Executive Director

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City; Oklahoma City (OK); On-site; USD 100,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City seeks an Executive Director to lead the organization’s administrative and operational functions, serving as the most visible representative within the Archdiocese, parishes, and the broader community.

The role requires deep Catholic formation, credibility, and the ability to advance the Church's social mission through strategic leadership and relationship-building.

Qualifications

• Minimum five years of senior leadership experience or equivalent in nonprofit sector.
• Experience leading organizations with Catholic identity is preferred.
• Strong communication and public representation skills; ability to build lasting relationships.
• Experience in program oversight, finance, fund development, and planning.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the organization’s chief executive, leading administrative and operational functions.
• Provide strategic direction and oversee execution of the strategic plan; manage executive team.
• Partner with the Board and committees to govern effectively and implement approved policies.
• Lead external relations, fundraising, grant management, and community partnerships.
• Ensure financial health, compliance, and institutional resilience across the agency and housing subsidiaries.

Skills

Executive leadership

Strategic planning

Fundraising & development

Financial oversight

Public speaking

Relationship building

Education

Master's degree in nonprofit management / public administration / related field

Job description

About Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City (CCAOKC) has served the people of Central and Western Oklahoma since 1912. Rooted in the Church's commitment to human dignity and solidarity, the organization provides direct services across three integrated domains: housing stability, mental and emotional wellness, and pathways to self-sufficiency.

Programs include adoption and pregnancy services, immigration legal services, counseling, emergency assistance, homeless services, disaster relief, and workforce development. The organization also works through the Catholic Campaign for Human Development to address systemic poverty and injustice across the archdiocese.

CCAOKC is a mature, well-governed institution with a strong track record of organizational discipline and mission alignment. The organization enters its next chapter with a recently completed strategic plan, a committed board of directors, and a staff dedicated to advancing the Church's social mission in concrete, measurable ways.

The Opportunity

The Executive Director of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City holds the organization’s highest leadership responsibility and maintains a position of public trust, leading the organization's administrative and operational functions while serving as its most visible representative within the Archdiocese, among its parishes and clergy, and in the broader community.

The Executive Director must navigate the relational and structural dynamics of Catholic institutional life with credibility, advance the Church's social mission, and build the relationships that sustain the organization's work across Central and Western Oklahoma. The Executive Director is also accountable for the operational health of the organization, ensuring sound management of its people, finances, programs, and systems.

This is a significant leadership opportunity for a Catholic leader who is deeply formed in the faith, fluent in the culture and systems of the Church, and ready to lead a well-established organization into its next season of growth and impact. The incoming Executive Director will inherit a strong foundation: a clear strategic direction, an experienced staff, and a board committed to the mission. The leadership opportunity calls for someone who can deepen CCAOKC's presence across the Archdiocese, strengthen its community relationships, and lead with the kind of credibility that comes from living the mission.

Key Responsibilities

1. Mission, Catholic Identity, and Institutional Presence

• Serves as the primary ambassador of the organization's mission and Catholic identity across the Archdiocese, its parishes, and the broader community, representing the moral and social teachings of the Catholic Church in a manner that is authentic, credible, and consistent.
• Cultivates and stewards relationships with the Archbishop of Oklahoma City, diocesan leadership, pastors, and parish communities as a trusted representative of Catholic social ministry.
• Navigates the structures, culture, and relational dynamics of Catholic institutional life with confidence and appropriate deference, including the norms of consultation and discernment that characterize well-functioning Catholic organizations.
• Speaks fluently about Catholic social justice, its theological grounding, its relationship to the work of Catholic Charities, and its application to the communities CCAOKC serves.
• Preserves and advances the Catholic identity of the organization, enhancing the visibility of the Church's social mission in the community and across the diocesan field.

2. Organizational Leadership and Strategic Direction

• Provides executive leadership and strategic direction to the agency; leads the Executive Team in implementing and evaluating programs and services.
• Leads the implementation of the organization's strategic plan, ensuring priorities are translated into clear action, measurable progress, and accountability across the Executive Team.
• Supervises Executive Team members; supports their development and holds them accountable to organizational priorities.
• Concurrently serves as Executive Director of Catholic Charities' subordinate housing corporations.
• Leads with a capacity to inspire, moving the organization forward in a cohesive, collaborative fashion through innovative program development and strategic thinking combined with practical implementation.
• Builds and sustains a cohesive Executive Team through principle-centered, consensus-oriented leadership that balances effective decision-making with accountability.

3. Board Relations and Governance

• Serves as the primary staff resource to the Board of Directors and its committees; supports the board in fulfilling its governance responsibilities.
• Implements policy and directives approved by the Board of Directors; participates with the board in planning and development of services; assists board committees as needed.
• Serves as Assistant Secretary for the Corporation and Secretary Treasurer for the Board of Directors of Catholic Charities Housing Inc.
• Communicates proactively with the board to maintain alignment, confidence, and accountability.

4. External Relations, Community Presence, and Resource Development

• Serves as principal representative of the organization to constituents, donors, clergy, and community organizations.
• Oversees and participates in financial resource development, including the annual campaign, special events, and special projects for both Catholic Charities and Catholic Charities Housing Inc.
• Approves all grant applications; ensures proper accountability, compliance, and stewardship of grant funds.
• Functions as a coalition builder, instilling accountability while supporting team-based decision-making across community partnerships and constituent relationships.
• Builds relationships in the community by developing financial and volunteer support.

5. Financial and Operational Oversight

• Ensures sound fiscal and operational management across the organization; models and reinforces a culture of financial accountability.
• Oversees organizational compliance with all applicable financial and service requirements.
• Applies excellent knowledge of fiscal and operational management in the implementation and monitoring of sound financial systems and practices.
• Demonstrates exceptional organizational and administrative skills, including the ability to set goals and objectives, plan strategically, and follow through.

Qualifications

Required

• Active, practicing Catholic with a demonstrated Catholic identity, a personal and professional formation within the Church that shapes how you lead, relate, and make decisions.
• Working knowledge of Catholic institutional culture, including familiarity with diocesan structures, parish systems, and the relational and organizational dynamics of the Catholic Church.
• Demonstrated ability to represent an organization credibly and build trust across diverse stakeholders, including clergy, lay leaders, donors, and community partners.
• Minimum of five years of senior leadership experience at the Executive Director, C‑Suite, Senior Vice President, Vice President, or Senior Director level with commensurate experience in program oversight and evaluation, finance, fund development, and planning. Qualifying experience must have been attained within the past ten years.
• Strong communication, interpersonal, and public representation skills; able to speak compellingly about mission and build lasting relationships.

Preferred

• Master's degree in social work, public administration, nonprofit management, Catholic theology, or a related field.
• Experience working within or in close partnership with a Catholic diocese, Catholic social services network such as Catholic Charities USA, or similar faith-based institutional context.
• Experience in housing, behavioral health, immigrant services, or human services policy and delivery.
• Proficiency in Spanish.

Interested in learning more?

View the official Executive Director Job Description (PDF) for complete information about the role, qualifications, and expectations.

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City is an equal opportunity employer. Employment is contingent upon the ability to satisfactorily meet the Catholic identity requirements of this position, in accordance with applicable law.