Chief Impact Officer

The Forum for Youth Investment • Full-time • Remote (United States) • $175k - $190k / year • 13h ago

Founded in 1998, The Forum for Youth Investment is a trusted national nonprofit committed to improving outcomes for youth (ages 5–24) in education, work, and life. The Forum is a national leader in youth development policy and practice, known for turning research into action. We help leaders build systems that center youth voice, advance equity, and support continuous quality improvement. The people at the Forum are our heartbeat and our greatest resource. We are passionately rallied around our mission to ensure all young people have what they need to thrive through stronger programs, informed processes, and systems that work better for everyone. Join our stellar team, leading the charge to deepen our impact and expand our service.

The Forum champions programs and federal and state policies that treat young people as experts in their own lives, amplifying their voices and honoring their experiences. At the same time, the Forum supports the adults and organizations who work with youth by offering practical tools, training, coaching, and research to help them improve how they show up for young people. Also, because real change takes collaboration, we bring leaders together — from schools to nonprofits to government — to share ideas, solve problems, inform policy, and build better systems that truly support youth and the people who care about them.

For more information, visit www.forumfyi.org.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Forum is seeking an exceptional and visionary Chief Impact Officer (CIO) to lead the organization’s programmatic strategy, impact measurement, and public policy initiatives. As a member of the Executive Team, the CIO will drive the Forum’s ability to deliver meaningful and measurable results for young people nationwide. Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer, the CIO will ensure our work not only aligns with our mission, but also demonstrably improves systems, practices, and outcomes.

The CIO is responsible for overseeing programmatic functions, establishing and measuring organizational impact goals, and ensuring initiatives are grounded in data, equity, and evidence-based practice. This senior executive will serve as a primary architect of how the Forum evaluates success and communicates results — internally, externally, and to key stakeholders — including funders, policymakers, and partner networks. Additionally, the CIO will ensure integration of impact strategy across the Forum’s policy, advocacy, and partnership work, leveraging insights from the field to shape federal and national priorities. They will bring deep experience in strategic leadership, high-level partnership building, budgeting and forecasting, and will have a proven track record of influencing national policy agendas. Also, this collaborative leader will partner with the CEO to build strong coalitions and partnerships among youth development organizations, leaders, and influencers in the sector.

IDEAL CANDIDATE

The ideal candidate leads from the nexus of strategy and implementation, impacting every level of an organization. This senior leader must bring deep experience developing and executing multi-layered complex programs, while possessing a track record of successfully creating the systems and processes that bring strategic plans to life. This candidate has a high emotional intelligence and is committed to prioritizing people, building strong relationships, and establishing an environment of collaboration and learning. This individual will leverage their strong relationship-building skills to directly impact staff and indirectly influence departments across the organization to motivate stakeholders and produce results. Also, this person embodies a deep commitment diversity, equity, and inclusion in their daily work and leadership.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Team Management and Leadership

Lead the Program and Impact team and provide overall programmatic strategy support for the organization.
Coach department staff members to meet their goals and execute to results.
Manage annual department goals and budget.
Oversee, inspire, and mentor 15 program staff, fostering a culture of accountability, creativity, and continuous improvement.
Ensure that the department’s staff have the skills, tools, and professional development they need to deliver on ambitious impact goals.

Program Strategy and Impact

Define, lead, and implement a comprehensive organizational impact strategy that integrates across programs, partnerships, and advocacy efforts.
Ensure alignment with Youth Program Quality Intervention (YPQI) principles and practices where applicable and support their adoption among external partners and networks.
Provide strategic oversight to all programmatic areas, ensuring high-quality delivery, innovation, and alignment with the Forum’s mission and priorities.
Guide long-term planning, forecasting, and scenario analysis to anticipate future needs and opportunities.
Lead cross-functional integration of program, policy, and communications to ensure a cohesive impact narrative.

Public Policy and Advocacy

Partner with the Forum’s public policy team to align programmatic evidence and outcomes with federal and state advocacy priorities.
Support the CEO’s efforts to serve as a national thought leader in youth development, representing the Forum in high-level policy discussions, coalitions, and public forums.
Leverage the Forum’s impact data to influence policy change and investment strategies at the federal and state levels.
Cultivate deep and effective relationships with key elected officials, government agencies, regulatory bodies, and civic leaders at the city, county, state levels.
Oversee legislative activities to stay abreast of issues of importance to the Forum state and federal levels.

Data Generation and Analysis

Develop and oversee metrics, dashboards, and evaluation processes to measure the effectiveness and reach of the Forum’s program initiatives.
Translate data and evaluation findings into compelling stories and reports for funders, policymakers, partners, and the public.
Build and implement comprehensive data analytic tools to measure program fidelity, understand trends, and guide performance management against goals.
Make certain the CEO has the data, analysis, and insights necessary to drive strong decision-making.

External Partnerships and Stewardship

Build and maintain successful relationships with youth development leaders, associations, foundation program staff, other key external stakeholders.
Develop a coalition of youth development leaders to provide support, share promising practices, establish collaborative relationships.
Attend national youth development conferences and to develop strategic relationships among youth development program staff.
Partner with External Affairs Department and Finance Department to secure funding, manage grants, and forecast long-term resource needs.

LEADERSHIP PROFILE

We are seeking a leader who demonstrates:

Visionary Leadership: Ability to set bold organizational impact goals and rally diverse stakeholders toward achieving them.
Data-Driven Decision Making: Expertise in using evaluation and evidence to shape strategy and secure investment.
Sector Influence: Deep knowledge of youth development, with demonstrated ability to build coalitions and partnerships across the sector.
Equity Mindset: Commitment to ensuring equity is embedded in all impact strategies, measurements, and communications.
Team Builder: Proven record of building high-performing teams and fostering leadership at all levels.

QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum of 10 years of progressive leadership in youth development, education, public policy, or nonprofit sectors.
Demonstrated expertise in program strategy, executing against goals, data evaluation, and impact measurement.
Familiarity with Youth Program Quality Intervention (YPQI) strongly desired.
Experience leading large teams, managing complex budgets, and overseeing multi-site or national initiatives.
Proven ability to work at the intersection of programs, policy, and partnerships.
Bonus points if you have: a bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience or a master’s degree in public policy, nonprofit management, social services, education, or a related field.

TEAM CULTURE

Similar to the organization as a whole, the Program and Impact team is deeply committed to our mission. We seek leaders who bring passion for improving the lives of young people, a strong drive for measurable results, and a collaborative approach to achieving ambitious goals.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

The salary range for this position is $175,000-$190,000. Salary is commensurate with experience and competitive within the nonprofit sector. This role is a full-time remote position, with the option to work from one of the Forum’s workstations in our Washington, DC office. Occasional travel will be required for meetings, conferences, and events.

The Forum offers a robust and comprehensive benefits package, including:

Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) and all federal holidays observed
Medical, dental, and vision insurance
Short-term and long-term disability coverage
Flexible Spending Account (FSA) options

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit a resume and cover letter. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. If your application is selected for an interview, you will be contacted directly.

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