The Center for Victims of Torture (CVT) is a globally recognized leader in the field of torture rehabilitation and human rights advocacy. CVT is dedicated to healing survivors of torture and ending torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment or punishment (CIDT). Founded in 1985 as the first torture survivor rehabilitation center in the United States—and the second globally—CVT has developed specialized models of care that are internationally recognized for their effectiveness in treating individuals who have experienced severe trauma. The organization provides trauma-informed mental health services and multidisciplinary rehabilitative care to survivors in the United States, Africa, and the Middle East, while also extending support to families and communities to broaden the circle of healing.
CVT plays a critical role in building global capacity for survivor care by offering training and consultation to other torture rehabilitation centers, enhancing provider skills and promoting sustainable practices. It continues to create multiple avenues of impact across human rights and shaped the sector with its provision of treatment. The organization also engages in advocacy at local, national, and international levels to oppose torture and support human rights protections. In recent years, CVT has expanded its efforts to include secondary trauma and resiliency training for legal and medical professionals, particularly those working with asylum seekers and survivors of systemic injustice, including racial violence and abuse in detention settings.
Operating in politically complex environments, CVT collaborates with human rights defenders and organizations around the world. Through its unwavering commitment to healing, advocacy, and capacity-building, CVT continues to lead the global movement toward a future where torture no longer exists, and survivors can rebuild their lives with dignity and hope.
CVT Mission
The mission of the Center for Victims of Torture is to heal the wounds of torture on individuals, their families and their communities and to end torture worldwide.
CVT Vision
The Center for Victims of Torture’s vision is a world without torture.
CVT Values
Hope – We believe a better future is possible.
Human Dignity – We commit to respecting the humanity of all people.
Integrity – We commit to holding ourselves accountable, ensuring honesty and transparency.
Equity – We commit to dismantling barriers to justice and advancing opportunities for all.
Collaboration – We commit to listening to, working with, and learning from survivors and each other.
Charting a Bold New Institutional Strategy for CVT
In early 2025, sweeping administrative changes in the United States triggered a pivotal moment for the Center for Victims of Torture (CVT). Significant reductions in U.S. foreign aid, humanitarian assistance, and human rights infrastructure directly impacted funding for CVT’s core mission—healing, justice, accountability, and capacity development. At the same time, the organization confronted a sobering truth: the scale of suffering caused by torture and human rights abuses far exceeds the systems currently in place to address it.
In response, CVT is embarking on a strategic transformation—one that honors its legacy while boldly reimagining its future. The Center is reaffirming its commitment to survivors of torture and conflict-related trauma, while reshaping the systems needed to support their healing.
A New Framework for Impact
Building on four decades of global credibility and expertise, CVT will now organize its work around three interconnected pillars:
Healing: Delivering trauma-informed, interdisciplinary mental healthcare and rehabilitation to survivors.
Justice & Accountability: Advancing survivor-centered efforts to pursue justice and hold perpetrators of torture and atrocities accountable.
Systems Change: Strengthening the capacity of organizations and systems to support survivors throughout their healing journey.
To bring this vision to life, CVT is reorganizing its teams and programs, integrating technology in innovative ways, and exploring new revenue streams to expand its reach and sustain its mission. With the full support of its Board of Directors and a dedicated, world-class staff, CVT has launched several pilot initiatives designed to test and innovate across key areas:
Torture and Trauma Platform: A centralized, digital hub that dynamically shares CVT’s global knowledge, skills, and expertise. This platform will serve a wide range of stakeholders—including those not yet identified—who may benefit from CVT’s work in unexpected ways.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Integration: Embedding artificial intelligence across CVT’s programs to foster creativity, improve efficiency, elevate workforce skills, and explore new models for training clinicians, delivering services, processing data, and resource development. All AI applications will be guided by ethical standards and a “human-in-the-loop” approach.
Trauma-Informed Advisory Service: A consulting and training initiative that brings CVT’s trauma-informed methodologies to companies and organizations, generating new revenue while expanding impact.
Psychotherapy Expansion Pilot: Offering CVT’s expert trauma therapy to individuals who can pay out of pocket or through private insurance—creating a new revenue stream and broadening access to care.
These pilots will provide critical insights into market demand, the scalability of digital tools, and opportunities to grow CVT’s network of organizations and leaders equipped to support survivors.
A Transformative Moment—and a Call for Leadership
As CVT steps into this transformative chapter, it is seeking a visionary CEO to lead the way. This is an extraordinary opportunity for an innovative, creative leader to shape the future of healing, justice, and global impact.
The Opportunity
Position
President & Chief Executive Officer
Location:
Remote (Organization is Headquartered in Minnesota)
The President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) will lead a complex, mission-critical portfolio that includes trauma-informed clinical care, global programming, advocacy, innovative research, and capacity-building initiatives. As CEO, you will be the driving force behind CVT’s strategic direction—strengthening organizational sustainability while elevating its voice as a trusted global authority in torture rehabilitation and prevention.
This role offers the opportunity to directly impact lives across continents, helping survivors find hope and healing. Communities will be empowered, systems transformed, and action inspired—from donors and policymakers to frontline staff and global partners—mobilizing support for one of the most urgent human rights issues of our time.
The ideal candidate brings cross-cultural fluency and trauma-informed, survivor-centered leadership, along with a proven track record of fundraising success across individual, public, and private sectors. They have served as a compelling spokesperson and global thought leader, demonstrated operational excellence and business transformation expertise, and shown an unwavering commitment to human rights. With a history of leading successful organizational change and collaborating effectively with Boards of Directors, they are prepared to guide CVT into its next chapter of global impact.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership and Vision
Innovate and champion CVT’s new strategic direction, orchestrating seamless alignment and implementation across programs, finance, technology, and organizational culture to accelerate impact.
Collaborate with the Board of Directors and senior leadership team to refine and execute a multi-year strategy that expands access to world-class survivor services and prevention initiatives.
Advance a powerful, persuasive organizational brand and narrative that showcases CVT’s impact, scale, and thought leadership both on domestic and global stages.
Develop and implement a strategy to deepen and diversify relationships with public and private sector partners that unlock resources, influence, and programmatic reach.
Assess and redesign (as needed) CVT’s leadership structure, recruiting mission-driven talent, and ensuring staffing drives sustainable growth and exceptional program delivery.
Evaluate risks and opportunities across policy, funding, and humanitarian landscapes, and adapt strategies with intellectual rigor and agility.
External Engagement and Relationship Development
Rigorously engage in current fundraising strategies and relationships to identify high-impact opportunities for diversified, sustainable income.
Lead the pursuit of sustainable funding sources across government contracts, philanthropic contributions, foundations, and earned revenue.
Represent CVT with conviction at domestic and international forums, cultivating high-value relationships and elevating the organization’s profile.
Oversee and deliver successful capital and programmatic campaigns that exceed targets and mobilize new constituencies of support.
Strengthen CVT’s presence in national and international policy spaces, furthering the organization’s reputation as a trusted thought leader in torture rehabilitation and trauma-informed care.
Work closely with the Chief Financial Officer to ensure financial integrity, proactive risk management, and transparent accountability into every funding initiative.
Governance and Board Engagement
Partner with the Board of Directors to strengthen organizational leadership, identify high-caliber candidates, and align governance practices with CVT’s strategic goals.
Design and lead a results-oriented strategic planning retreat with the Board and senior leadership to define clear priorities and measurable outcomes for the next 12–24 months.
Keep the Executive Committee consistently informed of key challenges, strategic opportunities, and operational developments to support timely, high-quality decision-making.
Expand the Board’s resource development capacity by fostering active, mission-driven engagement in fundraising and strategic partnerships.
Ensure meaningful Board engagement in fiduciary responsibilities, encouraging members to contribute expertise, oversight, and advocacy that advance CVT’s long-term vision.
Lead and convene Board participation in shaping and executing new institutional strategies.
Operational Oversight
Champion an inclusive, trauma-informed workplace that centers survivor dignity, promotes staff well-being, and embeds diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as a strategic advantage.
Align budgets to strategic priorities, steward reserves, and ensure financial practices enable bold innovation, risk assessment and sustained impact.
Recruit, mentor, and retain a high-performing, values-driven leadership team that delivers operational excellence and inspires organizational transformation.
Direct Reports
The President & CEO directly oversees the following executive leaders:
Vice President of Global Programs
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Vice President of Advancement
Director of Communications
Director of Global Policy and Advocacy
Director of Human Resources – United States
Director of Human Resources – International
Executive Assistant
The Candidate
Experience and Professional Qualifications
The Center for Victims of Torture (CVT) seeks a bold, visionary, and entrepreneurial leader who embodies its mission: to heal the wounds of torture experienced by individuals, families, and communities—and to end torture worldwide. This is a rare opportunity to lead a globally respected organization at a pivotal moment of transformation, with daily impact across the human rights sector.
The ideal candidate brings deep subject matter expertise in humanitarian or human rights work, along with senior leadership experience in complex nonprofit, corporate, academic, global health, or mental health systems. They are a strategic thinker, compassionate changemaker, and visionary ambassador—fluent in cross-cultural dynamics and committed to trauma-informed, survivor-centered leadership.
As President and Chief Executive Officer, this individual will thrive at the intersection of vision and execution, with a proven track record in revenue generation and a passion for building sustainable, mission-driven institutions. They will serve as CVT’s chief ambassador, guiding the organization with clarity, courage, and conviction, and demonstrating the business acumen, cultural awareness, and inspirational presence needed to expand CVT’s global impact and sustainability.
Specific experience, qualifications and characteristics sought include:
Over ten years of senior leadership experience with multifunctional oversight.
Proven success in humanitarian aid, human rights, global health, or mental health systems.
Strong change management skills and a history of fostering inclusive, high-trust team cultures.
Demonstrated fundraising success across individual, corporate, and foundation sectors.
Experience in media engagement, public campaigning, and policy advocacy.
Deep commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, with a track record of building inclusive environments.
Strategic thinking and the ability to integrate innovative ideas into programming.
Extensive fiscal management experience, including oversight of complex, multi-regional budgets.
Outstanding verbal and written communication skills, with enthusiasm for CVT’s mission and a drive to build relationships across a broad spectrum of stakeholders.
Unquestionable professional ethics and a personal commitment to continuous improvement.
Education
Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in public policy, public health, social work, psychology, international affairs, nonprofit management, law, or a related field preferred.
Compensation & Benefits
CVT offers a competitive, mission-aligned compensation package including salary, health benefits, retirement plan, paid time off, professional development, and other benefits. The anticipated salary range for this role is $225,000 - $250,000.
CVT is committed to hiring and fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce that leverages the skills and talents of all employees in our organization, regardless of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions), gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, veteran status, familial status, genetic information, or any other protected status. We encourage candidates with diverse backgrounds such as these to apply for this position.
Application & Nominations
Applications should include a resume/CV and brief cover letter describing alignment with CVT’s mission, impact goals, and leadership profile to CVTPresidentandChiefExecutiveOfficer@KornFerry.com. Nominations and confidential inquiries are welcome.
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