View Position Brochure Here

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION

As one of the leading nonprofits in the world, and the largest nonprofit in Southern California, Goodwill Southern California has been transforming lives through the power of work for over 100 years. 

Originally opened in the heart of Los Angeles in 1916, today Goodwill Southern California operates a vast network of retail stores, donation centers, career resource centers, work programs, youth programs, and more throughout Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties. At the heart of the mission of Goodwill Southern California is the belief that every person in the community has value, every person has talent, and every person is deserving of time and effort to provide a hand up and an opportunity. The organization focuses on those with the greatest barriers to employment such as Veterans, disconnected youth, people with disabilities, the re-entry community, and people without homes. Through efforts to convene and collaborate with like-minded partners, and being thoughtful and creative, Goodwill Southern California believes it can tap into the talent of these unique populations and provide employment opportunities to anyone that wants to work – not for charity’s sake but because they provide good solutions to the employment needs of businesses and organizations in the community.

Goodwill Southern California has a unique combination of history, knowledge, service, solutions, and compassion.  Its large social enterprise of retail stores provides job training and employment opportunities while generating the necessary funding, along with generous financial gifts and grants, to support its dedicated team of professionals who are committed to counsel, train, place, and coach.  Goodwill Southern California staff are servant leaders who are naturally drawn to people with multiple barriers, often serving those that others will not.

Inspired by the efforts of its social enterprise, its talented and passionate team, the quality of its programs and services, and an unwavering commitment to serve the community, the vision of Goodwill Southern California is to be true to its founding principles and seek to transform as many lives as possible during the next century of service.

For more information, please visit https://powerofwork.goodwillsocal.org.  

THE OPPORTUNITY

Goodwill Southern California is seeking a dynamic community leader, collaborator and innovator with an enthusiastic passion for service and systems change as its next Chief Impact Officer. Reporting to the President and Chief Executive Officer as a member of the senior leadership team, the Chief Impact Officer will develop a strategic vision for the Workforce and Career Development (WCD) division, transforming the lives of thousands of individuals each year through the power of work.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Chief Impact Officer will be responsible for:

• Developing and managing public and privately funded workforce and career development services programs focused on participants with significant barriers to employment.
• Developing and implementing long range strategic plans to effectively place Goodwill Southern California in a competitive position within the local community.
• Providing leadership in the community through establishing collaborative partnerships and cooperative working relationships with like-minded community-based organizations, educational institutions, employment and training organizations, and other public entities.
• Developing, maintaining and monitoring the annual department budget of $20+ million dollars.
• Providing leadership to 200+ staff through 5-10 direct reports. 
• Leading efforts to streamline operational processes including establishing performance goals and aligning staff on mission priorities. 
• Developing an effective outcome measurement system for all WCD locations that ensures contract compliance, fiscal responsibility, customer and funder satisfaction, effectiveness and efficiency of program offerings.
• Effectively marketing the organization and its services to new audiences, including appropriate agencies, businesses, and the community.
• Serving as a thought leader in the workforce and career development sector by participating in public policy opportunities in support of those served by Goodwill Southern California.
• Engaging with board members through active participation in all Board of Directors meetings and providing executive staff leadership for the Workforce & Career Development Committee.

TRAITS AND CHARACTERISTICS DESIRED

The ideal candidate will:

• Be an inspiring and motivating team leader.
• Possess exceptional communication and relationship-building skills, connecting with diverse stakeholders internal and external to the organization.
• Convey a personal passion for serving others.
• Exhibit empathy, humility, compassion, integrity, honesty, trustworthiness, emotional intelligence, strong ethics, and fairness.
• Bring demonstrated experience with and a strong commitment to applying an equity lens to their work and a track record of centering Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as organizational values.
• Demonstrate a deep understanding of the work of Goodwill of Southern California and the ability to effectively communicate its vision and impact to broad audiences.
• Foster collaboration, trust, and transparent communication through an open and empowering leadership style.
• Combine a strategic perspective with effective execution of day-to-day priorities.
• Demonstrate critical thinking, financial acumen, organizational skills, and logical priority-setting abilities.
• Embrace technology and the use of electronic systems for managing and analyzing data.
• Understand the importance of cultural sensitivity and the uniqueness of the diverse community served.

CAREER TRACK LEADING TO THIS POSITION

Competitive candidates will bring a track record of excellence in senior leadership positions, ideally from nonprofit organizations recognized for their commitment to clients and providing exemplary and impactful programs. 

In addition to demonstrated leadership experience, competencies in the following areas are expected:

• Strategy development
• Community engagement and partnership building
• Talent development
• Operational excellence
• Technology and process improvement
• Financial management

The Chief Impact Officer must demonstrate an ability to recruit, develop, inspire, and collaborate with a diverse staff, and will have a management philosophy that supports a positive team culture, high performance as well as employee development and retention.  

The ideal candidate will be an innovative and forward-thinking individual who has shown success in generating widespread support for an organization, broadening its reach and scale to increase its impact.

The Chief Impact Officer must have a solid understanding of effective, forward-looking fiscal management, with wisdom and prudence in the deployment of financial resources and sufficient fiscal management experience to be conversant with the fiduciary responsibility of a complex organization with a large asset base.  

A degree in nonprofit management, public administration, business administration, public policy or a related field is preferred. However, a demonstrated successful track record serving in a leadership position within a similar community-serving organization will be considered of equivalent value to a degree.

GOODWILL SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA'S COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are at the heart of Goodwill Southern California—founded in Los Angeles over 100 years ago by women to help starving immigrants in the streets though the power of work.  GSC is committed to ensuring that all staff engage in business practices that are rooted in compassion, empathy, and humane principles in addition to good fiscal stewardship. This includes infusing diversity, equity, and inclusion principles and practices into all human resource functions and providing easily accessible equipment, tools, and information to support an inclusive environment.  GSC’s DEI training modules are mandatory for all staff across the organization and its Respect, Integrity, Service, and Excellence (RISE) values reflect DEI principles and language.  The organization has also developed the GSC Career Path Training Program that leads from frontline staff to C-Suite positions.  GSC has an actively engaged DEI Employee Council and a DEI Board Committee.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

The annual salary range for this position is $200,000 to $220,000 plus benefits.

Goodwill Southern California offers a comprehensive package of benefits including medical, dental and vision plans, 403(b) employee retirement saving plan; health and wellness resources; paid time off; tuition reimbursement, basic and voluntary life insurance plans; employee assistance plan; and individual and dependent flexible spending accounts.

LOCATION & OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

This is a hybrid position, requiring significant travel within Southern California (25% to 50%). A valid driver’s license and state-required auto insurance are required.

The Chief Impact Officer should be based in the Los Angeles area and will be expected to regularly visit WCD sites and the Goodwill Southern California corporate office located near downtown Los Angeles.