Executive Director

Executive Director

Position Profile

Pocatello, ID

Overview

NeighborWorks Pocatello is a community-driven nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to safe, stable, and affordable housing across Southeast Idaho. Founded in 1993 to revitalize Pocatello’s central neighborhoods, the organization works at the intersection of housing, financial empowerment, and community development, helping individuals and families build long-term stability and strengthen the communities they call home.

Through its Home Ownership Center and statewide counseling services, NeighborWorks Pocatello provides a comprehensive continuum of support, including homebuyer education, financial coaching, foreclosure prevention, and post-purchase guidance. As a HUD-certified counseling agency and Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), the organization also offers down payment assistance, home improvement loans, and affordable housing development, ensuring that individuals at all stages of the housing journey have access to the tools and resources they need to succeed.

Grounded in strong partnerships with residents, businesses, and local government, NeighborWorks Pocatello is committed to building vibrant, healthy neighborhoods, fostering community pride, and creating pathways to opportunity for underserved populations throughout the region.

About the Position

NeighborWorks Pocatello is seeking a dynamic and community-oriented Executive Director to lead the organization into its next chapter of growth and impact. This leader will build on a strong foundation, while helping the organization navigate a rapidly changing funding environment and increasing demand for affordable housing solutions.

The Executive Director will serve as both a strategic leader and external ambassador, responsible for advancing NWP’s mission, strengthening community relationships, and ensuring long-term sustainability. This is a highly visible leadership role that requires balancing vision with execution, guiding multiple housing and community initiatives while cultivating funding sources beyond traditional grants.

Key Priorities

The new leader will initially spend time listening and learning, understanding the organization’s internal dynamics and community needs, and building relationships and trust with the staff, board and partners, as they better understand the organization’s strengths, challenges, and opportunities. Building upon these foundational relationships, the new ED will need to address the following key priorities:

1. Relationship Building (Community, Public, and Institutional Partners): Success in this role will depend on strong relationship-building across the community, including local government, financial institutions, nonprofit partners, and neighborhood organizations. The new Executive Director will need to quickly establish credibility and visibility. Strengthening partnerships with city and regional stakeholders, as well as expanding engagement in surrounding communities, will be critical to advancing housing initiatives and maintaining the organization’s reputation as a trusted, collaborative partner.
2. Fundraising and Financial Sustainability: The new Executive Director will need to diversify revenue beyond federal and grant funding by advancing a more proactive and strategic fundraising approach. This includes building the organization’s endowment, cultivating major donors and legacy gifts, strengthening grant-seeking capacity, and identifying new funding opportunities through partnerships and earned revenue. Ensuring a sustainable financial model will be essential not only for ongoing operations but also for supporting future program and geographic expansion.
3. Advancing Key Programs and Development Initiatives: The new ED will need to maintain momentum across the organization’s diverse program portfolio, including housing development, homeownership support, home repair programs, and emerging initiatives such as workforce housing and self-help housing. The new Executive Director will need to quickly understand the landscape of active and planned projects, ensure alignment with available resources, and provide leadership in prioritizing and sequencing initiatives. This includes balancing expansion into new communities with the organization’s capacity to deliver effectively.
4. Strategic Planning and Organizational Alignment: There is a strong desire for the new Executive Director to lead a more intentional and forward-looking strategic planning process. While the organization has demonstrated adaptability and growth, there is a need for clearer prioritization, alignment across programs, and a shared roadmap that connects mission, funding, staffing, and impact goals. A well-defined strategy will help guide decision-making, support fundraising efforts, and ensure that growth is both sustainable and mission-aligned.
5. Strengthening Internal Operations, Communication, and Capacity: The new ED will need to spend time strengthening internal systems and team coordination. This includes improving communication across functions, reducing silos, and clarifying roles and workflows within a lean staffing structure. There is also a need to assess and build capacity in key areas such as construction management, fundraising, marketing, and HR. Equally important is fostering a supportive and structured work environment, with clear expectations, consistent leadership, and attention to staff development and retention.

Essential Qualifications, Skills and Attributes

Education and Experience

• A minimum of 3-5 years of senior level experience and success, preferably in a nonprofit or similar community-serving organization
• A bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in public, nonprofit management or business administration or management, or a related field preferred
• Sector knowledge preferred: Understanding of affordable housing, community development, or related fields, with the ability to navigate complex programs and partnerships.

Skills and Attributes

• Relationship-Driven and Community-Oriented: A visible, engaging leader who builds trust quickly and fosters strong partnerships with donors, government leaders, and community stakeholders.
• Visionary and Strategic Leader: Ability to articulate a clear, compelling vision for the organization and inspire alignment and buy-in across the Board, staff, and community partners.
• Fundraising and Resource Development Expertise: Demonstrated success securing diverse funding streams, including grants, major gifts, and strategic partnerships to ensure long-term sustainability.
• Strong Business and Financial Acumen: Skilled in budgeting, financial analysis, and systems thinking, with the ability to translate data into actionable insights and sound decisions.
• Effective Team Leader and Culture Builder: Proven ability to lead, motivate, and develop high-performing teams while fostering a collaborative, accountable, and mission-driven environment.
• Exceptional Communicator and Advocate: Confident public speaker and storyteller who can clearly convey ideas, influence stakeholders, and elevate the organization’s visibility and impact.
• Operational and Project Management Strength: Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple priorities, drive complex projects forward, and deliver results in a dynamic environment.
• Collaborative Board Partner: Experience working effectively with a Board of Directors, balancing transparency, strategic input, and strong executive leadership.
• Adaptable and Solutions-Oriented: Comfortable navigating change, solving complex challenges, and identifying innovative opportunities to advance the organization’s mission.

Benefits include:

• Comprehensive, Employer-Paid Health Coverage: Medical, dental, and vision insurance provided for employees, with reimbursement options for those covered under a spouse’s plan
• Retirement & Long-Term Financial Security: 401(k) with up to a 5% employer match to support long-term wealth building
• Generous Paid Time Off: Accrued vacation and sick leave designed to support work-life balance, along with all federal holidays observed
• Income Protection: Employer-paid life insurance and long-term disability coverage