Girls Leadership is seeking an experienced and visionary Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead the nonprofit organization into its next phase of growth, financial sustainability and national impact.
The position is a full-time, senior executive leadership role that is fully remote within the United States. The successful candidate will lead a national organization focused on helping girls and gender-expansive youth develop their voices, confidence, leadership abilities and social-emotional skills.
The CEO will report directly to the Board of Directors and lead a fully remote, values-driven team. The position offers a base salary of $170,000 to $200,000, depending on experience, together with a competitive benefits package.
The priority application deadline is October 18, 2026, at 9:00 PM ET.
About Girls Leadership
Girls Leadership is a nonprofit organization focused on helping create environments in which girls can develop their voices, trust their power and become leaders.
The organization works with the adults who play important roles in girls’ daily lives, including teachers, coaches, counselors and family service providers. Through training and practical tools, Girls Leadership seeks to equip these adults to create environments where girls can develop leadership skills and confidence.
The organization places social and emotional learning (SEL) at the foundation of its work and uses a co-design approach that prioritizes the experiences of the most marginalized girls.
According to the organization, its approach is distinctive in three major ways:
- It works through influential adults in girls’ lives, allowing its impact to extend across classrooms, teams and communities.
- It places social and emotional learning at the center of its programming.
- It co-designs its work with the most marginalized girls first, with the goal of creating programs that work more effectively for all girls.
The CEO Opportunity
The Girls Leadership Board of Directors is looking for its next Chief Executive Officer to lead a $2 million national organization into its next chapter of growth and impact.
The new CEO will be expected to provide visionary leadership while also bringing strong operational, financial and fundraising discipline to the organization.
The successful candidate will help Girls Leadership:
- Increase and diversify its funding.
- Strengthen its national influence.
- Expand its reach among educators, coaches and youth-serving organizations.
- Position itself as a national leader in girls’ social-emotional development.
- Build long-term financial sustainability.
- Strengthen organizational systems and decision-making.
- Champion girls and gender-expansive youth.
- Develop relationships with donors, partners and other influential stakeholders.
This is therefore more than an administrative CEO position. It is intended for a leader who can combine organizational strategy, fundraising, external representation, people leadership, financial management and mission-driven advocacy.
Key Responsibilities of the Chief Executive Officer
The CEO will have broad responsibility for the organization’s strategic direction and performance.
1. Strategic Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness
The CEO will work closely with the Board to establish a multi-year strategy and operating model for the organization’s next phase of growth.
Key responsibilities include:
- Establishing a multi-year organizational strategy.
- Translating the organization’s vision into an executable strategy.
- Establishing clear priorities, metrics and accountability.
- Maintaining executive oversight of financial health.
- Ensuring organizational resources align with priorities.
- Strengthening Girls Leadership’s value proposition.
- Positioning the organization within the broader youth-serving landscape.
- Improving systems and structures across strategy, fundraising, programs, operations, finance and partnerships.
- Strengthening organizational decision-making.
The CEO will therefore need to be comfortable moving between high-level strategic planning and practical organizational execution.
2. Fundraising, Revenue Expansion and Thought Leadership
Fundraising and revenue generation will be major components of the role.
The CEO will work with the Chief Development Officer, Board and other stakeholders to expand and diversify the organization’s funding base.
This includes building relationships with:
- Individual donors.
- Family offices.
- Regional and national philanthropic organizations.
- Corporate partners.
- Existing funding partners.
- Schools and school districts.
- Potential public funding partners.
- Other earned-income sources.
The CEO will also be responsible for helping develop sustainable revenue pathways, including opportunities such as school and district contracts and national partnerships.
External Representation
The CEO will serve as Girls Leadership’s chief external ambassador and storyteller.
This involves:
- Building relationships with important external partners.
- Raising the organization’s national profile.
- Communicating the organization’s mission and impact.
- Positioning Girls Leadership as a field leader.
- Advocating for girls and gender-expansive youth.
- Helping influence broader conversations around social-emotional development and well-being.
For this reason, the position requires someone who can communicate effectively with donors, policymakers, nonprofit leaders, educators, corporate partners, community organizations and other stakeholders.
3. People Management and Team Development
The CEO will lead a talented, collaborative and values-driven remote team.
The organization currently has 10 full-time employees, including three direct reports and seven indirect reports, along with part-time training facilitators and external consultants.
The CEO will be responsible for:
- Inspiring and supporting the team.
- Coaching staff and developing leadership capacity.
- Recruiting additional employees when needed.
- Strengthening the organization’s existing team.
- Cultivating an inclusive workplace culture.
- Ensuring diverse perspectives are actively sought.
- Incorporating diverse perspectives into decision-making.
- Building a data-informed and learning-oriented culture.
- Using evidence and feedback to improve organizational performance.
The role therefore requires strong emotional intelligence and people-management skills in addition to executive experience.
4. Governance and Board Development
The CEO will work closely with the Board of Directors to ensure strong governance and strategic oversight.
Responsibilities include:
- Supporting effective Board governance.
- Maintaining shared accountability for organizational outcomes.
- Helping cultivate a strong governance culture.
- Supporting Board recruitment and development.
- Ensuring the Board has the skills and diversity needed to accelerate the organization’s impact.
- Providing timely and accurate information about organizational performance.
- Reporting on financial health.
- Communicating emerging risks to the Board when necessary.
The successful candidate must therefore be comfortable working collaboratively with a nonprofit Board and supporting effective governance.
Required Experience and Skills
Girls Leadership has established several important requirements for candidates.
At Least Seven Years of Executive Leadership Experience
Candidates must have at least seven years of enterprise-level executive leadership experience in the nonprofit or social-impact sector.
The position is intended for an established senior executive capable of taking responsibility for an organization’s strategy, operations, finances, fundraising, revenue and/or programs.
Nonprofit or Social-Impact Leadership
Candidates should have experience leading a nonprofit organization or comparable social-impact platform at an enterprise level.
The role requires broad organizational responsibility rather than leadership limited to a single department or function.
Fundraising and Revenue Generation
A demonstrated record of fundraising and revenue generation is required.
Candidates should have experience securing six- and seven-figure gifts and developing sustainable sources of organizational revenue.
This is particularly important because fundraising and revenue diversification are among the CEO’s central responsibilities.
Experience Leading Growth and Organizational Transition
Candidates must demonstrate success leading an organization through transition and growth.
The CEO will need to balance:
- Mission impact.
- Program quality.
- Organizational culture.
- Financial sustainability.
- Organizational growth.
This requires experience managing complexity while maintaining focus on the organization’s mission.
Commitment to Gender and Racial Equity
Girls Leadership is seeking a leader with a deep commitment to gender and racial equity.
The job description states that this may be demonstrated through lived experience and/or a deep personal or professional connection to the communities Girls Leadership serves and the issues affecting girls and gender-expansive youth.
Candidates should therefore be able to demonstrate how their professional experience, leadership or lived experience connects with the organization’s mission.
Values-Driven Leadership
Candidates should have experience leading a values-driven organization.
Girls Leadership identifies its organizational values as:
- Authentic Communication
- Courageous Growth
- Belonging and Inclusion
- Play
The CEO will be expected to lead in a way that reflects these values while maintaining strong organizational performance.
Financial Management Experience
The position also requires an understanding of nonprofit financial sustainability.
Candidates should have experience or knowledge related to:
- Cash-flow management.
- Operating reserves.
- Budgeting.
- Financial forecasting.
- Long-term financial sustainability.
This reflects the CEO’s responsibility for maintaining the organization’s financial health and ensuring resources are aligned with strategic priorities.
Domestic Travel Requirement
Although the position is fully remote, regular travel within the United States may be required.
Travel may be associated with:
- Conferences.
- Team gatherings.
- Fundraising.
- Other organizational activities.
Applicants must therefore be willing and able to meet the position’s domestic travel requirements.
Preferred Experience
Some experience is listed as preferred rather than mandatory.
Candidates with backgrounds in the following areas may be particularly well aligned with the role:
Youth Development
Experience working in or alongside youth development organizations can be valuable because Girls Leadership focuses on the development and well-being of girls and gender-expansive youth.
K–12 Education
Experience in K–12 education leadership is preferred.
This could include experience working with schools, school districts, educators or education-focused organizations.
Youth Sports
Experience working with youth sports organizations is also relevant because coaches can play important roles in young people’s development.
Girl-Serving Organizations
Experience working specifically with organizations serving girls can provide valuable understanding of the issues and communities central to Girls Leadership’s mission.
Social-Emotional Learning
Experience with Social Emotional Learning (SEL) frameworks is preferred.
This is particularly relevant because SEL forms a foundation of Girls Leadership’s programming.
Earned-Revenue Models
Experience developing earned-revenue models in education or youth-serving nonprofits is also preferred.
This includes experience building partnerships with schools and school districts.
Salary and Compensation
The CEO position offers a base salary of $170,000 to $200,000, depending on experience.
In addition to salary, Girls Leadership offers a competitive benefits package.
Health Insurance
Girls Leadership covers 99% of the employee premium for the employer-selected health insurance plan.
Dental and Vision
Employees can also access optional dental and vision coverage.
Paid Time Off
The benefits package includes:
- Two weeks of paid time off.
- One week of paid sick leave.
- 11 paid holidays.
- Four additional weeks of paid office closure each year.
The annual office closure consists of two weeks in July and two weeks in December.
Retirement Plan
A 401(k) retirement plan is available after one year of service.
Phone and Internet Support
The organization provides a monthly phone and internet stipend.
Remote Work Arrangement
Girls Leadership operates as a fully remote organization.
Team members work from different locations across the United States, with a majority of the current team based in the Bay Area and New York.
The remote arrangement provides flexibility while still requiring the CEO to travel domestically for selected organizational activities.
Application Deadline
The priority application deadline is:
October 18, 2026, at 9:00 PM ET.
Candidates interested in the position should submit their applications before the stated deadline.
What Applicants Need to Provide
The application requires candidates to provide several pieces of information and respond to specific questions.
Applicants are asked to submit:
- First name.
- Last name.
- Email address.
- Phone number.
- Address.
- Resume.
- LinkedIn profile URL.
- Employment authorization information.
- Information about potential visa sponsorship requirements.
- Confirmation regarding willingness and ability to travel domestically.
- Confirmation of at least seven years of enterprise-level senior executive experience.
Candidates must also respond to two substantive questions.
Mission and Equity Question
Applicants are asked to explain, in no more than 250 words, how their professional and/or lived experience demonstrates their commitment to Girls Leadership’s work at the intersection of gender, race, identity and power.
Fundraising and Revenue Question
Applicants are also asked, in no more than 250 words, to describe their fundraising and/or revenue-building outcomes.
Candidates should include specific experience securing gifts from:
- High-net-worth individuals.
- Foundations.
- Corporations.
This question is particularly important because fundraising and revenue expansion are central components of the CEO role.
Equal Opportunity Commitment
Girls Leadership states that it is committed to equal opportunity for all people regardless of:
- Sex
- Age
- Race
- Ethnicity
- Color
- Religion
- Creed
- National origin
- Marital status
- Gender expression
- Disability
- Sexual orientation
The organization also states that it actively seeks a diverse pool of candidates from different backgrounds who share its mission and vision.
The application includes optional demographic questions relating to gender and race/ethnicity for government Equal Employment Opportunity and/or Affirmative Action reporting purposes. The source states that this information is voluntary and will not be used in employment decisions.
Why This CEO Opportunity Stands Out
This position represents an opportunity for an experienced nonprofit executive to lead an organization at an important stage of development.
The CEO will not simply be responsible for maintaining existing operations. The role is designed around organizational growth, greater national influence and long-term sustainability.
The successful candidate will have the opportunity to:
- Lead a national nonprofit organization.
- Shape the organization’s long-term strategy.
- Expand its funding and revenue base.
- Increase its national profile.
- Champion girls and gender-expansive youth.
- Strengthen relationships with educators, coaches and youth-serving organizations.
- Lead a fully remote team.
- Work closely with a dedicated Board.
- Influence the broader field of girls’ social-emotional development.
- Help expand the organization’s reach and impact.
How to Prepare a Strong Application
Given the seniority of the position, candidates should make their application highly evidence-based.
Highlight Enterprise-Level Leadership
Do not focus only on job titles.
Demonstrate the scale and scope of organizations, teams, budgets, programs and strategic responsibilities you have managed.
Quantify Fundraising Achievements
Because the organization specifically asks about six- and seven-figure fundraising, candidates should clearly describe their fundraising outcomes.
Where appropriate, demonstrate:
- Size of gifts secured.
- Donor relationships developed.
- Foundation funding obtained.
- Corporate partnerships established.
- Revenue growth achieved.
- New revenue streams created.
Demonstrate Organizational Transformation
Explain how you have previously helped an organization navigate:
- Growth.
- Transition.
- Financial challenges.
- Strategic repositioning.
- Organizational restructuring.
- Program expansion.
- Culture development.
Connect Your Experience to Girls Leadership’s Mission
The application specifically asks candidates to discuss their connection to gender, race, identity and power.
A strong response should therefore connect your professional or lived experience to the organization’s mission rather than providing a generic statement about diversity or inclusion.
Show Financial Leadership
Because financial sustainability is a major responsibility, candidates should demonstrate their experience with budgeting, forecasting, cash flow, reserves and financial decision-making.
Demonstrate External Leadership
The CEO will serve as the organization’s chief external ambassador.
Applicants should therefore highlight experience with:
- Public representation.
- Donor engagement.
- Partnership development.
- Media or public communications.
- Board relationships.
- Stakeholder engagement.
- Field leadership.
Key Details at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Position | Chief Executive Officer, Girls Leadership |
| Employer | Girls Leadership |
| Search firm | Carrington Talent Group |
| Job type | Full-time |
| Level | Senior Executive |
| Work arrangement | Fully remote |
| Location | United States |
| Salary | $170,000–$200,000 base |
| Priority deadline | October 18, 2026, 9:00 PM ET |
| Minimum executive experience | 7 years |
| Domestic travel | Required periodically |
| Team | 10 full-time employees plus part-time facilitators and consultants |
| Organization focus | Girls and gender-expansive youth |
| Preferred backgrounds | Youth development, K–12, youth sports, girl-serving organizations, SEL and education/youth earned-revenue models |
Visit HERE for more information about the Chief Executive Officer position at Girls Leadership.
Conclusion
The Chief Executive Officer position at Girls Leadership is a significant leadership opportunity for an experienced nonprofit or social-impact executive who wants to combine organizational strategy, fundraising, financial sustainability, people leadership and advocacy for girls and gender-expansive youth.
The organization is seeking a leader capable of taking a $2 million national nonprofit into its next stage of growth while strengthening its financial position, expanding its national influence and deepening partnerships with educators, coaches and youth-serving organizations.
The ideal candidate will bring at least seven years of enterprise-level executive leadership experience, a proven record of fundraising and revenue generation, experience leading organizations through growth and transition, strong financial management skills and a demonstrated commitment to gender and racial equity.
The position is fully remote within the United States, offers a $170,000–$200,000 base salary, and includes health, retirement, paid time off and other benefits. Regular domestic travel will be required for certain conferences, team gatherings, fundraising activities and other organizational needs.
Qualified senior executives who are strongly aligned with Girls Leadership’s mission should pay particular attention to the October 18, 2026, 9:00 PM ET priority application deadline and prepare a results-oriented application that demonstrates their leadership scale, fundraising achievements, financial expertise, commitment to equity and ability to lead organizational growth.
Explore more global Job opportunities on OFY HERE.
