Chief Impact Officer

The Chief Impact Officer (CIO) is a key member of the Senior Team and is the architect of Operation Homefront’s programmatic future—driving innovation, scaling impact, and ensuring that every initiative delivers measurable outcomes and long-term sustainability. Reporting to the CEO, this role leads the organization’s program strategy, execution, measurement, and innovation to maximize impact for military and veteran families. The CIO drives enterprise-wide alignment between mission outcomes and revenue growth, ensuring that programs deliver measurable results, scalability, and sustainability. Through data-driven insights, forward-thinking leadership, and cross-functional collaboration, the CIO will shape Operation Homefront’s future impact and position the organization as a sector leader.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Impact Management

❖Develop and execute a comprehensive organizational impact strategy aligned with mission, long-term goals, and innovation priorities. Determine optimal blend of organic program delivery and external partnerships to maximize effective and efficient impact.

❖Partner with the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Revenue Officer to align program strategy with organizational growth objectives, ensuring that impact outcomes drive fundraising success and stakeholder engagement.

❖Design and implement a robust enterprise-wide impact measurement and evaluation system with well-defined KPIs, success metrics, and ROI indicators for all programs to inform strategic decisions, optimize program performance, and demonstrate value to funders and stakeholders.

❖Develop and execute a strategy for ongoing needs evaluation of military and veteran families through internal and external research to determine the most relevant and impactful program portfolio to address those needs.

❖Partner with the CEO and Senior Team to evaluate growth opportunities and drive strategic planning cycles.

❖Prepare Board materials and facilitate Board discussions utilizing data-driven insight and strategic context.

Program Oversight & Performance Optimization

❖Provide executive oversight of all programmatic departments, ensuring quality delivery, operational efficiency, and mission alignment.

❖Continuously assess program performance through data analysis, stakeholder feedback, and cost-benefit evaluations.

❖Lead program design/redesign initiatives to strengthen outcomes, increase scale, and improve cost-effectiveness.

Change Management & Organizational Transformation

❖Champion cross-functional change management strategies that support innovation, process improvement, and organizational agility.

❖Develop systems to ensure smooth adoption of new initiatives, technology, and operating models across diverse and geographically dispersed teams.

ROI & Growth Strategy Development

❖Collaborate with the CRO to ensure programmatic growth plans are integrated with fundraising strategies, leveraging impact data to attract and retain donors.

❖Build and implement a multi-year programmatic growth plan tied to ROI, revenue models, and sustainability goals.

❖Conduct market analysis, competitive benchmarking, and financial modeling to identify scalable opportunities.

❖Evaluate the financial and mission-based return of initiatives and guide resource allocation to maximize impact.

❖Integrate project plans that ensure alignment between strategic objectives, program delivery requirements, and future operational capacity.

Data, Evaluation & Reporting

❖Oversee data analytics, evaluation functions, dashboards, and strategic insights that inform decision-making.

❖Deliver clear, compelling impact reports for funders, partners, boards, and internal stakeholders.

❖Ensure rigorous compliance, accountability, and data integrity across all program areas.

Stakeholder Engagement & Partnership Development

❖Cultivate and manage relationships with key partners, funders, government and military support agencies, and community stakeholders.

❖Serve as a national thought leader on military family support, program innovation, and impact measurement, positioning Operation Homefront as a leading voice in the sector.

❖Support fundraising efforts by articulating program effectiveness, scalability, and ROI to donors.

The Candidate

Qualifications

❖15+ years of progressive leadership experience in program management, impact evaluation, or organizational strategy. Non-profit experience a plus. Military experience a plus.

❖Master’s degree in public administration, business, public policy, social sciences, or related field strongly preferred.

❖Demonstrated expertise in change management methodologies and organizational transformation.

❖Strong analytical skills with proven ability to design program metrics, dashboards, ROI analyses, and evaluation frameworks.

❖Experience scaling programs, managing multi-year growth plans, and leading remote cross-functional teams.

❖Exceptional communication, facilitation, and leadership abilities.

❖Commitment to equity, innovation, and mission-driven work.

The ideal candidate is a seasoned, mission-driven leader with 15+ years of progressive experience in program management, impact evaluation, or organizational strategy, ideally within nonprofit or military contexts. They bring advanced training (master’s preferred) and deep expertise in change management and organizational transformation, paired with strong analytical skills to design metrics, dashboards, and evaluation frameworks that drive results. Proven at scaling programs and leading cross-functional teams through multi-year growth, this individual is an exceptional communicator and facilitator who leads with clarity, equity, and a commitment to innovation and impact.

To learn more and apply, please visit: https://driwaterstonehc.com/position/cio-operation-homefront/