Chief Executive Officer

SAIF; Salem (OR); On-site; USD 350,000 - 550,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

457 deferred compensation plan

Public employee retirement system

Job summary

SAIF, headquartered in Salem, Oregon, seeks a President and Chief Executive Officer to guide Oregon’s premier workers’ compensation insurer and a notable not-for-profit public corporation. The CEO will align board direction with strategy, operations, finances, and stakeholder engagement.

The ideal candidate brings enterprise leadership, strong financial acumen, and a track record of guiding large, regulated organizations through meaningful change while advancing SAIF’s public-purpose mission for

Qualifications

• Record of enterprise-wide leadership in a large, regulated organization.
• Strong financial acumen and experience stewarding substantial resources with long-term risk awareness.
• Demonstrated success partnering with a board of directors and navigating complex external stakeholders.
• Track record of leading through significant change and building alignment.
• Commitment to SAIF’s public-purpose mission and serving Oregon’s workers and employers.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and executive leadership experience.

Responsibilities

• Direct the executive team in carrying out the strategic plan and set long-term priorities with the board.
• Build an inclusive, high-performing culture valued by diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
• Ensure SAIF has the leadership and structures to execute strategy and meet future demands.
• Safeguard long-term financial strength and sound stewardship of assets.
• Serve as a visible ambassador, strengthening relationships across Oregon and nationally.

Skills

Enterprise leadership

Financial stewardship

Board collaboration

Change leadership

Diversity & inclusion

Public-sector governance

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Job description

This is not your typical insurance company.

For more than a century, SAIF has played a central role in protecting Oregon’s workers and strengthening workplaces across the state. As Oregon’s largest workers’ compensation insurance carrier, SAIF serves more than 53,000 policyholders. Its customers span the breadth of Oregon’s economy, from small businesses to large employers, as well as the state and most cities, counties, school districts, and special districts in Oregon.

SAIF is a not-for-profit, state-chartered public corporation with a distinctive mandate: to make workers’ compensation widely available, affordable, and accessible while providing extraordinary service to Oregon’s workers and employers. It operates with a public mission while competing in the commercial insurance market.

In 2025, SAIF processed nearly 37,000 claims and provided benefits to almost 61,000 injured workers and beneficiaries. Its work extends well beyond claims and insurance coverage. Through deep expertise in workplace safety and prevention, SAIF works alongside employers to reduce injuries and advance its vision of making Oregon the safest and healthiest place to work.

SAIF’s 1,200 employees bring deep expertise and a strong commitment to the organization’s mission. The organization has a collaborative, service-oriented culture, with employees who care deeply about their work and the people they serve.

Headquartered in Salem with six offices statewide, SAIF is governed by a five-member board of directors appointed by the Governor.

Check out the video below for more about SAIF.

SAIF seeks a President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead the organization into its next chapter, shaping the next century of an organization essential to Oregon’s workers, employers, and communities.

SAIF's President and CEO is responsible for leading Oregon's premier workers' compensation insurer and one of the Northwest's most successful not-for-profit companies.

Working closely with the Board of Directors, the President and CEO will position SAIF to remain financially strong, competitive, and deeply connected to the diverse Oregon workers and employers it exists to serve.

The President and CEO will lead SAIF into its next chapter, setting a clear, compelling direction for the enterprise and translating that direction into priorities, decisions, and results. As SAIF’s most visible ambassador, they will connect the organization’s internal direction with the broader environment in which it operates. This leader will strengthen understanding of SAIF’s role, anticipate changes affecting Oregon’s workers and businesses, and ensure the organization continues to deliver on its mission for generations to come.

This is an opportunity to shape the future of an organization with an unusual combination of scale, public purpose, and market presence.

The President and CEO will:

• Direct the executive team in carrying out the strategic plan; work with the executive team to determine short- and long-term business strategies, set performance goals, determine resource requirements, and continuously measure progress to ensure compatibility with the direction set by the board.
• Build an inclusive, high-performing culture where employees with different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives are valued, respected, and able to contribute fully.
• Ensure SAIF has the leadership and organizational structures and capabilities needed to execute its strategy and meet the demands of the future.
• Ensure SAIF’s long-term financial strength and sound stewardship of its assets, balancing affordability and competitiveness with its enduring obligations to Oregon’s workers and employers.
• Serve as a visible ambassador for SAIF, strengthening its relationships, influence, and reputation across Oregon and within the workers’ compensation industry nationally.

The ideal candidate

Our ideal candidate is an accomplished enterprise leader who sets a compelling vision and builds the team and organizational capabilities to deliver on it. They will have demonstrated success partnering with a board of directors and leading a large, regulated organization through meaningful change, with a keen sense of the people, culture, and context that change must account for.

This leader brings deep financial acumen and a record of stewarding substantial resources with discipline and a long-term perspective. Genuinely curious, they will invest in understanding SAIF's history, people, and mission, and in building relationships with the policymakers, business and labor leaders, and employers whose confidence is essential to SAIF's success.

Critical experience & leadership capabilities

• A record of enterprise-wide leadership in a large, complex, regulated organization, with significant accountability for financial performance, operations, and external stakeholders.
• Strong financial acumen and experience stewarding substantial financial resources, with an understanding of long-term risk, financial sustainability, and disciplined resource allocation.
• Demonstrated success partnering effectively with a board of directors and navigating a complex external stakeholder environment.
• A track record of leading through significant change, making difficult decisions while building understanding, alignment, and commitment.
• Demonstrated ability to build a diverse, inclusive, high-performing culture where employees with different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives are valued, respected, and able to contribute fully.
• A genuine commitment to SAIF’s public-purpose mission and to serving Oregon’s workers and employers.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and progressively responsible executive leadership experience required.

Strongly preferred experience

• Experience in insurance, workers’ compensation, financial services, or another industry requiring sophisticated understanding of risk, reserves, and long-term financial obligations.
• Experience in a public-sector, quasi-public, mutual, or not-for-profit organization.
• Experience sponsoring or leading significant enterprise modernization and transformation.
• Experience navigating complex state-level political, regulatory, and business environments.

The total compensation for this position is competitive.

• comprehensive medical
• dental
• vision and life insurance
• deferred compensation 457 plan
• public employee retirement system contributions
• holiday
• leave time

SAIF is committed to hiring and retaining high-performing, well-qualified employees with varied perspectives and experiences who represent the demographics of SAIF's diverse customers and fostering a work environment that is fair and equitable to all employees.

This position will remain open until filled.

Check out the video below to learn more about our culture.

Oregon is a great place to work, play, and be a part of a community. Oregon offers a quality of life that is unsurpassed. From the high-energy urban center of Portland, one of the nation's top-ranked cities, to the more relaxed pace of rural communities, Oregon's distinctive Northwest lifestyle blends a progressive, creative culture with a casual nature.

The position is headquartered in Salem, the capital city of Oregon, and home of Willamette University. Salem is a sizable community with a small-town feel. Located in the Willamette Valley, it features abundant outdoor recreation, and more than 50 local wineries.

Bisected by the Willamette River, Salem lies just one hour south of Portland, Oregon's largest city. Portland offers multiple cultural and entertainment opportunities, including major-league sports teams. Pacific Ocean beaches are an hour and a half to the west of Salem; the mountains, ski slopes, and lakes of the Cascade Range are just an hour and a half to the east.

Learn more about the city in the video below.