We're Hiring an Executive Director

About the Position

Salary Range: Starting at $105,000
Closing Date: September 30, 2024
Interviews: October-November
Expected Start Date: Early 2025

 

This position supports the work of Connected Lane County, a thriving nonprofit organization committed to serving youth. Connected Lane County equips Lane County youth with the tools to help them gain confidence in their abilities and see value in their decisions by breaking down barriers, building bridges, and creating strategic partnerships to connect youth with education and employment pathways to transform their future potential. Connected Lane County’s core programs include Elevate, which creates career-connected learning opportunities for youth; Navigate, which offers various support services to youth facing significant barriers to success; and Spark, which brings community, education, & industry together through innovation, education, and hands-on learning. Additional services include our four Excelerator pathways and other programs: Rent Well, Youth Support Specialist Certification, Drop-In Support, BookFest, and more.

The Executive Director is responsible for the organization's visionary leadership, the supervision of six direct reports and oversight of a staff exceeding 30 members, and day-to-day administration of infrastructure and business practices, physical locations, resource and business development, marketing and communications, cross-sector relationship building and development, and working with leadership and management teams on strategic direction and implementation of strategic plans.

We have maintained steady growth and seek a passionate and motivated leader to join our team. Connected Lane County was started in 2014 and has experienced significant growth in the last five years, establishing diverse and stable programs with varied funding streams and seasoned staff. We have been implementing effective administrative systems to support our operations, guided by a policy-oriented board that monitors program impacts and community participation. Committed to creating opportunities for youth to thrive, we are now looking for a leader to guide us through our next phase of maturation and into the future.

We strongly encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds, with varied life and work experiences, and who reflect the racial makeup of the communities served by Connected Lane County to apply for this position. We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment that values and respects diversity in all its forms.

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Day-to-Day Responsibilities

Serve as director for the implementation of Connected Lane County projects and activities:

  • Cultivate relationships with community-based partners, including workforce and economic development organizations and regional workforce boards, Lane County school districts, post-secondary institutions, industry, economic development, government, and other community organizations.
  • Secure funding, manage budget expenditures to maintain day-to-day operations and support new programs and service growth opportunities.
  • Provide visionary, adaptive leadership and supervision of staff, consistently modeling Connected Lane County’s guiding values and culture.
  • Fosters teamwork and individual staff development. 
  • Facilitate effective and open communication with staff, mainly related to internal decisions and strategy.
  • Represent the organization through public speaking engagements and networking events to communicate the organization’s mission and strengthen brand awareness.
  • Cultivate working relationships with community leaders involved in initiatives in a way that can inspire collective action without formal authority.
  • Coordinate research, coalitions, projects, and other activities with initiative partners to minimize redundancies and align strategies and actions.
  • Oversee daily operations and maintain appropriate systems for measuring necessary aspects of operational management.
  • Identify improvements in data-driven decision-making and ensure data is collected, integrated, and communicated effectively across the organization.
  • Provides management of physical spaces (Spark on 7th and Spark at Booth-Kelly), including supervision, facility management, program coordination, community tours, and revenue generation.
  • Executes the development of resources, including community partnerships, foundational grants, local and state contracts, state grants, federal grants, and sponsors to support Connected Lane County.

Qualifications & Requirements

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

  • Excellent communication skills, including writing, presenting information, speaking, and facilitating groups.
  • Demonstrated ability to work harmoniously with internal staff, community partners, grantors, and agency partners. 
  • Demonstrated ability to make formal presentations, facilitate diverse groups, solicit input, and synthesize and summarize information and ideas for program development.
  • Demonstrated ability and experience in communicating about large data systems and demonstrated judgment regarding synthesis and summarization of information.
  • Demonstrated ability to utilize and manage financial, payroll, and CRM systems to monitor progress and create organizational efficiencies.
  • Knowledge and ability to represent Connected Lane County in environments that could have political implications if not handled with tact and diplomacy.
  • Ability to manage budgets and ensure that Connected Lane County expenditures are within program parameters, including grant funding.
  • Ability to develop and manage the scope of work for projects completed by independent contractors.
  • Ability to plan and manage program logistics to ensure successful outcomes are achieved.
  • Ability to understand partner agencies’ mission and goals and to plan in coordination with multiple agency partners.
  • Demonstrated ability and experience to provide leadership, manage and evaluate employees and team performance, solve problems, and conduct internal meetings.

Education and Experience

  • A bachelor’s degree in business administration, nonprofit management, or other fields is preferred.
  • A combination of experience and education/training is considered. A Bachelor's degree in education or a related field, such as public administration or social services, ​​or an equivalent combination of experience and training with demonstrated knowledge and abilities.
    Five years of experience in project, program, or grant management, including budget management.
    Three years of successful experience managing programs and people in public education or nonprofits.
    One to two years of experience cultivating donor relationships, securing financial contracts, and establishing meaningful relationships with local funders.

How to Apply

Please submit the following materials to info@connectedlane.org: 

  • Resume with references included
  • Cover letter
  • Minimum of two letters of recommendation
  • Response to the following questions: 
    1. Describe your relevant experiences for this role, including relationship building, securing funding, and leading teams.
    2. Share examples of your leadership style and philosophy, including fostering teamwork, staff development, and effective communication. Explain how you would maintain a positive organizational culture and motivate the team to achieve goals.
    3. Explain how you would use your skills and experiences to build Connected Lane County's strategic vision further.

Working at Connected Lane County

We are committed to creating a work environment and culture where our team members grow and thrive. Our team works hard every day to directly impact the lives of youth in Lane County. While much of our work is conducted from computer displays that require repetitive motions, employees may frequently be required to support program events and activities that include bending, reaching, standing, interacting with youth and volunteers, lifting/moving heavy objects, driving to-and-from events, and more.

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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Connected Lane County is an equal-opportunity employer that values diversity. Data shows diverse teams are innovative, make better decisions, and are better able to engage employees. We are committed to hiring people who bring new perspectives and experiences to our team. Connected Lane County does not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability.