Executive Director

Job Title: Executive Director (1.0 FTE); Competitive Salary and Benefits

Reports to: CADY Board of Directors
Posting Date: May 13, 2025
Start Date: August/September, 2025

CADY seeks a dynamic, visionary leader to serve as its Executive Director to oversee the strategic direction, financial sustainability, operational excellence, and mission-driven impact of the organization. As the administrative leader of CADY and the Central NH Public Health Network, the Executive Director will build strong relationships with the Board, staff, community leaders, donors, grantors, youth, and families to ensure CADY continues to thrive as a cornerstone of youth prevention, health, wellness, and community development.

Organizational Overview: CADY, Inc. (Communities for Alcohol- and Drug-free Youth) is a non-profit organization based in Plymouth, New Hampshire with a mission to empower healthy choices, drug-free lifestyles, and promising futures through collaboration, education, and engagement. CADY serves as the lead facilitator of the Central NH Regional Public Health Network, collaborates with partners to plan and implement environmental prevention strategies, facilitates school-based prevention programming, and implements the sole youth court diversion program in the Pemi-Baker, Lin-Wood, and Newfound regions. Funding is received from federal, state, county, local municipalities, and private grantors to implement evidence-based prevention programming for youth and young adults in the Central NH region.

Job Description

The Executive Director reports to the CADY Board of Directors and is responsible for the organization's consistent achievement of its mission, strategic direction, and financial advancement. The Executive Director provides visionary leadership, ensures operational excellence, and oversees programming, staff, collaborative partnerships, and fundraising efforts.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Strategic Leadership

o Develop and implement a long-range strategy that advances the mission of the organization with consistent and timely progress.

o Collaborate with the Board of Directors to define and execute strategic priorities and initiatives with corresponding financial plan.

o Provide leadership in developing programs, supervising staff, and implementing plans and policies authorized by the Board.

o Promote active and broad participation by volunteers and community partners in all areas of the organization’s work.

o Ensure official records and documents are maintained and secure, and ensure compliance with local, state, and federal regulations. 

o Monitor trends and developments in the field of substance misuse prevention, positive youth development, and public health to inform programmatic direction.

Budget, Finance, and Risk Management:

o Work with the contracted Finance Manager and Accounting Firm to ensure sound financial practices.

o Work in partnership with the Finance Manager and Board Finance Committee to develop annual budget and risk management processes, ensuring adherence to financial policies.

o With support from the Finance Manager, monitor cash flow, financial reports, and compliance with funder requirements.

Grants Management and Fund Development:

o Serve as Project Director on state and federal grants and contracts.

o Fulfill all obligations to funders to ensure reputation of organization, quality work, due diligence, responsible spending, and mission-driven objectives and outcomes.

o Work with contracted Grants Management Consultant to ensure timely submission of quarterly reports and adherence to contract deliverables.

o In collaboration with the Board of Directors, develop and implement an annual fund strategy inclusive of grant funding opportunities, fundraising events, corporate sponsorships, planned giving, and donor stewardship.

o Expand revenue-generating, discretionary income streams.

Organizational Operations and Human Resources:

o Oversee all aspects of operations including staffing, policy development/implementation, facilities, and coordination with contracted IT and other service providers.

o Ensure the organization has the tools and systems in place to support remote work, data security, and effective service delivery.

o Maintain a culture that attracts, retains, and motivates a diverse and highly qualified staff.

o Responsible for the recruitment, oversight, support, evaluation, and release of all personnel, including paid staff, volunteers, and consultants.

o In collaboration with the Board of Directors, design and implement a long-term leadership succession plan.

Program Oversight and Evaluation:

o Ensure high-quality program delivery aligned with organizational goals.

o Collaborate with program staff and contracted Evaluators to measure impact and outcomes.

o Oversee biannual broad-based youth surveys.

o Monitor key performance indicators and utilize data to inform continuous improvement and strategic decision-making.

o Ensure reporting of evaluation measures to boards, grantors, schools, community leaders, and the general public.

Communications and Community Engagement:

o Represent CADY publicly and serve as an ambassador of its mission, including youth advocacy and policy engagement at the local and state levels.

o Establish sound working relationships and cooperative agreements with community stakeholders, local and statewide agencies, and partner organizations while keeping substance misuse prevention at the forefront of collaborative efforts.

o Oversee the development and implementation of a marketing and communications strategy.

o Attend relevant discussion group/meetings related to community wellness and the substance use continuum of care (prevention; treatment; recovery).

o Participate in statewide networks and serve as the Facilitator of the Central NH Regional Public Health Network (RPHN).

o Report out to the community on outcomes associated with collaborative initiatives affiliated with the RPHN.

o Initiate and respond to community developments that may have links to youth development and substance misuse prevention.

Governance:

o In partnership with Board President, create and follow annual Board Calendar, ensuring staff support is in place for each board meeting.

o Ensure timely preparation of Board meeting agendas, minutes, and financial/programmatic reports. Maintain historical record of documents.

o Support the Board in fulfilling its governance responsibilities while ensuring compliance with bylaws, policies, and state/federal nonprofit rules and regulations.

o Provide direction to the Board in short- and long-range planning.

o In partnership with the Board, create and implement the organization’s strategic plans.

o Provide regular detailed updates to Board on organization activities, fiscal reporting, grant contracts, sustainability, and goals and objectives.

Qualifications:

• Advanced degree required (e.g., MPA, MPH, MSW, M.Ed., or related field).
• Minimum of 7–10 years of progressive leadership and management experience, with at least 5 years in nonprofit financial and operational management, and knowledge of financial reporting associated with diverse funding streams.
• Familiarity with Federal Grants Management systems (eRA Commons, PMS, etc.) a plus.
• Proven success in fundraising, grant writing, and donor engagement.
• Experience supervising a multidisciplinary team, including paid staff, contractors and volunteers.
• Strong communication, relationship-building, and stakeholder engagement skills with an ability to prioritize, negotiate, and work with a variety of internal and external stakeholders.
• High comfort level with public speaking.
• High emotional intelligence with ability to think and respond in a strategic manner.
• A multi-tasker with the ability to wear many hats in a fast-paced environment.
• Personal qualities of integrity, credibility, and dedication to the mission of youth development and substance misuse prevention.

CADY is an Equal Opportunity Employer