HEART & SOUL, INC.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

 
 

THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE MUST RESIDE FULL-TIME IN THE BAY AREA AND WILL WORK FROM THE BURLINGAME, CA OFFICE TWO DAYS PER WEEK.

ABOUT HEART & SOUL, INC. 

Founded in 2005, Heart & Soul, Inc. (Heart & Soul) fosters resilience for individuals with mental health challenges living in San Mateo County. In 15 years of service, Heart & Soul has averaged 6,000 participant visits yearly through programming that is peer-founded, peer-operated, and peer-governed. Heart & Soul’s model is based on peer support where the core staff and outreach personnel have relevant lived experience, and who have turned their own insights into helping others.  

Guided by three core programs HOPE (Helping Our Peers Emerge), Seeing Through Stigma and the Total Wellness Club, Heart & Soul delivers more than 500 hours of weekly attention, support, assistance and education to the community it serves. Heart & Soul operates four drop-in centers, which provide additional phone and in-person support. Last year an online community was also designed to support individual and collective healing and growth. 

Heart & Soul’s vision is a world in which all striving toward self-defined mental wellness experience acceptance, inclusion, and dignity. Our mission is to create connection, hope, and healing through peer support for mental health. 

For more information about the organization, please visit our website: www.heartandsoulinc.org.

POSITION OVERVIEW 

Heart & Soul is seeking a resourceful and strategic leader with a genuine passion for peer-based mental health support services to lead the organization in fulfilling its mission. The Executive Director is a highly visible role that will leverage the powerful combination of emotional intelligence and strategic thinking to further develop Heart & Soul’s reputable program offerings and impact. The Executive Director will have overall strategic and operational responsibility for Heart & Soul, actively engaging with Board members, staff, and partners to ensure the ongoing implementation of quality programming. The role requires strong attention to detail for executing strategy, while also collaborating with the Board to envision future opportunities. 

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS 

This position reports to the Board of Directors. The Executive Director has four direct reports (Wellness Program Director, Peer Health Director, and two outsourced departments including finance and development), and oversees a dedicated staff of 16 professionals. 

OPPORTUNITY HIGHLIGHTS 

  • Salary range is $170,000-$185,000  

  • Benefits include:  

  • Delta Dental PPO - Choice 1500 

  • Covered CA Medical – Kaiser Platinum HMO 0/10 

  • VSP Vision - Plan B 

  • Choice Builder - Life Insurance – Flat $15,000 benefit  

  • Choice Builder – Chiropractic & Acupuncture  

  • Newly hired employees are eligible to begin health benefits on the 1st of the month following 30 days from their hire date

  • Heart & Soul contributes 100% of the employee’s monthly premium for all benefits (employee only) 

  • The opportunity to provide critical peer-based care to patients suffering from mental health challenges, their families, and community  

YOU ARE 

  • Relationship centered with a strong sense of emotional intelligence and understanding of how you are perceived by others 

  • Focused and flexible with the ability to pivot as needed while able to maintain clear goals and strategic direction 

  • An engaging and influential communicator who can both provide assurance and motivate donors, community members, and staff 

  • Results oriented leader who is data driven and accountable 

  • A relationship builder who understands and values input from various constituencies and engages stakeholders 

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES 

Strategic Leadership 

  • Maintain a peer-centered, positive work environment, balancing productivity with strategic patience 

  • Provide overall program supervision, drive all fundraising efforts, and oversee finance and operations 

  • Support organization-wide problem solving and provide strategic oversight 

  • Engage the board and staff to maintain current program offerings and develop new initiatives in alignment with community needs and peer-led trends 

  • Nurture and develop a high-performing and collaborative team that values authenticity and thoughtful communication 

  • Coach and support all staff with flexibility and care, ensuring the clarity and resources they need for success 

Fundraising  

  • Manage relationships with state and local government funders 

  • Develop and implement an actionable multi-year fund development plan, strategically identifying new sources of revenue 

  • Actively cultivate new partnerships to further expand opportunities for the organization to achieve its mission 

  • Work closely with fundraising consultant and board members to advance fundraising efforts 

  • Manage a portfolio of Heart & Soul’s top individual donors 

  • Oversee all donor stewardship and cultivation activities 

  • Research prospective donors and create engagement strategies 

Community Building 

  • Participate in collaborative opportunities with other organizations, when appropriate, and in service to the mission 

  • Advocate for peer-based mental health services with local and state government 

  • Drive communication strategies, including programmatic outreach and advocacy efforts 

  • Cultivate and maintain effective relationships with local government and community stakeholders 

Fiscal Management 

  • Oversee human resources, risk management, compliance, and reporting 

  • Develop a strategic budget framework, aligning revenue goals with organizational priorities 

  • Negotiate and implement funding agreements with partner agencies and institutions, ensuring compliance and all applicable contractual obligations and requirements 

  • Ensure effective management of organizational resources 

  • Update systems of programmatic, operational, and financial oversight 

COMPETENCIES 

Experience: 

  • 10+ years of leadership experience in the nonprofit or public sector 

  • Empathetic and supportive approach to staff management 

  • Experience working in collaboration with an engaged Board of Directors 

  • Commitment to supporting an organizational culture that embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion 

  • A proven track record of directly securing resources for nonprofit organizations 

  • Stellar interpersonal skills with a humble and passionate communication style 

  • Government contract procurement and management experience; experience navigating government and partnership dynamics 

  • Cultural humility and comfort navigating differences 

  • A natural relationship builder that approaches relationships with empathy, authenticity, patience, and curiosity 

  • Ability to see the big picture by tending to both the ecosystem and the needs of the organization 

  • Strong financial literacy and management skills 

  • Model respectful, caring, patient, and empowering relationships with all staff and stakeholders 

  • Relationship builder and connector that brings a socially conscious approach to advocacy 

  • Strong alignment with Heart & Soul’s mission

Preferred but not required: 

  • Existing relationships with key San Mateo County decision-makers 

  • Knowledge of mental health recovery and evidence-based practices such as intentional peer support and motivational interviewing 

  • Knowledge of wellness and recovery principles 

  • Experience working with a variety of stakeholders, including low-income communities of color 

  • Significant staff management experience   

  • Bachelor’s degree and/or extensive experience in a relevant role 

  • High degree of emotional intelligence, humility, and drive 

  • Commitment and demonstrated passion for providing mental health support to individuals, their families, and community 

  • Lived experience 

EQUITY STATEMENT 

Heart & Soul strongly supports the philosophy of equal employment opportunity in its hiring, training, and promotion practices. The recognition and acceptance of cultural diversity in Heart & Soul provides a source of strength by fostering a spirit of inclusiveness, cooperation, and collaboration. Heart & Soul proudly shares in the wealth of perspectives that cultural diversity brings to the agency, defining diversity broadly, including the variables of disability, race, ethnicity, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation, national origin, and veteran status. Due to this, we make efforts to hire a culturally diverse team reflective of the participants we serve. 

With this in mind, we look for a diverse pool of applicants, including those with personal or lived experience with mental health challenges and individuals representing historically marginalized groups. 

TO APPLY 

To apply for this position, please visit this link. All applications and inquiries will receive a response and be kept strictly confidential. 

Heart & Soul, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.