Chief Program Officer

The National Institute for Reproductive Health (NIRH) works to increase access to reproductive health care and secure reproductive freedom by changing public policy, galvanizing public support, and normalizing women’s decisions to have abortions and use contraception.
The National Institute for Reproductive Health Action Fund, with associated PAC’s and IEC, conducts nonpartisan advocacy and electoral engagement to advance reproductive health, rights and justice in states and cities across the country.
NIRH seeks a highly-qualified and entrepreneurial professional, with a strong track record in senior leadership, to provide strategic direction, leadership, creativity, and management for both NIRH and the NIRH Action Fund programs.  Reporting to the President, the Chief Program Officer serves as a key leadership team member, provides an active voice in the organization’s strategic decision-making and will design and implement systems and protocols to ensure annual growth. The CPO will supervise the programmatic staff and overall be responsible for oversight of the policy, partnerships, political, and youth program teams, totaling 10 staff currently.
This is a full-time position located in New York, NY. For more information on NIRH and the NIRH Action Fund, please visit https://nirhealth.org.
Role and Responsibilities
The CPO will be accountable for but not limited to the following key responsibilities:
Strategic Program Planning & Leadership

  • In concert with the president and other members of Senior Management Team, bringing high-level leadership, vision, collaboration, and creativity to the ongoing growth and impact of the organization.
  • In collaboration with senior management, develop a vision and plan to deepen a culture of equity and inclusion within the organization.
  • Oversee the integration of NIRH and NIRH Action Fund programs, ensuring alignment across all state, local, and youth initiatives. Strategic responsibility for the policy and political programs, including partnerships with state and local organizations across the country.
  • Work closely with VP of Communications and Senior Management Team to leverage and maximize cross-department collaboration and approaches.
  • Responsible for incubating and documenting innovative local and state initiatives, as well as piloting experiments with high potential for scaling up & strategic impact.
  • Ensure the organization is documenting promising practices and innovative strategies and work collaboratively with senior staff to share these through appropriate channels to a range of audiences, including other advocates and movement colleagues, donors and foundations.

External Leadership & Special Projects

  • Responsible for managing key strategic partnerships and developing new partnerships to advance mutual goals.
  • As a complement to the President’s role, represent NIRH and NIRH Action Fund externally with funders, coalition partners, media, and other audiences.
  • Serve as a spokesperson and advocate for NIRH and NIRH Action Fund’s mission and programs.
  • Leadership of special projects: Scope, plan, and execute strategic organizational projects as agreed upon.

Management and Internal Leadership

  • Serve as a strategic thought partner on the senior management and management teams.
  • Collaborate and lead cross-departmental initiatives and projects.
  • Manage a 10-person team, foster teamwork; cultivate and maintain a collaborative culture; and integrate, align and monitor policies and organization-wide systems.
  • Provide weekly supervision for the policy, political and youth initiatives teams; identify clear departmental and individual goals with benchmarks to monitor progress.
  • Develop the Board’s understanding of NIRH and NIRH Action Fund Program goals, impact, and reach.
  • In concert with other members of the Senior Management Team, responsible for the smooth operations of the organization in the absence of the president.

Qualifications

  • At least 8-10 years of experience demonstrating senior-level responsibility, including management responsibilities
  • Experience with state-level advocacy and/or electoral campaigns (knowledge about both a must; 501c(4) experience a strong plus)
  • Knowledge of state-level policy and political landscape and ability to apply a political lens to programmatic/policy work
  • Passion for and commitment to NIRH and NIRH Action Fund mission, fluency in the pertinent issues and the ability to articulate the case for the mission and programs
  • Demonstrated experience leading sustainable processes of growth and expansion and building teams to achieve measurable impact and results
  • Proven track record working in a senior management environment and programmatic leadership across interdisciplinary departments
  • Strong management skills with proven success in supervision and staff development
  • Exceptional judgment, maturity, and demonstrated leadership
  • Enthusiasm for working with a team, as well as the ability to drive new initiatives and thrive in a fast-paced environment
  • Excellent verbal and written communications skills
  • Impeccable attention to detail
  • Ability to thrive in a fast-paced and rapidly changing environment
  • BA degree required; advanced degree preferable

Compensation & Benefits
Competitive benefit package and salary commensurate with experience: salary range $140,000 – $160,000.
CONTACT
NIRH and NIRH Action Fund has engaged Koya Leadership Partners to help in this hire. Please submit a compelling cover letter and resume to Liz Lombard and Turner Delano here.
The National Institute for Reproductive Health and NIRH Action Fund is an equal opportunity employer. NIRH and NIRH Action Fund strives to build and support an equitable work community that attracts, develops, and retains exceptional people. As a member of the reproductive freedom movement, NIRH aims to foster leadership and raise the voices of historically marginalized people, including but not limited to Black people and people of color, indigenous/native peoples, LGBTQ and gender non-conforming people, disabled/differently abled people, immigrants, and low-income people. We strongly encourage candidates of these and other diverse backgrounds to apply.
NIRH and NIRH Action Fund staff and board have committed to racial equity, and as such have been engaged in a multi-year process to adopt a racial equity lens across the organization. As a result, this person will come into a team that’s currently engaged in shifting its organizational framework.
About Koya Leadership Partners:
Koya Leadership Partners is a national retained executive search and human capital consulting firm that works exclusively with mission-driven organizations, institutions of higher education and social enterprises. We deliver measurable results, finding exceptionally talented people who truly fit the unique culture of our client organizations and ensuring that organizations have the resources and strategies to support them. For more information, visit www.koyapartners.com.