Chief Strategy & Impact Officer

THE ORGANIZATION

The mission of the Black Belt Community Foundation’s is to forge a collective stream of giving that transforms our 12-county region and connects those interested in having an impact in this region with nonprofits that are making a difference today. Founded in 2004 with the idea that those living and working in the Black Belt best knew the area’s challenges and opportunities, the Black Belt Community Foundation actively puts needed resources into the region that make a lasting impact. The foundation operates in three main areas: GIVING, RECEIVING, and GROWING.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Chief Strategy & Impact Officer (CSIO), a newly created role, will report to the President and CEO, serve on the Executive Leadership Team, and play a vital role in leading BBCF through its next phase of evolution.

This executive will be a strategic thought partner and advance the agenda of the President and CEO by strengthening alignment across teams, advancing mission investing, deepening community engagement, and building a robust organizational learning and knowledge infrastructure.

The CSIO holds four primary areas of responsibility:

• Community Engagement & Regional Strategy
• Mission Investing & Strategic Initiatives
• Knowledge Management & Organizational Learning
• Organizational Integration, Alignment & Culture

They will navigate seamlessly between the "balcony" – understanding strategy, vision, priorities of the President and CEO and desired impact – and the "dancefloor," ensuring quality implementation and cultivating a culture where staff draw on learnings to date and perform at their best. This leader will position the BBCF team – as individuals and as a collective – to work at their best as they foster a transformed Black Belt, where all people live and work in healthy, prosperous, inclusive, educated, creative, and giving communities.

The CSIO must consistently demonstrate and model effective executive leadership and project management skills – keeping priority projects moving forward, on track, and on time to achieve desired results; the ability to toggle between strategy and execution skills with an ability to clearly communicate the vision for where projects are headed as well as support quality implementation; effective culture building skills – where people and teams thrive; and knowledge management/impact measurement skills so the team can access and work from a shared, in-depth understanding of impact and lessons learned. They must also serve as an excellent collaborator with staff, advisor and volunteer constituents.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE

Community Engagement & Regional Strategy

• Provide leadership for BBCF’s community engagement framework.
• Strengthen practices that elevate community voice and ensure local insights guide organizational priorities.
• Align regional strategies with long-term impact goals and mission-aligned investments.

Mission Investing & Strategic Initiatives

• Facilitate mission-aligned investment strategies that expand opportunity and build wealth across the Black Belt.
• Manage cross-functional strategic initiatives, ensuring clarity, alignment, and results.
• Partner with the President & CEO to cultivate and activate key strategic relationships.

Organizational Integration & Culture (in partnership with the Executive Assistant)

• Maintain a “balcony-level” view of organizational priorities to support alignment across teams.
• Facilitate cross-team collaboration and ensure high-quality, on-time execution of major initiatives.
• Foster a high-trust, high-performance culture grounded in BBCF’s values.
• Partner with the COO on performance management and organizational development systems.

Knowledge Management & Organizational Learning

• Lead development of a learning agenda that drives continuous improvement.
• Oversee systems, tools, and processes that support organizational knowledge sharing.
• Ensure insights from programs, mission investing, and community partnerships inform strategy.

Board Engagement (in partnership with the Executive Assistant)

• Prepare Board materials, updates, and learning sessions in partnership with the President & CEO.
• Support Board culture-building, alignment, and ongoing learning.

CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Education: A master’s degree is required; an advanced degree is preferred and/or equivalent advanced experience in a field relevant to BBCF's mission and work (e.g., community engagement, philanthropy, social impact and mission investing, inclusive economic development, public/private/philanthropic partnerships, racial, health, educational, and environmental justice)

Experience:

• Ten-plus years of progressive leadership/management experience that includes leading projects, initiatives, teams, and organizational and cultural development efforts in a nonprofit, public, or business enterprise
• An understanding of the root causes of systemic inequities and the long-term effects on people of color, low-wealth, rural, and other marginalized communities, and a demonstrated commitment to advancing racial, social, and economic justice and systems change
• Proven ability to partner with a CEO, board, and senior leaders to galvanize the organization and stakeholders behind a reimagined vision for its future
• Demonstrated ability to develop, coach, and lead in an evolving organization and culture while focusing on performance, outcomes, and metrics

Candidates must be or have:

• A compelling communicator with excellent writing and verbal presentation skills, with the ability to provide accurate quantitative and qualitative data, synthesize and translate information and content, and communicate effectively with different audiences
• Cultural competence, appreciative of and comfortable working with a wide array of stakeholders
• An ability to develop and manage an ever-widening circle of relationships in service of the Black Belt
• Strong project management and organization skills, with highly developed analytical and creative problem-solving abilities
• Ability to be strategic and a hands-on executor

Preferred expertise:

• Experience living and working in the American South, ideally Alabama’s Black Belt, and an understanding of the political, social, and economic landscape in which BBCF and its stakeholders operate.