Chief Program Officer

Applications:
Russell Reynolds Associates, the global leadership advisory and executive search firm, has been exclusively engaged to lead this search. All inquiries and discussions will be considered strictly confidential. The Russell Reynolds team can be contacted directly at bes for nominations or with any questions.

JOB SUMMARY

Responsible for leading and integrating the Institute’s programmatic execution across research, ranch operations, producer guidance, and partnerships to ensure the organization’s work functions as a cohesive system that advances the mission.

The CPO aligns priorities, resolves tradeoffs, and ensures that programmatic work is focused, coordinated, and sequenced to deliver meaningful outcomes for producers and partners. This role is accountable for how programmatic work is designed, integrated, and executed across the Institute.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Leading the organization

• Serving as a member of the Executive Team, work with fellow members to advance the mission and strategy. Establishing and executing strategy, connecting strategy to results and fostering collaboration across teams and departments. Define and set short- and long-term goals. Inspire and align teams around shared goals and values.
• Contributing to policy development, processes, business process mapping, budget cycles and collaborative negotiation for and allocation of resources.
• Ensuring efficient and effective business operations. Implement systems and processes that support scalability and quality. Drive continuous improvement and innovation.
• Leading and driving change initiatives effectively by setting clear goals, developing and executing plans and monitoring progress. Guide teams through communicating the vision and value, addressing concerns and promoting a culture of agility and resilience.
• Building strong relationships with key stakeholders. Represent the organization externally. Provide communication to the governing body as requested by the President.

Leading others

• Planning for budgeting and staffing to ensure effective resource management. Model and ensure compliance with organizational policies, procedures and workplace safety.
• Guiding and supporting individual and team performance and development. Defining clear expectations to support and align individual, team and organizational goals.
• Building trust among team members through effective communication and relationships. Cultivating a culture of productivity and efficiency through intentional practices that foster growth, accountability and execution.

Serving as corporate officer

• Advancing the Institute’s mission, vision, and values with a comprehensive understanding of programmatic work and outcomes.
• Supporting the President and Board by providing clarity on programmatic priorities, progress, and impact.
• Representing the organization in matters related to research, producer engagement, partnerships, and programmatic work with internal and external stakeholders.

Leading programmatic execution

• Providing leadership and oversight for programmatic functions, including research, ranch operations, producer guidance, and partnerships and outreach.
• Leading the Programmatic Leadership Team to ensure alignment of priorities, coordination of work, and consistent execution across programmatic areas.
• Ensuring that programmatic work operates as an integrated system with shared priorities and coordinated execution.
• Ensuring that programmatic leaders engage with Development and Policy to support funding opportunities, external positioning, and long-term impact.

Driving programmatic integration and sequencing

• Integrating research, ranch operations, and producer guidance into a coordinated model that reinforces learning, adoption, and impact.
• Establishing clear programmatic priorities and sequencing work so that effort and resources are directed toward the highest-impact activities.
• Identifying and resolving duplication, gaps, or misalignment across programmatic areas.
• Ensuring that partnerships and external relationships align with programmatic priorities and contribute to advancing organizational outcomes.

Ensuring programmatic quality and impact

• Maintaining standards of scientific…