Vice President of Programs

Vice President of Programs

Portland, OR

Exempt

Who We Are:

Children’s Cancer Association was founded in 1995 by the Ellis family after their five-year-old daughter, Alexandra, died of cancer. Their goal was to create something extraordinary: an organization with a new vision for what pediatric cancer support services look like. Today, the JoyRx Mentorship, Nature, and Music programs reach thousands of hospitalized children of all ages and diagnoses nationwide. Our programs reach children where they are — and make their tough days a little brighter.

Simply put — joy helps sick kids feel better.

Who You Are/Position Summary:

As the Vice President of Programs, you are responsible for leading CCA’s national program strategy, innovation, and delivery to ensure best-in-class experiences for seriously ill children and families across the country. You will oversee the continued growth and evolution of CCA’s programs — including JoyRx Music, bedside and digital experiences, JoyRx Nature, and JoyRx Mentorship — helping position joy as a recognized best practice within pediatric healthcare environments nationwide.

In this role, you will provide centralized executive leadership, direction, and oversight for CCA’s national program operations, ensuring consistency, quality, accountability, and alignment across headquarters and regional teams. You will establish and maintain national program standards and practices while empowering regional teams to respond effectively to the unique needs and opportunities within their regions. At the same time, you will serve as a visible, engaged leader in the field, regularly connecting with regional teams, healthcare partners, and leaders across CCA’s national footprint.

You will provide executive leadership for program operations, healthcare and music partnerships, cross-functional collaboration, and innovation efforts, ensuring programs are impactful, scalable, measurable, and aligned with CCA’s mission and strategic priorities. You will lead program measurement, evaluation, and continuous improvement, using data, research, and feedback to demonstrate impact and inform program evolution. You will also oversee program budgets and resource allocation, balancing national priorities with regional needs and opportunities to maximize mission impact and operational effectiveness.

As part of this responsibility, you will lead the strategic development of CCA’s music ecosystem, strengthening relationships across the music industry and ensuring those relationships translate into high-quality music content, artist engagement, and meaningful experiences for children and families in hospitals.

You will provide executive leadership and strategic direction for CCA’s healthcare partnership strategy, working closely with your program leadership team to deepen existing relationships, cultivate national opportunities, and strengthen CCA’s position within pediatric healthcare. You will build and maintain relationships with health systems, pediatric healthcare leaders, researchers, professional associations, and other strategic partners, representing CCA nationally and identifying opportunities to expand its reach, influence, and impact.

The Vice President of Programs reports to the CEO.

Essential Functions

· Leads, develops, and holds accountable CCA’s headquarters and regional program teams, fostering a high-performing, collaborative, and mission-driven culture

· Leads program delivery, distribution, and innovation across JoyRx Music, JoyRx Mentorship, JoyRx Nature, and future program offerings

· Leads the development and implementation of scalable program models, systems, and infrastructure that enable consistent, high-quality program delivery across CCA’s national footprint

· Develops and maintains strategic relationships with senior leaders across hospitals, healthcare systems, healthcare organizations, and other community partners to advance CCA’s national program strategy, impact, and growth

· Maintains and utilizes evidence-based standard program measurement and evaluation practices to ensure program quality, demonstrate impact, and inform continuous improvement

· Develops and proactively manages program strategy, operations, budgets, and resources to achieve organizational goals and maximize mission impact

· Partners with executive and cross-functional leaders to align program strategy, resources, and execution with CCA’s organizational priorities and annual goals

· Oversees the strategy for sourcing, curating, developing, and distributing high-quality music content and experiences to children and families across CCA’s hospital network, ensuring JoyRx Music continues to evolve with the needs of patients, healthcare partners, and the broader music landscape

· Collaborates with the CEO to shape CCA’s future vision, long-term program strategy, and national growth

· Serves as a visible representative and thought leader for CCA’s programs and mission, communicating program impact, insights, opportunities, and vision to Boards, healthcare leaders, funders, partners, and other external stakeholders

· Builds and maintains a national network of subject matter experts, clinical leaders, researchers, and other advisors to advance program excellence, innovation, and thought leadership

· Brings insights and perspectives from children, families, and served communities into program strategy, development, evaluation, and communications to ensure CCA’s programs remain responsive to the needs of those we serve

Qualifications and Skills

• Demonstrated executive leadership experience with the ability to inspire, develop, and lead high-performing, mission-driven teams across multiple markets, programs, or geographic regions
• Strategic and innovative thinker with the ability to translate vision into actionable program strategies and measurable impact
• Strong systems and operational mindset, with the ability to establish structures, processes, and support models that enable consistent, high-quality program delivery across a complex, multi-regional organization
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills, including the ability to represent CCA publicly and effectively engage executive leaders, Boards, donors, healthcare professionals, community partners, and other stakeholders
• Strong data-driven decision-making skills, with experience using evaluation, research, and outcomes to inform strategy, innovation, and continuous improvement
• Demonstrated ability to lead through change, manage competing priorities, and drive cross-functional collaboration in a dynamic, growth-oriented environment
• Sound judgment, emotional intelligence, and integrity, with a deep commitment to CCA’s mission and a passion for improving the lives of seriously ill children and families

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration, public health, nonprofit leadership, psychology, social work, education, or a related field required; advanced degree preferred
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in nonprofit programs, healthcare, pediatric services, digital health, community engagement, and/or related mission-driven sectors
• Demonstrated experience leading large-scale, multi-site programs and geographically dispersed teams, including strategic planning, operational oversight, and the development of effective systems and communication practices
• Experience developing and managing organizational or departmental budgets, long-range strategic plans, and resource allocation
• Proven success building and managing partnerships with hospitals, healthcare systems, researchers, corporate partners, community organizations, and other institutional stakeholders
• Experience leading organizational growth, change management, innovation, and cross-functional initiatives, with experience serving as an executive leader and collaborating closely with CEOs, Boards, senior leadership teams, and external stakeholders preferred

CCA’s Values. Alignment with our Core Values is essential to success in this role.

These values guide everything we do—from how we care for families to how we shape and share our programs:

Compassion: We lead with heart, authenticity, and kindness.

Community: We know joy is a ripple effect. Collaboration and connection are at the core of everything we do.

Creativity: We believe in the importance of play, imagination, and the healing power of music. We make space for inspiration and creativity in our ways of working and engaging.

Care: We care for our mission, our resources, and each other with integrity and respect. We are stewards of the generosity and the trust that is placed in us.

Curiosity: Inspired by the wonders of childhood, we stay open to new ideas, fresh perspectives, and magical moments that spark joy in unexpected ways. We honor innovation as central to our legacy.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:

CCA is passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion and we believe that a diverse staff of highly skilled and creative individuals is necessary to achieve the vision and mission of the organization. We strive to create a work environment that reflects the communities we serve where everyone feels empowered to bring their whole, authentic selves to work, fully as they identify. We welcome and encourage applications from candidates who can contribute to the diversity of our workforce across a range of dimensions

Work Environment:

At CCA we are committed to a work environment where each person feels a sense of belonging and they are recognized, appreciated, and valued.

This position is based in Portland, Oregon. CCA offers a hybrid office environment, with both onsite (professional open office environment) days and the ability to work remotely up to two days/week (Mondays & Fridays).

Physical Demands:

This position requires frequent operation of a computer and other office equipment, such as a calculator, copier, and printer. This position requires the ability to perform basic math and speak, hear, write, and read English and some occasional lifting is required (up to 20 lbs).

Travel:

This position requires periodic travel to hospitals in the Portland area. Occasional travel to other CCA markets (Austin and New York Metro areas) several times a year as well.

Compensation & Benefits:

CCA is a growth organization that looks for team members to grow with it. CCA offers a generous total rewards package, a casual work environment, and an inclusive culture.

This position offers a competitive benefits package and a competitive salary range starting at $125,000/yr. Final offer amounts and levels are determined by multiple factors, including your experience, and may vary from the amounts listed above.

Generous benefits include:

· Heavily subsidized medical, vision, dental, and alternative care benefits

· Generous PTO package, paid wellness days, and ten (plus two floating) paid holidays

· Voluntary short-term disability

· Executive Life Insurance & Long-Term Disability

· Flexible spending plan

· 401(k) with 3.5 percent CCA match

· Paid four-week sabbatical to pursue creative talents after eight years of service

· Professional development annual benefit

· Subsidized on-site parking or public transportation reimbursement.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work:

This is a full-time (40 hours/week) position. Some flexibility in hours is allowed; days and hours of work are generally Monday through Thursday, 8:00 am – 5:30 pm, and Friday 8:00 am – 12:00 pm, with the option to be remote Mondays and Fridays.

General Information:

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or

responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. The above statements are intended to

describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required for the position. Job duties may change at any time, with or without notice.

Application Guidelines:

Complete the application through our application portal and answer the following two questions in your cover letter:

1. Tell us how your previous work history has prepared you for this role.
2. Tell us if the compensation and benefits information listed above meet your needs.

To learn more about Children’s Cancer Association, visit JoyRx.org.

Watch Founder and Chief Joy Officer Regina Ellis’ TEDx Talk on the Joy Effect.