About The Mental Health Coalition
The Mental Health Coalition (MHC) is a nonprofit dedicated to ending the stigma surrounding mental health by building the strongest coalition of organizations, brands, and individuals united behind a common cause. At its core, MHC exists to do what no single organization can do alone — connecting the unlimited needs for mental health support to the finite resources available to address it, through coalition partnership, public education, research-backed resources, and program development.
To learn more about The Mental Health Coalition, visit thementalhealthcoalition.org.
The Opportunity
The Mental Health Coalition occupies a unique position in the mental health landscape, a coalition of leading organizations anchored by strong brand recognition and the vision of founder Kenneth Cole, with the platform and relationships to drive meaningful change at scale. The foundation is established and what it needs now is a leader ready to build on it.
The next Executive Director will be an entrepreneurial leader who sees MHC not as it is today, but as what it can become. This is a growth role — one that requires strategic acuity and business acumen to apply sound organizational principles to mission-driven work, the ability to translate the power of the coalition into quantifiable, real-world impact, proven fundraising ability to grow the organization’s revenue capacity, and the operational discipline to scale programs and infrastructure.
The Executive Director will report to the Chairman and Board of Directors and will serve as the primary architect of MHC’s next chapter.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership and Organizational Positioning
- Expand MHC’s distinctive role and value proposition within the mental health ecosystem — what MHC does that no one else can
- Execute a strategic plan that makes clear choices about where MHC will and will not focus and how MHC will make unique contributions to the field
- Identify opportunities where MHC can provide meaningful support without competing with coalition members for limited resources
- Guide the organization through a period of intentional repositioning, moving from broad awareness to deeper, more systemic impact
- Work with Kenneth Cole Productions team and Kenneth Cole to leverage corporate resources available to MHC
Coalition Development and Member Support
- Strengthen relationships with coalition members and develop strategies to meaningfully elevate their work
- Grow and scale the coalition
- Create substantive touchpoints and support mechanisms that go beyond quarterly calls
- Build collaborative initiatives that amplify member organizations’ impact
- Facilitate knowledge-sharing and resource-building across the coalition
- Position MHC as a genuine partner and value-add to member organizations
Program Development and Operations
- Build programs that deliver measurable impact and serve the coalition’s broader goals
- Oversee the incubation of programs within MHC and work collaboratively with the MHC program team
- Ensure integration and coordination across research, programs, and communications teams
Fundraising and Resource Development
- Lead fundraising strategy to secure diverse and sustainable revenue streams
- Build and steward relationships with foundations, individual donors, and corporate sponsors
- Design and execute fundraising events aligned with MHC’s mission and brand
- Ensure strong donor stewardship including timely acknowledgment and relationship cultivation
- Navigate founder involvement thoughtfully while building organizational fundraising independence
Team Leadership and Culture
- Foster a collaborative, communicative, and accountable organizational culture
- Manage and develop staff across program, research, and communications functions
- Provide clear direction, responsive communication, and regular feedback
- Build staff capacity and support professional development
Board and Founder Relations
- Serve as primary liaison to the Chairman and Board of Directors
- Work closely with the Chairman while establishing appropriate organizational independence
- Oversee all board committees including finance, fundraising, and program
- Provide regular, candid reporting on organizational progress, challenges, and opportunities
- Collaborate with the board on strategic priorities, long-term direction, and fundraising initiatives
- Expand board membership and diversify board composition to strengthen governance, fundraising, and brand and program reach
Communications and Thought Leadership
- Ensure MHC’s external messaging is evidence-based, clinically sound, and resonant
- Position MHC to engage meaningfully with current events and cultural conversations about mental health
- Oversee social media strategy and coalition member amplification
- Guide the organization’s approach to emerging issues including technology and AI applications in mental health
Qualifications
Required
- Executive leadership experience in non-profit or for-profit organizations with demonstrated success leading organizational change or repositioning
- Proven experience managing a coalition, federated structure, or complex multi-stakeholder organization
- Demonstrated fundraising success with foundations, individual donors, and corporate partners
- Strong track record in strategic planning and organization building — particularly in defining organizational focus and making strategic tradeoffs
- Demonstrated marketing expertise, with a proven track record of developing and executing strategies that strengthen organizational brand, expand audience reach, and advance mission-driven goals
- Experience managing cross-functional teams and building cohesive organizational culture
- Personal affinity or connection to MHC’s mission
- Comfort operating in a founder-led environment and navigating high-profile stakeholder relationships
Preferred
- Familiarity with the mental health nonprofit ecosystem and the issues shaping the field
- Background in or deep exposure to mental health, public health, or social services
- Experience with program development, evaluation, and evidence-based approaches
- Existing relationships within the mental health advocacy or policy community
- Background in communications, public education, or destigmatization campaigns
Essential Leadership Qualities
- A builder — someone who can create clarity and structure in an organization defining itself
- An honest broker — able to navigate complex stakeholder dynamics with integrity and transparency
- Collaborative but decisive — comfortable building consensus while still making clear calls
- Genuinely curious about mental health — willing to learn from coalition members and clinical experts
- Comfortable with complexity — able to hold multiple stakeholder perspectives without losing organizational focus
- Mission-driven with a commitment to mental health access, equity, and evidence-based practice
- Humble enough to know what they don’t know, and resourceful enough to fill those gaps
Location
This position is based in New York City with flexibility for hybrid work arrangements.
The role requires periodic travel for coalition events, conferences, and stakeholder meetings. The Executive Director will work closely with the Chairman, Board of Directors, program staff, research team, and coalition partners.
Compensation and Benefits
- Salary: $250,000
- Incentive Pay: Additional bonus and performance-based incentive opportunities
- Health: Comprehensive health benefits
- Retirement: 401(k) plan
- Insurance: Group life and accidental insurance
Timeline and Hiring Process
We will review and respond to all applications received.
Candidates selected to advance can expect up to two interviews with Good Scout Group, followed by an interview with members of the Board Search Committee.
Additional interview rounds for finalists will be determined and may include an interview with staff and an in-person interview. Finalists will also undergo a thorough reference check process that evaluates both leadership capabilities and organizational fit.
The anticipated start month is July 2026.
How to Apply
Qualified candidates are invited to submit the following:
- Résumé detailing relevant leadership experience
- One- to two-page narrative response to the following prompts:
1. Describe your personal and/or professional connection to mental health and to MHC’s goal of ending stigma specifically.2. Describe your experience leading organizational scaling and transformation. What did that process look like, and what did you learn from it?
3. Describe how you have built or grown a fundraising program or revenue generation. What was your independent contribution to that growth?
4. Describe your experience working across complex stakeholder ecosystems where the parties involved had their own distinct priorities. How did you create shared value?
No cover letter required. Submissions without a narrative and with only a standard cover letter will not be reviewed.
For priority consideration, please submit all materials by May 16, 2026.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
All inquiries and applications will be treated confidentially.
Candidates may contact Good Scout Group at search@goodscoutgroup.com with questions.
The Mental Health Coalition is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of our work.