Executive Director, Catholic Charities

The Executive Director of Catholic Charities administers and coordinates the charitable and social services of the Diocese of Wilmington. The Executive Director plans, develops, implements, manages, and evaluates all services in keeping with the mission of the Diocese and Catholic Charities, while representing the Diocese to the larger community, other social service agencies, parishes, and government bodies. As Department Head, the Executive Director executes diocesan policy within Catholic Charities.

The Executive Director of Catholic Charities is appointed by the Bishop and reports directly to the Vicar General, Moderator of the Curia, while working collaboratively with Catholic Charities Board of Directors. The Executive Director serves on the Senior Administrative Leadership Team of the Diocese of Wilmington.

Strategic Vision and Leadership

• 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.
• Guides the preparation of the annual program and development plans with clear goals and objectives and an appropriate level of staffing.
• Directly supervises the Director of Program Operations, Financial Analyst, and Executive Assistant with overall responsibility for a total staff of 75 FTEs.
• Attracts and retains appropriate staff, overseeing recruiting, training, professional development, and staff evaluation.
• Responsible for the execution of Diocesan policy within Catholic Charities.

Institutional Advancement/Financial Management

• Collaborates closely with the development team within the Diocese overseeing appropriate fundraising strategies and exploring new funding opportunities to assure the sustainability of Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Wilmington.
• Manages the preparation, revision, and monitoring of the annual operating and capital budgets and certifies that program activity and staffing remain within budgetary limits.
• Ensures that sufficient resources exist to conduct department business in a fiscally responsible manner.

Operations/Program Administration

• Participates as a member of the Diocesan Curia; provides reports and other information as needed to keep the Bishop and his delegates appraised of Catholic Charities activities and community needs.
• Reviews all programming of Catholic Charities, developing and utilizing appropriate operating systems and resources that facilitate the effective operation of the organization.
• Oversees the annual written evaluations of operational and fiscal performance, ensuring that the results of such evaluations are included in subsequent planning.
• Maintains a strong working relationship with all staff with open communication, respect, and trust.
• Develops work plans for all personnel and provides supervision and evaluation to ensure quality performance and achievement of Catholic Charities’ mission, goals, and objectives.
• Uses organizational data and input from staff, Board, and community resources for the purpose of identifying unmet needs within the community.
• Ensures that monitoring of programs meets all standards and is consistent with Catholic Charities and the Diocese’s vision, mission, and values.
• Responsible for accepting and determining appropriate response to all subpoenas on behalf of Catholic Charities.

Community Relations

• Represents the Diocese to the larger community in matters of social concerns, participates in coalitions and boards, and acts as liaison to parishes, professional organizations, and community groups.
• Fosters effective communication throughout Catholic Charities with the rest of the Diocesan Curia and parishes.
• Maintains effective external relationships critical to Catholic Charities’ capacity to operate, especially in matters of funding sources, cooperation with other social agencies, parishes, and governmental bodies.
• Acts as the recognized spokesperson for Catholic Charities and its programs, interfacing with the human services network.
• Seeks opportunities to present information about Catholic Charities to relevant constituencies, attending public functions, meeting with donors, and speaking before various organizations on behalf of Catholic Charities.
• Acts with sensitivity to the needs and values of diverse cultural groups in the community.
• Develops and maintains collaborative, positive relationships with the many groups in the community that support or are involved in the Diocese and its mission.

Regulatory Compliance

• Assures compliance with high standards of ethical conduct, professional performance, and financial accountability as established by licensing, accrediting, accounting, and other professional bodies, and as consistent with its own organizational values.
• Signs contracts, leases, and other legally binding documents as authorized by the Bishop or his representative.
• Develops, implements, and updates policies and procedures, as necessary.

Board Relations

• Serves as staff to the Board and recommends policies as appropriate.
• Maintains a strong working relationship with the Board characterized by open communication, respect, and trust.
• Provides regular reports on all programs and other Catholic Charities activities and finances related to goals and strategies, as approved in long-term planning and board decisions.
• Establishes appropriate systems for dialogue and communication between the Board and Catholic Charities team.

The Executive Director must have an understanding of and passion for the goals and mission of Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Wilmington and the community it serves. The ability to shepherd the Catholic Charities team through a period of transition while keeping a strategic eye on the importance of mission and responding to the evolving needs of the community with innovative and fiscally responsible programs is essential. The new Executive Director will be a collaborative leader who cultivates trust and accountability. The ideal Executive Director will be a faith-focused visionary leader with a kind and nurturing spirit, while being accessible to constituents and effectively collaborating with colleagues within the Diocese of Wilmington. The successful candidate will be an outstanding communicator who clarifies goals, builds teams, and cultivates trust while at the same time demands accountability.

• Practicing Catholic with an in-depth understanding of Catholic culture and actively engaged in the life of the Church.
• An appreciation and passion for the mission of the Diocese of Wilmington and the work of Catholic Charities.
• Knowledge of and commitment to the principles of Catholic social teaching.
• Minimum of ten (10) years of increasingly responsible administrative and management experience in nonprofit organizations preferably in human/social services.
• Demonstrated success in non-profit management, government and private sector contracting, financial development, board relationships, and organizational and community leadership.
• Practical experience with maintaining successful relationships with community agencies, funding sources, and licensing organizations.
• Working knowledge of state and federal social welfare policy and development.
• Demonstrated organizational and supervisory skills that will motivate and inspire staff while setting high expectations and professional direction.
• Proven success in leading teams, setting priorities, and implementing a strategic vision.
• Strong interpersonal skills, drive, and integrity with demonstrated ability to build, foster, and maintain positive relationships with both internal and external constituencies from diverse cultural, socio-economic, and ethnic backgrounds.
• Experience in fundraising with the ability to formulate and execute development strategies that will enhance revenue while fostering strong partnerships with external partners and community members.
• Proven experience implementing and evaluating a wide array of social service programs.
• General financial management ability including budget preparation, audit review and implementation, and execution of a strong organizational financial policy.
• Superior communication skills to express, orally and in writing, Catholic Charities’ mission, vision, and goals with clarity, passion, and persuasion.
• Adherence to the highest ethical standards, personally and professionally.
• Self-confidence, integrity, and humility combined with a sense of humor and a collaborative management style.
• Proficient computer skills and familiarity with Microsoft Office applications.
• Ability to safeguard access of confidential or sensitive information.
• Master’s degree in social work, social services administration, nonprofit administration, business, or related professional field required.
• Ability to travel both within and outside the footprint of the Diocese as needed.

The Diocese of Wilmington, encompassing the state of Delaware and the nine counties of the Eastern Shore of Maryland and serving over 200,000 Catholics, is a believing community, professing its faith in God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Wilmington is a faith-based, social services organization, delivering critical direct care human services to over 83,000 individuals and families residing in Delaware and Maryland’s Lower Eastern Shore. No one is excluded from service because of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, national origin, or ability to pay.

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Wilmington exists to help fulfill the Christian duty to love and serve God’s people. The mission is rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The universal and local Church proclaims the Gospel and teaches the recognition of the dignity and sacredness of each human life and the belief that we are called to share our resources with the most vulnerable among us.

MISSION
It is the mission of Catholic Charities to address human suffering and to promote and restore the well-being of people and society by:

• Providing, as a primary focus, caring service to families and persons in need;
• Coming together with members of the community to become informed about and to take action on critical social issues; and,
• Advocating publicly for social policies which enhance human dignity and safeguard basic human rights.

For additional information, please visit their website at https://www.cdow.org/.