Girls in the Know
Girl in the Know is a 501(c)3 nonprofit with a mission to empower girls to embrace a strong sense of self.
The Executive Director provides essential leadership in advancing the organization’s strategic direction, workplace culture, and stakeholder relationships. This position is entrusted with the fulfillment of the organization’s mission, vision, and strategic plan and is the lead staff person for organizational governance. Further, this role is the key and leading position for the organization’s business and involves planning, organizing, directing, controlling, and administering all operations.
This high-profile position requires a dynamic, adaptive, and resourceful leader who, amidst an ever-changing environment, inspires committed engagement in diverse communities, staff, and Board alike. The Executive Director is a strong people leader with the emotional intelligence needed to foster a safe and supportive environment for staff through proactive conflict management. Further, the Executive Director leads with an anti-oppression lens in practice and approach. The Executive Director’s leadership is consistent with the GITK Vision, Mission, Guiding Principles, Values, Governance/Operational Policies, and Strategic Plan.
In particular, and in the interest of quality events, programs, and services, this position is responsible for strategic leadership, collaborative and supportive people management, and oversight in the following areas:
• Advancing the Strategic Direction, Workplace Culture & Stakeholder Relations
• Philanthropic Cultivation and Stewardship
• Strategic Community Relations
• Financial Integrity
• Strategic Planning
• Risk Mitigation
• Board Relationship and Collaboration
• Demonstrates future orientation and planning to address changing community, program, event, and service needs;
• Provides leadership, quality assurance, and excellence in events, programs, and services;
• Provides a strategic level of thinking and implementation of business development initiatives to support the viability of the organization;
• Provides leadership to the Board and staff with respect to political advocacy necessary to fulfill the operations of the organization;
• Oversees business systems to ensure an effective and sustainable infrastructure in collaboration with the leadership team;
• Implements the Vision, Mission, Guiding Principles, Values, Governance, and Strategic Plan;
• Oversees and engages in high-level human resources issues relating to significant issues concerning employees, volunteers, or contractors; and
• Creates a safe and motivational work environment through proactive conflict management and mentoring to enhance employee satisfaction and productivity.
Philanthropic Cultivation and Stewardship
• Provides leadership, guidance, and mentorship to enhance the financial strength and viability of GITK;
• Develops foundations for strong and positive relationships with all donors, funders, business support, and potential funders in an effort to realize stronger revenue for the organization into the future;
• Balances the needs of the existing donors with the programming direction of GITK and cultivates diversification of the current funding base;
• Ensures compliance with public sector funding agencies; and
• Serves as the primary contact with key financial supporters.
Strategic Stakeholder and Community Relations
• Creates and maintains strong and positive relationships with internal stakeholders (staff, contractors, volunteer, and the Board of Directors) and cultivates an equitable, diverse, and inclusive internal culture;
• Cultivates and maintains strong and positive relationships with the community donors, sponsors, funders, potential supporters, and other stakeholders and finds pathways for future collaborative working relationships;
• Creates and builds public profile with diverse communities, as well as government and other community stakeholders, to enhance the visibility of GITK;
• Ensures excellent quality in programs, services, and events.
Financial Integrity
• Acts as the key oversight and financial control of the organization;
• Cultivates diversification of the current funding base;
• Prepares and controls the annual operating plans to align with the Strategic Plan;
• Works in adherence with prudent financial practices; and
• Provides leadership in contract negotiations/ contract management.
Implementation of the Strategic Plan
• Works with the Board to design annual strategic planning sessions to identify opportunities to meet emerging trends, key opportunities, known and unknown challenges, and community interest/needs;
• Aligns operations and develops staff buy-in with current Strategic Plan through an impact-focused lens;
• Ensures that the Strategic Plan is communicated, as appropriate, with internal and external stakeholders; and
• Communicate with the Board of Directors in a timely manner to present the work accomplished or any challenges experienced in implementing the strategic plan.
Risk Mitigation
• Oversees legal, regulatory, and professional requirements for a charitable organization;
• Ensures the provision of adequate insurance for Directors’ Liability, facility and properties, staff coverage, and other, as required;
• Ensures that organizational practices comply with all regulatory and legal standards;
• Oversees organization finances and clearly and immediately communicates to the Board President or delegate Board Member any financial exposure that has potential to cause harm to GITK; and
• Stays abreast of community developments and helps to identify and address potential public relations challenges.
Reporting to the Board: Board Relationship and Collaboration
• Provides the Board of Directors with relevant and current information for its consideration regarding governance decisions;
• In partnership with the Board Chair, navigates and contributes to healthy boundaries between governance and operations;
• Provides strong and clear communication through established written reports to the Board, in addition to verbal reports and discussions at regular Board meetings;
• Ensures that the Board Chair or delegate is informed of any potential risk exposure that has the potential to cause harm to GITK promptly; and
• Creates a positive environment that attracts and motivates qualified and competent Board Members to engage in the GITK governance role.
This leader has overall responsibility for the business, capacity, strength, viability, and sustainability of GITK. The scope or dimensions of the role of the Executive Director are significant: this responsibility ranges from the management of employees, contractors, and volunteers, meeting community needs, strategic financial management, to risk mitigation. This position requires professional conduct concerning professional ethics values and leading the culture of GITK with integrity. The complexity of this position is in the diversity of the leadership role and its advocacy requirements.
Requirements:
Facilitating a safe workplace requires emotional intelligence, active listening, and addressing conflict proactively. This role provides overall leadership to living the internal and external health education.
Qualifications and Competencies
The Executive Director has a degree in health education, social justice, business, nonprofit management, or equivalent experience and 5 to 7 years of professional work experience in a leadership role working in complex environments and serving diverse communities.
Required competencies include:
• Strong understanding of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) principles, as well as anti-oppression and social justice frameworks, and an ability to communicate those effectively
• Ability to galvanize people both within the organization and within the community
• Exceptional people leadership skills
• Strong skills implementing a fund development strategy
• Strong financial management and budgeting skills
• Strong coaching and mentoring skills
• Strong change management skills and experience/understanding of systemic change
• Excellent conflict management and de-escalation skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Skills and experience with trauma-informed workplaces
• Ability to set boundaries effectively and kindly
• Strong, proactive, and sensitive HR competencies
• Strong understanding of governance and experience reporting to or working closely with a Board of Directors
• Ability to adapt management style to a diverse staff
• Ability to implement operations and decisions in a political environment
Working Conditions:
• The Executive Director is a full-time position within a value-based solid organizational culture.
This position requires a high level of team collaboration and significant autonomy. Due to funding and event cycles, Board events, and organizational plans, there is a requirement for the
Executive Director to work longer hours during peak or demanding periods, particularly the school year, and then to take time off or work ‘shorter’ days to balance the schedule.
The Executive Director position receives a comprehensive compensation package that includes a salary range of approximately $80,000, health benefits stipend, access to wellness and professional development funds, and the ability to be a visible ambassador in the community.
Please email your cover letter, resume, and three references to gitkjobs@girlsintheknow.org.