President & Chief Executive Officer

Devex; St. Paul (KS); Remote; USD 225,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading rehabilitation organization is seeking a President & Chief Executive Officer to lead and innovate in trauma-informed care. This role is pivotal in strengthening the mission to heal survivors of torture while advocating for justice and human rights globally. The ideal candidate will have extensive leadership experience and a deep commitment to the mission of ending torture worldwide. The compensation package includes a salary of $225,000 - $250,000.

Benefits

Health benefits

Retirement plan

Paid time off

Professional development

Qualifications

• Over ten years of senior leadership experience with multifunctional oversight.
• Strong change management skills and a history of fostering inclusive, high-trust team cultures.
• Demonstrated fundraising success across individual, corporate, and foundation sectors.

Responsibilities

• Lead a complex, mission-critical portfolio including trauma-informed clinical care.
• Strengthen organizational sustainability while elevating its voice globally.
• Guide the organization with clarity, courage, and conviction.

Skills

Cross-cultural fluency

Fundraising success

Operational excellence

Strategic thinking

Change management

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree in relevant field

Job description

Overview

President & Chief Executive Officer
The Center for Victims of Torture (CVT)

The Center for Victims of Torture (CVT) is a globally recognized leader in the field of torture rehabilitation and human rights advocacy. CVT is dedicated to healing survivors of torture and ending torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment or punishment (CIDT). Founded in 1985 as the first torture survivor rehabilitation center in the United States—and the second globally—CVT has developed specialized models of care that are internationally recognized for their effectiveness in treating individuals who have experienced severe trauma. The organization provides trauma-informed mental health services and multidisciplinary rehabilitative care to survivors in the United States, Africa, and the Middle East, while also extending support to families and communities to broaden the circle of healing.

CVT plays a critical role in building global capacity for survivor care by offering training and consultation to other torture rehabilitation centers, enhancing provider skills and promoting sustainable practices. It continues to create multiple avenues of impact across human rights and shaped the sector with its provision of treatment. The organization also engages in advocacy at local, national, and international levels to oppose torture and support human rights protections. In recent years, CVT has expanded its efforts to include secondary trauma and resiliency training for legal and medical professionals, particularly those working with asylum seekers and survivors of systemic injustice, including racial violence and abuse in detention settings.

Operating in politically complex environments, CVT collaborates with human rights defenders and organizations around the world. Through its unwavering commitment to healing, advocacy, and capacity-building, CVT continues to lead the global movement toward a future where torture no longer exists, and survivors can rebuild their lives with dignity and hope.

CVT Mission

The mission of the Center for Victims of Torture is to heal the wounds of torture on individuals, their families and their communities and to end torture worldwide.

CVT Vision

The Center for Victims of Torture’s vision is a world without torture.

CVT Values

• Hope – We believe a better future is possible.

• Human Dignity – We commit to respecting the humanity of all people.

• Integrity – We commit to holding ourselves accountable, ensuring honesty and transparency.

• Equity – We commit to dismantling barriers to justice and advancing opportunities for all.

• Collaboration – We commit to listening to, working with, and learning from survivors and each other.

The Transformation Context

In early 2025, sweeping administrative changes in the United States triggered a pivotal moment for CVT. Significant reductions in U.S. foreign aid, humanitarian assistance, and human rights infrastructure directly impacted funding for CVT’s core mission—healing, justice, accountability, and capacity development. The organization confronted the reality that the scale of suffering caused by torture and human rights abuses far exceeds the systems currently in place to address it. CVT is embarking on a strategic transformation that honors its legacy while reimagining its future, reaffirming its commitment to survivors of torture and conflict-related trauma while reshaping the systems needed to support their healing.

A New Framework for Impact

CVT will organize its work around three interconnected pillars:

• Healing: Delivering trauma-informed, interdisciplinary mental healthcare and rehabilitation to survivors.
• Justice & Accountability: Advancing survivor-centered efforts to pursue justice and hold perpetrators of torture and atrocities accountable.
• Systems Change: Strengthening the capacity of organizations and systems to support survivors throughout their healing journey.

To bring this vision to life, CVT is reorganizing its teams and programs, integrating technology in innovative ways, and exploring new revenue streams to expand its reach and sustain its mission. With the full support of its Board of Directors and a dedicated, world-class staff, CVT has launched several pilot initiatives designed to test and innovate across key areas:

• Torture and Trauma Platform: A centralized, digital hub that dynamically shares CVT’s global knowledge, skills, and expertise. This platform will serve a wide range of stakeholders—including those not yet identified—who may benefit from CVT’s work in unexpected ways.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) Integration: Embedding artificial intelligence across CVT’s programs to foster creativity, improve efficiency, elevate workforce skills, and explore new models for training clinicians, delivering services, processing data, and resource development. All AI applications will be guided by ethical standards and a “human-in-the-loop” approach.
• Trauma-Informed Advisory Service: A consulting and training initiative that brings CVT’s trauma-informed methodologies to companies and organizations, generating new revenue while expanding impact.
• Psychotherapy Expansion Pilot: Offering CVT’s expert trauma therapy to individuals who can pay out of pocket or through private insurance—creating a new revenue stream and broadening access to care.

These pilots will provide critical insights into market demand, the scalability of digital tools, and opportunities to grow CVT’s network of organizations and leaders equipped to support survivors.

Leadership Opportunity

A Transformative Moment—and a Call for Leadership

As CVT steps into this transformative chapter, it is seeking a visionary CEO to lead the way. This is an extraordinary opportunity for an innovative, creative leader to shape the future of healing, justice, and global impact.

The Opportunity

Position

President & Chief Executive Officer

Location

Remote (Organization is Headquartered in Minnesota)

Reporting Relationship

Board of Directors

Website

CVT website: cvt.org

Purpose of the Position

The President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) will lead a complex, mission-critical portfolio that includes trauma-informed clinical care, global programming, advocacy, innovative research, and capacity-building initiatives. As CEO, you will be the driving force behind CVT’s strategic direction—strengthening organizational sustainability while elevating its voice as a trusted global authority in torture rehabilitation and prevention.

This role offers the opportunity to directly impact lives across continents, helping survivors find hope and healing. Communities will be empowered, systems transformed, and action inspired—from donors and policymakers to frontline staff and global partners—mobilizing support for one of the most urgent human rights issues of our time.

The ideal candidate brings cross-cultural fluency and trauma-informed, survivor-centered leadership, along with a proven track record of fundraising success across individual, public, and private sectors. They have served as a compelling spokesperson and global thought leader, demonstrated operational excellence and business transformation expertise, and shown an unwavering commitment to human rights. With a history of leading successful organizational change and collaborating effectively with Boards of Directors, they are prepared to guide CVT into its next chapter of global impact.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership and Vision
• External Engagement and Relationship Development
• Governance and Board Engagement
• Operational Oversight
• Direct Reports

The Candidate

Experience and Professional Qualifications

The Center for Victims of Torture (CVT) seeks a bold, visionary, and entrepreneurial leader who embodies its mission: to heal the wounds of torture experienced by individuals, families, and communities—and to end torture worldwide. This is a rare opportunity to lead a globally respected organization at a pivotal moment of transformation, with daily impact across the human rights sector.

The ideal candidate brings deep subject matter expertise in humanitarian or human rights work, along with senior leadership experience in complex nonprofit, corporate, academic, global health, or mental health systems. They are a strategic thinker, compassionate changemaker, and visionary ambassador—fluent in cross-cultural dynamics and committed to trauma-informed, survivor-centered leadership.

As President and Chief Executive Officer, this individual will thrive at the intersection of vision and execution, with a proven track record in revenue generation and a passion for building sustainable, mission-driven institutions. They will serve as CVT’s chief ambassador, guiding the organization with clarity, courage, and conviction, and demonstrating the business acumen, cultural awareness, and inspirational presence needed to expand CVT’s global impact and sustainability.

Specific experience, qualifications and characteristics sought include:

• Over ten years of senior leadership experience with multifunctional oversight.
• Proven success in humanitarian aid, human rights, global health, or mental health systems.
• Strong change management skills and a history of fostering inclusive, high-trust team cultures.
• Demonstrated fundraising success across individual, corporate, and foundation sectors.
• Experience in media engagement, public campaigning, and policy advocacy.
• Deep commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, with a track record of building inclusive environments.
• Strategic thinking and the ability to integrate innovative ideas into programming.
• Extensive fiscal management experience, including oversight of complex, multi-regional budgets.
• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills, with enthusiasm for CVT’s mission and a drive to build relationships across a broad spectrum of stakeholders.
• Unquestionable professional ethics and a personal commitment to continuous improvement.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in public policy, public health, social work, psychology, international affairs, nonprofit management, law, or a related field preferred.

Compensation & Benefits

• CVT offers a competitive, mission-aligned compensation package including salary, health benefits, retirement plan, paid time off, professional development, and other benefits. The anticipated salary range for this role is $225,000 - $250,000.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Commitment

• CVT is committed to hiring and fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce that leverages the skills and talents of all employees in our organization, regardless of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions), gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, veteran status, familial status, genetic information, or any other protected status. We encourage candidates with diverse backgrounds such as these to apply for this position.

Application & Nominations

• Applications should include a resume/CV and brief cover letter describing alignment with CVT’s mission, impact goals, and leadership profile to [e-mail]. Nominations and confidential inquiries are welcome.

Jodi Weiss

Market Leader, Senior Client Partner

T. [phone]

E. [e-mail]

Jordan Williams

Sector Leader

T. [phone]

E. [e-mail]

Julie Palmer Johnson

Managing Associate

T. [phone]

E. [e-mail]