Job Location:
Corporate Indianapolis
PRIMARY PURPOSE:
The Executive Director will be responsible for carrying out Simon Youth Foundation’s continued achievement of its mission and strategic vision. The Executive Director will bring visionary leadership to all areas of the foundation’s operations, providing oversight of the organization’s operations, culture, values, talent and financial performance.
PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES:
The successful candidate’s responsibilities will include, but not be limited to:
- Advocate on behalf of SYF and help educate the public about the need for and impact of educational and workforce programs that speak to the constantly evolving needs of students and communities.
- Strengthen organizational vision and strategy; develop and implement plans and goals in partnership with the Board and staff.
- Develop and execute a strategy that aggressively, yet prudently, grows the number and capabilities of Simon Youth Academies.
- Enhance both internal (Simon Property Group) and external fundraising activities, prioritize efforts and initiatives that expand financial contributions outside of Simon employees and vendors.
- Cultivate new sources of revenue by creatively and strategically expanding and deepening the existing donor and funder base to grow the operating budget and endowment.
- Develop an engagement and awareness program which assures that SYF represents the needs of the Academies and communities served, with support and resource development goals as an outcome.
- Formulate and execute comprehensive brand recognition and fundraising strategies that will result in direct impact upon Foundation’s capacity to serve more students and more communities.
- Promote the Foundation and increase its visibility nationwide through community outreach, public relations efforts, earned media and social media.
- Motivate and lead a high-performing staff and management team; recruiting, retaining and enhancing a diversified and skilled staff; providing mentoring, coaching and professional development opportunities; and instilling a culture of high performance, growth and learning utilizing an inspirational and collaborative approach.
- Develop and implement processes and practices that foster a culture of continuous improvement throughout the Foundation.
- Actively engage and energize the organization’s external stakeholders, in partnership with the Board of Directors, to garner new opportunities for generating revenue and community partnerships.
- Champion and advance SYF’s internal diversity, equity and inclusion efforts to equip staff, Board, Academy leadership and partners with the resources and knowledge necessary to manage courageous conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion that lead to action and results.
- Maintain strong relationships with Simon Youth Academies across the country and provide ongoing support to ensure the long-term success of the Academies; and
- Represent SYF within the local, state, regional and national education communities, including with school districts, superintendents, teachers, colleges and universities, funders, and organizations that provide support to SYF graduates.
CANDIDATE PROFILE:
Visionary Leadership
- The Executive Director will be a visionary, innovative and results-oriented leader, experienced at envisioning and articulating a clear path forward while providing strategic oversight. The Executive Director’s eye will consistently focus on the future and how to best adapt and assure SYF’s continued success in a changing world. An effective “big picture” strategist and leader, the Executive Director will take a consultative approach to evolve the vision of the organization for the future while celebrating the history of its positive impact. This leader will instinctively ‘get ahead of the curve’ by anticipating needs and opportunities and will craft strategies to address those while achieving SYF’s mission. The Executive Director will have an instinctively inclusive and collaborative leadership philosophy. Passionate and informed, the ideal candidate will have the skills to articulate, broaden and communicate SYF’s equity lens to a variety of stakeholders, including staff, Board members, current and future funders, youth and their families.
A Passionate ‘Ambassador’ and Fundraiser
- The Executive Director will have the character and confidence to work comfortably in a highly visible role and to interact effectively with a broad range of constituents. The Executive Director will be the public face of SYF and serve as the primary ambassador to educators, students, corporations, funders, media and other stakeholders. The Executive Director will be a charismatic, credible and high-energy leader. The successful candidate will have an executive and genuine presence and will be able to eloquently promote and convey SYF’s mission to a diverse range of constituents to generate support and inspire action. As the lead spokesperson and chief fundraiser for SYF, the Executive Director will inspire trust and confidence from institutional and individual funders. The ideal candidate will excel at working in partnership with the Board, Simon family members and partners to build SYF’s brand, visibility and reputation in the field.
Business Acumen & Executive Leadership
- The Executive Director will be a seasoned executive and strong manager who understands the importance of effective operational and financial administration. This leader is a facilitator of staff and Board teamwork and provides clear expectations and accountability measures for team deliverables. The Executive Director will be skilled at guiding the Board and staff to achieve SYF’s goals, focusing on the strategic levers to drive the organization in the right areas, while also partnering effectively within the larger Simon organization. The ability to set priorities decisively, delegate responsibilities, assure accountability and allocate resources to ensure results will be critical for the organization to reach its full potential. The Executive Director will ensure that the SYF’s network is operating as one, universally aligned with SYF’s mission and vision. The ideal candidate will bring a strong business orientation and an ability to use metrics to drive business decisions and achieve strategic objectives.
Leading with Influence
- The Executive Director will have the ability to inspire staff, the Board and the communities SYF serves to achieve new heights for the organization. The Executive Director will have an inspirational approach to building collaboration and buy-in and generating support from new and existing stakeholders. The Executive Director will be an exceptional oral and written communicator who builds community by uplifting the voices of others. The Executive Director will be a persuasive leader, able to achieve consensus among differing opinions. A charismatic leader, the Executive Director will have the ability to establish rapport and open communication with all constituents, successfully conveying SYF’s mission and objectives to a broad audience. The Executive Director will strengthen and retain an empowered team that will implement the course of action for achieving SYF’s vision. An engaging and supportive leader, the ideal candidate will have a track record of motivating and inspiring others to achieve impact through creativity and teamwork and by leveraging individual strengths to meet organizational goals.
Champion of the Mission
- Fully embracing the mission of SYF, the Executive Director will be a bold thinker with laser focus and unwavering commitment to achieving the goals of the organization. The Executive Director will be passionate about developing SYF into a network known as the pinnacle of K- 12 and post-secondary education and alternative pathways support serving diverse communities and families. A strong advocate of youth and communities of color, the Executive Director will bring a sense of urgency to the role, working tirelessly to champion SYF’s mission. Culturally competent, the Executive Director will have the character necessary to develop rapport with people of varying philosophies, backgrounds and cultures. This leader will be an individual of unquestioned integrity, ethics and values — someone who can be trusted without reservation. Known as a thoughtful, responsive leader, the ideal candidate will have a collaborative spirit and a sense of humor.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
- A bachelor’s degree in business administration, nonprofit management, or a related field required. Master’s degree preferred
- Minimum 10 years’ experience in non-profit work. Non-profit experience in an education organization preferred
- Proven experience in a leadership role, preferably as an Executive Director or in a similar managerial position
- Experience in strategic planning and fundraising. Excellent donor relations skills and understanding of the funding community
- Strong financial management skills, including budget preparation, analysis, decision making and reporting
- Solid organizational abilities, including planning, delegating, program development and task facilitation
- Strong leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to think strategically and analytically, with a solid understanding of financial management and corporate governance
- Strong public speaking ability
- Ability to interface and engage diverse volunteer and donor groups
- Demonstrated ability to oversee and collaborate with staff
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Travel will be required for meetings and events.