Interim Executive Director

Interim Executive Director

Location Phoenix, AZ 85016 Date Posted September 04, 2026 Job ID 15367 Employment Type Contract To Hire

Scion Staffing has been engaged to conduct a search for an Interim Executive Director for Sonoran Prevention Works (SPW), a mission-driven nonprofit organization advancing harm reduction, health equity, advocacy, and community well-being throughout Arizona.

POSITION OVERVIEW

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced nonprofit executive to step into a highly impactful organization and provide thoughtful, steady leadership during a period of transition.

Sonoran Prevention Works was founded by and for people who use drugs and works to ensure individuals have access to the knowledge, resources, tools, and community they need to be safe and healthy. The organization advances this mission through street-based outreach, organizational capacity building, statewide advocacy, and community partnerships.

The Interim Executive Director will work closely with the Board of Directors and organizational leadership to provide continuity, support staff, oversee organizational health, and maintain momentum across programs, fundraising, advocacy, operations, and external partnerships. This leader will also ensure that financial and operational priorities remain effectively managed throughout the transition.

The successful candidate will be a collaborative and grounded executive who can quickly build relationships and establish trust. They will understand how to lead within a community-centered organization and bring a genuine commitment to harm reduction, equity, anti-racism, and elevating the perspectives and lived experiences of the communities SPW serves.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide steady, inclusive executive leadership during the interim period, maintaining organizational continuity and advancing SPW's mission and priorities.
• Partner closely with the Board of Directors and leadership team on organizational strategy, decision-making, risk management, and key priorities.
• Lead, support, and mentor staff while fostering a collaborative, equitable, and inclusive organizational culture.
• Oversee financial and operational management, including budgeting, cash flow, resource allocation, compliance, and organizational sustainability.
• Maintain momentum around fundraising, grants, contracts, and relationships with individual, foundation, corporate, and institutional funders.
• Oversee programs and advocacy efforts while ensuring they remain responsive to community needs and grounded in harm reduction principles.
• Represent SPW externally and strengthen relationships with community organizations, government partners, policymakers, coalitions, funders, and other key stakeholders.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Five or more years of senior nonprofit leadership experience, ideally as an Executive Director, Interim Executive Director, CEO, COO, or comparable leader.
• Experience in harm reduction, public health, human services, human rights, social justice, or a related mission-driven environment.
• Demonstrated commitment to equity and anti-racism, with an understanding of the impact of the War on Drugs on Black and other historically marginalized communities.
• Strong experience with nonprofit financial management, budgeting, fundraising, operations, and organizational sustainability.
• Experience working effectively with nonprofit Boards, funders, community partners, government agencies, and other stakeholders.
• Compassionate and collaborative leadership style with experience supporting, mentoring, and developing diverse teams.
• Excellent communication, relationship-building, judgment, and decision-making skills, with the ability to establish trust and lead effectively through transition and change.

SPW particularly values leaders who combine nonprofit management experience with an equity-centered approach, strong relationship-building skills, financial and fundraising capabilities, and a willingness to listen to and learn from staff and community.

LEADERSHIP APPROACH

The Interim Executive Director will be joining an organization whose work is deeply connected to the people and communities it serves. Success in this role requires a leader who listens, communicates openly, values collaboration, and understands the importance of balancing organizational needs with the perspectives and experiences of staff and community members.

The ideal interim leader will be comfortable navigating complexity and organizational change while keeping the mission at the center of decision-making. They will bring humility, sound judgment, emotional intelligence, and the ability to make timely decisions while creating an environment where employees feel supported, respected, and heard.

COMPENSATION & LOCATION

This is an interim, hybrid opportunity based in Phoenix, Arizona, offering a competitive pay rate of $60-$72 per hour, depending on experience.

Candidates should be able to maintain a meaningful presence with the organization and its community while balancing onsite and remote responsibilities.

ABOUT SONORAN PREVENTION WORKS

Sonoran Prevention Works is committed to improving the health, safety, and well-being of people who use drugs and communities impacted by the War on Drugs. Its work spans direct outreach, education and capacity building, advocacy, public policy, and collaboration with community and government partners.

The organization approaches its work through a harm reduction lens and is committed to equity, dignity, and ensuring that people with lived experience have a meaningful voice in the work that affects their communities.

ABOUT SCION STAFFING

Scion Staffing is a national award-winning staffing firm! Since 2006, we have had the pleasure of successfully placing thousands of talented professionals with amazing career opportunities. Through our innovative team building and recruiting solutions, we bridge the gap in executive leadership searches, direct hire recruiting, interim leadership placement, and temporary professional staffing. We are proud to be part of the Forbes lists of the Best Recruitment Firms and the Best Executive Search Firms in America. Additionally, Scion has been recognized as a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing firm as well as a top recruitment firm by The Business Times. Additional information about our firm can also be found online.

Scion Staffing, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and service provider and does not discriminate based on race, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, citizenship status, sexual orientation, disability, political affiliation or belief, or any other protected class. We are committed to the principles of Equal Opportunity Employment and are dedicated to making employment decisions based on merit and value, for ourselves, our client companies, and the candidates we represent.

For opportunities located in a region that have enacted fair chance, arrest or conviction-based employment ordinances, Scion Staffing proactively follows the enacted guidance and considers for employment all qualified applications with arrest and conviction records. We engage in socially conscious business practices and believe that diverse, inclusive, and non-biased talent and recruitment processes are foundational to the success of Scion as well as every client organization with whom we partner.