Chief Engagement Officer
Executive Search
Chief Engagement Officer
Garden Grove, CA – In Office
Position Overview
Sterling Search Inc.
has been exclusively retained to recruit for the new Chief Engagement Officer for The Orange Catholic Foundation (OCF).
The Foundation
The Orange Catholic Foundation
(OCF) serves the Diocese of Orange County through philanthropy and stewarding funds to protect and support ministries which further its beliefs and values in loving service to God. The Foundation’s vision is: Relying on the Holy Spirit, the Orange Catholic Foundation is the vibrant center of philanthropy for the Roman Catholic community of Orange County, helping to sustain and enhance the faith life of all those it serves.
OCF is an independent 501(c)(3)
charitable corporation that was formed in Orange County to serve the Catholic community. The Foundation helps support individuals, families, corporations, and family foundations with their charitable giving. OCF plans and conducts major fundraising programs and events, including the annual Conference on Business & Ethics, Educational Seminars and other special fundraising events. The Foundation manages endowments and other charitable long-term funds, providing grants, always following donor intent, in support of Orange County’s Catholic community.
The Opportunity
Under the leadership of Executive Director Steve Cameron, and Executive Vice President Kathleen Hurtt, OCF is redefining the future of philanthropy for the Catholic community of Orange County. At OCF’s 22nd Annual Conference on Business & Ethics in March 2025, a bold new vision was unveiled —one rooted in the unprecedented intergenerational transfer of wealth currently reshaping the global financial landscape.
Cameron emphasized that this historic shift is funneling assets into three primary channels: taxes, heirs, and nonprofit organizations. Catholics aged 55 and older in Orange County collectively hold an estimated $400 billion in net worth—an astonishing 97% of which is tied up in appreciated assets such as real estate and stocks.
Recognizing the immense potential this wealth represents, OCF has, over the past year, built a robust network of trusted financial professionals—including estate planning attorneys, CPAs, and financial advisors. This coalition is dedicated to identifying the most tax-efficient strategies to help individuals transfer their wealth—either to the next generation or to the Church—while maximizing impact and minimizing tax burdens.
This call to action was clear: the Church must position itself at the heart of this transfer of wealth and not sit by on the sidelines. By leveraging strategic, tax-efficient philanthropic vehicles, Catholics can ensure their legacy supports the ministries and missions they hold dear. These tools unlock the full potential of appreciated assets within the Orange County Catholic community, amplifying each donor’s impact.
This pioneering model is also attracting attention across the region, as neighboring Catholic institutions engage OCF for insight into their philanthropic strategies. The surge in interest is fueling dialogue around the replicability of OCF’s approach—laying the groundwork for a thoughtful expansion beyond Orange County.
The new Chief Engagement Officer will be a seasoned and accomplished executive, with a proven track record of developing a high-performing donor stewardship and marketing and communications department.
The Chief Engagement Officer will be joining OCF at a pivotal moment, becoming part of a team that is strategically investing in a bold and transformative vision. While foundational work has begun to establish the necessary infrastructure, there remains significant opportunity to shape and build key systems, implement best practices, and drive operational excellence. Beyond execution, this role offers a unique chance to build and train a high-performing stewardship and marcomms team.
The Chief Engagement Officer will also help define the direction of this pioneering philanthropic foundation, and contribute meaningfully to its ethos, strategy, and long-term impact. The Chief Engagement Officer will be one driven by an ambitious goal to help shape a $1 billion asset-based institution.
Position Description
Summary/Objective
The Orange Catholic Foundation seeks a senior staff member who is a visionary leader excited to blend their Catholic faith, marketing expertise and heart for Philanthropy into one by connecting people, implementing innovative ideas and adding value to a rapidly growing service movement. The Chief Engagement Officer will lead a team focused on philanthropy, marketing, events and stewardship. This person will advance OCF’s mission through innovative strategic direction and successful use of storytelling to showcase our voice and impact through image, video, word and events. The goal of this role is to promote the organization's services, strengthen existing relationships, bring forward new partners and grow the donor-base, while measuring the return on investment through analytics. Given the nature of this work, it is imperative that this leader be an active, practicing Catholic.
Essential Function
- Partner with the Executive Director, Executive Vice President, and Board to develop and implement robust strategic plans to achieve organizational objectives and meaningful engagement that drive donor support.
- Lead brainstorming sessions and create a plan for implementation of ideas that create win-win partnerships that advance OCF’s mission.
- Provide strategic guidance on best practices of messaging and content delivery for impactful communications.
- Manage a team of engagement professionals in the successful execution of strategic initiatives.
- Manage the team responsible for all engagement tools including but not limited to:
- All events and event related materials (scripts, save the date, invitations, giving sites, donor packets, programs, signage, PowerPoints, etc.)
- Website
- Print collateral (Annual Report, Donor Proposals/One Sheets, Press Releases, Annual Appeal, Acknowledgment Letters, etc)
- Monthly eNewsletter
- Visual promotion (graphic design, video, podcasts)
- All social media (daily/weekly social media posts)
- All communication and advertising vehicles (Parish Bulletins, OC Catholic, OCBJ, AdTaxi, etc)
- Drive the vision and implementation of a successful annual Conference on Business & Ethics.
- Lead the events team in planning, implementing and following up of all conferences, gatherings, seminars and events.
- Direct all stewardship work with donors and prospects.
- Analyze marketing and communications programs and make recommendations to adjust strategy and tactics to increase effectiveness.
- Prepares and manages marketing and event budgets.
- Work with Diocese of Orange Communications teams and other local media outlets.
- Work collaboratively with vendors and volunteers.
- Be responsible for ensuring accuracy in information and proofreading.
- Manage a portfolio of donors.
Supervisory Responsibility
This position will manage the Philanthropy Impact Specialist, Event Coordinator, Engagement Specialist and Marketing Consultants.
Education/Experience/Skills
- An active practicing Catholic with a passion for the OCF and Diocese of Orange mission.
- Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience required. Desired course of study: marketing, communications, hospitality or customer service or equivalent experience.
- 7+ years of directly related experience in the areas of marketing, communications, fundraising, event or project management.
- Leadership and management skills.
- Experienced project manager.
- Forward-thinker dedicated to adding value through work and connections.
- Self-starter with high standards.
- Strong analytical skills to evaluate data, assess alternatives, and make appropriate decisions and/or recommendations.
- Compelling ability to articulate mission and services through the use of stories.
- Knowledge of volunteer management and Catholic Church infrastructure.
- Strong organizational and prioritization skills to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines.
- Ability to use contact management system and other social media to create and send emails, newsletters, etc. like MailChimp, Greenvelope, Hootsuite and AdTaxi.
- Computer proficiency, desktop publishing abilities and basic graphic design abilities in InDesign, Photoshop and/or Illustrator and technical skills to use Microsoft Office.
- Excellent interpersonal, written/oral communication, and organizational skills.
- Superior command of grammar, spelling and punctuation.
- Meticulous attention to detail.
Other Duties
Please note 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. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
Compensation:
- Salary range of $120,000 to $140,000 plus bonus with a competitive benefits package will be offered to attract an outstanding candidate.
Please send resumes to:
Sterling Search, Inc.
Sarah Agee
Phone: 714-433-7040
TO APPLY:
www.sterlingsearchinc.com
Direct all correspondence, emails and telephone calls to Sterling Search.
Any resumes sent or telephone calls made to OCF will be redirected to Sterling Search.
