Chief Strategy Officer

Job Description

Job Description

CORA Services is a dynamic and growing not for profit organization in Philadelphia. For more than 50 years, CORA has served children and families experiencing emotional, academic, and social challenges that impact their development and productivity. Our mission is to empower children, young people, and families to thrive through quality and compassionate service.

We are seeking an experienced and passionate Chief Strategy Officer to act as an extension of the CEO at CORA. The Chief Strategy Officer is responsible for designing, articulating, and executing the long-term vision, growth strategy, and scaling initiatives across the organization; leading corporate strategy, overseeing organizational effectiveness and compliance monitoring, and spearheading programmatic and talent acquisition scaling.

All CORA team members are expected to uphold the mission, vision and values of CORA Services which includes valuing all individuals and supporting each individual’s potential for growth.

In addition, as the Chief Strategy Officer your duties will include:

Strategic Leadership

• Lead and track progress on organizational priorities, including annual goals and performance metrics.
• Reimagine the nonprofit's business and governance structure to enhance mission impact, operational effectiveness, and long-term sustainability.
• Review and if an opportunity exists, identify, analyze, and execute strategic and mission aligned mergers, acquisitions, or programmatic scaling initiatives.
• Support cross-sector initiatives, bridging the gap between clinical behavioral health mandates and out-of-school-time, early childhood, and education systems to maximize holistic family impact.
• Act on behalf of the CEO in meetings and decision‑making when appropriate.

Data-Driven Quality Improvement and Compliance

• Support the Data department in the development of data-driven frameworks to measure client outcomes over time, guiding the creation of models and analytic tools that support program evaluation and operational effectiveness.
• Leverage data-driven analysis to inform the Board of Directors on program trends, performance, strengths, and challenges, and recommend strategic initiatives to enhance program quality, impact, and productivity.
• Collaborate closely with IT, the data department, and the program teams to ensure database infrastructure accurately captures macro-level social data to drive executive decision-making.

Organizational Effectiveness and Leadership Coaching

• Partner with the Vice President of Talent and Culture to develop and design innovative talent acquisition strategies to strengthen workforce sustainability and combat sector-wide burnout.
• Act as an internal executive coach, utilizing certified leadership methodologies to mentor directors, build leadership pipelines, and foster an adaptive, psychologically safe culture.
• Lead the organization through large-scale operational adjustments, workflow optimization, and structural realignment.

Macro Advocacy and Coalition Building and Communication

• Represent the organization on regional advocacy boards and task forces to influence policies surrounding behavioral health, youth development, early childhood, and education.
• Partner with the Advancement department to translate complex data and compliance metrics into powerful narratives for donors, Grantmakers, and public entities.

Governance Support

• Provide all service and operational staff members with a strong day-to-day leadership presence, bridging individual department operations and supporting an open-door policy among all staff.
• Facilitate executive team meetings and planning sessions as delegated by the CEO.
• Ensure consistent, clear communication across the organization on priorities, decisions, and progress.
• Support Board of Directors engagement, including agenda setting, materials preparation, and follow‑up on board decisions.
• Collaborate with the Chair of the Board Governance Committee to ensure effective governance, develop meeting agendas, implement board development and training initiatives, and maintain a Board composition aligned with the agency's strategic and operational needs.

Special Projects & Continuous Improvement

• Lead high‑priority or time‑sensitive initiatives as assigned by the CEO.
• Manage the Strategic Planning process and the ongoing reporting of progress to staff and the Board of Directors.
• Develop cohesive workflows that improve collaboration and execution across functions and departments to enhance organizational efficiency.
• Promote a culture of collaboration, accountability, and equity aligned with the organization’s mission and values.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the CEO.

EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) or equivalent advanced degree, with an explicit specialization in Nonprofit Management, Macro Social Work, or Organizational Dynamics.

EXPERIENCE/KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS:

• Minimum of 10–12 years of progressive leadership experience within the social impact, education, or behavioral health sectors.
• A minimum of 5 years in a C-suite or senior executive role (e.g., Chief Operating Officer, Chief Transformation Officer(?), or Vice President) managing multi-departmental portfolios (including Human Resources, Compliance, or Strategy).
• Significant foundation in nonprofit capacity building, governance, and organizational structure.
• Direct experience working in or directing frontline clinical, youth-service, academic, or out-of-school-time (OST) programming.

• • Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues, board members, contractors, and personnel from other agencies.
  • Ability to maintain high confidentiality.
  • Fluency in Microsoft Office Suite.

CORA Offers:

• Medical, dental and vision coverages with a competitive company premium contribution (eligible 1st day of the month following date of hire)
• Company paid life/AD&D and LTD coverages
• Supplemental voluntary benefits including STD, accident, critical illness, etc.
• 403b retirement plan with generous company contribution after one year of service
• Paid time off + paid agency holidays
• Employee Assistant Program
• Family Planning Benefits (including cash benefit to assist with IVF, egg freezing, adoption, or surrogacy)
• An outstanding, inclusive work environment

CORA Services Inc. provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religious creed, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics.