Executive Director, Enhanced Life Options Group

Enhanced Life Options Group Seeks an Executive Director

About the Organization

Enhanced Life Options Group (ELO) is the premier administrator of Special Needs Trusts and the sole administrator of Special Needs Pooled Trusts (SNTs) in New Hampshire and Vermont. What began 33 years ago as a volunteer-run start-up has grown into a lean, cost-effective 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization actively serving 300 SNT beneficiaries.

Following the loss of its founding director in 2025, ELO’s board of directors is seeking a successor to provide steady leadership, sustain ELO’s strong financial base, modernize the organization’s operating infrastructure, and expand its products and services. The opportunity is to preserve ELO’s client-centered culture and committed staff while building the operational capacity necessary for long-term growth and sustainability.

The organization operates on an annual budget of approximately $750,000, with investment management services outsourced. ELO administers all trusts in compliance with applicable state and federal laws and takes its responsibilities of loyalty, care, and transparency very seriously. It seeks these same qualities in its next executive leader.

ELO’s six staff members bring valuable experience and a strong commitment to the organization’s work. They describe ELO as a flexible workplace where employees value meaningful client relationships, collegiality, and autonomy. During this period of transition, ELO benefits from strong interim leadership and board governance comprised of five directors.

Opportunities and Challenges

The agency has experienced significant growth, creating an opportunity to further strengthen its infrastructure, systems, and capacity to keep pace and support its expanding work and impact. It will be the responsibility of the next leader to:

Continue to modernize systems and strengthen operations

ELO needs a strong client relationship management system to store and efficiently maintain client data. Modernization will improve access to information, continuity, and the organization’s capacity to serve clients. The new Executive Director must direct clear modernization priorities and timelines, engage staff in practical solutions, and support adopting and sustaining the necessary changes prioritized by the board.

Build a resilient, high performing team

The incoming leader will further strengthen ELO’s culture of excellence and infrastructure to support the team’s effectiveness, resilience, and sustainability. This may include assessing the staffing plan, cross-training staff, hiring new positions, assessing benefit and compensation plans, updating policies and standard operating procedures, and enhancing performance evaluation processes and professional development opportunities.

Strengthen customer relations and communication systems

ELO supports a diverse mix of SNT beneficiaries with a wide variety of interests, communication styles, and functional support needs. Focus is needed to increase staff’s capacity and public facing resources (e.g. website) to support universal access. Heightened attention is required to ensure SNT procedures and any required technology is usable, and accessible, and that communications are in plain language, respectful and effective. Practices must be ethical, consistent, and transparent in keeping with clients best interests and in compliance with state and federal regulations, and the Uniform Trust Code. In these ways, ELO will maintain the highest standards of customer service, fiduciary responsibility, and protect its clients’ future wellbeing.

Align with the priorities of the Board

The board recently diversified its directors and is in the process of setting strategic intentions for the future of ELO. The next leader must establish a collaborative relationship with the board to contribute to its success in focusing on the strategic vision, financial stewardship, and executive oversight, while empowering the Executive Director to manage staff, external relationships, fiscal management, and daily operations.

Qualities Needed in the Next Executive Director

ELO is seeking candidates with most of the following professional qualifications and characteristics.

Mission-aligned knowledge and judgment

• Working knowledge of laws and regulations that govern special needs trust administration, state and federal public benefit programs, and how they intersect.
• Experience working with diverse customers with disabilities who experience a high degree of individual variation in their lived experience, family life, socio-economic status, and service array.
• Proven financial management knowledge and skills to oversee and direct organizational resources and understand client financial accountings.
• Experience making sound, ethical, client-centered decisions that take into consideration short and long-term needs, including the preservation and maintenance of assets under supervision in accordance with laws and regulations governing SNTs and connected guardianship or conservatorship orders.
• Knowledge of systems of care for people with disabilities.
• An effective communicator who can clearly explain complex trust, benefits, or policy matters.

Exceptional organizational stewardship

• A track record of improving systems, streamlining workflows, documenting policies and procedures, and helping teams move to operational continuity.
• Demonstrated technical and adaptive leadership qualities with several years of experience coaching and supervising staff for desired performance, change management, and organizational and customer service outcomes.
• The ability to engage staff in the adoption of modern operational systems while respecting and acknowledging organizational history.
• Experience with evaluating current and future personnel needs, including but not limited to, the delegation of duties, workload, job responsibilities, and capacity constraints.
• Demonstrated experience preparing and executing strategic plans, using data for decision-making, effective board engagement and communications.

Accessible, collaborative leadership

• Personable, approachable, warm, and active listener.
• Proven experience engaging with community stakeholders and employing effective customer relations.
• Facilitative leadership experience managing teams and people of diverse backgrounds to build shared knowledge, solution-finding, and confidence.
• Demonstrated ability of fostering a collegial, flexible workplace culture while establishing clear expectations, accountability, and professional standards.

Qualifications

Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in an applicable major, e.g. accounting, social work, paralegal, special education; master’s degree preferred, e.g. MSW, Juris Doctor, MBA.

Compensation and Benefits

This is a full-time, salaried, exempt position with an annual salary range of $120,000 - $140,000, commensurate with experience and qualifications. While a physical presence in the Laconia, NH office is expected, there is opportunity for hybrid work.

ELO offers a comprehensive benefits package with health, vision, retirement, paid time off, and sick time.

Application Process

ELO provides equal employment opportunities to qualified individuals, regardless of race, creed, color, sex, age, national origin, ancestry, religion, physical, or mental disability, veteran’s status, familial status, marital status, domestic status, gender identity, affectional or sexual orientation, genetic information, or other classifications as protected by applicable law.

Candidates must include a resume and a cover letter, both in PDF format, which describe how your qualifications and experience match the needs and mission of the ELO. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. A background check will be required for finalists. Upload required documents to: https://eostransitions.applicantpool.com/jobs/.

This executive search is being conducted by Eos Transition Partners consultant, Nancy Jackson. All submissions will be acknowledged and are confidential, and any questions can be submitted to Nancy Jackson (njackson@eostransitions.com).