Chief Executive Officer

Position Summary

The Human Potential L.A.B., founded by Dr. Pamela Cantor and Jim Shelton, is a start-up nonprofit consulting organization dedicated to one transformative idea: human potential is not fixed, scarce, or knowable in advance. Drawing on neuroscience, developmental psychology, epigenetics, learning science, and systems design, the L.A.B. translates cutting-edge science into practical applications that reshape how workplaces, classrooms, health systems, and communities operate.

Through its advisory practice, the L.A.B. serves as an external scientific engine for companies, networks, and social ventures. The team co-designs tailored solutions that integrate developmental science into enterprise products, programs, and strategy—translating complex research into scalable, human-centered systems.

The organization is entering a pivotal growth phase. Driven by increased visibility across multiple sectors and the upcoming 2027 publication of Dr. Cantor’s book SPARK: The Biology of Becoming—the L.A.B. is well-positioned to transition from an early-stage initiative into a scalable, high-impact enterprise.

The Board of Directors seeks an entrepreneurial, strategic Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to partner with Founder & Chief Knowledge Officer Dr. Cantor. While Dr. Cantor leads the scientific framework and thought leadership, the CEO will take ownership of organizational strategy, business model execution, multi-sector consulting growth, philanthropic development, and team building.

Core Responsibilities

1. Strategic Leadership & Practice Building

• Partner with the board and founders to translate the organization's vision and scientific frameworks into a clear, actionable multi-year strategic roadmap.
• Position the organization and its consulting practice as a premier partner for institutional leaders seeking human-centered systems design across workforce development, education, health, and corporate sectors.
• Establish clear metrics, operational priorities, and resource allocations aligned with growth, impact, and long-term sustainability
  

• Financial Strategy & Revenue Development

• Cultivate, secure, and steward relationships with major institutional foundations, family offices, and individual philanthropists.
• Oversee financial planning, budgeting, and cash-flow management
• Oversee business development for the consulting practice, qualifying incoming demand, structuring client engagements, and closing high-value partnerships
  

• Programmatic Oversight & Consulting Strategy

• Build and refine the business model for the client advisory practice, defining service offerings, pricing structures, and client delivery frameworks.
• Establish the infrastructure to deploy interdisciplinary teams of scientific advisors and implementation experts for client projects.
• Support the development of thought leadership and intellectual capital.
  

• Organizational Leadership & Talent Development

• Assess and design the organizational structure and external talent networks required to support organizational scale.
• Recruit, supervise, and support staff, fostering a mission-driven culture anchored in high accountability and mutual respect.
• Liaise with, coach, and support the Founder and Chief Knowledge Officer to ensure a coordinated strategy and set of activities across the organization
• Build a transparent, highly collaborative partnership with the Board of Directors (including co-founders and key advisors).

Requirements

Key Qualifications & Experience

• Executive Leadership Track Record: 15+ years of professional experience with significant executive leadership (e.g., CEO, Executive Director, C-suite roles) within mission-driven organizations, social impact ventures, or management consultancies. Experience leading a scientific research and/or consulting organization preferred but not required.
• Business Building & Startup Acumen: Proven ability to take a fledgling initiative, build a business plan, and construct the operational and business development infrastructure needed to scale sustainably.
• Hybrid Revenue Experience: Demonstrated success securing philanthropic revenue and generating contract-based consulting revenue.
• Multi-Sector Systems Perspective: Experience navigating complex ecosystems across workforce, education, public health, or corporate leadership sectors.
• People Leadership & Operational Execution: Agile, hands-on leader with a proven ability to manage budgets sustainably, oversee program scaling, and ensure operational excellence. Skilled at attracting, coaching, and retaining talent while fostering a collaborative, high-accountability culture within a lean team.
• Outstanding Communication: Clear and compelling communicator with strong executive presence, capable of translating complex scientific concepts and organizational vision into compelling narratives for diverse audiences.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Exceptional skill navigating high-stakes relationships across a complex ecosystem—acting as a trusted business partner to a visionary Founder, Board of Directors, scientific advisors, external consultants, institutional funders, and multi-sector clients
• Mission-Alignment: Embodies the foundational belief that human potential is dynamic and non-fixed with a particular interest in human systems.

Benefits

Work Environment, Salary & Benefits

This is a remote position open to candidates based anywhere within the United States, with core operational hours aligning primarily with U.S. Eastern Time (ET) to accommodate key team, board, and client engagements. Given the nature of our partnerships and engagements, regular domestic travel will be required as needed. 

The target total compensation package for this role ranges from $250,000 to $300,000 commensurate with experience and designed to reflect the strategic importance of this leadership mandate. Total compensation includes:

• Base Salary: $200,000 - $250,000
• Performance & Revenue Incentive: An upside performance bonus component tied directly to meeting key efficacy and growth targets.

The Human Potential L.A.B. provides a benefits package tailored to support health, well-being, and operational success. Specific benefit options will be reviewed during the selection process.

A Note on Structure & Flexibility

While our primary focus is identifying a full-time CEO, we will consider fractional or part-time commitments for candidates with exceptional track records, adjusting compensation on a prorated basis. 

To apply: Submit your resume and application responses. Priority will be given to applications received by September 11, 2026.

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The Human Potential L.A.B. is a 501(c)(3) public charity and is committed to attracting, developing and retaining exceptional people, and to creating a work environment that is dynamic, rewarding and enables each of us to realize our potential. Our work environment is safe and open to all employees and partners, respecting the full spectrum of race, color, religious creed, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, political affiliation, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, and all other classifications protected by law in the locality and/or state in which our staff works.

Job candidates and employees authorized to work may not be discriminated against on the basis of  national origin or citizenship status.