Executive Director

Life Science Cares Bay Area; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 225,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision insurance

401(k) with employer match

Flexible PTO

12 paid holidays

Mobile/internet stipend

Job summary

Life Science Cares Bay Area seeks an Executive Director to lead strategic planning, fundraising, and program growth. You will oversee revenue generation, grantmaking, and community investment while guiding a four-person team and collaborating with the Board and national leadership.

You'll build partnerships across life sciences, nonprofits, and donors, driving the mission to expand regional impact and sustainable growth.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressively responsible professional experience.
• 5 to 10 years of nonprofit leadership experience.
• Understanding of the life science industry's business models and ecosystem.
• Strategic and innovative mindset with board-facing experience.
• Proven success in growing revenue through major gifts, corporate partnerships, and foundations.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic and operational planning with staff and the local Board, establishing goals, budgets, and success measures.
• Recruit, onboard, engage, and inspire Board members, supporting governance and decision-making.
• Coach, mentor, and develop staff; manage compensation and benefits to support goals.
• Implement staff recruitment, engagement, and retention strategies across hiring activities.
• Prepare and manage the annual budget; maintain fiscal soundness and cash flow.
• Drive multi-year revenue plans and diversify philanthropic support with donors and partners.
• Promote industry volunteerism and maximize engagement among companies and foundations.
• Ensure compliance with regulations and maintain official records.

Skills

Nonprofit leadership

Fundraising

Strategic planning

Board governance

Stakeholder engagement

Leadership & mentoring

Life sciences knowledge

Communication

Team leadership

Tools

Microsoft Teams

AI tools

CRMs

Job description

Life Science Cares (LSC) leverages the power of the life science industry to take on one of our most intractable social issues: poverty. Life Science Cares Bay Area is a collective of local companies and professionals across biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical technology, diagnostics, medical services, research, and professional services. Together, we invest time, talent, and resources in high-impact nonprofit organizations working to close opportunity gaps throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Last year, we partnered with more than 25 nonprofit partners and over 8,000 volunteer hours were deployed.

At Life Science Cares Bay Area, we focus on education, basic needs, and economic opportunity. Our programmatic arms provide:

Grants: Advancing the impact of carefully selected nonprofit partners working in education, basic needs, and economic opportunity. Life Science Cares Bay Area has awarded $4.8 million since inception.

Paid Internships: Project Onramp connects low-income and first-generation college students with paid internships at life science companies, mentors, and life-altering industry experiences.

Volunteer Opportunities: Engaging life science companies and professionals and their companies in thousands of hours of hands‑on partnership with community nonprofits.

Bespoke Projects: Working with local partners to design and implement select systemic solutions for healthcare access and STEM participation.

LEADERSHIP & CULTURE

Driven by our dedicated staff and led by the Executive Director in partnership with an experienced and well-networked nine-member Board, Life Science Cares Bay Area has achieved remarkable year-over-year growth over the past 5 years. Through our collaborative and innovative mindset and entrepreneurial spirit, we are positioned to expand our impact by building upon our thriving programs, our growing foundation of support, and well-developed partnerships throughout the Bay Area. The Executive Director will be the prominent face and voice of the organization, will set the organization’s culture at its interfaces with the nonprofit community and the Life Science community of donors and volunteers, and in conjunction with the Board, will advance and develop initiatives that inspire the team to have its greatest impact on our community.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

• Salary – $225,000 - $250,000 DOE/Neg.
• Medical, dental, vision, LTD, and life insurance
• 401(k) with employer match
• Flexible PTO, 12 paid holidays
• Mobile/internet stipend

LOCATION

This is a hybrid role that requires travel throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. The team meets on a weekly basis, in person.

POSITION SUMMARY

Reporting to the local Board Chair in collaboration with the National CEO, the Executive Director will provide strategic and operational leadership for Life Science Cares Bay Area and serve as a member of the National CEO's leadership team alongside the other affiliate Executive Directors. The Executive Director will oversee revenue generation, grantmaking and community investment, financial management, organizational development, staff leadership, marketing and public relations. They will manage a team of four staff members and will guide the organization's growth beyond its current $2M+ operating budget. The team includes two direct reports: the Director of Development and the Director of Programs and Community Engagement, as well as the Partnerships Manager and Development Operations and Marketing Manager.

The Executive Director will be the prominent face and voice of Life Science Cares Bay Area, setting the culture as the organization interfaces with both the nonprofit and life science communities. This leader will bring a collaborative, entrepreneurial, and people-centered approach while working with the local Board, National CEO, affiliate leaders, staff, donors, and volunteers to deepen regional impact.

Life Science Cares Bay Area is positioned for continued growth through its strong corporate engagement, nonprofit partnerships, and expanding community investment. The Executive Director will build on this momentum by advancing a clear strategic vision, strengthening revenue and programs, and inspiring staff, board members, donors, volunteers, and partners around the mission.

First Year Priorities for this role include:

• Relationship Building: Learn and understand the history of LSC both nationally and locally. Build strong relationships with the board, staff, and partners.
• Strategy: Develop and implement a compelling strategic vision and operating plan that advances the mission and positions Life Science Cares Bay Area for sustainable growth.
• Fundraising: Create and execute a comprehensive, multi-year revenue strategy that expands corporate, individual, and foundation support beyond the current $2M+ operating base.
• Programs: Deepen relationships across the life science and nonprofit communities to increase volunteer engagement, strengthen community investment, and broaden regional impact.
• Organizational Assessment: Evaluate LSC Bay Area’s current structure to ensure efficiency in workflows, systems, team capacity, and overall team communication.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead strategic and operational planning with staff and the local Board, establishing clear goals, objectives, budgets, and measures of success.
• Recruit, onboard, engage, and inspire Board members, and provide timely information that supports effective governance and informed decision-making.
• Coach, mentor, and develop staff; ensure appropriate staffing, skills, performance management, compensation, and benefits to support organizational goals.
• Implement a comprehensive staff recruitment, engagement, and retention strategy, and ensure appropriate staffing and skill levels through all hiring and professional development activities.
• Prepare and manage the annual budget, maintain fiscal soundness and appropriate cash flow, and approve expenditures within Board-delegated authority.
• Work with the National CEO and colleagues across affiliates to implement policies that support efficient operations, responsible use of resources, and high-quality community investment.
• Guide the development of performance management and reporting systems to set goals and measure outcomes for operational and programmatic excellence.
• Generate and deliver on a multi-year revenue plan to diversify philanthropic support, achieve annual fundraising goals, and cultivate and steward corporate, individual, and foundation donors.
• Promote industry volunteerism and maximize engagement among companies, senior leaders, employees, and community partners.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations and maintain official records.

BACKGROUND PROFILE

• Passion for Life Science Cares mission and driving community impact.
• 10+ years of progressively responsible professional experience.
• 5 to 10 years of nonprofit experience, ideally including nonprofit leadership, grantmaking, life sciences, biotechnology, healthcare, or philanthropy.
• Understanding of the life science industry's business models and economic environment, an established San Francisco Bay Area network, and empathy for people affected by poverty and social inequality.
• Strategic and innovative mindset; comfortable working with a board of experienced corporate leaders.
• Entrepreneurial, adaptable, and action-oriented leadership experience, with the ability to translate vision into effective plans and execution.
• Proven success in fostering organizational growth and implementing a long-term strategic plan.
• Senior leadership experience and expertise in board and volunteer engagement, fundraising, change management, team collaboration, talent development, and mentoring.
• Brings a positive, innovative, entrepreneurial, and solutions-oriented approach to work and relationships.
• Proven success growing revenue through major gifts, individual solicitation, corporate partnerships, foundation support, and donor stewardship.
• Persuasive written, verbal, public-speaking, and interpersonal communication skills, with excellent organization, judgment, diplomacy, and attention to detail.
• Demonstrated ability to build impactful partnerships across diverse constituencies, including employees, board members, volunteers, donors, and partners.
• Strong organizational and prioritization skills, adept at managing multiple projects concurrently with meticulous attention to detail.
• Skilled in working with technology and tools to improve workflows, project management, and productivity, including proficiency with Microsoft Teams, AI tools, CRMs, etc.
• Highly empathetic, exhibiting sound judgment, tact, and diplomacy in interactions with internal and external stakeholders.