The CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board of Directors and works with the Board and its committees, partner agencies, corporate leaders, staff, and key members of the communities we serve to advance the organization’s mission. The scope of this position is broad, requiring the development of expanded networks within Sonoma, Mendocino, Lake, Humboldt and Del Norte counties.
The CEO will enhance resource development and fundraising at all levels; implement the community impact agenda; create powerful relationships with community leaders; develop and motivate a strong staff team and insure fiscal excellence within the organization.
The CEO reports to a 23-member Board of Directors, operates with 13 staff members, additional ‘loaned executives', volunteers, and an annual budget of approximately $3.0 million.
The successful CEO candidate demonstrates expertise in and will be responsible for the following.
Strategic Leadership
- Ability to enroll stakeholders in the defined vision
- Build relationships and demonstrate edge/decisiveness
- Proven ability to think at a strategic and conceptual level
- Possesses leadership to drive and implement strategy and motivate others to join efforts
Fundraising & Development Track Record
- Institute and lead successful resource development campaigns
- Organize volunteers and staff in planning and execution of fund-raising strategies
- Make substantial fund-raising appeals to committed donors, prospects, foundations, small business and corporate executives
- Competency and comfort with private-sector CEO interaction to enhance financial resource development
- As corporate giving decreases, develop creative funding strategies for mid-sized and small businesses, as well as, reaching individual donors not affiliated with local companies
Community Building & Outcome Measurement
- Engage private, public, and nonprofit leaders to forward the recently adopted strategic community agenda
- Build collaborative partnerships, and implement an outcome-focused plan for achieving measurable change
- Competent and comfortable with private-sector executives; possess executive level oral presentation and written skills
Communications
- Serve as agency spokesperson and acts as a liaison with other public-sector agencies, foundations and the business community
- Actively engage in public relations and media communications
- Provide strategic oversight in all marketing and communications
Board of Directors & External Relations
- Ability to focus on the United Way's unique relationship with committed donors, partnerships with nonprofit agencies, corporations, organized labor
- Guide the Board and its key committees in policy formulation and interpretation
- Engender skills for bringing diverse people together and mobilizing them in governance and participation structures that elicit commitment
- Successful Management of a High-Performing Organization
- Assess organizational competencies and implement improvements
- Navigate executive & staffing transitions
- Foster teamwork in support of organizational excellence
- Build a staff team to successfully implement agenda
- Utilize technology to accelerate the pace of organizational change, internal process improvement and internal efficiency
- Strengthen agency infrastructure, including IT systems, controls, computers, software and related business protocols necessary to maintain and improve agency services
Demonstrated Financial Acumen
- Strong understanding and comfort with income statements, balance sheets and general financial management
- Experience in managing financial resources wisely
- Develops the annual agency budget, ensures proper fiscal accounting and controls in accordance with the guidelines of funding sources and with sound accounting practices
- Maintains fiscal solvency of agency
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Education and/or Experience
- MBA strongly desired
- Minimum 5-10 years of experience in a leadership capacity
- Successful track record of providing operational and business leadership
- Demonstrated ability to serve as public figurehead in the local community; demonstrates unwavering integrity and compassion for the needs of the local communities in which we serve
- Proven ability to develop and nurture business relationships. Viewed as a community leader
- Comfortable taking the lead on fundraising efforts required to take the organization to the next level and achieve strategic goals
- Excellent knowledge of finance and accounting fundamentals and fiscal management disciplines
- Proven experience in successfully managing, developing and mentoring staff
- Commitment to lifelong learning to support personal and professional growth
Other Desired Skills, Abilities and Knowledge
- Strong oral, written and listening communication skills
- A passion for mission-based marketing and relationship building
- Good understanding of non-profit structure, rules and guidelines
- Strong strategic planning & decision-making skills
- Strong leadership and communication skills both internally and with external stakeholders including local elected officials
- Highly organized with attention to follow up and follow through
- Demonstrated ability to work efficiently and cooperatively with others and build coalitions with key partners
- Broad business vision and the ability to lead an organization in developing and executing a business plan and creating and implementing sales and marketing initiatives
- Experience with talent acquisition and management
- Ability to understand and use quantitative and qualitative matrices as evaluative tools
- A can-do approach to problem-solving
- Consensus building skills
- Sensitive to cultural diversity and tolerance
- Energetic
Computer Skills
- Proficient with business machines such as copy, fax, printer, desktop computers, laptops and cell phones. Proficient with most commonly used business software including Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook and any other software programs that are essential to the job function.
Certificates, Licenses, Registrations
- This position requires the use of a motor vehicle and the employee must possess a valid CA driver’s license, a clear Motor Vehicle Record and current vehicle insurance. Updated MVRs may be requested periodically. Certain other valid licenses or permits may be required for specific job functions.
Physical Demands
- The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to do everything a typical office worker does which includes use of hands, walking, talking, phone use etc. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.
- Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.
Work Environment
- The work environment characteristics here are representative of those an employee encounters while working in a normal office environment. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.