Vice President of Operational Strategy

Founded as a small, shelter-based organization almost 38 years ago, Abode has grown into one of the largest and most impactful providers of housing and services in the Bay Area. Our mission is to end homelessness by assisting low-income, unhoused people, including those with special needs, to secure stable, supportive housing and to be advocates for the removal of the causes of homelessness. We are a Housing First agency, which means that all our programs are geared toward connecting people as quickly as possible to permanent housing, minimizing, or eliminating barriers to care, and providing non-judgmental and compassionate services to ensure that even the most vulnerable households can access housing and services. With over 800 employees, Abode currently provides services in eight bay area counties: Napa, Solano, Sonoma, Alameda, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz.

A Day in the Life:

The Vice President of Operational Strategywill serve as a senior strategic leader responsible for advancing Abode’s mission by strengthening alignment across program divisions, administrative functions, data systems, compliance, finance, and organizational priorities. This role will help translate Abode’s strategic plan into coordinated action, ensuring that programs, departments, and related entities are working from shared goals, clear priorities, and consistent performance expectations. The Vice President of Operational Strategy will also identify, assess, and support strategic opportunities for growth, including expansion into new counties, new funding opportunities, new service models, partnerships, and other mission-aligned initiatives. The ideal candidate is a systems thinker, skilled collaborator, and practical strategist who can connect vision to implementation while balancing mission, financial sustainability, operational readiness, compliance, and community impact.

How You Make an Impact:

• Lead agency-wide strategic alignment efforts across program divisions and administrative departments, including programs, compliance, data, finance, contracts, quality improvement, people operations, communications, and related functions.
• Translate Abode’s strategic plan into,
  • Annual goals and executive priorities articulated in clear work plans and decision frameworks
  • KPI’s and OKR’s that roll up into dashboards and accountability plans
• Partner with executive and director level leadership to identify cross-departmental barriers to create strategies for an efficient and effective culture, coordination, and operational alignment.
• Evaluate strategic opportunities for growth including but not limited to new counties, new funding streams, new service models, new partnerships, and other expansion areas.
• Conduct feasibility assessments for major opportunities including mission fit, community needs, financial sustainability, partnership fit, and risk considerations.
• Support the development of go/no-go recommendations for RFPs, county expansion, contract growth, pilot programs, and other strategic initiatives.
• Coordinate with program, finance, development, compliance, data, and executive leaders to strengthen funding strategies and ensure new opportunities are adequately resourced and operationally supported.
• Build and maintain tools to monitor strategic priorities, including project plans, implementation timelines, key performance indicators, risk registers, and leadership reporting structures.
• Use data, program outcomes, financial information, community trends, funder priorities, and operational feedback to support evidence-informed decision-making.
• Support strategic partnerships with counties, cities, funders, healthcare partners, housing partners, peer providers, coalitions, and community stakeholders as assigned.
• Prepare executive-level briefings, board updates, opportunity analyses, strategy memos, presentations, and implementation materials.
• Help ensure that strategic growth remains mission aligned, margin aware, operationally supported, and consistent with Abode’s values and long-term sustainability.
• Facilitate cross-functional meetings, planning sessions, and project teams to move strategic initiatives from concept to implementation.
• Special projects and other duties as assigned.

We're proud to offer:

• Flexible Hybrid Schedule: This executive role offers a flexible hybrid work arrangement, with remote work supported and on site presence required based on operational needs.
• 100% medical, dental and vision benefits for employees and agency dependent health care contribution
• 403(b) retirement plan with employer match and contribution programs
• 19 days of PTO per year, increasing with tenure
• 12 paid Holidays per year
• Paid time off for Civic Action
• Professional development opportunities and thought partnership opportunities with other national leaders.
• Being a part of a dynamic, mission driven, growth-minded, executive team.

You proudly possess:

• Bachelor’s degree in public administration, business administration, public policy, social work, nonprofit management, urban planning, or a related field required; master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum of 8–10 years of progressively responsible leadership experience in nonprofit, public sector, housing, homelessness services, healthcare, social services, or government-funded program environments.
• Minimum of 5 years of senior management experience leading complex initiatives, cross-functional projects, strategic planning, program development, or organizational growth efforts.
• Demonstrated experience evaluating, launching, expanding, or managing government-funded programs or community-based service models.
• Experience working with counties, cities, public agencies, philanthropy, healthcare partners, housing systems, or other community stakeholders strongly preferred.
• Strong understanding of nonprofit operations, public funding environments, program performance, compliance requirements, data systems, budgeting, and operational implementation.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze complex opportunities and develop practical recommendations that balance mission, risk, resources, financial sustainability, and organizational capacity.
• Experience preparing executive-level written materials, dashboards, reports, strategy memos, presentations, and board-facing materials.
• Reliable transportation and ability to travel within Abode’s service areas as needed.
• Ability to pass any required background checks, health clearances, or funder-specific requirements applicable to Abode Services programs.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to connect long-term vision to practical implementation, measurable goals, and day-to-day operational realities.
• Exceptional skill at building alignment across teams, departments, leaders, and external stakeholders with different priorities and perspectives.
• Strong analytical and financial acumen, with the ability to evaluate opportunities using data, budgets, risk analysis, community need, and operational capacity.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to prepare clear executive briefings, presentations, recommendations, and implementation plans.
• Extremely high emotional intelligence, cultural humility, discretion, and sound judgment.
• Ability to manage multiple complex priorities, facilitate decisions, maintain momentum, and move projects from concept to completion.
• Collaborative leadership style with a practical, solutions-oriented approach to organizational growth, quality improvement, and strategic execution.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office programs, systems, and platforms, with the ability to learn additional business-related applications and reporting tools.

Physical Requirements:

• Communicating with others to exchange information; seeing to read a variety of materials.
• Manual dexterity for use of keyboard, tools, controls; repetitive motion that may include the wrists, hands, and/or fingers.
• Remaining in a stationary position, often standing or sitting for prolonged periods, while at a desk or working on a computer.
• Ability to travel by car for onsite meetings, community meetings, funder meetings, and other business-related activities as needed.

Notice: This description is to be used as a guide only. It does not constitute a contract, commitment or promise of any kind. Abode Services reserves the right to change, add, delete, upgrade, or downgrade the position as dictated by business necessity at any time with or without notice.

Notice: Abode Services is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Drug Free Workplace

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.