The Co-Executive Director of Internal Operations
YWCA Olympia is excited to move toward a Co-Executive Director model to support the organization’s continued mission alignment, programmatic and financial stability and growth, and to establish an organizational structure and culture that is aligned with YWCA’s focus on Intersectional Racial Justice. Together, alongside the Co-Executive Director of External Engagement, the Co-Executive Director of Internal Operations (Co-ED Internal Operations) will provide oversight of YWCA Olympia’s overall strategic, operational and financial goals, ensuring mission and values alignment and organizational vitality. The Co-Executive Directors are the chief executives of YWCA Olympia.
Key Priorities
Organizational Development
The Co-Executive Directors will work together to both guide and follow the lead of an incredible staff, participant and board team, through ongoing strategic thinking and organizational development aimed at mission and values alignment. This happens in numerous formal and informal ways. This organizational culture shifting/ culture building process includes opportunities for shared leadership and collective decision making. Staff participate in monthly all staff business meetings as well as monthly visioning + relationship building gatherings in order to address collective concerns and make decisions related to organizational culture and strategy. As we have new values and a redefined theory of change, we are currently exploring practices to root these norms. The staff are becoming more practiced at moving through interpersonal and collective conflict and are now seeking to build core practices, that are values aligned, to guide conflict navigation processes in a more standardized way. We are similarly in the process of building a centering model and a menu of healing practices that create cohesion between YWCA Olympia programs. In addition, we are in current conversations related to the feasibility of and process for shifting toward lateral / non-hierarchical work group models and participant-led board structures. These organizational development opportunities will continue to be a priority for the Co-Executive Directors, as well as the creation of organization policies and the documentation of organizational practices that embed them into the institution.
Staff, Volunteer and Program Support
While the Co-Executive Directors will work together to provide overall support, coaching and supervision of staff, the Co-ED of Internal Operations will hold primary responsibility for staff, volunteer and program support. This includes nurturing employee growth and development, helping navigate interpersonal or program related conflicts, supporting program teams with regards to volunteer management and program partnerships, and guiding program development and program policy efforts. The Co-ED of Internal Operations will additionally hold primary responsibility for ensuring that programs and participant opportunities are fully aligned with YWCA’s mission, values and theory of change, they will support program teams in setting and tracking program outcomes, refining programs, developing new programs and/or expanding existing opportunities, and preparing program reports. The Co-Executive Directors will work together to support the board of directors with the Co-ED of Internal Operations holding a particular emphasis on reporting program and infrastructure related updates as well as supporting board engagement in these areas.
Fundraising and Financial Management
The Co-Executive Directors will work together and share responsibility for budgeting and overall financial management. The Co-ED of Internal Operations will hold particular responsibility for tracking program budgets and supporting program teams in understanding the budgeting process and making budget related adjustments. While the Co-Executive Directors will both support grant writing and donor cultivation and stewardship efforts, the Co-ED of Internal Operations will focus their grant writing and fundraising efforts on program specific support.
Infrastructure & Building Operations
The YWCA Olympia is located in “The Kearney House” a historic house built in 1907 which is included in the Thurston County historic registry. As such, the board and staff are responsible for protecting this asset, providing general building maintenance, and facilitating space upgrades in a way that is aligned with historic commission guidelines/ policies. The Co-ED of Internal Operations will hold primary responsibility for building infrastructure and will also oversee technology infrastructure that supports organization and program operations, as well as legal compliance related to building operations, programs and staff. While all staff and board members participate in creating a welcoming and inclusive physical space, the Co-ED of Internal Operations will hold particular responsibility for expanding accessibility for folx of all abilities, races, genders, sexual orientations, faiths, cultures and all individuals in a way that upholds YWCA Olympia’s core values.
Candidates must have a commitment to, and be accountable to, the mission of YWCA Olympia: To eliminate racism and empower womxn. Candidates must also have a dedication to personal and collective growth and the continued development of skills related to anti-oppression, social justice, movement making, and culture shifting. In addition, candidates:
- Have two or more years of leadership experience with increasing responsibility
- Have relevant experience with helping groups navigate intercultural conflict in community or work settings
- Have experience developing programs and/or services
- Have experience raising funds and/or cultivating partnerships as part of a collaborative team
The Co-Executive Director of Internal Operations position is full time, salaried, and exempt. YWCA Olympia provides health insurance (medical, dental, vision), paid wellness and vacation leave, retirement benefits after two years of employment, and an annual salary up to $60,000.
Application Process - READ CAREFULLY
YWCA Olympia is actively recruiting persons from various ethnic and cultural backgrounds to enhance service to our diverse communities. Diverse and bilingual candidates are encouraged to apply. YWCA Olympia is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
A complete application includes a cover letter, resume, and the names and contact information for three professional references. Your cover letter should share why you are interested in this position, why you are passionate about the mission of the YWCA Olympia, and describe your leadership style. In addition, please respond to these questions:
- YWCA Olympia views our mission of eliminating racism and empowering womxn through lenses of intersectionality, cultural humility, social determinants of heath, and in other ways. Please share your thoughts and tell us about how you view and think about the organization’s mission.
- As part of our work to eliminate racism, YWCA Olympia is working to shift from white supremacy dominant culture norms to inclusive, anti-racist, multiculturalism. Please describe your understandings of harmful dominant culture norms and share thoughts about alternatives to that.
- What do you see as your work in this world and how does this position at the YWCA Olympia support that vision?
Please limit your cover letter to four pages or less. Send your application (cover letter, resume and references) to [email protected]. You will receive confirmation that your application materials have been received within one week of your submission via email. Please refrain from calling to check on the status of your application.
The priority deadline for receipt of applications is December 15, 2019. Applications received after this date will be reviewed on a case by case basis. We plan to conduct first interviews during the 2nd and 3rd weeks of January 2020, second interviews in early February 2020, and selecting a candidate by February 28, 2020.