EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THE CITIZEN ADVOCACY CENTER 

The Citizen Advocacy Center seeks a visionary Executive Director (ED), who is qualified to practice law in Illinois. While reporting to and working with the Board of Directors, the ED will be responsible as the face of the organization for confidently leading the organization into its fourth decade, while advancing CAC’s mission and diverse annual goals and objectives. CAC’s ED will have operational responsibility for CAC’s staff, programs, and fundraising, and work with the Board of Directors on expansion projects. While no one person will likely embody all the skills required, an ideal ED candidate, must be able to demonstrate dynamic abilities in the following areas:

Leadership – The ED is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the organization while creating conditions to successfully achieve its mission. Activities in this area broadly include, but are not limited to, developing and implementing systems to assess needs and progress in core areas; maintaining an inspirational and collaborative leadership style; engaging and expanding varied constituent groups; and working effectively with the Board of Directors.

Mission Programming and Advocacy – With the oversight and guidance of the Board of Directors, the ED is responsible for implementing the CAC’s programming and advocacy work, while identifying and achieving systemic democracy-building reforms, both locally and statewide by using a wide range of legal and civic advocacy tools.

Fundraising & Fiscal Management – The ED is responsible for the procurement of financial resources to sustain and grow the CAC’s operations. This includes building and optimizing funding relationships with foundations, individual donors, and varied constituencies and ensuring compliance with required regulatory filings.

Communications – The ED is responsible for overseeing communications with CAC’s various constituent groups, and is the primary point person for media interviews. The ED must have outstanding interpersonal skills to effectively communicate with diverse groups including those with differing viewpoints across the civic and political spectra, and with an emphasis on maintaining CAC's nonpartisan mandate.

Start date as soon as possible.

Benefits include health insurance as well as generous paid time off, holidays, and family leave. Compensation to be determined based on experience, in the range of $70,000-80,000, as well as eligibility to participate in CAC’s retirement program after three years of full-time employment. There is an opportunity to work in-person/hybrid remote depending on the projects undertaken.

Citizen Advocacy Center is an equal opportunity employer.

The CAC values diversity and diverse cultures, perspectives and skills, and experiences. Applicants will not be discriminated against in accordance with local, state, and federal laws.

RELEVANT CHARACTER, EXPERIENCE, SKILLS, & EDUCATION

• License to practice law in Illinois, or the ability to obtain authorization to practice law in Illinois within six months of hiring;
• Demonstrated experience in a leadership role of a non-profit organization, company, or government entity, including successfully working with a Board of Directors;
• A persuasive and enthusiastic communicator with excellent interpersonal and demonstrated, multidisciplinary project skills including strong and effective written, verbal, public relations and communications skills.
• Ability to work effectively in collaboration with diverse groups of people;
• Action-oriented, entrepreneurial, fiscally responsible, and innovative approach to business planning and use of the CAC’s resources;
• Self-directed in setting goals, objectives, and priorities and the capacity to work both strategically and tactically;
• Ability to effectively coach and manage a small staff and oversee a group of volunteers and interns;
• Demonstrated leadership and success in fundraising through personal cultivation of donors, an ability to engage a wide range of stakeholders, and a capacity to develop the relationships necessary to assess and pursue philanthropic funding relationships and opportunities; and
• Experience in managing budgets including the preparation of financial reports.

Benefits:

• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave

License/Certification:

• IL law license or will have IL Bar admission within a year (Required)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Elmhurst, IL 60126

Benefits include health insurance as well as paid time off, holidays, and family leave.