Job Opportunities
President & Chief Executive Officer
Status: Full-time position (37.5 hours/week)
Time Frame: Review begins January 14, 2026, position open until filled
Description: Job Opportunity - President & Chief Executive Director
Position Summary
The President & Executive Officer (CEO) provides the CDP with strategic leadership and operational oversight, ensuring mission-driven impact while maintaining financial sustainability. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the CEO serves as the organization's primary spokesperson, chief fundraiser, and advocate for community development priorities affecting the Lower and Outer Cape region.
This position requires a leader who will successfully navigate the transition from the organization’s well-known, long time CEO—maintaining, strengthening, and growing strategic partnerships across public and private sectors and inspiring staff, board members, and community stakeholders around a shared vision for the region. The CEO, guided by a strategic plan recently adopted by the CDP Board, has the opportunity, and the mandate, to move the organization into its next stage of growth and impact.
Ideal Candidate
Our ideal candidate will exhibit the following leadership competencies:
Strategic Vision: Ability to articulate a compelling future state, grounded in local knowledge and relationships, and to develop actionable strategies to achieve organizational goals
Communication Excellence: Masterful ability to engage diverse stakeholders through clear, compelling written and verbal communication
Relationship Building: Exceptional capacity to cultivate authentic partnerships and leverage networks to advance organizational objectives
Political Acumen: Sophisticated understanding of how to navigate governmental systems and influence policy outcomes, with an emphasis on community development
Collaborative Leadership: Commitment to consensus-building, inclusive decision-making, and creating space for diverse voices
Financial Stewardship: Demonstrated ability to ensure organizational financial health while maintaining mission focus
Results Orientation: Track record of setting clear goals, holding self and others accountable, and delivering measurable impact
Cultural Competence: Ability to work effectively across differences and champion equity and inclusion as organizational values
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Vision
• Articulate a compelling vision that motivates stakeholders and positions the CDP as a catalyst for lasting change in the region
• Oversee implementation of CDP’s 2027-2032 Strategic Plan, while continually monitoring market trends, policy developments, and demographic shifts affecting the Lower and Outer Cape and adapting the Plan as needed
• Utilize CDP’s Strategic Plan to develop and implement a strategy for growth in resources, and impact, for the organization
• Establish metrics and lead evaluation efforts to measure program impact and guide learning and continuous improvement
Fundraising & Resource Development
• Partner with the Chief Advancement Officer to develop a comprehensive and diversified fundraising strategy with annual and multi-year goals, and oversee its implementation
• Cultivate and steward relationships with major donors, translating the organization's vision into compelling investment opportunities
• Engage and support members of CDP’s Board of Directors and CDP’s Advisory Council in donor cultivation and stewardship
Financial & Operational Management
• Ensure organizational financial health through sound fiscal management, budget oversight, and diversified revenue strategies
• Oversee program operations to ensure efficient, effective delivery aligned with strategic goals
• Partner with the Chief Financial & Administrative Officer to update and strengthen existing internal controls, risk management practices, and compliance systems and oversee their implementation.
• Make data-informed decisions that balance mission impact with organizational sustainability
External Relations & Advocacy
• Serve as the primary spokesperson and public face of the organization to donors, government officials, community partners, and the media
• Build and maintain strategic partnerships with leaders of the eight towns on the Lower and Outer Cape, state agencies, nonprofit organizations, and private sector entities to advance CDP’s strategic priorities
• Oversee the development and implementation of a regional roadmap with town specific strategies, ensuring input from stakeholders throughout the region
• Represent the unique needs of Lower and Outer Cape communities in local, regional, and statewide policy discussions
• Partner with the Advancement team to develop and execute a communications strategy the elevates CDP’s brand, increases its visibility, and supports revenue growth and public support
Team Leadership & Organizational Culture
• Foster an inclusive, collaborative organizational culture where staff feel valued, empowered, and supported in their professional growth
• Recruit, develop, and retain talented staff aligned with organizational values and equipped to deliver high-quality results
• Provide clear direction, regular feedback, and professional development opportunities that enhance staff capacity
• Model collaborative leadership that encourages innovation, transparency, and shared accountability
Board Relations & Governance
• Partner with the Board of Directors to establish strategic direction and ensure effective governance
• Provide timely, accurate information to support board decision-making and fiduciary oversight
• Support board development, recruitment, and engagement to strengthen governance capacity and enhance the board’s ability to be a resource and support to management
• Facilitate productive and strategically focused board meetings and maintain open communication between management and governance
• Develop and oversee the implementation of a recruitment and engagement strategy for CDP’s Advisory Council
Required Qualifications
There are innumerable ways to learn, grow and excel professionally. We respect this when we review applications and take a broad look at the experience of each applicant. We want to get to know you and the unique strengths you will bring to the work. We are most likely to be interested in your candidacy if you can demonstrate a majority of the qualifications and experiences listed below.
Experience & Expertise
• Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible leadership experience in community development, nonprofit management, or related fields
• Demonstrated expertise in community development principles and practice, particularly in housing and small business development
• Proven success in organizational leadership, including strategic planning, financial management, program delivery, and operational oversight
• Track record of successfully building relationships, including with donors and policy influencers
• Experience working effectively with Boards of Directors
Knowledge & Skills
• Deep understanding of affordable housing development, small business growth, and community development policy frameworks
• Knowledge of Cape Cod's Lower and Outer Cape region, including its economic structure, demographic trends, and community development challenges
• Established relationships with state and local officials, particularly those influencing housing and economic development policy
• Ability to translate statewide policy frameworks and resources into locally relevant strategies that address regional priorities
• Financial acumen including budget development, financial reporting, and fiscal sustainability planning
Personal Attributes
• Exceptional communicator who is passionate about the mission of CDP and skilled at articulating the work of CDP to diverse audiences and inspiring stakeholders around a shared vision for the region
• Collaborative leader who builds consensus, values diverse perspectives, and creates partnerships across sectors
• Diplomatic negotiator capable of navigating complex political environments and building productive relationships with government officials
• Decisive leader who balances mission-driven vision with practical implementation and organizational sustainability
• Authentic commitment to equity, inclusion, and creating organizational cultures where all staff feel valued and empowered
• Creative problem-solver who can identify innovative solutions to entrenched community challenges
Preferred Qualifications
• Bachelor’s degree in public administration, urban planning, nonprofit management, or related field
• Residence in or demonstrated commitment to the Lower and Outer Cape region
• Experience leading teams through transition, growth, and strategic change
Compensation
Salary range is $160,000 to $200,000 annually. CDP also provides a generous package of benefits including vacation and sick time, health, dental and vision insurance, and retirement benefits that include a 403(b) plan with a 4% company match. This position is exempt, full-time (37.5 hours a week).
The Selection Process
To apply, please submit a cover letter describing your previous professional experience in detail and illustrate how those experiences have prepared you for this position. The cover letter must be followed by a resume, combined into a single PDF. Applications should be submitted to Mary Kay Leonard, Chair of the Board Search Committee for Community Development Partnership, mkleonard@capecdp.org. No phone calls, please. Applications will be acknowledged on a rolling basis.
The CDP is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. The CDP is committed to building a diverse staff and strongly encourages applications from BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) candidates.