Chief Executive Officer
Habitat puts God’s love into action, bringing people together to build homes, communities and hope through the achievement of five continuing goals:
Extend opportunities for ownership of quality, affordable homes to families and individuals in our community
Empower homeowners for sustainable homeownership success
Engage volunteers, Board and donors through the Habitat experience
Enhance Habitat’s impact through meaningful partnerships and collaborations
Ensure sound governance and operating practices
In pursuit of these goals, Habitat operates a multi-faceted business model, including
- Land acquisition and development
- Homebuilding
- Mortgage underwriting and servicing
- Homeownership education
- Philanthropy
- Volunteer engagement
- Social enterprise
Direct reports to the CEO are:
- Chief Executive Administrative Officer
- Chief Accounting and Finance Officer
- Chief Construction Officer
- Chief Homeowner Services Officer
- Chief Philanthropy Officer
- Chief Public Affairs and Communication Officer
Habitat employs 77 individuals and has well over a hundred years’ collective experience on its 10-member leadership team. Habitat for Humanity of Greater Nashville consistently ranks among the top 25 of nearly 1,000 affiliates nationwide, distinguished by its operational excellence and strong business model. The organization is widely recognized as one of the largest and most efficient, measured by homes built, families served, and operational scale.
To support its mission of affordable homeownership, Habitat seeks a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) who is a seasoned strategist, as well as a mission-driven and visionary leader. He or she will function as Habitat’s outward face to the community, building relationships with corporate, faith, individual and foundation donors, volunteers, government agencies, and other stakeholders to sustain and advance the work of the organization.
Job Summary
The CEO will chart Habitat’s strategic direction, champion its ministry, and deliver operational excellence. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the CEO will lead a tenured leadership team, a robust network of volunteers and sponsors, and an expanding group of community partners. This role demands both visionary leadership and disciplined execution in recruiting, leading and integrating the work of experienced professionals.
Key Responsibilities
* Strategy & Leadership
* Set and execute a bold strategic vision for the organization.
* Plan strategically, addressing the agency’s opportunities and challenges, both short and long term.
* Serve as a trusted voice in the community.
* Encourage, inspire and lead the Board, leadership team, and staff based upon the work and impact of the ministry and what each contributes to fulfilling its mission and goals.
* Cultivate alignment among staff, volunteers, funders, and community leaders.
Organizational Culture & Team Development
* Foster a culture of service, trust and bringing people together within the organization and with the funders, volunteers, and homeowners served.
* Empower a high-performing, inclusive team culture.
* Provide emotionally intelligent leadership rooted in trust and accountability.
* Prioritize team development and mission alignment.
External Engagement & Fundraising
* Drive the funding of the Habitat ministry.
* Cultivate, prioritize and secure the organization’s funding sources and partnerships in conjunction with development staff.
* Proactively advocate among Habitat’s multiple constituencies for affordable housing.
* Engage with local community leaders and government entities.
* Actively engage as a leader in the community, in the relationships that impact the large gifts that help support the ministry, and with government entities involved with housing.
* Diversify revenue across grants, partnerships, earned income and individual giving.
* Communicate Habitat’s value and impact to Middle Tennessee stakeholders.
Operational & Fiscal Oversight
* Drive performance while ensuring financial health and mitigating risk.
* Oversee land acquisition, rezoning, land development, and home construction.
* Oversee financial guidance of the ministry creating a balance of risk mitigation, operational efficiency, and agency profitability.
* Direct balance sheet strategy to ensure the cash flow and change in net assets needed to support and soundly run the ministry while balancing asset allocation between cash, mortgages and owned facilities.
* Partner closely with the Board of Directors on governance and strategic priorities.
* Provide oversight and direction to leadership team members and facilitate collaboration in areas of overlap.
The Right Candidate
* The ideal candidate is a mission-driven visionary executive with a proven record of growing organizations at the intersection of innovation, impact, and community. He or she is strategic yet hands-on, pragmatic, and able to turn complexity into clarity and opportunities into results.
* 15+ years of relevant senior level leadership experience in complex project management, financial management, operations management and administration required, with real estate and finance background recommended.
* Experience working with nonprofits as a volunteer or board member highly recommended.
* Leader of leaders who empowers and develops department heads, fostering accountability, ownership, and high-performing teams.
* Experience working with boards and managing cross-functional teams.
* Exceptional communicator with the ability to engage effectively across both internal teams and external stakeholders.
* Proven track record in fundraising/growing a business – securing sustainable resources.
* Knowledge of affordable housing, community development, or related disciplines is a plus.
* Servant-leader style -- passion for serving people, with a strong commitment to the mission, values, and goals of Habitat’s ministry.
* Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in business or related field recommended.
* Resides in or is willing to relocate to Nashville/Middle Tennessee, TN for this on-site role.
Opportunity:
If you are interested in exploring this unique opportunity, please contact:
Krista Johnston
The Grant Partners, Vice President
Phone: 770-617-3197
[email protected]
#LI-aff
About Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity, founded in 1976, is a global, Christian-based nonprofit organization that grew out of an intentionally multi-racial community in rural Georgia. Seeking to put God’s love into action, Habitat brings together people of all faiths and people of no faith to build homes, communities and hope. Working alongside each other, we help families and individuals build and improve places to call home and achieve the strength, stability and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. Habitat seeks individuals who have a willingness to affirm these principles and values.
At Habitat for Humanity International, we are compelled by our Koinonia roots to put God’s love for all into action and pursue housing equity and opportunity by bringing all people together to build community and drive impact. We strive to build a culture rooted in learning, accountability and trust, attracting and retaining mission-driven talent reflective of the global communities we serve.
As an equal opportunity employer, we realize our success depends on courageously committing to being a workplace where all staff feel safe, welcome, visible, respected, supported and valued, and building a workforce that reflects a variety of lived experiences, backgrounds and perspectives, in which every person experiences dignity and respect.
We also require that all staff take seriously their ethical responsibilities to safeguarding our intended beneficiaries, their communities (especially children) and all those with whom we work. In line with the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse, all staff must pass a thorough background screening and will be held accountable to upholding our policies around ethical behavior, including safeguarding and whistleblowing.