Executive Director

McCloskey Partners•Grand Rapids, MI

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Executive Director is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the Center’s operations, including strategic planning, program management, fundraising, financial management, staff leadership, and community engagement, while ensuring the organization effectively fulfills its mission by collaborating closely with the board of directors and representing the organization publicly. The Executive Director carries out the vision and mission of the organization. This is a hybrid role with the expectation that as needed employee will work in person in the Grand Rapids area.

Requirements

A bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
Minimum of 10 years of business or nonprofit management
Commitment to social and economic equity
Financial literacy and proven ability to create and manage budgets
Experience interacting and reporting to a board of directors, including building and executing on strategic plans
Track record of successful fundraising and/or grant writing and business development
Proven ability to lead a nonprofit organization or a large department of a similar size
Excellent written communication and public speaking skills
Hands-on, engaging leadership style
Strategic thinker and builder
Confident decision making
High personal standard of ethics and accountability
Experience with grassroots organizing and advocacy is a plus
Marketing or public relations business-to-business environment, with some business-to - consumer experience also being helpful.
Ability to build and execute social media strategy through competitive research, platform determination, benchmarking, messaging, and audience identification.
Commitment to continuous learning and personal mastery of new skills/knowledge
Demonstrated ability to successfully work independently
Entrepreneurial
Mission - driven with high expectations for the quality of service provided
Comfortable managing teams and contractors
A bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
Minimum of 10 years of business or nonprofit management
Demonstrated leadership in starting or building organizations
Knowledge of and openness to all forms of employee ownership, including Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), worker cooperatives, and e mployee - ownership trusts
High degree of familiarity and ability to work independently with Microsoft Office Suite, Google Suite, and social media platforms

Responsibilities

Working in partnership with the Board of Directors to create the Center’s strategic plan and implement new processes and approaches to achieve it
Identify, hire, and manage effective team members and contractors to support the strategy
Maintain strong communication with the board of directors, providing regular updates on organizational performance, and ensuring alignment between the board's vision and operational execution
Provide for all staff and partners a strong day-to-day leadership presence
Review, design, and execute improvements to organizational structure; find knowledge and skills gaps and help address them
Represent the Center publicly
Ensure the financial sustainability and stability of the organization
Identify fundraising targets and lead efforts to raise funds, including but not limited to corporate, individual, foundation, and municipal grants
Manage grants, including tracking key metrics and completing grant reports in a timely fashion
Oversee the organizational budget with approval from the board of directors ensuring alignment with the vision and mission of the organization
Administer and review all financial plans and budgets; monitor progress and changes; and keep the board informed of the organization’s financial status
Coordinate and lead the annual audit process, liaise with external auditors and the finance committee of the board of directors; assess any changes necessary
Maintain and execute financial policies procedures, accounts payable and receivable, including contracts
Lead outreach and cultivate relationships with potential audiences, including business networking groups, community groups (i.e. chamber of commerce), business advisors, educational institutions and state/local government.
Lead and oversee the main MICEO initiatives including: The Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Opportunity supported Transition to Employee Ownership initiative in Michigan, WK Kellogg Foundation efforts in the Grand Rapids area, the USDA rural business development project in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and the Rural Readiness Program project serving the northern region of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula
Guide and support the West Michigan Employee Ownership Council currently being incubated
Cultivate relationships within the professional and service provider community
Build on existing deep roots in business and community ecosystems
Cultivate relationships within government & education
Organize stakeholder convenings
Implement outreach on succession planning and employee ownership to the business community
Develop and facilitate educational events to help spread awareness of employee ownership across the state
Create and maintain a database of contacts and upload them to Center’s CRM. Submit periodic reports, as requested.
Attend conferences on behalf of organization
Implement outreach to the business community
Conduct marketing and PR efforts
Develop and manage web and social media plans
Create materials for advertising, conferences and displays
Develop toolkits, templates and presentations to assist business leaders
Participate in conferences and exhibitions
Develops and implements operational efficiencies, including policies and procedures
Manages all HR, including benefits administration, payroll, business registrations, tax submissions, insurance requirements, etc.
Ensures organization is in good legal standing
Manage risk and insurance
Lead the performance management process that measures and evaluates progress against goals for the organization
Serve as liaison with organization climate, employee well-being, project updates, proposals, and planning