Executive Director

LBCDC seeks a community-centered, mission-driven Executive Director to lead the organization into its next chapter following the planned retirement of founding Executive Director David Salazar. The ideal candidate is a strong relationship-builder, strategic thinker, organizer, fundraiser, and public-facing advocate who can guide LBCDC, the organization, through this leadership transition while helping expand its programs, partnerships, and long-term sustainability. This role is an opportunity for an entrepreneurial leader who is passionate about community development, design, planning, education, and civic engagement. While the position will begin part-time, the Board seeks a leader who can strengthen operations, increase funding, and grow organizational capacity, with the goal of supporting future staffing and a full-time executive leadership structure.

Position Details:

• Employment Status: Part-time Executive Director
• Reports To: Board of Directors
• Direct Reports: Volunteers, interns, consultants, and any future employees or program staff
• Location: Long Beach, CA (hybrid schedule with community-based and in-person engagement)
• Hours: Approximately 10–20 hours per week
• Compensation: Volunteer

Position Summary: The Executive Director serves as LBCDC's strategic, operational, and community-facing leader. Working with the Board of Directors, city partners, schools, public agencies, volunteers, interns, donors, and project collaborators, the Executive Director advances the organization's mission, oversees programs and operations, cultivates financial support, and strengthens visibility and impact throughout Long Beach. A key part of the role is managing the transition from founding leadership: capturing organizational knowledge, maintaining critical donor and partner relationships, and strengthening the foundation for sustainable long-term growth.

Essential Functions:

• Lead strategic planning and execution with the Board of Directors
• Make operational decisions within Board-approved policies and budgets
• Manage day-to-day operations, programs, partnerships, and administrative systems
• Support fundraising, donor relations, sponsorships, grants, and earned revenue
• Represent LBCDC when needed at community and fundraising events, before public agencies, and in media events, including occasional evening and weekend commitments.
• Build and maintain community partnerships with schools, nonprofits, public agencies, and civic leaders
• Oversee youth internship, mentorship, and educational programs
• Partner with the Board of Directors to support effective governance, including facilitating agenda development, preparing strategic board materials and financial reports, coordinating committee communications, and maintaining governance schedules.
• Oversee the financial health of LBCDC, including management of budgets, contracts, and invoices, in consultation with the Treasurer and Board
• Ensure compliance with nonprofit, grant, and contractual requirements.
• Direct operations and supervise existing volunteers, interns, and external consultants, while establishing organizational infrastructure to hire, onboard, and manage paid staff as budget permits.
• Lead transition planning and knowledge capture from the founding Executive Director

Key Responsibility Areas:

Organizational Leadership & Founder Transition — Provide thoughtful leadership during the transition from the founding Executive Director, ensuring continuity of mission, values, relationships, and organizational knowledge. Partner closely with the Board of Directors to fortify governance, support strategic planning, and formalize operational systems, policies, and procedures that position the organization for long-term sustainability and growth.

Community Leadership & Partnerships — Serve as a visible and trusted ambassador for the organization within the community. Cultivate and strengthen relationships with residents, neighborhood organizations, civic leaders, schools, public agencies, and design professionals.

Youth Mentorship & Internship Programs — Champion and oversee internship and mentorship programs for underserved students; create pathways into design and planning careers; cultivate an inclusive learning environment.

Program & Project Leadership — Lead a portfolio of community-based design, planning, and education initiatives from concept through implementation. Manage project scopes, budgets, contracts, timelines, consultants, and stakeholder relationships while ensuring projects reflect community priorities and advance the organization's mission.

Fundraising & Organizational Growth — Lead efforts to secure and diversify funding through donor cultivation, sponsorships, and grants; build relationships with foundations and philanthropic partners; maintain continuity with existing donors.

Financial & Administrative Management — Oversee the organization's financial and administrative operations in partnership with the Treasurer and Board. Support budgeting, financial reporting, invoicing, contract management, compliance requirements, and organizational record-keeping.

Capacity Building & Strategic Growth — As a part-time Executive Director, prioritize initiatives that strengthen organizational infrastructure, increase visibility and funding, and expand programmatic impact. Develop strategies to grow revenue, partnerships, and community support with the goal of building a sustainable organization capable of supporting additional staff and eventually transitioning the Executive Director position to full-time.

First-Year Priorities:

• Successfully transition founder relationships and institutional knowledge and organizational history from the founding Executive Director
• Strengthening Board engagement, governance practices, and strategic planning processes
• Assess and improve existing operational systems (finance, contracts, compliance, programs)
• Establish a diversified funding strategy
• Evaluate program sustainability, especially youth internships
• Establish measurable goals and a performance dashboard to track funding, partnerships, and outcomes, community impact, and organizational growth

Core Competencies: Relationship-building and communication • community-centered leadership • strategic and practical execution • fundraising and donor development • project management • diplomacy and facilitation • financial discipline • commitment to equity and youth development • comfort working independently in a small, board-led nonprofit during a period of transition and growth

Required Qualifications:

• Some experience in progressively responsible leadership and management, preferably within a nonprofit organization, demonstrating the ability to oversee organizational operations, manage budgets, lead projects and programs, coordinate stakeholders, and support strategic planning. Experience in fundraising, grant writing and administration, civic partnerships, and nonprofit governance is highly valued.
• Knowledge of nonprofit governance, organizational operations, and financial management practices.
• Experience in architecture, urban planning, design, community development, education, or public administration
• Demonstrated ability to work with community partners, youth, schools, and civic organizations
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including public speaking, facilitation, and stakeholder engagement
• Ability to work independently while partnering effectively with the Board and community stakeholders
• Commitment to equity, mentorship, and expanding access to design/planning careers

Preferred Qualifications:

• Existing network in Long Beach/LA/Orange County design and civic, planning, design, philanthropic, or nonprofit communities
• Experience with underserved youth, historically underrepresented communities, or community-based educational programs
• Experience with government agencies or public-sector partnerships
• Previous leadership experience as an executive director, program director, nonprofit manager, or civic leader
• Familiarity with Long Beach neighborhoods, schools, and community organizations
• Experience leading organizations through growth, leadership transition, strategic planning, or capacity-building efforts

Work Environment: Primarily desk-based with regular attendance at donor meetings, board meetings, community events, and school-based programs throughout Long Beach. Occasional light lifting (under 1520 lbs.). Evening and weekend availability may be required.

Equal Employment Opportunity LBCDC is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, reproductive health decision-making, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, medical condition, marital status, age, military status, or any other protected status under federal or California law.