CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

SPY is looking for a leader who can guide an established youth homelessness organization through its next stage of scale, sustainability, housing growth, public advocacy, and strategic planning. The next leader must have an unwavering commitment to championing SPY's mission and the young people it serves; the ability to adaptively support and develop SPY staff; effectively lead a robust fundraising, external relations, and finance management strategy; and the experience to oversee a complex $15M organization operating 24 hour programs.

ABOUT SAFE PLACE FOR YOUTH

Safe Place for Youth is a leading youth homelessness organization serving young people ages 12 to 25 who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness in Los Angeles. SPY’s mission is to prevent and end youth homelessness through supportive services, sustainable housing opportunities, community collaboration, and advocacy, with a vision of a socially just and equitable world where all young people are empowered to thrive in self-directed lives and have a safe place to call home. 

SPY provides a continuum of youth-centered services that includes street outreach, a drop-in center, case management, education and employment, health and wellness, healing arts, community garden, pregnant and parenting support, shelter, social enterprise, family reunification, housing, and advocacy. In 2025, SPY served more than 1,200 youth, helped 315 young people move into housing, and connected hundreds more to mental health counseling, case management, workforce training, creative arts, street outreach, and other critical supports. 

SPY has entered a new stage of organizational complexity and opportunity. The organization now operates 10 sites across the County, including multiple housing programs across shelter, transitional housing, and permanent housing, providing 224 housing resources on any given night. SPY also provides robust supportive services through a field-based model and out of our drop-in center in Venice, including basic needs resources, case management, mental health, substance use counseling, education and employment, pregnant and parenting, healing arts and more.        

The next leader will be called upon to sustain operational excellence across housing and services programs, actively lead a robust fundraising strategy, ensure strong financial oversight, continue SPY’s leadership in advocacy, maintain strong community collaboration, support strong recruitment, retention and development of staff, while keeping the dignity and wellbeing of youth at the center of all of SPY’s work. 

POSITION OVERVIEW

SPY seeks a Chief Executive Officer to lead the organization into its next phase of impact, sustainability, and public leadership.

The next leader will inherit a respected, mission-driven organization with a strong community identity, a seasoned senior team, an engaged Board, a growing housing portfolio, a newly redeveloped drop-in center, a planned capital campaign, and an urgent opportunity to shape the future of youth homelessness policy and practice in Los Angeles. The role requires a leader who can hold multiple responsibilities at once: stewarding a complex nonprofit enterprise, strengthening internal systems, serving as an external advocate and fundraiser, leading through a new strategic plan, and ensuring that SPY remains deeply connected to the young people and communities it serves.

The successful candidate will be a values-driven, emotionally intelligent, operationally capable, and externally credible leader who can balance ambition with sustainability. They will bring the strategic judgment to decide where SPY should grow, where it should consolidate, where it should advocate, and where it should say no. They will be equally comfortable with youth, staff, donors, elected officials, public agency leaders, community partners, and the Board.

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

• Strategic Leadership: Develop and execute strategic plans in alignment with the organization’s mission, vision, and values. Lead the organization in identifying trends, funding environment, challenges, and future growth opportunities in the housing environment.
• Advocacy and Policy Engagement: Serve as an external champion, advocate, and coalition builder for SPY. Build and maintain strong relationships with elected officials, public agencies, funders, community stakeholders, peer organizations, housing partners, researchers, advocates, neighborhood leaders, and media. Advocate for youth-specific homelessness funding, policy, housing resources, and service models. 
• Program and Housing Leadership: Oversee the continued development of SPY’s continuum of care, including outreach, drop-in services, case management, education and employment, health and wellness, healing arts, pregnant and parenting supports, advocacy, shelter, transitional housing, permanent housing, and housing navigation. 
• Fundraising and Resource Development: 
  • Lead fundraising efforts to secure financial support from diverse sources, including grants, donations, and corporate giving, and other forms of sponsorships. 
  • Cultivate, solicit, and steward relationships with donors, foundations, and corporate partners to expand and diversify the organization's funding base and ensure financial sustainability.
  • Design expansion and business planning for program expansion. Build partnerships in new areas, establishing relationship with funders and political and community leaders for expansion sites. 
• Financial Management and Enterprise Sustainability: Oversee SPY’s financial health in partnership with the CFO, Board Treasurer, Finance Committee, and senior leadership. Ensure strong budgeting, forecasting, cash flow management, reserves planning, audit readiness, internal controls, contract compliance, and financial reporting. 
• Staff Leadership and Culture: Provide effective leadership and management of staff, volunteers, and consultants that fosters a collaborative and inclusive work environment while still maintaining accountability.
• Board Relations and Governance: Work closely with the Board of Directors to ensure effective board operations, governance, accountability, and transparency. Provide regular updates, reports, and recommendations to the Board to facilitate informed decision-making and strategic planning.
• Other duties as assigned to support the mission of the organization.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE YOU’LL NEED:

• At least 5 years of executive leadership experience
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required; advanced degree or relevant professional training preferred 
• Significant senior leadership experience in a nonprofit, public agency, housing, social services, youth-serving, advocacy, or mission-driven organization. 
• Strong preference for candidates who are local to the Greater Los Angeles area and familiar with the region’s homeless services sector, public systems, funding landscape, and community partnerships.
• Demonstrated commitment to racial equity, social justice, LGBTQ+ inclusion, trauma-informed practice, and youth voice. 
• Ability to embody SPY’s values of care, community, inclusivity, innovation, integrity, and sustainability. 
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams, manage complexity, and build organizational infrastructure. 
• Experience with fundraising, external relations, public funding, and institutional partnerships. 
• Strong financial literacy and experience managing or overseeing budgets, audits, contracts, and organizational risk. 
• Demonstrated adaptive and situational leadership, and experience mentoring and developing teams.  
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. 
• Past success working with a Board of Directors with the ability to cultivate board member relationships

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Hybrid work environment, such as shared office space and/or remote work, with meaningful engagement at SPY sites.
• Physical effort/lifting, up to 15-20 pounds at times.

SPECIAL CONDITIONS:

Mandated Reporting Requirements: The person holding this position is considered a ‘mandated reporter’ under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements as a condition of employment.

BENEFITS & PERKS: 

Safe Place for Youth offers a competitive benefit package including comprehensive health coverage, 403b with agency contribution, and vacation/sick time. We also offer unique perks including weekly meditation/mindfulness and professional development opportunities that are tailored to your individual career growth. 

COMPENSATION: Salary is $210,000.00 to $230,000.00, commiserate with experience. 

EEO STATEMENT:

All aspects of employment including the decision to hire, promote, discipline, or discharge, will be based on merit, competence, performance, and business needs. Safe Place for Youth does not discriminate on the basis of any protected status under federal, state, or local law. 

Safe Place for Youth is an equal opportunity employer committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce. In addition, the organization will consider employment-qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring.

Please include references in your application.