Washington, DC or US Remote, Dist. Columbia 20045, United States
Posted: 17-Jan-23
Location: Washington, D.C.
Type: Full Time
Salary: $340,000
Sector:
Salary Details:
Internal Number: 2023-01
Chief Strategy and Growth Officer
Reports to: Chief Executive Officer
Team: Senior Vice President, Public Policy; Medical Director. Overall, roughly 20 colleagues report up, with the potential for future roles, such as to coordinate Substance Use efforts and thought leadership
Location: Open, with frequent travel to Washington, D.C. after the Covid-19 crisis
About us
The National Council’s vision is to make mental wellbeing, including recovery from substance use challenges, a reality for everyone. Despite overwhelming need, nearly 30 million people across the U.S. do not have access to comprehensive, high-quality, affordable mental health and substance use care when they need it.
Founded in 1969, the National Council for Mental Wellbeing is a membership organization that drives policy and social change on behalf of nearly 3,200 mental health and substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery organizations and the more than 10 million children, adults and families they serve. We advocate for policies to ensure equitable access to high-quality services and supports. We build the capacity of mental health and substance use treatment organizations. And we promote greater understanding of mental wellbeing as a core component of comprehensive health and health care. Through our Mental Health First Aid program we have trained more than 2.8 million people in the U.S. to identify, understand and respond to signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use challenges.
The National Council is growing rapidly to meet this moment; both our budget ($77M) and number of passionate staff (270+) have grown more than 50% since 2020.
Position Summary
The Chief Strategy and Growth Officer (CSGO), in this newly configured role, will play a critical role in the National Council’s achievement of its mission, vision and goals.
In collaboration with the strategic leadership team -- Chief Executive Officer, Chief of Staff, Chief Program Officer, Chief of Operations and Transformation, Chief Diversity Officer and Chief People Officer -- the CSGO will seek out opportunities that allow the National Council to shape and influence the future of Mental Health and Substance Use (MH/SU) and integrated care – and the field providing that care -- in the United States. They will partner with leading practitioners in MH/SU, policymakers, researchers, advocates, public and private donors and others to increase awareness and funding for innovative and effective programs.
Key Responsibilities
With a deep commitment to the National Council’s mission and goals, the Chief Strategy and Growth Officer will solidify the association’s role as a thought leader in the MH/SU field, by leading the development of medium- and long-term strategies that integrate advocacy, partnerships, services and products. Externally, the CSGO will build partnerships with field experts and funders/partners in government as well as the private and nonprofit sectors. Internally, the CSGO will challenge the National Council to set ambitious goals that leverage the organization’s capabilities and the voices of our incredible members. Key to success will include collaborating closely with strategic leadership colleagues on the future of the MH/SU field and ensuring cross-organizational alignment. In collaboration with their team, the CSGO will lead the following:
- Future of the Mental Health / Substance Use Field
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- Develop and guide the National Council’s position on the future of MH/SU care, with a goal of measurably increasing quality, accessibility and affordability of care.
- Synthesize and monitor policy and financing trends, promising practices as well as field research to identify future options to build awareness and meet programmatic goals.
- Spearhead the development of papers, events, campaigns, or other avenues that anchor the National Council as a leading voice and advocate, in partnership with the SVP, Marketing, Communications & Events.
- Leverage insights gleaned from the Medical Directors Institute, members and program teams to inform long-term strategy, legislative agenda and vision.
- In collaboration with the Medical Director, ensure that the work of the Medical Directors Institute members is addressing programmatic and policy issues that are tightly aligned with the National Council’s priorities.
- Partner with strategic leadership colleagues to ensure that the teams and operational infrastructure are in place to deliver on the National Council’s future strategy.
- In collaboration with the CEO and Senior Vice President, Public Policy, shape federal and state legislative approaches.
- Growth and Partnerships
- Identify, evaluate and qualify potential programs, partnerships (corporate, philanthropic or governmental, and in support of the National Council’s members), mergers or acquisitions, and revenue/investment opportunities that align with, and financially support, the National Council’s medium- and long-term vision.
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- Develop the structure and a disciplined approach for evaluating business opportunities, to include: partnerships with companies that support member needs; and the establishment of a separate but affiliated for-profit company (provisionally named National Council Business Ventures) that will seek to raise capital in support of our members and mission.
- Evaluate future growth initiatives as well as new core business opportunities; partner closely with the Chief Program Officer who will roll out products and services, and the Chief of Operations and Transformation who will ensure that infrastructure is in place to deliver.
- In partnership with the strategic leadership team, ensure that innovative strategies are linked to resources and capabilities.
- Team Development, Management and Culture
- Collaborate with strategic leadership team colleagues to develop corresponding people, process and systems approaches and ensure they are properly aligned.
- Attract, manage and mentor a passionate team; support team members as they grow in their careers and expand their capabilities in line with the National Council’s growth.
- Define team roles, accountabilities and decision-making.
- Promote an organizational culture of excellence, adaptability, efficiency, continuous improvement and innovation.
Qualifications
- Knowledge of MH/SU industry and trends, gained through a significant leadership role in this field, and ideally with familiarity of federal/state policy.
- Track record of success:
- Garnering support from, and managing relationships with philanthropic and government funders, corporate and non-profit partners.
- Leading the development of service or product/program innovations within a mental health or health care organization.
- Developing and implementing a strategy reliant on the engagement of subject matter experts, guiding thought leadership ideally with field-level influence.
- Planning for, and making effective decisions about, large, multi-year programmatic investments.
- Contributing to the work of an executive leadership team within an organization that is ideally national and of similar scale to the National Council.
- Mentoring a high performing team (ideally with a blend of content and functional experts).
- Championing a culture of belonging and inclusion.
- Ability to travel up to 30%.
Leadership Characteristics
- Passion for the National Council’s mission and vision, preferably also with knowledge of the needs of people living with or experiencing mental health/substance use challenges.
- An entrepreneurial, future-leaning and innovative mindset.
- Exceptional written, oral and interpersonal skills, able to engage colleagues at all levels of an organization, board and external stakeholders.
- An orientation to life-long learning, ideally as a student of leadership (perhaps to include the work of Patrick Lencioni), and as a teacher/mentor who supports colleagues in skill-building.
- A collaborative, authentic, high integrity partnership style; able to ensure diverse perspectives are heard.
- Sound judgment and humility as both a thought-partner and hands-on decision-maker.
