This on-site position is located in Wilmington, Delaware. The Catholic Diocese of Wilmington is seeking an Executive Director of Catholic Charities who, as appointed by the Bishop, will lead the organization in delivering vital services to vulnerable communities in the State of Delaware and Eastern Shore of Maryland. This leadership role offers an exciting opportunity to make a meaningful impact by guiding strategic initiatives, fostering community partnerships, and ensuring the effective delivery of our charitable programs. The ideal candidate will demonstrate strong leadership, a deep commitment to social justice, a passion for servant leadership, and will possess exceptional skills in governance, fundraising, fiscal management, public advocacy, and a commitment to Catholic Social Teaching.
The schedule for this full-time position is Monday through Friday, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm and may require availability outside of normal business hours, as needed.
Essential Functions:
- Plans, develops, implements, manages and evaluates all services in keeping with mission and strategic vision of Catholic Charities and the mission of the Diocese of Wilmington.
- Works with the Board of Directors to develop short and long-term operational and budgetary planning and to create and implement Catholic Charities’ strategic plan. Oversees the annual written evaluations of operational and fiscal performance, ensuring that the results of such evaluations are included in subsequent planning.
- Responsible for the execution of Diocesan policy within Catholic Charities.
- Directly supervises staff; reviews and approves all activities related to personnel recruitment, hiring, performance management, discipline, and corrective action.
- Manages the preparation, revision, and monitoring of the annual operating and capital budgets.
- Assures compliance with standards of ethical conduct, professional performance, and financial accountability as established by licensing, accrediting, accounting, and other professional bodies, and in keeping with the Core Values of the Diocese of Wilmington.
- Maintains effective external relationships critical to the Catholic Charities’ capacity to operate, especially in matters of funding sources, cooperation with other social agencies, parishes and governmental entities.
- Signs contracts, leases and other legally binding documents as authorized by the Bishop or his representative.
In support of the functions of this position, the selected candidate must be able to:
- Encourage a mission-driven culture that prioritizes innovation, leadership, accountability, and responsiveness to emerging social issues and community needs which align with the mission and values of the Diocese of Wilmington.
- Partner with the Board of Directors to uphold strong governance practices through relationship-building, effective communication, strategic alignment, and trust-building while engaging in meaningful planning and decision-making related to the overall operation of the agency.
- Represent Catholic Charities as a leader in the community while building strategic alliances with parishes, other diocesan entities, the government, nonprofits, and advocacy coalitions to raise visibility of the agency and advance its mission.
- Promote Catholic Social Teaching and respect for human dignity at various levels as a practicing Catholic who is able to speak and witness to the sacramental life of the Church.
- Lead the development, implementation, and evaluation of data-informed and outcome-driven programs that respond to community needs.
- Exercise organizational awareness to understand how different departments and functions interrelate.
- Provide strategic fiscal oversight in partnership with the Chief Financial Officer, including reviewing and approving budgets, monitoring financial performance, and financial planning to ensure sustainability and support of mission growth.
- As authorized by the Bishop or his representative, review and execute contracts and agreements with government entities, funders, and business partners, which align with the strategic and financial plans of Catholic Charities.
- Strengthen financial sustainability through relationship-building with major donors, foundations, and corporate partners while collaborating with the Development Director to communicate and promote agency/program goals to funders and donors.
- Collaborate with the Communications Director on protocols for public relations communications related to agency/program storytelling and response to sensitive issues or adverse publicity.
- Integrate human resource strategy with the agency's mission and objectives by collaborating with the Human Resources Director to understand and identify/mitigate risk areas within the employee lifecycle.
- Be adept at problem-solving, conflict management, and leading an organization through periods of change.
