Jacksonville, FL

Chief Advancement Officer, PACE Center for Girls, Inc

The Organization

PACE Center for Girls, Inc. (PACE), a 501c3 nonprofit nationally recognized as one of the most effective programs in the country for ensuring girls are successful in their schools, homes, and communities and for keeping girls from entering the juvenile justice system, is seeking applications and nominations for the position of Chief Advancement Officer (CAO). With a $38M budget spanning 20 centers and multiple outreach programs across Florida and preparing for national expansion, PACE was highlighted in 2015 by the White House Council on Women and Girls as a leading solution for dramatically reducing both incarceration and recidivism. The gender-responsive program model is proven to change life trajectories, demonstrating that when girls are a priority in communities, they will change the world.

Position Overview

Reporting to the CEO, the Chief Advancement Officer will lead the development and execution of a new resource development strategy, build and retain a highly skilled advancement and communications team, and contribute to the broader strategic direction of the organization. S/he will join a dynamic and successful leadership team and serve as a collaborative partner to the CEO, Board of Trustees, and Center Executive Directors and local board members in driving new growth and resources locally, regionally, and nationally. The CAO will serve as a key external representative to diverse partners, articulating PACE’s mission, vision, values, and objectives and building the brand and recognition of the organization among new audiences while stewarding existing relationships.

Founded in 1985, PACE began as a community response to the realization that trauma was resulting in an increasing rate of arrest of girls, and that girls involved with the justice system were either being placed in programs designed for boys or driven into the system under the auspices of their own protection. PACE created a new alternative to institutionalization or incarceration for girls and now, over thirty years later, is recognized as a national model for keeping girls out of the juvenile justice system and improving school success, employment, and self-sufficiency. To do this, PACE employs a research-based, gender-responsive program model that positively transforms girls’ lives by supporting their social-emotional and academic development. In 2016, PACE was recognized for this work as an inaugural recipient of the Accelerating Change Award from the Center for the Study of Social Policy and as a presenter at the inaugural United State of Women Summit hosted by the White House and in 2017 was recognized with the Distinguished Service Award by the Florida Council on Crime and Delinquency. Building on this success, PACE has recently undertaken a new five-year strategic plan aimed at doubling impact in five years and scaling nationally. The CAO will be a driver of the program’s national expansion at a time when the organization is poised for growth and expanded impact.

The ideal candidate will be a seasoned and visionary strategic leader with a proven record of success in driving resources to organizations, leading highly effective and complex distributed teams, and setting broader organizational strategy as part of a collaborative leadership team. S/he will naturally thrive in entrepreneurial environments, demonstrate exceptional ability to manage and deploy teams across distance and functions, and have extensive experience successfully cultivating relationships across philanthropic, nonprofit, and corporate sectors that result in growth and value. S/he will have a strong personal commitment to empowering and serving girls and the adaptability to evolve along with the organization as it plans for a new era of expansion and impact.

This search is being conducted with assistance from Allison Kupfer Poteet and Callie Carroll of Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group. Please find application instructions at the end of this document.

For a detailed position description, please visit www.nonprofitprofessionals.com/jobs/pace-cao.

For more information on PACE, visit www.pacecenter.org.

How To Apply

This search is being conducted with assistance from Allison Kupfer Poteet and Callie Carroll of Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group. Candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible, and applications will be reviewed as they are received. Please send nominations and/or applications including cover letter describing your interest and qualifications, your resume (in Word format), and where you learned of the position to: PACE-CAO@nonprofitprofessionals.com. PACE Center for Girls, Inc is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Candidates of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

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