navigating a complicated political, economic, public health, and healthcare landscape, including a sophisticated understanding of strategic drivers, trends and outside forces
• An exceptional relationship builder, skilled at developing and nurturing effective partnerships and working collaboratively with other individuals and organizations
• Effective communicator with the ability to expand the institute’s visibility, influence and impact; passionate, compelling and persuasive; comfortable speaking in community and national forums
• An advocate who finds common ground and balances the needs and agendas of competing stakeholders, as well as the Board and staff
• Proactive and skilled at recognizing and creating opportunities and leveraging resources
• Demonstrated success in building and sustaining relationships with professional partners as well as public and private funders
• Respectful of the past with the ability to make positive, sustainable change for the future
• Able to move in a diversity of environments including government, nonprofit, medical, public health, community and business
• Comfortable working in complex regulatory environments
• Advanced degree (MD, MPH, PhD, MBA, etc.) in a related field preferred

Personal Attributes

• Recognized for integrity; thoughtful, honest and fair
• Inclusive, collaborative, ethical, and resilient
• Transparent, compassionate, and empathetic
• Energetic, positive, flexible, and committed to excellence
• Exceptional networking skills
• Keen financial, organizational and business acumen
• Strong belief in the importance of quality improvement and implementation science in improving children's health and a commitment to promoting NICHQ’s mission

Application Guidelines

Interested candidates can submit materials via the link at the top right of this page.

This search is being conducted in partnership with TSNE. All submissions receive an acknowledgment and are confidential within the search committee and TSNE. Electronic submissions sent through the above link are preferred.

Submissions of candidacy require a resume or profile summary that displays candidates' skills and experiences, as well as a cover letter describing candidates' interest and how their qualifications and experience match the needs and mission of NICHQ. Candidates are strongly encouraged to apply early; the position will remain open, and applications accepted until the right candidate is identified. All inquiries are strictly confidential within the Search Committee. The NICHQ Search Committee will review applications and candidates who are selected to move forward in the hiring process will be notified. Questions may be directed to TSNE Search Consultant, Dr. John Lloyd.

The President and CEO position is US-based and remote, and operates based on eastern time zone work hours. The role is a full-time exempt position. NICHQ offers a comprehensive benefits package, and salary is commensurate with experience and in the approximate range of $253,000 - $357,000. Additionally, the President / CEO is eligible for a bonus based on organizational performance.

NICHQ is an Equal Opportunity Employer

NICHQ is commited to increasing the represetation of people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in our workforce and to value and embrace their skills, perspectives and experiences for the benefit of our mission. NICHQ is an equal opportunity employer; all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender or gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or disability.

NICHQ strongly encourages applications from candidates who identify as BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, or from any other minoritized group.