Located in San Pedro, California, Marine Mammal Care Center (MMCC) is one of the busiest and fastest growing marine mammal rehabilitation centers in the United States. Since its founding in 1992, the organization has supported over 8,000 marine mammals in need of critical medical care, primarily seals and sea lions.
MMCC serves a 70+ mile stretch of beaches in the Greater Los Angeles area from Malibu to Seal Beach, helping marine mammals that would otherwise suffer potentially fatal outcomes on area beaches due to severe illness, injury, and malnutrition. The MMCC team provides direct veterinary care through its animal hospital, and follows comprehensive release practices including selective post-release monitoring to ensure that we continue to learn how best to rehabilitate patients for survival back in their ocean homes. Through its work supporting animals, developing knowledge, and growing awareness around the unique needs of marine mammals, MMCC strives to build a healthy ocean ecosystem where people and marine life thrive together.
Beyond providing direct care for stranded and injured marine animals, MMCC has developed strategic partnerships with similar conservation-minded organizations to build strong relationships that support ocean and marine mammal conservation. As economies and populations continue to grow, causing increasing pressure on the natural world, MMCC seeks to raise awareness around these pressing issues and develop ways to keep oceans and the marine life inside them healthy.
The Opportunity
Marine Mammal Care Center is at a pivotal point in its organizational development. Building on a strong foundation of passionate staff, clear organizational structures, and a renewed sense of purpose, the CEO will continue MMCC’s progress toward becoming one of the premier marine mammal care and research centers in the world. The Board of Directors seeks a mission-oriented, collaborative, growth-oriented individual to provide leadership and operational oversight of all aspects of the organization. This is an exciting opportunity for MMCC’s next leader to partner with a motivated Board, committed and hardworking professional staff, and dedicated volunteers to elevate one of Los Angeles’ most critical environmental organizations to the next level.
Energized by growing momentum and a recent commitment by a new major funder, the Chief Executive Officer will lead MMCC into the future by providing leadership for strategic plan implementation, staff, and organizational development, as well as operations and financial oversight of MMCC’s $1.8M budget. An important role of the CEO will be to serve as MMCC’s Chief Fundraising Officer to both broaden and deepen support for the critical function MMCC serves in the Los Angeles area. As the voice representing MMCC within the marine conservation community, the CEO’s success depends upon respecting and embracing scientific consensus around environmental issues that impact our world oceans. At their core, the CEO’s commitment to saving the lives of marine animals will drive both strategic and tactical decision making. As a leader, the CEO will embody MMCC’s “animal first” approach to operations and planning and reflect this unique facet of MMCC culture in all aspects of leading the organization.
The CEO will successfully deliver on key responsibilities, including:
Leadership and Vision
- Seek new opportunities for MMCC visibility through cultivating partnerships and participating in coalition level efforts.
- Foster a healthy culture of philanthropy where Board members, staff, volunteers, and donors understand and embrace the role charitable giving has in ensuring resources to fulfill the mission.
- Serve as an effective and visible spokesperson for MMCC, effectively articulating the mission, vision, and values.
Board Relations
- Actively involve the Board in advancing MMCC's mission, goals, fundraising efforts, and programs.
- Collaborate with the Board to refine and implement our organizational strategic plan.
- Communicate regularly and openly to ensure Board members are properly informed to fulfill their governance roles and responsibilities.
- Provide regular reports to the Board on MMCC's financial standing, fundraising activities, and progress towards meeting strategic objectives and maintaining financial transparency.
- Encourage and maintain positive working relationships and collaboration between Board members, staff, and volunteers.
Revenue Generation and Fundraising
- Serve as the Chief Fundraising Officer, actively leading and participating in all fundraising activities, including identifying new donors, meeting with and recognizing current donors, and planning for regular stewardship activities to promote donor retention.
- Sustain positive working relationships with individual, corporate, foundation, and government funders.
- Develop and expand strategic, revenue-generating partnerships with individuals, local, state, and federal government agencies, corporations, and foundations.
- Create opportunities for Board and staff members to meaningfully participate in the fundraising process.
Finance and General Operations
- Oversee the organization’s fiscal health and integrity by developing for Board approval long- and short-range financial plans, annual budgets, and financial statements.
- Manage hospital budget and expenditures.
- Oversee the organization’s functions, employees, and volunteers.
- Coordinate with Hospital Director to ensure fluid operation of hospital, education, and development departments.
- Consult with Hospital Director on critical issues related to research and animal care.
Personnel Management
- Provide leadership and direction to professional staff and ensure the continued development and management of the organization.
- Build and promote a collaborative work environment that values and supports an open exchange of diverse ideas, capitalizes on staff/volunteer strengths, and creates a team-oriented culture.
Candidate Profile
The ideal candidate will have the following attributes and competencies:
Passion for the Mission
The CEO will have a passion for the mission of MMCC and the organization’s history, model, and potential for future impact. Driven by a deep passion for the critical role of marine life to our oceans and planet, the ideal candidate will inspire a range of audiences around ocean conservation, animal welfare, and educating the public on marine environmental ecology. An innovative thinker, the CEO will passionately, boldly, and strategically identify opportunities for expansion, always with the mission to inspire ocean conservation at its core.
Strategic and Visionary Leadership
The CEO will be a strategic and results-oriented leader who, in partnership with the Board, leadership team, and staff, will develop and execute on the vision for MMCC’s next chapter. The successful candidate will have the ability to set priorities decisively, delegate responsibilities, assure accountability, and allocate resources to produce results. An engaged leader with a strong ability to inspire, the CEO will have experience leading through periods of growth and transition and demonstrate an ability to “think big” while ensuring both organizational sustainability and operational excellence.
Ambassador and Fundraiser
The CEO will be a compelling communicator who will serve as an ambassador for MMCC. This leader will be able to effectively articulate and convey MMCC’s mission and priorities to a range of constituents including donors, partner organizations, Board members, staff, and volunteers. The CEO will bring familiarity with a wide range of fundraising channels and strategies to broaden external engagement with MMCC. With an inspirational approach to leadership, the CEO will develop partnerships, gain buy-in, and generate support for the organization. Through constant innovation, this leader will expand MMCC’s brand and reach externally while cultivating a culture of philanthropy internally among the Board, staff, and volunteers. The CEO will bring a creative and entrepreneurial approach to engaging others in the organization’s work, thus enabling MMCC to maintain its enthusiastic donor base and access previously untapped support via a range of channels and audiences.
Board Development and Relations
The CEO will serve as a close partner with MMCC’s Board of Directors. Through proactive outreach and intentional Board development in collaboration with the Board’s Governance Committee, this leader will utilize their network and relationship building skills to identify potential Board members to strengthen the collective skills, expertise, and reach of the Board of Directors as fellow ambassadors and fundraisers for the organization. Drawing upon previous experience with Boards of Directors, the CEO will quickly build rapport and working relationships with Board members and partner closely to broaden the organization’s support toward sustaining MMCC’s growth for the future.
Nonprofit Management Expertise and Financial Acumen
With a nuanced understanding of nonprofit management and fiscal responsibility, the CEO will possess key knowledge and skills needed to ensure MMCC’s continued financial health and long-term sustainability. Drawing upon demonstrated examples of success, the CEO will be able to successfully employ a broad range of financial tools and models to continue MMCC’s current trajectory of growth. The CEO will bring a demonstrated record of sound financial planning, management experience, oversight, and accountability, with the ability to clearly communicate financial status to the Board. This leader will successfully set operational priorities and empower an exceptional staff to work together in maximizing MMCC’s progress and growth. The CEO will encourage collaboration across functional areas and help all staff to understand their role in achieving the organization’s strategic goals. The CEO will have the ability to attract, develop, manage, and empower teams to grow their skills and create an environment where everyone can do their best work.
Communication, Collaboration, and Building Relationships
The CEO must possess dynamic and effective interpersonal and communication skills to inspire trust and confidence and grow and sustain excellent relationships with a range of diverse internal and external audiences. Able to deftly navigate the nuances of interacting with various constituents, this leader will possess the listening and verbal and written communication skills to clearly and effectively engage with staff, partners, funders, and others, and cultivate a culture of transparency across the organization.
Compensation & Benefits
The annual base salary for this role will be based on a range, starting at $175,000 and commensurate with the successful candidate’s skills and experience. MMCC provides health care, dental, and vision benefits, as well as a flexible paid time off policy for executive staff.
