Executive Director

Rise Against Suicide; Boulder (CO); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision coverage

401k match

Hybrid work schedule

Paid time off

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

Rise Against Suicide in Colorado is seeking an Executive Director to guide the organization’s mission and strategic direction. You will partner with the Board and lead a talented staff to advance youth mental health services and prevention efforts.

The role requires hands-on problem solving, strong governance, and the ability to balance program quality with sustainable operations in a small nonprofit environment. Hybrid work supports community presence.

Qualifications

• Senior leadership experience in nonprofit, behavioral health, or human services.
• Proven ability to set strategy and guide growth.
• Experience partnering with a Board of Directors.
• Knowledge of youth mental health and crisis intervention preferred.
• Strong financial oversight and HR management.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic vision with the Board and staff.
• Oversee program quality and outcomes in youth mental health.
• Manage fundraising, development and donor relations.
• Ensure compliance and risk management.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive organizational culture.

Skills

Senior leadership

Nonprofit management

Behavioral health

Strategic planning

Board governance

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

Who We Are

Rise Against Suicide is a Colorado-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to help youth at risk of suicide by removing the financial and social barriers to treatment, enabling them to find hope and healing.

Rise Against Suicide funds mental health therapy for youth at risk of suicide, connecting young people and families with qualified mental health providers and helping ensure that cost is not a barrier to receiving care.

The Role

The Executive Director serves as the strategic organizational leader working in partnership with the Board of Directors and empowering a dedicated staff team to advance the organization’s mission.

As a small, growing nonprofit, the Executive Director must be a community thought-leader, while comfortable guiding both big-picture strategy and hands-on problem solving within the organization, to shape Rise’s next chapter of impact and sustainability. They will empower a talented staff team while recognizing when specialized expertise from clinical, legal, financial, human resources or other external partners is needed. Because Rise’s work sits at the intersection of nonprofit leadership and youth mental health, the Executive Director also brings clinical or behavioral health experience that enables informed leadership around program quality, best practices, risk, and the evolving needs of the young people and families Rise serves.

Strategy, Governance & Organizational Leadership

• Partner with the Board to establish and advance Rise’s strategic vision, priorities, and goals.
• Build actionable annual plans with clear priorities, accountability, and measures of success.
• Assess organizational opportunities, challenges, and risks and make thoughtful decisions that support both immediate needs and long-term sustainability.
• Maintain organizational policies, practices, and systems to support effective and compliant operations.
• Provide the Board with timely, transparent information on performance, opportunities, challenges, and emerging issues.
• Ensure Rise operates in accordance with applicable laws, regulations and policies.

Programs, Clinical Leadership, Research & Advocacy

• Ensure services are youth- and family-centered, maintaining current best practices in youth mental

health, suicide prevention, and trauma-informed care.

• Provide guidance on clinical and programmatic policies, protocols, and complex situations, partnering with external experts to ensure ethical, effective, and compliant service delivery.
• Act as a community thought-leader and advocate furthering awareness of youth mental health and suicide prevention.
• Supervise and support the Program Manager in implementing, evaluating, and improving programs including identifying opportunities to increase capacity.
• Ensure program policies and procedures are implemented consistently and adjusted as needed.
• Use program data, outcomes, and emerging research to evaluate effectiveness and impact.
• Cultivate and oversee research and evaluation partnerships with academic and community partners to broaden understanding of effective youth suicide prevention.
• Build relationships with providers, schools, and community organizations, serving youth and families.
• Represent Rise in relevant community conversations, advocacy efforts, and initiatives.

People, Culture & Operations

• Lead, supervise, and develop staff, including the Program Manager, Development & Communications Manager, and Outreach Manager
• Create clear accountability while empowering team members to lead within their areas of expertise.
• Foster a culture rooted in collaboration, trust, equity, compassion, and continuous learning with a focus on burnout prevention.
• Establish clear goals and expectations, providing meaningful feedback and opportunities for growth.
• Oversee HR functions, including but not limited to recruitment, retention, and staff well-being, engaging outside expertise when appropriate.
• Manage systems such as contracts, insurance, leases, technology policies and agreements with strong business acumen.
• Continually assess for opportunities to improve operational efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability.
• Balance growth with the personal connection and collaborative culture central to Rise’s identity.

Fundraising, Marketing & External Relations

• Serve as a visible and compelling ambassador and subject matter expert, building strong relationships with donors, funders, community partners, elected officials, mental health professionals, volunteers, and other diverse audiences.
• Provide strategic leadership on fundraising efforts and community engagement in partnership with the Development & Communications Manager, Board of Directors, and other staff.
• Cultivate and steward major donors, foundations, corporate partners, and other key supporters.
• Identify opportunities to diversify and grow revenue and strengthen long-term financial sustainability.
• Support grant strategy and the cultivation of institutional funders.
• Provide oversight of marketing, communications, public relations, and organizational messaging.

Financial Leadership & Sustainability

• Provide overall financial leadership, developing the annual budget with staff and the Board and building financial strategies that balance mission investment with long-term sustainability.
• Monitor financial performance, proactively flagging emerging opportunities or concerns.
• Maintain strong financial controls, policies, and practices, working effectively with outside accounting, audit, and other financial professionals.
• Ensure timely, accurate financial reporting and filings, ensuring the Board fulfills fiduciary responsibilities.

Board Partnership

• Build a strong, collaborative partnership with the Board, serving as the primary connection between Board and staff, and advising the Board on strategic, financial, programmatic, and organizational matters with the information and context needed for effective governance.
• Partner with the Board Chair to plan meetings, set priorities, and attend all relevant committee meetings.
• Support Board development, helping members understand their governance responsibilities and serve as effective ambassadors, while ensuring adherence to Board-approved bylaws and policies.

Who You Are

• The next Executive Director of Rise Against Suicide will be a compassionate, grounded, and strategic leader who understands both the responsibility and the opportunity that come with leading an organization focused on youth mental health and suicide prevention.

You are someone who:

• Cares deeply about young people, believing every young person deserves access to high-quality

mental health care.

• Brings curiosity, humility and sound judgment alongside a willingness to continue to learn.
• Creates clarity in complex situations and can identify what requires immediate attention, what can be delegated, and when outside expertise is needed.
• Is highly networked within the youth mental health and suicide prevention space.
• Enjoys thinking strategically while simultaneously engaging in the hands-on work of a small nonprofit.
• Supports and empowers talented staff to own their function and expertise within the organization.
• Communicates transparently, leaning into difficult conversations as a means for sustainable change

Qualifications

• We recognize that strong candidates bring different combinations of professional and lived experience. We encourage candidates to apply even if they do not meet every preferred qualification.
• Senior leadership experience within a nonprofit, behavioral health, or human services entity.
• Professional experience in clinical or behavioral health settings is required. Current or previous

clinical licensure, such as LCSW, LPC, LMFT, psychologist, or similar, is highly valued but not

required.

• Emphasis on youth or adolescent mental health, suicide prevention and/or crisis intervention preferred.
• Demonstrated success as an empowering people leader and culture builder.
• Experienced in financial management, operations, HR, risk management and administrative functions.
• Versed in building strong, productive relationships with donors, funders, community partners, staff,

board members and other stakeholders including developing new revenue opportunities.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, easily moving between long-term vision and immediate needs.
• Commitment to creating an environment in which people with different identities, experiences, and
• perspectives are valued.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience with advanced education in a relevant field strongly preferred.

What We Can Offer You

• Hiring Range: $100,000 - $125,000
• Full-time (40 hours per week), exempt position
• 100% Medical, Dental, and Vision Health Benefits for employee only
• 401k Plan - 100% match up to 3.5% of salary; vested after 1 year of employment
• Vacation, Sick, and Paid Holidays - 80 hours PTO, 12 sick days, 9 paid holidays/2 floating holidays
• Hybrid work schedule- Tues/Thurs in office, MWF remote work schedule - summer hours 4-day work week (includes TH in office)
• A close-knit and highly collaborative team of compassionate individuals dedicated to making the world a better place.