Executive Director - Tulsa Boys' Home

Tulsa Boys’ Home Executive Director
Reports to: Board of Directors
Status: Full time, exempt
Location: Sand Springs, Oklahoma

Position summary

Tulsa Boys’ Home seeks an Executive Director to lead an organization with more than 100 years of history into its next chapter. The successful candidate will build on that legacy by developing its team, modernizing operations, and strengthening organizational unity following a period of transition.

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director’s primary responsibility is to provide strong, steady, and effective leadership. This includes developing and uniting an experienced, long-tenured staff; strengthening policies, staffing, and hiring practices; establishing clear expectations and measurable goals; and fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement. The Executive Director will also serve as the public face of Tulsa Boys’ Home, building relationships throughout the Tulsa community and advancing fundraising and community support efforts.

The ideal candidate is an authentic, humble leader with a genuine passion for serving boys and a deep respect for the Home’s history, mission, and the people who have sustained it. They listen and learn before making changes, build consensus rather than rely on authority, empower experienced staff rather than micromanage, and consistently follow through on commitments. They demonstrate sound judgment and composure in a 24-hour residential care environment, along with a practical understanding of residential treatment and the complex needs of young people who have experienced significant trauma.

Key responsibilities

Leadership, team development and culture

• Build, develop and unite a strong leadership team, mentoring leaders and planning for succession.
• Work alongside long-tenured staff, trusting their expertise in daily care while bringing them together around shared goals.
• Lead change thoughtfully: learn the organization first, bring people along and pace changes so they last.
• Communicate openly with staff at every level, explain the reasons behind decisions and follow through on commitments.
• Strengthen staff recruitment, retention, pay and development, with special attention to frontline direct care staff.
• Rebuild a culture of trust, accountability, and shared purpose that fosters a sense of family and supports both staff and the boys in our care.

Operations and financial oversight

• Modernize policies, procedures and systems for staffing, hiring and daily operations so the home runs professionally and consistently.
• Set clear goals and hold leaders and staff accountable to them.
• Oversee the annual budget, financial controls, audits and responsible stewardship of resources in partnership with the finance team and board.
• Maintain compliance with the DHS contract and licensing standards.
• Keep the safety of residents and staff at the center of every operational decision.
• Ensure clinical staff receive appropriate supervision and support and be available around the clock for emergencies.

Maintain an Effective Board partnership

• Preparing agendas for and attending all board and committee meetings.
• Keep the board informed on performance, finances, risks and opportunities.
• Maintain clear roles between board governance and staff operations, with communication between staff and the board running through the executive director.
• Support board engagement, development and recruitment.

Community relations and fundraising

• Serve as the home’s chief ambassador with community leaders, donors, media, state agencies and partners.
• Use personal and professional connections to open doors for the home, and take an active part in fundraising alongside development staff and the board.
• Oversee the annual report, the United Way funding proposal and reports to foundations and government agencies.
• Work with the Women’s Association and Junior Women’s Association, and take part in the United Way and other civic organizations.
• Help strengthen the home’s long-term financial stability and reduce reliance on any single funding source.
• Build community partnerships that expand resources and services for the boys.

Strategic leadership and growth

• Work with the board to set a long-term vision and strategic plan for the home.
• Position the home for changes in state funding and care models, including the shift toward smaller, community-based settings.
• Explore new services that extend the home’s impact, such as transitional and independent living for young men aging out of care.
• Track and report program outcomes so the board, donors and partners can see the difference the home makes.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree.
• At least 10 years of progressive leadership experience, including at least five years in a senior or executive role supervising other leaders.
• A proven record of building and developing teams and leading lasting organizational change.
• Working knowledge of residential treatment, behavioral health or social services for children and youth, including trauma-informed care and the safety considerations of serving young people with serious emotional and behavioral needs.
• Experience modernizing policies, procedures and human resources practices.
• Experience with budgeting, financial oversight and managing government contracts or grants.
• Comfort with fundraising and donor relations, and the community connections to support it.
• A record of sustained commitment to the organizations they have served.
• Excellent communication, listening and public speaking skills.

Preferred

• Master’s degree in social work or a doctorate in psychology, consistent with the preference in the home’s Oklahoma Department of Human Services contract, or an advanced degree in counseling, nonprofit management or a related field.
• At least five years of direct service experience with children, youth and families facing emotional and behavioral challenges.
• Experience as an executive director or senior leader of a residential care organization for at-risk youth.
• Familiarity with Oklahoma’s child welfare system, the Department of Human Services, state licensing and national accreditation.
• Experience growing new services or partnerships.
• Ability to quickly build strong relationships in the Tulsa philanthropic, business and nonprofit community.

Compensation

The salary range is $170,000 to $215,000, based on experience and qualifications, plus an annual bonus of up to 20% tied to performance goals. Living on campus is preferred, and no-cost on-campus housing is available.

Benefits include:

• Health insurance, 100% paid for the employee
• Dental, vision and life insurance
• Health savings and flexible spending accounts
• 403(b) retirement plan with a 4% employer match
• Generous paid time off, including nine paid holidays a year
• Employee assistance program
• Professional development opportunities and length-of-service awards

About Tulsa Boys’ Home

Changing lives for a lifetime.

The mission of Tulsa Boys’ Home is to provide the highest quality residential care for boys needing placement outside their home, for the purpose of developing well-adjusted, responsible adults and strengthening the family.

Founded in 1918 in a two-story house in downtown Tulsa with help from First Presbyterian Church and the Downtown Rotary Club, Tulsa Boys’ Home became a charter member of what is now the Tulsa Area United Way in 1924. Since 1979, the home has operated on a 160-acre campus in Sand Springs. It was Oklahoma’s first residential treatment facility for boys and remains the largest, and it is nationally accredited by the Council on Accreditation.

Today, the home serves teenage boys with serious emotional, behavioral and substance use challenges, many of them placed through the Oklahoma Department of Human Services and others placed privately by their families. The campus operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Its relationship-based healing model includes therapy, on-campus education, an equine program, recreation and a strong volunteer network, supported by a long-tenured leadership team, the Women’s Association and Junior Women’s Association, and donors who give through signature events such as Run for the Roses and Barbecue & Cigars.

Tulsa Boys’ Home is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age or disability.