Covenant House California: Senior Vice President, Nor Cal Programs
APPLY BY: February 28, 2025

Covenant House California (CHC) – a non-profit agency serving young people (ages 18-24) overcoming homelessness and human trafficking with sanctuary and supportive services – seeks a mission-centered, courageous, flexible, and grounded leader as Senior Vice President, Northern California Programs (SVP). The SVP will oversee CHC’s full continuum of programs across three Bay Area facilities. The SVP must lead with accountability and care, centering the needs of our diverse population of staff and young people. Close to 1/3 of young people facing homelessness in the U.S. are in California with 12,000 youth experiencing homelessness each night. This is an exciting opportunity to become part of a supportive and dynamic organization with an excellent benefits package making a difference in the lives of youth experiencing homelessness and trafficking across the state.

Covenant House California provides sanctuary and support for young people overcoming homelessness by addressing it when it begins, when hope and possibility are still strong. CHC empowers young people to harness their strengths, so that they may leave homelessness behind for good. As an affiliate of Covenant House – the largest, primarily privately funded charity in North and Central America that has provided immediate and long-term support for young people facing homelessness and survivors of trafficking for over 50 years – CHC is part of a proven model that believes that no young person deserves to be homeless; that every young person in California deserves shelter, food, clothing, education…and most importantly, to be loved. CHC ensures shelter, love, and opportunity for California’s homeless youth through:

• Immediacy: Covenant House immediately meets the basic needs of youth experiencing homelessness through a nourishing meal, a shower, clean clothes, medical attention, and a safe place to sleep.
• Sanctuary: Covenant House provides a safe haven from the hardships of homelessness. We recognize the fundamental worth of every human being, and create a safe setting where all youth – regardless of life experience or identity – are served without judgement.
• Value Communication: Covenant House leads by example to demonstrate that caring relationships are based on love, trust, respect, and honesty.
• Structure: Covenant House provides the stability and structure necessary to build a positive future.
• Choice: Covenant House fosters confidence; encouraging young people to believe in themselves and make informed choices for their lives.

CHC serves more than 1,500 youth annually with approximately 170 highly committed team members serving locations in Southern California (Los Angeles and Anaheim) and Northern California (Oakland, Santa Clara, and Hayward) at a budget of $25 million. In 1998, CHC began serving Northern California youth in Oakland and substantial growth led to the opening of the Santa Clara site in 2021 and development of the newest site in Hayward this year. CHC’s doors are open 24/7. In the last year, CHC reached 1,544 young people through its core programs and services, of which, 83% identified as Black/African-American or Latino/Hispanic, and 27% identified at LGBTQIA+. In Northern California, 135 young adults have slept in a Covenant House bed each night, providing more than 49,000 safe nights of care. Programs and services provided free of charge are designed to advance youths’ physical, emotional, educational, vocational, and spiritual well-being and provide them with the best chance for success in independence. CHC offers more than just shelter with comprehensive signature Housing Programs and a suite of Supportive Services, including medical and mental health care and aiding in completion of education to job placement. All of this is done with a multidisciplinary team working to create a safe, inclusive, and outcomes-based environment for all.

Reporting to CHC’s Chief Program Officer, the SVP is responsible for all aspects of the oversight and management of CHC’s Northern California programs and facilities. As part of CHC’s Leadership Team, the SVP leads the staff working at locations in Oakland, Santa Clara, and Hayward. This is an exciting opportunity to do high-impact work with vulnerable youth that addresses California’s homelessness crisis. The SVP must be able to thrive in a fast-paced environment where a typical day could include interacting with youth; directing and managing staff; taking a major donor on a tour through a program site; or presenting at a Board of Supervisors meeting.

This is an excellent job for someone who is a strategic and innovative thinker, practices servant leadership, has high emotional intelligence, and enjoys being accessible as youth and staff navigate unique challenges. The SVP will be able to meet people where they are at with empathy and coaching to support development needs and accountability for personal and organizational goals. The SVP will be a great communicator and administrator, who can be hands-on while also demonstrating transformational leadership to staff and infectious advocacy in the community. 

To meet the moment, CHC needs an SVP to lead Northern California Programs who brings personal passion for, and direct experience with, youth who have experienced trauma and have complex needs. The ideal SVP will have executive level leadership experience inclusive of youth development programs with an understanding of the harm reduction framework and use of trauma-informed practices. The SVP will value working collaboratively with the Leadership Team, Chief Program Officer (CPO), and their SVP peer over Southern California Programs on strategy, partnerships, and finances at the organizational level. The SVP must be equally comfortable stepping up to demonstrate decisive leadership while serving as a relational coach and mentor across Northern California Programs helping the team to move forward in a consistent, positive direction, even in times of challenge.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Leadership and Management

• Serve as an active member of the CPO’s management team
• Oversee the management of all programmatic and operational (including facilities) activities of the three CHC Northern California sites
• Develop and execute a management and leadership strategy to ensure the day-to-day supervision and development of direct reports and their staff
• Serve as the Youth Protection & Safety Officer to ensure safety policies, procedures, and protocols are followed with fidelity
• Foster a culture of results, collaboration, responsibility, and accountability while inspiring and motivating staff

Community Relationships and Partnership Development

• Serve as a compelling spokesperson for CHC’s vision, strategy and programs among staff, volunteers, donors, key stakeholders, and the community at large
  
• In conjunction with the agency’s fund development team, deepen and expand relationships with diverse funding partners, government agencies, public partners, and community groups
  
• Participate in CHC’s advocacy efforts at the local, state, and national levels

Program Development, Optimization, and Delivery

• Oversee site supervision and direction of all Northern California administrative and program areas ensuring excellence in service delivery
• Lead new residential and non-residential program and service development in alignment with the Covenant House International Program
• Model approach to serving youth experiencing homelessness
• Collaborate with designated site directors and their management teams to ensure consistent, 24/7, quality support and coverage for residential programs
• Ensure compliance with Quality Assurance (QA) requirements
  Lead project management in regards to opening new sites and site expansion projects already in process

Fiscal Management

• Develop, manage, and monitor Northern California operational budget in partnership with the CEO, CPO, and Chief Finance Officer (CFO)
• Strategically link revenues and resource allocation to meet program and budget expectations
• Ensure effective budget management and support the empowerment of direct reports to understand, work within, and develop program budgets annually

Strategic Planning

• Lead and develop CHC’s Northern California Programs and direct service strategic priorities and performance outcomes annually
• Supervise implementation of the Strategic Plan, goals, and objectives
• Integrate and evaluate program and demographic data in collaboration with the QA team
• Use program outcome data to ensure ongoing program improvement

The ideal SVP will possess many of the following professional experiences, personal attributes, and programmatic expertise along with other transferable lived experiences, values, and skills across human services with a focus on youth; management of complex programs; management of dynamic, diverse teams; serving as an advocate and change agent; demonstrating financial acumen; strong communication, project, and time management skills; cultural alignment; and relevant social service expertise and connections: 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

Experience and Education

• 7 + years of experience in human services, with increasing responsibility, with extensive experience serving youth
• Youth-centered, trauma-informed mental health and/or social work experience strongly preferred
• 5+ years of management experience, including experience in a senior management role with staff and budget responsibility and accountability in addition to demonstrated experience hiring, onboarding, empowering, developing, retaining, and/or facilitating the exit of team members
• Proven ability to drive organizational change and improve quality of service
• A Bachelor’s degree, or experience in excess of the minimum, with a Master’s degree in social work or another clinical or social discipline preferred

Skills and Abilities

• Relational approach that supports the front-line work happening at various sites
• Ability to step into crisis situations and work with and supervise staff members with lived experiences with compassion
• Outstanding oral and written communication skills to a variety of audiences
• Ability to meet deadlines, balance multiple programs, and execute on specific metrics to achieve goals
• Financial management and analytical skills with the ability to develop, manage, and be accountable for complex programmatic budgets at or near $5M+
• Visionary, creative, and entrepreneurial abilities
• Demonstrated decision-making and critical thinking ability
• Bilingual proficiency is a plus

Personal Characteristics

• Mission-aligned with affinity towards, and demonstrated compassion for, young people –  especially the most vulnerable in our communities, including those identifying as LGBTQIA+ , people of color, and pregnant and/or parenting
• Empathy for people experiencing homelessness; lived experience with homelessness, trafficking or related trauma is a plus
• Ability to stay centered and grounded and to communicate effectively under high stress situations with compassion and in ways that maintain accountability and get results 
• Resilience to push through and bounce back from crisis situations and to model and inspire others to use a healing-centered approach for the team and youth 
• High degree of adaptability and emotional intelligence with commitment to establishing trust and building bridges with youth, staff, leadership, and community 
• Enjoys being the public face of issues, programs, or an organization, in deep collaboration with other members of the executive team and external partners

The SVP must be based in the San Francisco Bay Area and willing to be an adaptable leader with weekly presence, 80%+ of the time, across three sites: Oakland, Santa Clara, and Hayward. All sites strive toward excellence as sanctuaries for young people – regardless of their race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression – and are open 24/7, 365 days a year. However, there are distinct microcultures, demographics, needs, strengths, and challenges. The Oakland site is undergoing renovations to become a more welcoming and state-of-the-art haven for young people; the Santa Clara site repurposed the historic Western Motel; and the Hayward site is still developing and building out its team. The SVP must get to know, build trust within, and effectively support each site.

The annual compensation range for this role is competitive and commensurate with experience: $150,000 – $170,000. Covenant House California offers an excellent benefits package and is committed to keeping staff safe and healthy so all full-time employees who are hired will have benefits at the date of hire. Benefits include medical, vision, dental, life insurance, long term disability insurance, pension, tax deferred annuity, an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and a generous vacation package.

CHC is partnering with Oakland-based Walker & Associates Consulting – a Black- and woman-owned strategic management consulting and executive search firm promoting equitable community impact – to facilitate this search. To apply, email a cover letter, resume, and list of three references (references will not be contacted without advance notice) to [email protected] by Friday, February 28, 2025 at 5:00 pm PT. Use the subject line: SVP, NCP Application. Please submit PDF or Microsoft Word files only, preferably with all materials in one combined file. Resume review begins immediately. Questions or Nominations? Contact Jeannine N. Walker at [email protected].

CHC welcomes applicants from all backgrounds and strongly encourages people of color, women, LGBTQI+ people, people with disabilities, immigrants, refugees, and those with lived experience with homelessness and trafficking to apply.