Metro Caring, Denver Metro
Organization type: Nonprofit
Type of role: Full-time
Job Category: Executive
Salary: $200,000 - $220,000
About Metro Caring
Fifty years ago, hunger was rising in Denver. Despite major progress inpublic nutrition programs in the 1960s, cuts to benefits and gaps in the safety net brought food insecurity back into everyday life for many families. In response, five local organizations came together to form Metro Caring, originally known as Central Denver Community Services, with a clear and urgent purpose: ensure everyone in the community has access to fresh, nutritious, and culturally relevant food.
What began as a small, grassroots effort serving a handful of families has grown into a trusted community anchor supporting more than 1,000 households each week. Yet the challenge has only grown more complex. Today, 1 in 9 Coloradans experience hunger, and Metro Caring has learned that traditional food pantry models alone are not enough to solve it.
In response, Metro Caring has evolved into a leading anti-hunger organization working at the intersection of direct service and systems change. On the direct service side, it provides dignified access to fresh food, produce, pantry staples, and culturally relevant items, all shaped by community voice. This is not a one-size-fits-all model. Services are designed to reflect the preferences, cultures, and lived experiences of the people they serve.
At the same time, Metro Caring is working to address the root causes of hunger. Through community organizing and policy advocacy, the organization partners with community members to advance solutions that expand access to food, strengthen economic stability, and influence public systems. This work reflects a fundamental belief that lasting change requires shifting the structures that create and sustain inequity.
Community voice is central to how Metro Caring operates. For example, when community members identified access to meat as a priority, the organization responded by expanding its local procurement strategy, partnering directly with regional ranchers, including BIPOC, women, and first-generation producers. By sourcing whole animals and building relationships with local producers, Metro Caring is both increasing access to high-quality protein and strengthening the local food economy.
This dual approach, meeting immediate needs while driving long-term change, is grounded in a core belief: food is a human right. Everyone, regardless of race, gender, religion, nationality, income, or ability, deserves access to the food they need to live healthy, dignified lives.
With thousands of volunteers, strong community leadership, and growing momentum for anti-hunger policy, Metro Caring is not just responding to hunger. It is working to end it by building a more equitable, resilient, and community-driven food system.
The Opportunity
The next Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Metro Caring steps into a defining moment for the organization and the broader fight against hunger. With deep roots in Denver, strong community trust, and a model that bridges direct service and systems change, Metro Caring is uniquely positioned to expand its impact and influence in the years ahead.
With an annual operating budget of approximately $5.4M, and total budget of $12.8M, a team of approximately 35 staff, and a highly engaged volunteer base, the organization has built a strong foundation. The opportunity now is to build on that momentum, bringing focus, alignment, and ambition to Metro Caring's next chapter.
In partnership with the Board of Directors, the CEO will set a clear and compelling vision for the future and ensure that strategy, culture, and operations are aligned to deliver on that vision. This is a role for a leader who can move seamlessly between big-picture thinking and execution, empowering a strong senior team while reinforcing clarity, accountability, and results.
Internally, the CEO will cultivate a cohesive, high-performing culture grounded in trust, transparency, and respect. Leading effectively within a unionized environment, this leader will strengthen alignment and collaboration while building on the organization's deep sense of purpose and commitment. Externally, the CEO will serve as a visible and credible ambassador, deepening relationships with community partners, funders, and policymakers while expanding Metro Caring's reach and influence. A key priority will be advancing a capital campaign and securing the resources needed to sustain and grow the organization's work.
At the center of this role is the ability to connect and integrate. Metro Caring's work spans food access, community organizing, and policy advocacy. The CEO will bring these efforts together into a clear, cohesive strategy that drives measurable impact and positions the organization as a leader in rethinking how communities address hunger.
This leader will be a values-driven leader who brings Metro Caring's commitment to equity to life in tangible ways, from culturally responsive food access to investments in local food systems and community-led advocacy. The CEO will ensure that mission and values are consistently reflected in how the organization operates, makes decisions, and measures success.
Candidate Profile
The following reflects an aspirational profile. We welcome candidates from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, especially those with lived experience connected to Metro Caring's mission. If this role excites you, we encourage you to apply even if your experience does not align perfectly with every qualification.
Leadership, Vision, and Strategy
Fundraising and External Ambassador
Culture Leader and People Development
Governance and Organizational Stewardship
Operational and Programmatic Excellence
In addition, strong candidates will offer:
Compensation & Benefits
Salary for the role is anticipated to range from $200,000 to $220,000, commensurate with experience.