Executive Director, HEY!

HEY! (Hopeful Empowered Youth) is looking for our next Executive leader who will work with youth and system leaders from across sectors to institute practices, programs, and policies that respond to youth experiences and improve their mental well-being in schools, healthcare settings, home environments, and the community.  Candidates are encouraged to apply by April 4 at https://www.hopefulempoweredyouth.org/2025/03/07/join-the-hey-team/ 

JOB DESCRIPTION: HEY (HOPEFUL EMPOWERED YOUTH) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

POSITION SUMMARY

The Executive Director will lead the execution of HEY! Greater Cincinnati’s agenda to dramatically
improve youth mental health and well-being across the region, including implementation of
collaborative-identified priorities. The Executive Director will mobilize diverse community partners,
resources, and youth themselves in driving collective impact. Finally, the Executive Director will
ensure that we measure results and track our community’s progress, adapt over time, and scale
what works to make our region a leader in supporting the well-being of our youth.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RESPONSIBILITIES

Join us in advancing a 10-year strategy and vision to advance youth mental health and well-being in
Greater Cincinnati. As the Executive Director of HEY! (Hopeful Empowered Youth), you'll spearhead a
dynamic, multi-stakeholder effort aimed at revolutionizing mental health support for youth across the
Greater Cincinnati region.

Your role will be pivotal in orchestrating collaboration among diverse partners, including community
organizations, healthcare providers, educational institutions, government agencies, and youth
advocates. Through strategic vision and effective leadership, you'll harness the collective expertise
and resources to drive meaningful change at both systemic and grassroots levels.

You'll have the opportunity to shape innovative programs, policies, and interventions that prioritize
prevention and early intervention, destigmatize mental health issues, and foster a culture of
compassion and understanding. By championing inclusivity and diversity, you'll ensure that our
initiatives are accessible and relevant to all youth, regardless of background or circumstance.

As a passionate advocate for youth mental health and well-being, you'll engage with stakeholders at
all levels, from boardrooms to classrooms, to raise awareness, mobilize support, and inspire
meaningful action. By cultivating a culture of empathy and empowerment, you'll nurture a network of
changemakers who are committed to building a brighter future for generations to come.

Join us in making a lasting impact on the lives of young people and creating communities where
every individual can thrive. Together, we'll unlock the potential of collective action to transform the
landscape of youth mental health and pave the way for a healthier, more resilient society.

An initial Executive Director served in this role for eight months and built a strong foundation of
collaboration and work processes, including the hiring of two Program Managers. We are seeking an
exceptional leader to continue to build on this momentum, as the initial Executive Director has had
to step away for personal reasons.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic guidance towards the common vision

● Steward a common agenda, vision, and goals across the collaborative’s bodies
● Lead the collaborative development of strategies to advance the common agenda, while
responding to emergent challenges and opportunities
● Ensure the collaborative’s strategies and activities reflect a commitment to equity
● Ensure information flows appropriately across the initiative’s various groups, and maintain
communication with individual participants to sustain their engagement in the initiative
● Serve as a thought leader and innovator for the work

Guide aligned activities

● Lead the overall work plan for the initiative at all levels, including planning and
implementation
● Direct the initiative’s administration, including budget, information systems, two Program
Managers, and support functions
● Determine needed resources, staffing, and support to meet the initiative’s goals and expand
the infrastructure as needed to accomplish goals
● Create realistic timelines to accomplish tasks, balancing community and Steering
Committee needs
● Facilitate and plan regular Steering Committee and Policy Advisory Committee meetings in
partnership with the Executive Committee
● Build an inclusive culture for all initiative members, prioritizing the belonging and safety of
those community members who need us the most
● Facilitate collaboration amongst the Youth Fellowship, the Steering Committee, and the
Working Groups, while always centering the voice and leadership of youth
● Support communication and planning and implementation of priority activities

Cultivate community engagement and ownership

● Serve as a public face of the collaborative, in service of a goal that is community-wide rather
than organization-specific
● Effectively communicate about the collaborative and the behavioral health field to all relevant
community partners and the public at large

● Build a sense of urgency and shared accountability in the community about the
collaborative’s priorities
● Support the communication of coalition needs with policy-makers and identify areas for
policy intervention across the collaborative
● Develop and oversee a communications and community engagement plan that:
o Creates awareness of the initiative
o Includes community voices and voices of those with lived experience with behavioral
health challenges in all facets of the initiative
o Encourages community partners to align their work to the initiative’s goals and
strategies
o Secures commitment necessary from elected officials and other influential
stakeholders

Establish shared measurement and learning

● Oversee the tracking of progress through establishing community-level outcomes and data
collection processes
● Communicate progress of the initiative against agreed upon success measures and
implementation milestones
● Develop relationships with leaders of similar initiatives, locally and around the country, and
identify promising practices that can inform the work
● Stay up to date with the latest research and learning regarding youth mental well-being and
innovative collaborative approaches to address it

Advance funding for initiative efforts

● Lead development efforts for the initiative’s long-term financial sustainability plan in
partnership with the Steering Committee
● Support partner organizations in aligning their resources to the initiative’s goals and
strategies, including state or federal funding sources
● Develop relationships and facilitate information flow from the funders to the collaborative
and vice versa

IDEAL SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES

 Demonstrated ability to drive successful implementation of strategic priorities across diverse
stakeholders
 Strong commitment to equity and addressing inequities and/or experience working with
marginalized groups, especially among youth
 A deep belief in the expertise and leadership of youth, and familiarity with youth-led and
youth-centric approaches
 Interest in the mentorship and development of young people, and ability to listen to and
respect young people’s input and experiences
 An understanding of youth mental health issues, approaches, and related systems
 Experience working and facilitating at the systems level, as opposed to working in silos
 Ability to cultivate meaningful relationships and build trust with individuals and among
diverse groups
 Ability to lead and manage a group of individuals to achieve strategic goals
o Ability to foster collaboration among diverse stakeholders, broker agreement
between different stakeholder groups, and help initiatives to navigate power
dynamics
o Comfort planning processes and managing multiple priorities in a context of change
and ambiguity
o Ability to plan agendas, develop materials, and facilitate monthly Steering
Committee and ad hoc meetings
 Demonstrated ability to collect, synthesize, and share data in order to track progress, make
strategic decisions, measure goals, identify disparities, and communicate growth
 Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including presentation
 Understanding of Greater Cincinnati community, human service and health care systems,
educational systems, and organizational landscape, especially the gaps and opportunities in
the field of behavioral health
 Understanding of the public policy landscape as it relates to youth behavioral health
 A humble and collaborative approach to the work

POSITION DETAILS

HEY! Greater Cincinnati is a community-wide coalition of community groups, healthcare providers,
educators, policymakers’ families, and most importantly, young people themselves, working
collaboratively to create a community that supports the well-being of all youth. An infrastructure
including a Steering Committee, Youth Fellowship, Funder Collaborative, a Data Team, a Policy
Advocacy Committee, three Working Groups, and Backbone Support is in place to guide the initiative.
The Executive Director will fully report to an Executive Committee comprised of representatives from
the Steering Committee and Youth Fellowship. InterAct for Change (a wholly controlled subsidiary of
Interact for Health) is serving as the administrative home for HEY! Greater Cincinnati and will employ
the backbone staff and provide office space and basic administrative support. InterAct for Change
offers a generous benefit package, including Group Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance, Group
Term Life Insurance, Short- and Long-Term Disability, Retirement Plan 401(k), Flexible Spending and
Health Savings Account Plans, Education Assistance, generous Paid Time Off, and more.

The estimated salary range for this role is $150,000 - $170,000 and is negotiable based on
qualifications and experience.

To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to apply@hopefulempoweredyouth.org. The
deadline for applications is Friday, April 4 at 5:00pm ET.

For questions, please contact Ross Meyer at rmeyer@interactforhealth.org.