Chief Executive Officer

Job Summary and Purpose

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) oversees and is accountable for all aspects of operations, fundraising, financial management, program development, and strategic planning. The CEO is the President of the Corporation, reports to the Board of Directors, and attends Board and committee meetings as a non-voting participant. The CEO manages the Chief Program Officer, the Chief Finance and Operations Officer, and the Chief Development Officer.

The CEO is a visionary leader who is action-oriented, entrepreneurial, adaptable, and who has an innovative approach to business planning, a passion for social impact, and the ability to foster collaboration among diverse donors, funders, community stakeholders, board members, staff and volunteers. This role requires the ability to run a stable and high functioning organization in a dynamic and autonomous environment, with a strong operating model at both the detail and big-picture levels.

This is a full-time, in-person executive leadership role based at Tennyson's Denver, Colorado campus. Regular, visible, on-site leadership in Denver is an essential function of the CEO position.

Essential Job Functions

• Strategic Leadership: Partner with the Board to execute a multi-year strategic plan, ensuring alignment across all departments and long-term sustainability.
• Financial Stewardship: Oversee the financial model and revenue mix, be accountable for budget performance, revenue forecasting, and timely corrective-action plans, and ensure accurate financial reporting and annual audits.
• Fundraising & Development: Serve as chief fundraiser and primary spokesperson, cultivating major donors, foundations, and institutional funders to build a culture of philanthropy.
• Operational Excellence: Ensure the delivery of safe, high-quality, data-driven programs while maintaining strict compliance with all licensing, accreditation, and regulatory standards (CDHS, CDE, BHA, COA).
• Team & Culture: Direct and mentor a senior leadership team; foster a diverse, accountable, and high-performing culture that prioritizes professional growth and trauma-informed practice.
• Community Advocacy: Serve as the key liaison with policymakers and state agencies, advocating for the resources and policies needed to support abused and neglected children and their families.
• Supports and advances quality improvement efforts through adherence to Tennyson Center policies and procedures, regulatory standards, and best practices.

Physical Requirements

Minimal physical requirements, occasional lifting up to 10 pounds.

Working Conditions

General office environment. May require traveling to and from local or state-wide events as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

• Education: A Bachelor's degree in a related field. Professional substitution: A minimum of five [5] years of leadership experience in child-serving or behavioral health organizations.
• Senior Management: A minimum of seven [7] years of executive-level experience managing personnel, supervision, and business development commensurate with an organization operating a $10 million budget.
• Fundraising: Demonstrated personal success in fundraising, and the ability to cultivate and sustain relationships with individual donors, foundations and institutional funders.
• Financial & System Stewardship: Demonstrated success evaluating, managing, and stabilizing complex financial and organizational systems to optimize efficiency and success.
• All candidates must have (or qualify to obtain) a current Colorado driver's license.
• All positions require a pre-employment drug test, FBI fingerprint check, CBI criminal records check, child abuse registry check, motor vehicle record check, academic record verification, and reference checks.

Preferred Qualifications

• Clinical & Program Models: Experience with, and commitment to, trauma-informed care and positive youth development models serving high-risk youth with complex needs.
• Regulatory & Funding Streams: Direct experience with government contracts, Medicaid, or other public funding (such as the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing), and in building programs sustained by blended public and private funding.
• Compliance Standards: Proven familiarity with licensing and accreditation standards, such as the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS), the Colorado Department of Education (CDE), the Colorado Behavioral Health Administration (BHA), and the Council on Accreditation (COA).