House of Mercy
President/CEO – Position Description

Title:                 President/CEO
Department:     Administration
FLSA:                Full Time
Location:          100 McAuley Circle, Belmont, NC 28012
Reports To:       House of Mercy Board of Directors

Organizational Overview

House of Mercy is a sponsored HIV/AIDS ministry of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas South Central Community and the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas. House of Mercy provides compassionate care for persons living with HIV/AIDS. The organization provides housing and specialized nursing care for low-income persons living with HIV/AIDS who cannot care for themselves and face homelessness.

Based in Belmont, NC, House of Mercy is a family care home licensed by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services that is able to serve a capacity of six residents in a home setting.  Due to its location in Belmont, most of its residents come from Gaston and Mecklenburg counties. More than 330 persons living with HIV/AIDS have made House of Mercy their home since 1991.

At House of Mercy, the focus is on health and life. In the right community, persons living with HIV/AIDS can continue to grow socially, emotionally and physically. Bearing witness to a community of healing and reconciliation, House of Mercy enables these individuals to move from a sense of alienation to one of unity, from a sense of being judged to one of unconditional love and acceptance. In addition, House of Mercy works to create, through education and outreach, a more compassionate, just and understanding society. This includes a high degree of collaboration with HIV/AIDS service agencies and other human service organizations.

History

The Sisters of Mercy trace their roots to Catherine McAuley, an Irish Catholic laywoman who opened the first House of Mercy in Dublin, Ireland in 1827. Catherine’s original intention was to assemble a lay corps of Catholic social workers. The first Sisters of Mercy arrived in the United States from Ireland in 1843, spreading throughout the country.

The House of Mercy opened in 1991 as a result of the concern of the Sisters of Mercy of North Carolina.  The Sisters had a desire to respond to the AIDS epidemic in Gaston and Mecklenburg counties, and other parts of North Carolina. With no housing options available at the time, it became clear that opening a residential facility would be the best use of resources.

In 2008, the Sisters of Mercy, South Central was formed which consolidates a broad geography including 18 states and the nation of Jamaica, with headquarters in Belmont, NC just outside of Charlotte.

For more information about House of Mercy please visit thehouseofmercy.org.

The Opportunity 

The board and staff of House of Mercy recently developed a roadmap for change to consider the future direction for the organization and are committed to both widening the admission criteria and launching community-focused programing.

The Role

The President/CEO will have an innovative and visionary spirit, commitment to and passion for the goals, philosophy and values of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas. In addition, the successful candidate will provide executive leadership and administration for the organization, is accountable for achieving the defined goals and objectives of the Board of Directors through effective administration, and responsible for acting as the liaison among the board, staff, the Sisters of Mercy Ministry Office, media and the external community.

The President/CEO is accountable to the Board of Directors for the operation of the corporation, including overseeing finances, keeping fundraising activities on track, monitoring program operations, and compliance with regulations.  While the day-to-day operation of the corporation is delegated to directors for many activities, the President/CEO retains full responsibility. Key responsibilities include:

Strategic Management and Leadership

  • Responsible for working with the board in creating, maintaining and implementing a strategic plan for House of Mercy.
  • Drives results and outcomes in support of mission, budget, strategic plan and board expectations.
  • Build HIV awareness and Mercy identity among staff and board, developing professional development opportunities and meetings connected to these themes.
  • Create a culture and environment that ensures processes, procedures and controls are in place to ensure compliance with best practices and applicable laws.
  • Effectively identifies, assesses and addresses risks in a timely manner.
  • Identify and develop workplans for necessary changes in operations and HR policies and procedures.

Board Relations

  • Promotes the development of an effective Board of Directors by assisting in proactive recruitment of qualified board members, participates in board training, and encourages leadership.
  • Routinely provides the board with operational and financial reports necessary for the board to carry out its responsibilities.

Community Building and Partnerships

  • Serves as the lead spokesperson and relationship-builder in the community. Initiates and strengthens relationships and collaborations with organizations and leaders connected to House of Mercy mission and goals.
  • Expands public and community awareness; representing the agency to the community, including the media.
  • Participates in community strategic planning to maximize community resources while maintaining vision and mission of the organization.
  • Leads community outreach and networking efforts to implement the annual development plan includes fundraising activities and grant requests.
  • Leverages marketing to build awareness for House of Mercy, HIV and program services.
  • Provides reports to the Development Committee and board indicating progress in attaining objectives contained in the development plan.

Program Management

  • Responsible for administering and monitoring all programs and services offered by House of Mercy consistent with the Mission of the Ministry and policies adopted by the Board of Directors.
  • Responsible for ensuring that House of Mercy complies with rules of applicable regulatory agencies and obtaining all requisite licenses.
  • Implements use of electronic health records (EHR) system in compliance with NC Department of Health and Human Services requirements.

Fiscal Management

  • In partnership with the Finance Committee, responsible for preparing an annual budget for review and adoption by the Board of Directors.
  • Responsible for managing the organization consistent with the budget adopted by the Board of Directors. This includes ongoing review of revenue, expenses and the reporting of monthly financial statements to the board and establishing  policies and procedures to ensure sound fiscal management of the organization, including investment policies.

Human Resources

  • Champions a people-centered and mission-driven workplace. Builds and develops cohesive teams to deliver on the mission.
  • Works with the Executive Committee and the board to develop and maintain the appropriate Human Resource policies and establish compensation and benefit packages that attract and retain qualified staff.
  • Provides ongoing and real-time performance feedback and coaching.
  • Responsible for the recruitment, hiring, supervision, and dismissal of staff consistent with applicable HR policies.
  • Responsible for the development of CEO annual goals and objectives to be adopted by the Board of Directors.

Maintenance and Property Management

  • Works with the staff to assure residence maintains highest quality rating for services as measured by the state.

Performs other job duties as requested by the Board of Directors and committee chairs, within the scope of the position.

Required Qualifications & Competencies

The ideal candidate will have the following capabilities and qualities:

  • A demonstrated commitment to the values of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, House of Mercy mission, values and the community in which it serves.
  • Demonstrated understanding and expertise in House of Mercy programmatic areas and services.
  • Ability to serve as a strategic visionary leader with a demonstrated track record as a change manager with excellent fundraising, administrative operations, financial management, program growth and development, relationship-building, and advocacy skills.
  • Strong oral and written communication skills and the ability to transparently communicate goals and vision to staff, board and key stakeholders.
  • Expertise in strategic planning and development of metrics and key performance indicators to track organization-wide and team outcomes.
  • Previous experience in engaging board relations, developing policies, goals and objectives (optimizing the inherent resources of board members) and onboarding and training new members.
  • Ability to serve as the liaison among the board, staff, volunteers, the Sisters of Mercy Ministry Office, media and the external community.
  • Ability to serve as spokesperson and build relationships with community stakeholders to increase connectivity for the residents and individuals served.
  • Demonstrated experience in HIV/AIDS, housing services, residential care and/or equivalent in human services
  • A minimum of five years’ experience in the nonprofit sector in leadership roles; previous experience as an Executive Director/CEO preferred.
  • Master’s Degree (MA) preferred
  • Ability to obtain license as Adult Care Administrator and provide services consistent with home care requirements

Application Process

House of Mercy has partnered with Next Stage to help in this hire. All inquiries, nominations and applications should be directed via email to Next Stage (search@nextstage-consulting.com). Applications must include a compelling cover letter and resume to be considered for the role. Please also indicate where you learned of the opportunity. Please note that only those candidates invited for screening will be contacted. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE.

House of Mercy makes recruitment, employment, promotional and all other Human Resource decisions without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, or veteran status in accordance with federal and state laws regarding equal employment opportunities. People living with HIV, individuals of color, and others from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

About Next Stage

Next Stage is a strategy and implementation firm based in Charlotte, NC and serves nonprofit organizations and social cause start-ups throughout the Carolinas. Next Stage works with nonprofit organizations to develop game-changing strategies and strengthened operations in service to mission and long-range vision. For more information about Next Stage, please visit nextstage-consulting.com.