Executive Director, West Region

Position: Executive Director, West Region

Reports to: Chief Officer, Regional Operations and Organizational Equity

Status: Full Time; Exempt (M4/B11)

Salary Range: $180,000 - $220,000*

Location: Bay Area, CA (hybrid, with travel)

Start date: Immediately

Facing History & Ourselves is a global education non-profit organization that challenges teachers and students to use lessons of history to stand up to racism, antisemitism, and other forms of bigotry and hate.

To expand our fundraising and program footprint across the Western region, we are seeking a strategically driven, experienced and dynamic Executive Director (ED). Based in the Bay Area, this new position will primarily be responsible for leading our existing Northern California hub while creatively and excitedly charting a strategy for our newly formed thirteen-state West Region.

More specifically, this leader will bring an entrepreneurial spirit to:

• expand our existing fundraising capacity and source new opportunities for philanthropy in Northern California, specifically Silicon Valley. Collaborate with SoCal ED on fundraising opportunities across the state
• grow and develop an existing and highly engaged regional Advisory Board
• drive earned income and support program growth and delivery goals in partnership with the California Program Director
• increase regional visibility and enhance community awareness throughout the West
• design a strategic roadmap to optimize regional philanthropic, earned income, and programmatic opportunities

This position reports to the Chief Officer and partners with the senior development team to implement all strategies, policies, and processes at the local level. The ED supervises the Northern CA Director of Development, oversees the regional development team, and directly or matrix manages all regional employees.

Fundraising

• Creates the overall regional fundraising strategy to significantly grow philanthropic support in Northern California; works closely with the Northern California Director of Development to ensure the effective and efficient implementation of those goals.
• Grows, maintains and strengthens the regional Advisory Board to ensure the board partners effectively and efficiently with staff to meet or exceed revenue and outreach goals.
• Grows a portfolio of donors across Northern California to support regional work and expand footprint beyond California and into other Western states.
• Engages a fundraising portfolio of 40 principal gift-level funders, foundations, and corporations and works to ensure that they are connected to the work, understand the impact, and feel appreciated for their support.
• Partners with the global Chief Officer of Growth & Engagement and the California Program Director to set strategy and achieve earned income revenue targets for curriculum partnerships with school districts, schools, and similar entities.

Regional Visibility, District Partnerships, and Community Outreach

• Communicates the organizational vision, themes, goals, and progress to staff, advisory board members, and key funders and aligns all regional activities to overall Facing History goals and strategies. Serve as the “face” of Facing History in the region
• Creates and cultivates relationships with key local, state and national education policy makers to grow Facing History’s presence in more districts and similar fee-for-service entities.
• In partnership with the Program Director, coordinates work with local educational institutions (museums, etc.), community groups and other education organizations (Holocaust Education, Racial Equity, civics/SEL, teacher leadership/professional development) with the goal of increasing Facing History’s visibility and educator participation in programs.
• Reaches multiple educational audiences, including teachers, administrators, Facing History students, and student alumni and their parents.
• Raises the profile of the organization in the region through media relations, high profile public speaking engagements, and other strategies developed in partnership with the marketing department.

Strong Regional Culture

• Leads and supports a diverse, equitable, inclusive and innovative workplace culture that nurtures a sense of belonging for all staff and volunteers, and is committed to excellence, quality, and the professional growth of an engaged staff.
• Communicates organizational vision, themes, goals, and progress to staff, key funders, and advisory board members, and makes visible the alignment of regional level activities to overall Facing History goals and strategies.
• Seeks out and embraces opportunities to learn and grow with other colleagues through internal and external professional development opportunities, and finds ways to share these learnings across the global organization.

Qualifications

Facing History understands that restrictive job requirements may exclude historically marginalized groups from applying to jobs for which they are qualified. We take an equitable and holistic screening approach. If you feel you have demonstrated experience and expertise relevant to perform this role, please don’t hesitate to apply!

• Ability to lead, inspire and develop staff, connecting daily work to Facing History’s mission and values
• Deep knowledge of the Northern California philanthropic landscape and demonstrated success in meeting and growing fundraising in the region, particularly for principal gifts
• Experience in fundraising (including proven results raising 7+ figure gifts) and in working with staff and board to achieve fundraising goals (Minimum of 10+ years required in similar senior level role); experience with Silicon Valley fundraising strongly preferred.
• Direct supervision experience (7+ years preferred). Experience leading and growing teams in a largely remote workplace preferred.
• High level of proven work experience in vision and planning for growth, including opening new markets, and strong level of comfort in engaging with school and district leaders
• Experience working with a matrix management team
• Proven record of building reputation and extending awareness of a nonprofit across key sectors, leading to increased revenue and demand for services.
• Excellent interpersonal skills to create, maintain and strengthen relationships with philanthropic partners including donors and board
• Ability to deliver effective presentations to diverse audiences
• Exceptional written and oral communications skills
• Project management and oversight; ability to balance multiple tasks and to set priorities
• Ability to articulate Facing History’s work
• Technology proficiency required, especially with communication and fundraising tools, digital learning strategies and social media

Benefits Summary: In addition to meaningful and rewarding work, Facing History provides an excellent and competitive compensation and benefits package including medical with a health reimbursement account, dental, vision, life & AD&D, long-term & short-term disability insurance, 403(b) retirement plan with a discretionary organizational contribution, generous paid time off, an employee assistance program, travel assistance plan, pre-tax commuter spending accounts, flexible spending accounts, voluntary Colonial Life group plans, robust wellness programs through aHealthyMe & weekly virtual yoga and meditation, WellCents 403(b) advisement, and a friendly work environment.

Facing History values a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status and record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We are an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.

Facing History’s Commitment to Workplace Inclusion. At Facing History, we honor and value the uniqueness of each and every human being. Our strength as an organization that provides and distributes educational content and pedagogy to teachers across the globe is directly tied to our diversity of staff, leadership, educators, students, scholars, and volunteers. Our commitment is to treat individuals with dignity and to build and maintain a community of full participation, inclusive of the voices, needs, and contributions of all. As an organization, we are deeply aware of the legacies of injustices that persist in society and in the workplace, and we value and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in their association with excellence.

Hybrid Work Model (Northern California): Facing History & Ourselves operates in a hybrid work model, allowing staff flexibility in both schedules and work locations. Due to the necessity to meet in person with donors and local education leaders, this particular position is attached to the Northern California regional hub and requires in-person and in-office work as needed, but will otherwise work from home, though you may access an office work space whenever needed. Some travel is required.

We strive to offer competitive salaries commensurate with experience in a similar position. New hires are typically brought into the organization at a salary range between the minimum and midpoint depending on experience and in alignment with internal parity.