What: Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director (ED) will have overall responsibility for NBW’s staff, programs, and execution of mission. S/he will be equipped with a substantial knowledge of community development, economic development, and urban planning as well as non-profit organization management. Specific responsibilities include:
Leadership and Management:
- Ensure ongoing program excellence, rigorous program evaluation, high quality financial management and administration: fundraising, managing organizational communications, outreach, and relationships; overseeing timelines and identifying resources needed to achieve strategic goals;
- Actively engage and energize North Branch Work’s board members, area businesses, members, volunteers, partnering organizations, local officials, and funders;
- Develop, maintain, and support a strong Board of Directors: serving ex- officio on each committee, seeking and building board and volunteer involvement with the strategic direction of ongoing operations;
- Lead, coach, develop, and retain NBW’s staff: developing effective systems to track progress of programs, so as to measure performance which will be communicated to the board, funders, and other constituents.
Fundraising and Communications:
- Lead revenue generating and fundraising activities to support existing program operations and prospective geographic expansion of services;
- Deepen and refine all aspects of communications—from web presence to other external relations with the goal of creating a stronger brand;
- Use external presence and relationships to garner new organizational opportunities.
Planning and New Business:
- Bring new members to the organization;
- Address the problems that arise from the impending transition of the NBW service area from a primarily industrial area to a mixed-use corridor as set forth in the City of Chicago North Branch Framework Plan;
- Design the expansion of services into current and new industrial corridors and complete the strategic business planning process for program expansion into new markets;
- Begin to build relationships and partnerships in new and existing markets: establishing relationships with businesses, funders, and political and community leaders in order to renew in-house workforce development activities;
- Function as an external presence who publishes and communicates program results with an emphasis on the successes of the local program as a model for regional and national replication.
Qualifications: The ED will be thoroughly committed to NBW’s mission. All candidates should have proven leadership, coaching, and relationship management experience. Concrete demonstrable experience and other qualifications include:
- Advanced degree, ideally in the fields of planning, public policy, or business, with at least five years of management experience; track record of effectively leading a performance- and outcomes-based organization and staff; ability to point to specific examples of having developed and implemented strategies that have taken an organization to the next stage of growth;
- Unwavering commitment to quality programs and data-driven program evaluation;
- Excellence in organizational management with the ability to coach staff, develop and manage high-performance teams, set and achieve strategic objectives, and manage a budget;
- Past success working with a Board of Directors with the ability to cultivate existing board member relationships;
- Strong marketing, public relations, and fundraising experience with the ability to engage a wide range of stakeholders and cultures;
- Strong written and verbal communication skills; an experienced communicator with excellent interpersonal and multidisciplinary project skills;
- Action-oriented with an entrepreneurial, adaptable, and innovative approach to business planning;
- Ability to work effectively in collaboration with diverse populations.
Interested persons should contact Larry Bennett - larry@northbranchworks.org