President and Chief Executive Officer

About the role

Lead one of Western Massachusetts' largest human services agencies into its next chapter, building on more than 50 years of growth, innovation, and impact. The Center for Human Development has partnered with Lindauer in the search for its next President and Chief Executive Officer. This leader will provide strategic, organizational, and cultural leadership for the organization, succeeding its long-serving President and CEO, Jim Goodwin. The ideal candidate brings 15 or more years of progressively responsible executive leadership within a complex organization of meaningful scale, strong financial and business acumen, and a collaborative, people-centered leadership style.

Responsibilities

• Partner with the Board, senior leadership team, and key stakeholders to advance CHD's strategic plan and shape a compelling vision for its future.
• Further CHD's vision for a more integrated continuum of care, connecting behavioral health, primary care, social services, and other programs more intentionally.
• Provide strong stewardship of CHD's financial and organizational resources, bringing sophisticated financial and business judgment to decisions about budgeting, capital investment, and resource allocation.
• Serve as a visible, credible ambassador for CHD, cultivating relationships across government, healthcare, philanthropy, and the broader community to advance shared goals.
• Champion strategies that support recruitment, retention, development, and well-being of CHD's workforce, fostering a people-centered and trauma-informed culture.
• Develop a strong, transparent, and collaborative partnership with the Board of Directors, engaging members as strategic partners in support of CHD's mission and future.

Qualifications

• 15 or more years of progressively responsible executive leadership experience within a complex organization of meaningful scale; experience in behavioral health, human services, healthcare, or another highly regulated, service-intensive environment is strongly preferred.
• Strategic and forward-looking leadership, with the ability to anticipate changes in funding, reimbursement, public policy, regulation, workforce, and community need.
• Strong financial and business acumen, including an understanding of program economics, capital and asset strategy, and the strategic deployment of organizational resources.
• Demonstrated success building, leading, and empowering high-performing senior teams within complex, multi-layered organizations.
• Bachelor's degree required; an advanced degree in business, healthcare administration, public administration, social work, public health, or a related field is required.

About the Center for Human Development

For more than 50 years, CHD has provided community-based human services across Western Massachusetts and Connecticut, growing into one of the region's largest human services agencies with an annual operating budget of approximately $180 million and more than 80 programs and services. The next CEO will join at a moment of strength and possibility, inheriting a talented workforce and a history of innovation. Lindauer, a national search and talent firm, has been retained to conduct this search on behalf of CHD. Consideration of candidates will continue until the position is filled.