Executive Director, Public Allies Cincinnati

 ABOUT PUBLIC ALLIES

Public Allies is a 30-yr-old national social justice and racial equity nonprofit committed to cultivating equity-focused leaders. Our mission is to create a just and equitable society and the diverse leadership to sustain it. We change the face and practice of leadership in communities across the country by demonstrating its conviction that everyone can lead, and that lasting social change results when citizens of all backgrounds step up, take responsibility, and work together. Public Allies' primary program model matches full-time apprentices with coaching, training, and leadership development across 10 states.

Public Allies presence in Cincinnati has a deep history spanning almost 30 years, with a legacy of hundreds of alumni leaders and a robust network of partners. In July 2022, the Cincinnati site was impacted by an organizational restructure that caused a pause in operations for 20 months. In our commitment to rebuild a national network of strong and thriving sites, Public Allies is reopening the Cincinnati site. We are seeking a visionary, results focused, and equity centered Executive Director to thoughtfully and strategically lead the site through this transition and relaunch. Working in collaborative and restorative ways with the Cincinnati community, the Executive Director will ensure a successful relaunch of Public Allies’ core programs, strong impact and committed investment.

JOB SUMMARY

The Executive Director embodies the Public Allies Core Values and demonstrates the personal, institutional, and systemic change possible when those values are put into practice.  The Executive Director leads and administers a growing apprenticeship program -Public Allies Cincinnati - and related alumni programming.  Reporting directly to the Director of Site Expansion and Relaunch, the Executive Director is responsible for leading and managing the site relaunch as a vibrant, values-led, and impact driven operation in its aim to make Public Allies the premier, recognized developer and pipeline for diverse, talented civic change agents in the Cincinnati region. 

Primary responsibilities include, but are not limited to, ensuring operational and programmatic excellence, hiring and management of staff, fund development/fundraising, and external relationship building with partners, funders, alumni and other stakeholders. The Executive Director will hire and manage a talented team of 3-4 staff that execute the core day-to-day operations. The Executive Director also has oversight of operational and financial management to ensure site sustainability.  As a member of our Public Allies national leadership team, the Executive Director, will be called upon occasionally to serve as a representative for the national organization within the local market, ensuring the national network has brand recognition within the local market.  

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS & KEY OUTCOMES

• Develop Strategic Vision & Execution
• Develop and implement the site’s annual and long-term strategic priorities. 
• Ensure priorities are aligned with those of Public Allies, Inc. and develop them in partnership with Public Allies National Office leadership, PA Cincinnati staff, advisory board, alumni, funders, and other key stakeholders.
• Ensure Sustainable Impact
• Ensure, with the program staff, high quality execution and results for the Public Allies AmeriCorps Apprenticeship program. 
• Explore, in consultation with Public Allies National Office, innovations to the nationally codified model that may present scalable opportunities to amplify and deepen results. 
• Ensure all deliverables for federal, state, and private grants are met. 
• Ensure Sustainable Operations 
• Assume oversight and responsibility for executing fiscally-sound budgeting, forecasting, expense management, resource allocation, and cash flow for a growing operating budget of $1 million to ensure that site is a financially healthy operation. 
• Develop and launch a strategic fundraising plan to ensure a sustainable, financially healthy site that is positioned for growth. 
• Prospect, cultivate, and manage all donor relationships (foundations, individuals, and corporations) and ensure reporting requirements and other grant compliance responsibilities are met/exceeded.
• Develop and ensure implementation of policies, procedures, and workflows to support internal compliance
• Demonstrate Internal Leadership 
• Attract, develop, and retain highly qualified employees by cultivating a productive, motivating, and innovative work environment, reflective of the organization’s culture and leadership brand; Lead, coach, and mentor staff, while providing ongoing opportunities for staff development. 
• Set clear goals and expectations for staff and provide timely and helpful feedback on progress toward meeting those goals and expectations. 
• Engage with Allies informally, providing occasional mentoring to ensure the Allies’ successful completion and satisfaction with the program, and the retention of the Partner Organization relationships. 
• Participate within the Public Allies national network, leverage working relationships with staff at the National Office, and help to lead and set broader organizational strategy through network-wide project teams advancing the overall organizational mission.
• Demonstrate Visible External Leadership 
• Serve as the primary representative of Public Allies Cincinnati; represents the organization with key stakeholders in the local community, including local advisory board members, Public Allies AmeriCorps members, nonprofit partner executives and staff,  state political leaders, Public Allies alumni, and private sector funders and sponsors; 
• Engage PA Cincinnati alumni as ambassadors, recruiters, donors, and volunteers while seeking out ways to continue to advance alumni leadership. 
• Develop, implement, and maintain effective communication strategies to support our impact.  
• Engage local and national elected officials to support funding and policies for Public Allies and the national service movement. 
• Develop and leverage an advisory board of champions positioned to support the achievement of Public Allies’ strategic priorities.

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, & CREDENTIALS

The Executive Director of Public Allies Cincinnati must have a keen belief in the power of opportunity, and a commitment to identify and cultivate leadership from among groups and communities not traditionally seen as leaders.  This person should be mission-driven and demonstrate passion for Public Allies and its constituencies. 

• Minimum of 10 years of professional experience in progressively senior positions. 
• Applicable/transferable experience: private sector roles in law, business strategy or consulting; public sector policy roles; campaign aides/strategists.
• Adept cultural competence and experience working with diverse stakeholders and constituents.
• Demonstrated commitment to and practice of social and racial justice. 
• Good sense of self and strong personal presence.
• Experience building partnerships and an ability to inspire different groups to work towards a common goal. 
• Experience establishing, developing, cultivating, and stewarding strong relationships with donors, sponsors, and key influencers in funding institutions.
• Established network within the local and national nonprofit funding community, with demonstrable success in cultivating and maintaining relationships with foundations, corporations, government agencies, and individuals.
• A disciplined approach to setting and achieving goals, and a drive to continuously improve. 
• Proven ability to cultivate talent and effectively manage a high-performing team.
• Openness and ability to learn from experience and change course of action to meet the needs of the organization's evolving environment.
• Positive, growth mindset. 
• Open-minded and objective with eagerness to continuously improve the organization's systems and ability to achieve its outcomes for leaders, organizations, and communities.
• Creative problem solver.
• Self-starter, self-driven.
• Experience with youth development and/or leadership development. 
• Experience with board recruitment and management.
• A Cincinnati native or resident, or someone with connections to and history with Cincinnati.

WORKING CONDITIONS

The position is predominantly sedentary requiring the ability to sit, bend, stand and walk. It may require occasional  stooping, reaching, stair-climbing and repetitive motions of the hands  and wrist related to writing and typing at an electronic keyboard. It rarely requires kneeling, pushing/pulling, and repetitive motions of the feet.

Physical demands of the position necessitate hearing, talking, handling, and grasping regularly. Specific vision conditions include close vision reading. It requires the ability to operate a computer, telephone, fax, copy machine and adding machine or calculator.

The position is generally performed in an office environment. The noise level is generally low to quiet. The work environment characteristics are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations, however, will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform said essential functions.

PAY EQUITY AND TRANSPARENCY

Public Allies is committed to eradicating the pervasive and systemic racial, gender, and socioeconomic barriers to meaningful and sustaining employment that perpetuate inequality and limit opportunity. We believe pay equity and transparency in the hiring process are the first steps.

The salary range for this role is $106,000. We appreciate the time and energy it takes candidates to engage in a job search and the hiring process, and to reinforce this commitment, we will be open about pay ranges and opportunities early on, keeping true to our internal equity standards so we can ensure fairness with every person.

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit a cover letter, resume and three professional references here.