Chief Impact Officer

WHAT WE DO

At Alliance Healthcare Foundation (AHF), we believe everyone deserves a fair chance to be well. We advance health and wellness for people across San Diego and Imperial counties facing the greatest barriers to better health—working alongside community partners to drive lasting, equitable change. Our approach combines collaborative funding, impact investing, convening, and advocacy to address the root causes and strengthen systems that support community well-being.

With an annual operating budget of $5 million and a deeply committed staff of six, AHF focuses its work across four interconnected areas:

• Addressing Root Causes: Advancing economic mobility, housing stability, and youth opportunity through strategies such as guaranteed income and upstream community-driven investments.
• Supporting the Safety Net: Investing in organizations closest to the community through flexible multi-year funding, capacity building, and rapid response support.
• Advancing Innovation: Scaling bold, systems-change solutions that close racial equity gaps and improve long-term health outcomes.
• Impact Investing: Deploying capital to unlock larger-scale change, leveraging investments to expand opportunity, preserve and develop new housing, and strengthen community infrastructure.

In partnership with community leaders, AHF is reimagining philanthropy, shifting power, accelerating innovation, and investing in solutions that create measurable, lasting impact. Recent efforts include transferring $7.5 million in endowment resources to the Imperial Valley Wellness Foundation, entrusting local leaders to shape their community’s future; advancing behavioral health care innovations; and supporting the creation or preservation of more than 726 units of affordable and middle-income housing.

LEADERSHIP & CULTURE

Our work is guided by a highly engaged and connected 13-member Board of Directors, comprised of key leaders from across the region. AHF’s success is rooted in an open, collaborative, and forward-moving culture, where a highly skilled team operates with creativity, inclusion, and a shared sense of purpose grounded in mutual respect and a steadfast commitment to our mission, our partners, and the broader community.

The Chief Impact Officer (CIO) will report to the Executive Director (ED), Sarah Lyman, who has led AHF since 2019. Sarah brings a strong track record of catalyzing cross-sector solutions at the intersection of health, systems change, and equity, and is a respected regional leader actively engaged across San Diego’s civic and public health landscape, serving on multiple boards and advisory committees advancing economic mobility, housing, and community well-being.

BENEFITS & FEATURES

• Salary – $185,000 - $210,000 DOE/Neg.
• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life/AD&D, and long-term disability coverage
• 401(k) profit-sharing plan with employer match
• Generous PTO policy, including paid holidays and “summer wellness Fridays”
• Flexible spending account options
• Up to $1,000 per year tuition reimbursement

LOCATION

This is a hybrid role, with an office at 5060 Shoreham Place, Suite 350, San Diego, CA 92122. Full-time residence in San Diego County is a requirement.

POSITION SUMMARY

Reporting to the ED, the Chief Impact Officer (CIO) serves as AHF’s second-in-command and a key strategic partner, helping to shape organizational direction, drive execution, and ensure alignment across all areas of work. The CIO leads AHF’s strategic impact agenda across grantmaking, systems-change initiatives, partnerships, policy, and impact investing, translating vision into clear priorities, coordinated initiatives, and measurable results. Operating at both a strategic and executional level, the CIO ensures AHF’s work is aligned, effectively implemented, and positioned to deliver scalable, community-centered impact.

The CIO plays a central role in shaping organizational culture, fostering collaboration, accountability, and continuous learning across a high-performing, mission-driven team. In close partnership with the ED and Board, the CIO builds trust and credibility with staff, stakeholders, and community partners while co-designing and leading the execution of strategic priorities. The CIO will reinforce organizational cohesion, support leadership across the team, and ensure AHF is well-positioned to deepen its impact and respond to emerging opportunities.

Year One Priorities:

• Build trust and credibility with the ED, Board, staff, and stakeholders, while developing a deep understanding of AHF’s strategy, portfolio, and organizational context.
• Co-design and begin executing refined strategies to strengthen alignment and maximize impact across grantmaking, innovation, and impact investing.
• Assess and strengthen organizational execution systems, including priority-setting, decision-making frameworks, and cross-functional coordination.
• Advance AHF’s behavioral health and broader health equity strategies, identifying opportunities to deepen impact and respond to emerging community needs.
• Strengthen impact measurement and strategic partnerships, ensuring clear outcomes, accountability, and expanded collaboration across philanthropy, government, healthcare, and community sectors.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategy, Execution, and Organizational Leadership

• Lead the execution of AHF’s strategic priorities, translating strategy into clear initiatives, measurable outcomes, and results.
• Identify and elevate emerging health and wellness priorities in San Diego and Imperial County.
• Establish decision-making frameworks, sequencing, and operating rhythms to guide execution.
• Ensure coordination and integration across AHF’s full programmatic “toolbox” to maximize impact.
• Serve as a strategic thought partner to the ED and act on their behalf as needed.

Impact, Learning, and Innovation

• Lead AHF’s impact measurement and learning agenda, defining success metrics, tracking outcomes, and using insights to inform strategy and decision-making.
• Identify and advance innovative opportunities to address systemic barriers and expand AHF’s impact.
• Explore and apply best practices from peer organizations and emerging models.

External Leadership and Partnerships

• Serve as a key external ambassador for AHF, representing AHF in high-level settings alongside the ED.
• Build and steward strategic relationships and partnerships across philanthropy, government, healthcare, and community sectors.
• Serve as a senior advisor on public affairs and policy-related initiatives at local, regional, and statewide levels.

Internal Leadership and Team Development

• Provide strategic leadership and direction to program staff, fostering accountability, collaboration, and high performance.
• Strengthen cross-functional alignment and execution across AHF.

Governance and Organizational Influence

• Partner with and present regularly to AHF’s Board of Directors and committees.
• Support strategic discussions and decision-making at the governance level.
• Operate with significant autonomy in shaping strategy, partnerships, and initiatives.

BACKGROUND PROFILE

• Senior leadership experience in philanthropy, healthcare, policy, government, or a related field, with a demonstrated ability to lead strategy, drive execution, and deliver measurable results in complex, cross-sector environments.
• Proven systems thinker with experience leading or influencing systems-change efforts and the ability to connect patterns across organizations, partnerships, and policy landscapes.
• Demonstrated success building and aligning diverse stakeholders, with the cultural competency and credibility to steward strategic relationships across philanthropy, government, healthcare, and community sectors.
• Exceptional communicator and influencer with strong executive presence, effective in high-level forums, and able to navigate complex stakeholder environments.
• Demonstrated ability to translate strategy into action, with disciplined execution, sound judgment, and the ability to lead through ambiguity in dynamic environments.
• Collaborative people leader with a track record of building high-performing, accountable teams, fostering a culture of learning and continuous improvement, and a strong commitment to advancing equity and community-centered impact.