Vice President, Program Planning and Growth

Are you a builder, a connector, and a bold thinker who thrives at the intersection of planning, strategy, growth, and social impact? Do you enjoy working with people, engaging partners, and making things happen? If you’re passionate about delivering meaningful results that improve lives—this role may be your calling.

Lutheran Services in America is a national network of 300 health and human service organizations. Together, we serve one in 50 Americans each year—families, older adults, children, and communities—through innovative solutions and strong partnerships. As a member-driven organization, we focus on addressing urgent, cross-cutting challenges impacting our members, including workforce development, health and housing, access to care (Medicare and Medicaid), and the intersection of health care and non-medical services and supports. We’re looking for a strategic, mission-driven leader to help us grow high-impact programs, deepen our reach, and support the leaders and organizations that make our work possible.

About the Role

The Vice President, Program Planning and Development is a key member of the Executive Leadership Team (ELT), responsible for shaping and scaling some of Lutheran Services in America’s most dynamic national initiatives—including the Results Innovation Lab, Rural Aging Action Network, and Health and Housing Solutions. This leader plays a critical role in advancing the organization’s long-term strategic objectives through program growth, enterprise alignment, and relationship-driven investment strategies.

This is a people-first leadership position, deeply rooted in collaboration. The Vice President will mentor and inspire a high-performing team, cultivate trusted cross-sector partnerships, and bring bold ideas to life through smart planning, strategic funding, and a relentless commitment to impact.

Key Responsibilities

Program Planning and Growth

• • Lead the planning, development, and scaling of high-impact national initiatives that strengthen leaders and support families, youth, older adults, and communities.
  • Oversee the design and implementation of new programs and the replication of proven models to extend reach and impact.
  • Ensure alignment between programmatic work and the organization’s long-term strategic objectives.
  • Support cross-network collaboration, identifying shared challenges and solutions across LSA’s 300-member organizations.

Business Development and Investment Strategy

• • Drive business development efforts to expand investment in core initiatives and open new revenue pathways.
  • Cultivate partnerships with institutional funders, foundations, healthcare, financial institutions and other sector partners to grow long-term financial sustainability.
  • Develop investment strategies that align mission, program growth, and network-wide benefit.

Enterprise Alignment and Cross-Functional Integration

• • Lead integration of long-term strategic objectives across the enterprise.
  • Collaborate with the ELT to drive cross-functional planning and alignment across major initiatives.
  • Ensure that programmatic, strategic, and operational workstreams are cohesive and mutually reinforcing.

Team Leadership and Culture Building

• • Manage and mentor a high-performing team of Senior Directors and program staff.
  • Foster a mission-driven culture rooted in collaboration, curiosity, and shared accountability.
  • Model adaptive leadership to navigate complexity, co-create solutions, and promote continuous learning.

Partnership and Cross-Sector Engagement

• • Build and sustain strategic partnerships across healthcare, philanthropy, nonprofit leadership, academia, and allied organizations.
  • Advance cross-sector collaboration that connects social care and healthcare in ways that are locally grounded and nationally scalable.
  • Represent LSA in national coalitions, convenings, and initiatives to elevate the voice and visibility of the network.

Qualifications

• • 10+ years of senior leadership experience in nonprofit management, healthcare, philanthropy, or a related field, with a strong track record in business development and strategic growth.
  • Proven success in cultivating and securing major investments from foundations, institutional funders, or other philanthropic partners.
  • Deep understanding of nonprofit funding models, including government and philanthropic revenue streams, and experience designing sustainability strategies for complex initiatives.
  • Demonstrated ability to build strategic partnerships and translate bold ideas into fundable opportunities.
  • Skilled at navigating funder relationships, from vision alignment to proposal development and stewardship.
  • Experience managing senior professionals and building high-performing, mission-aligned teams.
  • Exceptional communicator and relationship-builder, comfortable representing the organization to external stakeholders and national audiences.
  • Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Nonprofit Management, Public Administration, Health Administration, Business, or a related field.

Please send a cover letter, copy of your resume and salary requirement to afrerichs@lutheranservices.org. No phone calls please