Chief Impact Officer and President of the Robinson Center for Civic Leadership

Description

OUR MISSION | REMARKABLE IMPACT

Remarkable impact is the heart of Foundation for the Carolinas ’ mission, and the driving force behind our mission is the collective impact of thousands of nonprofits, families, companies, and organizations who partner with us to amplify the power of giving.

HOW YOU’LL ADVANCE OUR MISSION | POSITION OVERVIEW

The Chief Impact Officer and President of the Robinson Center for Civic Leadership leads Foundation for the Carolinas’ (FFTC) flagship civic platform and is accountable for the vision, strategy, performance, and external presence of the Center. Reporting to the President of Foundation for the Carolinas, this executive sets RCCL's strategic direction, leads its signature convenings and initiatives, and serves as a leading civic voice for the Foundation across the region. This executive is also responsible for the Community Programs & Civic Leadership team, providing strategic guidance and leadership across our community investments, programs, and scholarships.

The President will operate with a lean team and is expected to deliver impact through partnership, convening, and influence. The role requires the credibility to sit at any civic table in the region, the intellectual range to frame complex multi-sector issues, and the operating discipline to translate strategy into measurable outcomes. The President works closely with the President of FFTC, the executive team, the Board, donors, and a wide network of civic, corporate, nonprofit, government, higher education, faith, and grassroots partners.

YOUR UNIQUE IMPACT | ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Leadership

• Set and continuously refine the strategic direction of the Robinson Center for Civic Leadership, ensuring alignment with FFTC's Strategic Framework and the evolving needs of the region.
• Translate strategy into a multi-year plan with measurable outcomes, milestones, and accountability indicators.
• Anticipate emerging civic, economic, and social issues affecting the Carolinas and position the Center to lead or convene on them ahead of the curve.
• Lead the continued evolution of our community investments, programs, and scholarships.

Initiatives, Programs & Convenings

• Provide executive leadership for RCCL's signature initiatives and convenings.
• Set the standard for impact measurement and reporting across RCCL's work, with honest assessment of what is and is not working.
• Identify, design, and launch new initiatives where RCCL is best positioned to lead, and sunset work where the Center is not the right home.
• Partner with other FFTC affiliates and initiatives to amplify shared civic priorities, while respecting their independent governance and leadership.

External Leadership & Community Voice

• Serve as a leading external voice of RCCL — through speaking, writing, media, and convening — across the region and, where appropriate, nationally.
• Build and steward executive-level relationships with civic, corporate, nonprofit, government, higher education, health, and faith-sector leaders.
• Represent FFTC and RCCL on community boards, councils, and peer networks as appropriate.
• Act as a credible, non-partisan convener and trusted broker on issues where the community needs an honest table.

Donor & Resource Engagement

• Partner with the President of FFTC and the Philanthropic Advancement team to align RCCL's work with donor and fundholder interests and to attract philanthropic capital —corporate, individual, and institutional —to the Center's priorities.
• Serve as a thought partner to donors exploring high-impact civic giving.
• Steward existing major partners and identify new resource opportunities aligned with RCCL and CPCL strategy.

Governance, Finance & Operations

• Own the operating budget for RCCL and the CPCL team, with full accountability for financial stewardship, forecasting, and reporting.
• Ensure RCCL's and CPCL’s operations, data, and compliance practices meet the standards expected of a leading community foundation.
• Champion strong internal connections between RCCL, CPCL and the rest of FFTC — Advancement, Communications, Finance, Legal, HR, IT — so the Center is integrated rather than siloed.

Team & Culture

• Directly supervise and develop the staff, with the expectation that the team will evolve over time as the Center's strategy matures.
• Engage cross-functional FFTC staff and external partners as the extended delivery team for RCCL's and CPCL’s work.
• Model FFTC's values — in how the Center operates and how it shows up in the community.

Requirements

WHAT YOU’LL NEED FOR SUCCESS | QUALIFICATION

• 15+ years of progressively senior leadership experience, including executive-level responsibility in civic, nonprofit, philanthropic, public-sector, or comparable cross-sector environments.
• Demonstrated ability to set strategy and lead complex, multi-stakeholder work that produces measurable community impact.
• Sophisticated understanding of community foundations, philanthropy, and the role of civic institutions in regional change.
• Deep fluency in the issues most relevant to the region — including economic mobility, education, neighborhood revitalization, nonprofit capacity, and civic engagement.
• Demonstrated credibility with executive, board, donor, and community audiences; an external presence and voice the community recognizes and trusts.
• Sound financial and operational judgment; able to own budget oversight and operate effectively with a lean team and an extended network of partners.
• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• Commitment to equity, inclusion, and the belief that durable civic change requires honest engagement with the region's hardest questions.