Chief Delivery Officer

What You'll Do Catalyst Exchange is searching for a systems‑thinking, user‑obsessed, and integrative leader to serve as our inaugural Chief Delivery Officer (CDO). The CDO will lead the functions responsible for designing and delivering Catalyst Exchange's solutions for nonprofits and the public sectors: Product, Technology, Services, and, through a planned transition during the first year, Growth. Together, these functions determine how organizations and partners understand our offerings, access support, experience value, achieve results, and deepen their engagement over time. This role is designed for an executive with a proven track record of scaling complex service models, leading high‑stakes product transformations, and aligning cross‑functional teams to execute a bold delivery vision. As the principal internal architect of Catalyst Exchange's next chapter, the CDO will own the end‑to‑end system through which organizations access, receive, and benefit from Catalyst Exchange's services, platform, provider network, and funding support. They will be accountable for taking what we've built and evolving it into a differentiated, integrated, and scalable delivery system that retains the trust and results that have made us successful thus far. Reporting to the Founder and CEO and serving as a member of the Executive Team, the CDO will work in close partnership with the CEO, who retains leadership of Catalyst Exchange's enterprise strategy, field‑building agenda, and major philanthropic relationships. The CDO will ensure that the organization's strategy is translated into feasible, excellent, and sustainable delivery experiences. Strategic Leadership and Execution Translate Catalyst's vision and strategic direction into clear priorities, ensuring all teams drive toward the same overarching goals. Directly manage and scale the interdisciplinary team across Product, Tech, and Services, with responsibility for the Growth function transitioning into the portfolio during the second half of the first year. Maintain the excellence of current delivery while simultaneously innovating the next versions of our model; make disciplined trade‑offs between user experience, impact, speed, sustainability, technological feasibility, and organizational capacity. Product, Technology, and Service Delivery Innovation Lead the strategic design and transition from a predominantly high‑touch, advisory‑supported model to a differentiated system of support that meets the needs of users and supports our impact, scale, and sustainability goals. Define the roles of technology and human support across all delivery tiers ranging from self‑directed to deeper advisor‑led partnership pathways. Champion a deep user‑orientation by ensuring user insights and real‑time feedback from nonprofit leaders, funders, and providers are systematically tracked and acted upon. Define metrics, operating rhythms, and feedback loops that enable the team to continuously improve delivery quality, user outcomes, efficiency, and scalability. User‑Driven Growth Scale the Growth function, sharpening our partnership development, marketing, and communications efforts to grow our user base and increase user adoption and repeat use. Lead the team in building sustainable earned revenue models connected to Catalyst Exchange's delivery tiers. Who You'll Work With You will report to and work in close partnership with the Founder & Chief Executive Officer. You will initially directly or indirectly manage a combined team of approximately 30 across Product/Technology and Services. Your leadership will encompass the Growth vertical at the back end of year 1, leading to a total team of approximately 35. You will also work closely with the Strategy and Data functions, which reports to the CEO and supports organization‑wide planning, evaluation, strategic learning, and field‑building insights. You will own performance and continuous improvement across the delivery‑and‑growth portfolio, while Strategy will help connect learning from that portfolio to broader organizational choices and external influence. Required Skills and Experience We know that no candidate will bring every possible experience across product, technology, services, growth, revenue, and change management. The strongest candidates will bring a pattern of integrative leadership: the ability to understand users deeply, design solutions that create value for them, align teams to build and deliver with excellence, and scale what works. 15+ years of professional experience, with at least 5–7 years in senior leadership roles overseeing multi‑disciplinary teams and direct or indirect oversight of teams of 40 or more. Prior experience leading an organization or major business unit through significant growth and/or transformation. A track record of translating deep user insights into a responsive delivery strategy; integrative fluency across digital products and human services, with the ability to identify when a challenge requires a technological solution versus a human touch to build a cohesive delivery engine. Experience leveraging technology as a catalyst for innovation; practical fluency with AI tools and AI‑enabled workflows, with the judgment to distinguish high‑leverage applications from hype; this role requires someone who moves deliberately and holds the bar on what gets built. Ability to connect user needs, market signals, and delivery realities into a clear value proposition, differentiated offerings, and stronger adoption, engagement, and repeat use. Strategic communication rooted in stakes and trade‑offs, with an ability to explain the why behind decisions and help teams navigate the real tensions between impact, cost, and scale. Exceptional leadership and change management skills, with the ability to build trust and high‑functioning collaboration across teams; comfortable naming and working through productive conflict; can hold tension, surface disagreement early, and create the conditions for teams to do the same without it becoming personal or political. Low ego, no posturing; brings the same rigor to admitting what isn't working as to advocating for what is; the team experiences this person as a straight‑shooter, not a performer. Commitment to Catalyst Exchange's vision, mission, and values, and the transformative impact that high‑quality, tech‑enabled delivery can have on the nonprofits and public sector institutions that partner with Catalyst Exchange. Location: Catalyst Exchange works nationally. We are a remote team. Team members can work from a U.S‑based location of their choosing. Travel: Occasional travel, approximately 1–2 times per quarter, is required for attendance at in‑person team meetings, convenings, and events. Physical Demands and Working Environment: Standard/remote office setting; proximity to office equipment that includes electronic devices. Multiple people‑facing meetings and interactions a day using Zoom or other video call software. Must remain at a workstation for at least 50% of the time; will need to use equipment that includes electronic devices. Compensation and Benefits Salary range: $250K – $300K. Comprehensive benefits including employer‑subsidized medical, dental, vision, and short‑term disability. Monthly coworking stipend. Competitive paid time off. Up to 20 weeks of paid family leave. 403(b) retirement plan with up to 5% matching. Home office and technology reimbursements. Monthly phone and internet stipend. Equity and Inclusion Catalyst Exchange has a strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. We encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply, particularly folks who identify as people of color, first generation, low income, or LGBTQIA+. Catalyst Exchange is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. #J-18808-Ljbffr