Status: Full-time, exempt employee

Reports to: Board of Directors

Location: Baltimore, MD

Salary: $160,000 to $170,000

Deadline: Best consideration by mid-April. Resume reviews begin immediately.

About Marian House 

Marian House is a holistic, healing community providing housing and wraparound support services to women and their families in Baltimore. Its mission is to offer a safe and loving environment that challenges women to confront emotional and socioeconomic barriers, build on their strengths, and create stable, productive lives. Marian House envisions a society transformed by unlocking the potential of the women it serves.

Founded in 1982 by the Sisters of Mercy and the School Sisters of Notre Dame, Marian House was born out of a response to women leaving the Baltimore City Women's Detention Center with nowhere to turn. The complementary charisms of its founding congregations — compassionate service and justice on one hand, education and human development on the other — shaped the holistic, dignity-centered model that defines Marian House today. While rooted in Catholic social tradition, Marian House serves women of all faiths and backgrounds.

Marian House serves approximately 120 women and 40 children each year through a three-level continuum of care:

• Marian House I – Structured transitional housing focused on stabilization, employment readiness, and healing.
• Marian House II – Independent living with continued employment and life skills support, including the Family Program for family reunification.
• Marian House III (Shelter Plus Care/Serenity Place) – Permanent supportive housing for program graduates.

Across all levels, Marian House provides case management, employment assistance, education, and wraparound support services. Its approach is deeply relational and trauma-informed, emphasizing healing, empowerment, and long-term independence. Marian House holds CARF accreditation, reflecting its commitment to meeting rigorous standards for service quality, organizational accountability, and dignity-centered care.

With an annual operating budget of approximately $4.5 million, Marian House is led by a committed Board of Directors and a senior leadership team overseeing operations, finance, advancement, and programming. MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving recognized Marian House’s impact with a $2 million award in 2024. Learn more at marianhouse.org. 

Leadership Opportunity

Marian House seeks a compassionate and strategic President & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead the organization into its next chapter of impact. The CEO, reporting to the Board of Directors, will provide visionary leadership, operational oversight, and external representation for an organization that has become a trusted and transformative presence in Baltimore. The CEO will serve as the organization's chief fundraiser and external ambassador, building and deepening relationships with donors, funders, and community partners to ensure Marian House's long-term sustainability. The CEO will steward Marian House's deeply relational, trauma-informed culture while modernizing the operational infrastructure and strengthening systems, partnerships, and the diversified funding base needed to continue to deliver an exceptional level of care and service to Marian House's women and families.

The next CEO will inherit a strong foundation: a respected reputation, a strong leadership team, a CARF-accredited continuum-of-care model, and a mission that resonates deeply with supporters and stakeholders. They will also have the opportunity to:

• Strengthen financial sustainability and diversify revenue streams
• Transform internal systems and operational infrastructure to match the organization's ambitions and ensure clients receive seamless, high-quality, dignity-centered services
• Elevate Marian House across Baltimore's affordable housing, reentry, and social services ecosystem
• Deepen board engagement and philanthropic investment

The CEO supervises six direct reports: Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Advancement Officer, two Chief Program Officers, and an Administrative Assistant. They will cultivate alignment across the leadership team, ensuring clarity of priorities, cross-functional collaboration, and accountability to outcomes.

As Marian House continues serving women navigating housing instability, trauma, reentry, and economic hardship, the CEO will ensure that the organization's internal capacity—its systems, processes, staffing, and technology—meets the complexity of the work. The CEO will guide the organization by embodying the charisms of the Sisters of Mercy and the School Sisters of Notre Dame through mercy, justice, and the transformative power of education, while adapting to changing funding and policy landscapes. 

Specific areas of responsibility include:

Vision, Strategy, and Organizational Leadership

• In partnership with the Board, articulate and implement a compelling strategic vision aligned with Marian House’s mission and values.
• Lead strategic planning and translate long-term goals into measurable annual priorities, budgets, and operational plans.
• Foster a culture of inclusion, respect, empowerment, and accountability across the organization.
• Align organizational structure, staffing, and systems to ensure high-quality service delivery.
• Adapt strategy in response to changes in need, funding, and policy environments.
• Build a strong relationship with Marian House’s corporate board, including attending annual leadership conferences of the two sponsoring organizations, the School Sisters of Notre Dame and Sisters of Mercy.
• Maintain a transparent and collaborative partnership with the Board of Directors, providing regular and comprehensive updates on organizational performance and finances.
• Support governance best practices and board development, including strengthening board engagement in fundraising and strategic oversight.

Fundraising and Financial Stewardship

• Personally lead and champion the organization's fundraising efforts, modeling a culture of philanthropy across the organization and board.
• Ensure Marian House's long-term financial sustainability through strong fiscal management and a diversified revenue strategy that spans private philanthropy, government contracts, and Medicaid reimbursements.
• Navigate and steward Marian House's relationships with federal, state, and local funding partners, ensuring compliance, timely reporting, and proactive engagement.
• Oversee annual budgeting, financial reporting, audits, and compliance in partnership with the Chief Financial Officer and Board Finance Committee.
• Partner with the Chief Advancement Officer and Board to develop and execute comprehensive fundraising plans spanning individual donors, foundations, and corporations.
• Cultivate, solicit, and steward a personal portfolio of major donors and institutional funders, serving as Marian House's most visible philanthropic ambassador.

External Relations, Advocacy, and Community Engagement

• Serve as the primary spokesperson for Marian House, elevating its mission and impact across Baltimore and beyond.
• Represent Marian House at public events, conferences, and media engagements to enhance visibility and credibility
• Build strong relationships with sponsoring organizations (Sisters of Mercy and School Sisters of Notre Dame), government officials, community leaders, and partner organizations.
• Advance advocacy strategies that support housing stability, reentry services, and systemic solutions for women and families experiencing housing instability.

Program Excellence and Impact

• Oversee the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of Marian House's continuum of care, ensuring it remains a model of trauma-informed service delivery.
• Work with the Chief Program Officers to implement and strengthen systems for monitoring outcomes and evaluating program effectiveness using data-informed decision-making.
• Maintain CARF accreditation standards and lead the organization through accreditation review cycles, using the process as an opportunity for continuous quality improvement.
• Maintain appropriate staffing and professional development to ensure high-quality services.

Staff Leadership and Organizational Culture

• Lead, mentor, and develop a diverse, skilled, values-driven team.
• Establish clear expectations, performance metrics, and accountability systems.
• Cultivate a collaborative and supportive workplace culture that reflects Marian House's core values of dignity, trust, and integrity — and that extends trauma-informed principles to the staff experience as well as the client experience.
• Attract, motivate, and retain talented professionals committed to mission-driven work.

Experience, Skills, and Qualities

This position is a challenging and rewarding opportunity requiring a diverse set of skills and experiences. While no single candidate will possess every qualification listed, priority areas include:

• At least 7 years of progressive leadership experience in a nonprofit, social services, affordable housing, reentry, or related mission-driven organization.
• Strong strategic and operational leadership, including experience translating vision into measurable plans and outcomes.
• A demonstrated commitment to equity, inclusion, and trauma-informed practice.
• Proven success supervising senior leaders and fostering cohesive executive teams.
• Demonstrated respect for diverse backgrounds and points of view; ability to elevate underrepresented voices.
• Experience working closely with a nonprofit board and supporting effective governance.
• Talent for building consensus through strong emotional intelligence, excellent listening skills, and deep compassion. Leads teams with empathy, equity, dignity, and respect.
• Experience with affordable housing and human services, including trauma-informed, dignity-affirming models, and knowledge of the Baltimore social services, affordable housing, and/or reentry landscape are preferred.

Location and Travel

Marian House is located in Baltimore, MD. The CEO is expected to maintain a strong in-person, on-the-ground presence with staff, residents, and community partners and to represent the organization throughout the Baltimore region.

Compensation

The Board is targeting a salary range of $160,000 to $170,000, commensurate with experience. Marian House offers a competitive benefits package, including health coverage, retirement benefits, and paid time off. 

Application Process

Marian House is conducting this search in partnership with Good Insight, a national executive search firm serving the nonprofit sector. Interested applicants should upload a PDF resume and a detailed cover letter to www.good-insight.org/careers. 

Resume reviews begin immediately. For best consideration, please apply by mid-April. Early applications are encouraged due to the pace of the search. Please direct confidential inquiries to Kate Dykgraaf and Erin Lau at MarianHouse@good-insight.org. 

Equal Opportunity Employer

Marian House is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and participants. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.