Responsibilities of the Executive Director

Summary

Girls Inc. of Long Island inspires all girls to be strong, smart, and bold. Our comprehensive approach to whole girl development equips girls to navigate gender, economic, and social barriers and grow up healthy, educated, and independent. These positive outcomes are achieved through three core elements: (1) people - trained staff and volunteers who build lasting, mentoring relationships; (2) environment - girls-only, physically and emotionally safe, where there is a sisterhood of support, high expectations, and mutual respect; and (3) programming - research-based, hands-on and minds-on, age-appropriate, meeting the needs of today’s girls. Informed by girls and their families, we also advocate for legislation and policies to increase opportunities for all girls and address the systemic barriers that impede girls’ success, particularly girls in low-income communities and girls of color.

Primary Responsibilities

The Executive Director is responsible for the strategic leadership of the organization and oversight of all Girls Inc. programming. The Executive Director is responsible for managing staff, program administration and interfacing with Girls Inc. headquarters to ensure compliance within the network. S/he partners with the board of directors to ensure long-term planning; strong fund development success, and representation of Girls Inc. in the community – all leading to continuous and healthy growth. The Executive Director has primary responsibility for building partnerships with schools, government and community organizations, foundation officers, and corporate and individual donors.

The Executive Director ensures the prudent management of finances; develops and rewards an effective culturally competent staff; assures that nonprofit/legal requirements are met; advocates for the rights and needs of girls and inspires staff and volunteers to motivate girls to be Strong, Smart and Bold.

This position reports to the Chair(s) of the Board of Directors.

Key Leadership Competencies and Management Skills

• Managing Vision and Purpose: Communicates a compelling and inspired vision and ensures the implementation of the organization’s mission. Facilitates continuous and healthy growth by engaging the team in long-range strategic planning for achieving its mission and evaluates progress toward goals.  Maintains a working knowledge of research and trends in girls’ issues and in youth development. Assures that the organization has a long-range strategy which achieves its mission and works to make consistent and timely progress toward goals.  
• Strategic Agility: Anticipates future consequences and trends. Plans and implements on short-intermediate-and longer term opportunities. Provides leadership in development, programming, organizational and financial plans with the Board of Directors and staff, and carries out Board-authorized policies and plans.
• Political Savvy: Ability to perceive complex interrelationships among situations and the implications of those complexities. Serves in the community as a liaison to partnerships and coalitions related to girl and youth development issues.  Creates and strengthens sound working relationships and cooperative agreements with program partners, community leaders and organizations.

• Organizational Agility: Knowledgeable about how organizations work; understands the culture of organizations.

• Integrity and Trust: Is widely trusted; is a direct, truthful individual; keeps confidences; admits mistakes.

• Communication: Ability to communicate effectively orally, visually, in writing, in presentations, and via computer. Effectively represents the organization to outside organizations.

• Decision Quality: Uses a mixture of analysis, wisdom, experience and judgment to make good decisions. Seeks out others for advice and solutions.

• Culturally Competent: Models cultural competence as an ongoing learning experience for all personnel; incorporates diverse cultures, ethnicity, languages and abilities into delivery of programs, materials and communication.

• Business and Finance: Knowledge of how businesses work; understanding of nonprofit accounting and ability to read financial data to make decisions of fiscal planning and financial health. Oversees and maintains sound financial practices. Maintains policies, official records and documents to ensure the legal and regulatory compliance of the organization and the safety of its operating practices and constituents.

• Supervision and Staff Development: Oversees the recruitment, employment, training and release of all paid and unpaid personnel. Ensures that sound human resource practices are used including job descriptions, annual performance appraisals, ongoing coaching, mentoring and training. 

• Program Development and Leadership: Oversees the development, execution and implementation of programs and ensures programming is administered in accordance with Girls Inc. headquarters and affiliate guidelines, values, policies and procedures. Ensures that programs are effectively resourced and reflects a commitment to the mission as well as positive youth outcomes. Ability to recognize and respond to the needs of girls through program initiatives. 

• Fund Development and Fundraising: Designs and leads all fundraising efforts for the organization; understands revenue development, donor cultivation and stewardship; ability to craft strategic grant proposals and reports.

• Marketing and Public Relations: Manages the overall marketing and promotional functions to construct and market an appropriate image.

• Human Resources: Develops, guides and manages the human resource services, policies, and programs and practices for the agency.

• Volunteer Management: Knowledge of volunteer recruitment, retention, recognition and risk management strategies. Aligns needs of programs and staff with volunteer contributions. Promotes active and broad participation by board members, advisers, and supporters in all areas of the organization.

Essential Knowledge and Skill Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in a human service field, business or related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in leadership and management positions.
• An articulated belief in the mission of Girls Inc. 
• Demonstrated knowledge of youth development concepts and of the legal and developmental basis for single gender programming.
• Ability to educate the board in its governance responsibilities, particularly in its fund development and organization capacity responsibilities, providing the board with the tools to carry out its responsibility.
• Ability to lead a staff team to develop and implement a tactical plan that provides programming and services that align with the organization’s strategic plan and vision.
• Demonstrated financial analysis and management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to solve problems and to make difficult decisions in personnel, finance and programming.
• Demonstrated success in fundraising and fund development.
• Outstanding communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability in incorporating diverse cultures, ethnicities, languages and abilities both within an organization and with the community.
• Background clearance.
• Occasional travel required.
• Familiar with the community’s educational and non-profit culture.
• A sense of humor.