Vice President, Child Welfare

About Brightpoint

The mission of Brightpoint is to advance the well-being of children by investing in families to disrupt the systemic and multi-generational cycle of racial, social, and economic inequality. 

Previously known as Children’s Home & Aid, Brightpoint has been serving Illinois since 1883. Brightpoint was founded on the belief that the organization had a responsibility to make brave choices to find homes for children. They have evolved that belief and now recognize that bravery comes from the daily choices families make that serve as the spark that ignites the opportunities for children and youth to thrive. Brightpoint promises to be brave with families and support their brave choices because they know strong families create thriving children.

Brightpoint understands that navigating obstacles such as poverty, trauma, and systemic barriers to equity can make this journey challenging, and as such they offer support through the highs and lows. The work of Brightpoint seeks to dismantle system inequities and create a more even playing field for everyone.

Brightpoint puts families and children at the forefront of every decision they make. With an emphasis on prevention works, they are committed to working with families before small problems become life-altering crises. The Brightpoint team takes a data-driven approach to implement research-based solutions that have demonstrable, long-term positive outcomes and create brighter futures. With a budget of over $95 million and offices located across the state the Brightpoint team is able to serve nearly 30,000 children and families each year, linking them to a network of resources.

To achieve this outcome, Brightpoint offers services and programming in the following areas:  

• Parent Support
• Child Welfare
• Mental Health & Wellness
• Early Childhood Care & Education
• Youth Services

To learn more about the organization’s impact, beliefs, and approach, please review Brightpoint’s Blueprint for Impact.

To learn more about the organization’s services, visit their website.

The Opportunity

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the Vice President of Child Welfare (“Vice President” or “VP”) leads and administers program operations for Brightpoint’s statewide Child Welfare Services in accordance with Brightpoint policies, strategic plan, and mission.

This Vice President serves on Brightpoint Leadership Team and participates in all functions included in being a member of this team. This lead will represent Brightpoint to funders, social service organizations, and other community groups, and similarly will be expected to represent local community needs to other members of senior leadership.

It is required the person in this position maintain strong interpersonal and communication skills, develops a strong team approach and leads from both a position of accountability and compassion.

As this position oversees Child Welfare staff, the role requires:

• A Master of Social Work degree from an accredited school of social work (or an academically equivalent master’s degree in the human services field) and two years of full-time experience in a social work for human services setting; or
• A master’s degree that is not academically equivalent to social work or human services related and three years of child welfare experience.

Key to the success of this role, the Vice President:

• Directs and oversees all Child Welfare Services - including Foster Care, Intact, Extended Family Support, AKIN, Child Welfare Service Referral, and FACT - within the Agency’s policies and practices, while working to improve quality and incorporate best practices.
• Serves as direct administrative back-up to program staff in the absence of the Directors and other key regional staff members.
• Works collaboratively with the Human Resources and Quality & Training departments to monitor and ensure that all supervisory staff have knowledge of, and adhere to, personnel policies and procedures in the region(s).
• Manage the Child Welfare’s operating budget of just over $35 million.
• Promotes high quality and high impact services through the adoption of best practices and active participation in the quality improvement processes.
• Works collaboratively with the Chief Operating Officer and Finance Department in developing and monitoring annual operational and capital budgets.
• Collaborates with Development and Finance Departments to contact funders, develop program plans, and prepare written monthly, quarterly, and end-of-year programmatic reports.
• Ensures pre-service and in-service training is provided and staff development needs are addressed in compliance with staff performance plans and all applicable standards.
• Coordinates the operational needs of all assigned service sites, including facilitating collaborations with landlords, program, and office staff to ensure each site is a safe, clean, and healthy environment for clients and staff.
• Assesses the local community’s needs and determines how these can be met within the agency’s purposes, goals, and objectives.
• Interprets the programs’ goals and methods of service delivery to advisory boards and community groups.
• Represents Child Welfare and the agency with provider groups in the community and with Funder/DCFS Administration.
• Monitors the Department of Children & Family Services (DCFS) utilization metrics to meet compliance status.

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate will have the following professional and personal qualities, skills, and characteristics:

A Child and Family Wellbeing Champion

The Vice President will be a strategic and innovative leader who, in partnership with their peers and larger Brightpoint community will develop, communicate, and implement a new forward-looking plan for the organization’s child and family welfare functions. This leader will provide a data-orientated approach to evaluating and establishing the direction of the department strategy, with the ability to drive new systems and policies in service of the development of new and stronger programs and services. This leader must have a rich understanding of and belief in the power of advocating for and advancing child, family, and community well-being solutions at all levels, both internally and externally. The VP will have a commitment to embedding a preventative approach into the policies, culture, communications, and processes that guide Brightpoint’s Child Welfare work.  

A Community Advocate and Enterprise Leader

The Vice President will empower Brightpoint’s community by operating with a high degree of transparency and clarity in addition to focusing on outcomes. A catalyst for change, growth, and cultural transformation, the ideal candidate will inspire others to think entrepreneurially and inject innovative ideas to the work of Child Welfare at an enterprise level. The VP will have practical experience in communicating change, including those related to historic practices, traditions, and long-established systems. Proactive and insightful, the VP will bring a mindset to challenge the status quo. They will leverage technology, data, and analytics to measure outcomes and support the achievement of evolving organizational strategies. 

A Dedicated Relationship Builder and Developer of Talent

The Vice President will demonstrate an ability to build strong, trust-based relationships with program participants, staff, and community partners. They will contribute to and foster an open and inclusive environment that encourages diverse perspectives, active participation, and authenticity from all staff and community members. A talent magnet, the VP will bring a demonstrated history of building and sustaining top performing teams. Above all, the VP must be able to build and sustain excellent relationships at multiple levels internally and with the various external constituencies including the Board of Directors, staff, community, and a range of federal, state, and local government agencies and other institutions.

Passion for the Mission of Brightpoint

The Vice President will embody the values and mission Brightpoint and, as a result, will inspire and motivate others to push the mission forward in a collaborative manner. The VP will catalyze others’ commitment to advance the wellbeing of children by investing in families to disrupt the systemic and multi-generational cycle of racial, social, and economic inequality. They will lead by example with an understanding that, at times, empathy is an essential quality. This leader will have an eye consistently focused on the future and how to best adapt the organization to its changing environment while staying true to the mission of Brightpoint. The VP is someone who can be trusted without reservation and build a strong sense of community within the greater organization. 

Compensation & Benefits

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. The salary range for this role is $140,000 - $150,000 and includes comprehensive benefits.  

Contact

Koya Partners has been exclusively retained for this engagement, which is being led by Marissa Delgado and George Theotokatos. Express interest in this role by filling out our Talent Profile or emailing the search team directly at [email protected]. All inquiries and discussions are strictly confidential.

Koya Partners l Diversified Search Group is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email [email protected]. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.

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Brightpoint is committed to the principles of Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative

Action. All employment activities are conducted in an equal and equitable fashion. The Agency prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender, age, religion, disability or handicap, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, parental status, veteran status, source of income, and any other legally protected category in the recruitment, selection, hiring, determination of salary level and benefits, promotion, demotion, layoff, termination, and other terms and conditions of employment.

About Koya Partners l Diversified Search Group

Koya Partners, a Diversified Search Group company, is the nation’s premier search firm dedicated to mission-driven leadership. Since its founding in 2004, Koya has had an exclusive focus on mission-driven clients and was founded on the belief that the right leader can transform an organization and have a deep and measurable impact on our world. Koya works with nonprofits & NGOs, responsible businesses, and social enterprises in local communities and around the world.

Diversified Search Group is consistently recognized by Forbes on its top 10 list of “America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms” and is an industry leader in recruiting transformational leaders for a changing world. The firm is deliberately different in its approach, with best-in-class teams who have decades of experience in cultivating inclusive leaders, understanding the dimensions of diversity, and building equitable teams.

Learn more about Koya Partners l Diversified Search Group via the firm's website.