Meet World Relief

Who We Are

World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization whose mission is to boldly engage the world’s greatest crises in partnership with the church. For over 80 years, we have partnered with local churches and communities to develop sustainable solutions in the face of systemic poverty, disaster, and displacement. We believe that the church is the most sustainable and effective agent of change, and our work is rooted in the conviction that every human being is created with intrinsic dignity and worth.

Our Work in Chicagoland

For more than 45 years, World Relief Chicagoland has walked alongside people fleeing war, persecution, and displacement, helping them rebuild their lives in community. What began in 1979—when local Christians welcomed refugees from Southeast Asia in the aftermath of the Vietnam War—has grown into a region-wide movement of churches, volunteers, and staff responding to the world’s most urgent crises.

From our offices in Chicago, Aurora, and Carol Stream, we join with churches and community partners to welcome and support people who are navigating the challenges of starting over. Our holistic model focuses on building a true sense of belonging, ensuring that every family has the stability—from legal pathway support to mental health care—needed to plant deep roots. Responding to situations of mass displacement remains core to who we are. In recent years, our teams have walked with Afghan evacuees, Ukrainians fleeing war, asylum seekers arriving from the southern border, and refugees resettled through the U.S. refugee program.

The heart of this mission lies in its unique, relational approach. We mobilize a network of over 200 local churches and 1,500 volunteers to come alongside newcomers, bridging the gap between new arrivals and long‑term residents and creating relationships that counter isolation and foster healing. Through services like case management, access to health care, job placement and career development, school support, English classes, immigration legal services, and mental health counseling, we help families move toward lasting stability.

Today, World Relief Chicagoland is the largest region of World Relief’s U.S. work, operating from three core locations and multiple additional program sites across the metro area. As we look to the future, the Regional Executive Director will lead a passionate team of experts and advocates who are not only responding to global displacement but also actively shaping a more welcoming and just Chicagoland—one where every refugee and immigrant has the opportunity to thrive.

Why Join Us

When you join World Relief, you aren’t just taking a job; you’re joining a movement of compassionate professionals dedicated to “standing with the vulnerable.” We offer a mission-driven culture that values professional excellence, spiritual integrity, and a commitment to justice.

About the Regional Executive Director – Chicagoland

Are you a person of compassion? An advocate for justice? Someone who stands up for the rights of the vulnerable and speaks out for the marginalized, the exploited, and the forgotten? Do you believe in our calling as Christians to welcome the least of these and love our neighbor? If you answered ‘yes’, to any of the above, World Relief and millions of people around the world need you.

World Relief is seeking a Regional Executive Director, a key leadership position responsible for overseeing and managing multiple sites within the Chicagoland, DuPage, and Aurora Region. In addition to providing strategic direction and operational oversight, the Regional Executive Director is actively involved in cultivating relationships with donors, foundations, and other funding sources to secure financial resources necessary for regional/state sustainability and growth. This role provides strategic direction, operational oversight, and effective management of programs and resources across various locations. The Regional Executive Director plays a crucial role in ensuring the successful implementation of World Relief’s mission and objectives, while also fostering collaboration and synergy among the different sites. This position requires a strong ability to lead and inspire teams, build and maintain relationships with stakeholders, and ensure high-quality program delivery in alignment with World Relief’s standards and best practices. The Regional Executive Director serves as a representative of World Relief in the region, advocating for refugees and immigrants, the organization’s vision and values, and promoting positive change and impact in the communities served.

Note: Role is hybrid, mostly in office with occasional work from home

The Regional Executive Director’s responsibilities include:Culture and staff health

Embody and champion the mission, vision, values, and spiritual identity of World Relief—modeling humility, courage, respect, and a posture of prayer.
Promote a working environment where our multi-cultural staff feel cared for and valued, conflicts are approached with kind candor, and teams are encouraged to flourish.
Work closely with national support teams to address performance or alignment challenges early and with grace, clarity, and consistency.
Provide coaching, supervision, and accountability to directors, focusing on their leadership development and long-term growth.
Proactively identify and nurture career pathways for emerging leaders across the region.

Planning and growth

Develop long-term strategic direction for the region’s growth, stabilization, and sustainability.
Lead annual strategic planning, and track quarterly Objectives & Key Results (OKRs) to ensure progress toward goals.
Ensure alignment between regional goals and national strategic priorities.
Lead or participate in the development of new offices or program sites as outlined in national or regional plans.
Champion collaboration across offices, programs, and departments to strengthen unified regional work and maximize impact.
Serve on cross-functional national teams and lead assigned national initiatives.
Model clear, timely, transparent communication with national leadership and all regional leaders to cultivate trust and alignment.

Fundraising and Partnership Development

Cultivate relationships with churches, community partners, philanthropic leaders, and other key stakeholders to increase regional support.
Lead regional fundraising strategy and partner with national development teams to meet financial goals.
Provide guidance for local communications in alignment with WR’s brand.
Develop a funding strategy for future program growth, and ensure strong communication about funding priorities between program leaders and directors of development and grants management.
Build and maintain a local advisory board to provide insight, connections, and fundraising support (but not serve as a formal governing body).
Proactively seek public and private funding opportunities, and pursue funding partnerships where feasible.
Represent World Relief Chicagoland with media, government officials, coalitions, and interfaith networks. Speak regularly in public settings, including in churches, on behalf of the organization.
Lead World Relief Chicagoland’s partnership with WR’s Advocacy team, and set state/local advocacy in alignment with WR’s platform and posture.

Financial oversight and stewardship

Ensure the financial health of each office by guiding budget development, reviewing monthly financials, and helping leaders address variances with wisdom and transparency.
Strengthen and expand programs supporting immigrant integration based on need, expertise, community engagement, and financial viability.
Guide explorations and implementation of other (non-fundraising) revenue generating opportunities, including fee-for-service models and Medicaid.
Ensure adherence to all World Relief policies, systems, and compliance standards.

Management & Operational Leadership

Provide clear leadership to the Leadership Team & Internal Advisory Team, ensuring clear purpose, coordination across sub-teams, and alignment in directions.
Visit offices regularly to provide hands-on leadership, coaching, and support in program implementation and operational excellence.
Ensure program excellence through monitoring quality, evaluating broad outcomes, and using data to make decisions and drive improvements.
Identify opportunity areas for efficiency, innovation, and shared services across the region.
Uphold World Relief’s safeguarding practices, risk mitigation, and compliance with all local, state, and federal guidelines.
Provide strong change and crisis response management, including internal/external communications, operational response, financial scenario plans, and service delivery changes.

This role is responsible for supervising others and includes responsibilities consistent with supervising employees, including but not limited to monitoring daily work activities, tracking and approving timesheets, including approving time off, monitoring performance including entering goals, progress check-ins, and weekly or bi-weekly check-ins, documenting performance concerns, entering staff promotions, transitions, and separations in HRIS within the required time frame. Managers at World Relief are also considered spiritual leaders and are expected to lead staff in a manner consistent with our Christian values, including but not limited to praying with staff, leading devotionals, and fostering a Christian environment in interactions with staff throughout World Relief.

What you bring

The following describes many of the characteristics of the ideal candidate for the Regional Executive Director – Chicagoland:

Education and Experience

10+ years of senior leadership experience overseeing multiple teams or departments, including responsibility for budgets of $2M+ (preferred).
Graduate degree in a related field or equivalent leadership experience.
Deep familiarity with the immigrant experience—whether through lived experience or sustained professional engagement with immigrant communities, with a strong understanding of the opportunities and challenges faced by newcomers in the U.S.
Demonstrated success leading in a multi-site, multi-layered organizational structure, ideally within a national or federated model.
Proven experience leading through change, uncertainty, or crisis, with the ability to stabilize teams and navigate complexity.
Experience with organizational fundraising, donor engagement, and building financial partnerships.
Experience with large budgets, financial forecasting, and grants, including familiarity with federal, state, or private funding and compliance.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Mature, personal Christian faith and alignment with World Relief’s mission, vision, and values.
Able to affirm and/or acknowledge World Relief’s Core Beliefs, Statement of Faith, Christian Identity, and National Evangelicals For the Health of The Nation document.
A deep cultural humility and strong intercultural competence, with experience leading multi-cultural, multi-generational teams.
Strategic leadership capability—able to set direction, identify priorities, and lead organizational change while maintaining operational excellence.
Strong systems thinker, able to connect work across programs, offices, and structures within a national framework.
Skilled at coaching and developing leaders, with a track record of building healthy, resilient teams.
Demonstrated experience in public representation, including public speaking, media engagement, or interacting with government officials.
Ability to cultivate and mobilize diverse partners, such as churches, donors, community leaders, and public/private agencies.
Ability to translate complex information into clear, accessible communication for internal and external audiences.
Ability to balance autonomy and initiative with alignment to national strategy and guidelines.
High emotional intelligence, strong judgment, and the ability to make wise decisions with incomplete information.
Resilient, adaptable, and comfortable leading through policy shifts, funding changes, and evolving community needs.
Commitment to trauma-informed, client-centered service delivery and safeguarding best practices.
Ability to navigate conversations about faith, Scripture, and mission with grace and clarity.
Authorization to work in the U.S.; valid driver’s license; regular local travel up to 50%.

What it’s like to live in Chicago, IL

Living in Chicago offers an exceptional blend of big-city excitement and welcoming neighborhood character, making it one of the most dynamic places to call home in the U.S. Set along the shores of Lake Michigan, the city boasts a stunning skyline, miles of lakefront trails, beaches, and green spaces that create a unique balance between urban life and outdoor living. Chicago is a cultural powerhouse, home to world-renowned museums, theaters, music venues, and an award-winning food scene that ranges from iconic deep-dish pizza to globally inspired cuisine. What truly sets the city apart, though, is its neighborhoods—each with its own identity, whether it’s historic and charming, artistic and eclectic, or modern and fast-paced. Residents enjoy a strong sense of community, diverse career opportunities across industries, and a cost of living that is often more accessible than in other major metropolitan areas. While winters bring a brisk chill, the changing seasons add to the city’s character, and the vibrant summers—filled with festivals, street fairs, and lakefront activity—more than make up for it. Chicago offers not just a place to live, but a lifestyle full of energy, opportunity, and connection.

Pay: $120,000.00 - $130,000.00 per year

Benefits:

Health insurance
Paid time off
Relocation assistance
Retirement plan

Work Location: In person

Vanderbloemen

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Regional Executive Director - Chicagoland | World Relief