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Fund Development & Communications

• Support and collaborate directly with the Director of Fund Development & Communications and the Development Committee of the Board to ensure that all revenue goals are met or exceeded;

• Act as a primary representative for major individual and institutional donors, maintain positive funder relationships that inspire trust, and actively solicit increased financial commitments;

• Proactively develop, implement, and support fundraising strategies;

• Identify new and innovative sources of revenue to strengthen LYRIC’s financial position and support financial sustainability;

• Maintain commitment to LYRIC’s grassroots fundraising efforts and foster engagement of LYRIC youth and staff in organization-wide fundraising activities;

• Partner with communications team to create and deepen public awareness of the realities of LGBTQQ youth lived experience and the positive impact of LYRIC programming and advocacy efforts;

• Act as primary organizational representative and media spokesperson.

 

Leadership Development & Performance Management

• Inspire, motivate, and lead a team of committed and engaged professionals to realize organizational mission and strategic goals;

• Supervise and support the work of the Directors of Programs, Data & Evaluation, Finance & Operations, People Operations, and Development & Communications – most of whom are new to the organization and/or newly promoted to these positions, and all of whom are professionals of color;

• Ensure implementation of organization-wide leadership development strategies, prioritizing the development of emerging trans/gender-nonconforming (TGNC) and BIPOC leaders;

• Develop emergency and long-term succession plans for director-level staff positions;

• Center representation and racial and gender equity in hiring, professional development, performance evaluation, and compensation practices;

• Support and bring leadership and an intersectional lens to People Operations, including processes, practices, protocols, and tools that provide positive employee relations;

• Provide leadership to the integration of the bargaining agreement with Office and Professional Employees International Union into LYRIC;

• Implement goal-setting practices with directors and managers and provide on-going monitoring and feedback regarding progress and professional development;

• Improve internal communications systems, structures, and policies to eliminate silos and clarify roles and responsibilities.

 

Financial Management

• Provide transparent fiscal stewardship of the organization, proactively developing and managing financial resources to ensure its fiscal health;

• Work with the Finance Director and Finance Committee of the Board to prepare, propose, and have approved by the full Board of Directors, annual budgets that ensure financial accountability;

• Manage the organization’s finances and operations within budget guidelines and in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, and agreed upon grant guidelines;

• Provide leadership to expense containment and the accuracy of financial accounting systems and reports, as overseen on a day-to-day basis by the Finance Director;

• Ensure submission of monthly and annual financial reports which accurately reflect the financial condition of the organization to the Board and Finance Committee.

 

Program Leadership

• Implement formal and informal evaluations and needs assessment processes;

• Present program learnings to internal and external stakeholders to facilitate continuous improvement, as well as transparency and community reflection;

• Manage and support the Programs Teams who oversee the planning, implementation, and evaluation of programs in alignment with the LYRIC’s mission, vision, and guiding principles;

• Manage and support the Directors of Data & Evaluation and Finance in ensuring contract compliance, including program reporting/evaluations, data management, and relationship management with grant/ contract liaisons;

• Oversee development of annual work plans that facilitate achievement of strategic priorities and contract deliverables;

• Challenge the organization to explore innovative programmatic models – in particular, work being done in related fields of practice – and adapt programs according to future trends and changing needs of constituents;

• Continually assess the cost, impact, and outcomes of programs against LYRIC’s and the needs of the community to ensure that strategic goals are aligned across the organization;

• Lead efforts to evaluate, improve, and expand programmatic offerings and assess organizational capacity to take on new work.

 

Policy/Advocacy, Partnerships & Relationship Building

• Serve as an engaged leader, active participant, and committed ally in collaborative community partnerships, networks, and events that prioritize the needs of the LYRIC’s youth participants and other LGBTQQ youth of color and other marginalized populations in the Bay Area;

• Pursue, deepen, strengthen, and/or repair strategic relationships within the community (i.e., LGBTQQ youth, Castro neighborhood residents and businesses, allied social service and social justice organizations, schools and school districts, coalition partners, key individual movement leaders, local, state, and national policymakers ,etc.) that will strengthen LYRIC’s reputation, visibility, and impact;

• Foster community partnership and advocacy skills among emerging staff leadership so that a pipeline of strong voices for LGBTQQ youth is cultivated;

• Create opportunities for LYRIC youth to engage in advocacy and to share their lived experiences to impact government policy decisions that affect them and the communities of which they are a part.

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Board Relations

• Partner with the Board of Director in setting overall strategic direction for the organization;

• Maintain mutually supportive relationships with the LYRIC Board;

• Partner with the Board Governance Committee to recruit and orient new Board members – with a focus on equity and inclusion – and provide training and development support to the Board;

• Ensure appropriate staff and board committee partnerships to enhance organizational effectiveness;

• Partner with the Board in developing and implementing emergency and long-term succession plans for executive committee and committee chair positions.

 

[NOTE: We understand no single candidate will have equal expertise in all of the areas above or all of the skills, experience, and characteristics below. Successful candidates will possess a compelling combination of many of them and the self-awareness and wisdom to leverage existing and/or new resources in the area(s) where they lack personal mastery.]

 

CANDIDATE PROFILE:
The new Executive Director will be an experienced, dynamic, and transformational leader with a high level of emotional intelligence and professional maturity. This inspirational and motivational nonprofit expert will have proven skills in fundraising, communications, professional development, and strategic planning, and a track record of organizational growth and development. They will bring a transparent, inclusive, and collaborative management style and be comfortable in a distributed leadership environment with shared decision making.

Candidates for this position will have a demonstrated passion for LYRIC’s work and mission and will share some of the identities and lived experience of the people and communities it serves. They will be empathetic, accessible, and people-centered and at the same time bring the professional skills and knowledge of organizational systems, processes, and policies to lead LYRIC to new levels of success and impact. Successful candidates will have previous experience working with diverse teams and managing across a broad range of demographics and identities. Regardless of personal identity or professional background, an intersectional understanding of race, gender and sexual identity, socio-economic status, and ability is required.

 

Required Skills and Experience:

• Minimum of ten years’ successful organizational leadership and management experience (CEO, Executive Director, Deputy Director role or similar), including contracts management, compliance and reporting, fiscal management, planning, and leadership development;

• Proven leadership ability with the skills and perspective to lead effectively in a multiracial, multicultural, multi-gendered, and inter-generational nonprofit environment;

• Successful track record of nonprofit revenue development including government grants and contracts, individual donors, corporate and foundation giving, and special event fundraising;

• Superior people and team management skills with proven ability to coach and mentor staff, provide opportunities for personal and professional development, and ensure personal accountability for results and outcomes;

• Expertise in the development and improvement of organizational infrastructure – including processes, systems, policies, and protocols;

• Financial oversight and budget management experience in an organization of comparable (or larger) size and complexity, and with similar funding sources;

• Understanding of trauma-informed leadership and group dynamics and a commitment to building a healing and restorative culture;

• Exceptional written and verbal communication, presentation, and facilitation skills, willingness to facilitate dialogue around challenging issues, and ability to de-escalate conflict;

• Experience developing effective coalitions and collaborations and ability to work impactfully with diverse constituents and partners and create a sense of common purpose that transcends individual interests.

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Desired Skills and Experience

• Experience leading policy and advocacy work;

• Current contacts with local/state/federal advocacy organizations, policymakers, and elected officials in the Bay Area;

• Solid understanding of Bay Area nonprofit and social service resources, especially those for LGBTQQ youth, youth of color, and their families;

• Knowledge and/or experience of overseeing human resources policies and practices;

• Expertise in a positive youth development, youth-adult partnership, social justice, restorative practice and/or systems change framework;

• Training, education, or experience in program planning, implementation, and evaluation experience;

• Formal training, education or experience in marketing, branding, publicity, and/or media relations;

• Experience with capital campaigns, planned giving, and/or programmatic fundraising experience;

• Experience working collaboratively and transparently with a Board of Directors or similar volunteer leadership group;

• Previous experience leading in a unionized work environment.

 

Personal Characteristics

• Passion for LYRICS’s work and mission of supporting and empowering LGBTQQ youth;

• Clear, direct, and brave communicator;

• Action-oriented with excellent problem-solving skills;

• Transparent and open with unquestionable honesty, ethics, and integrity;

• Empowering and committed to social justice and racial, sexuality, and gender equity;

• Empathetic, authentic, and relatable;

• Active listener who welcomes all points of view, centers youth perspectives and voices, and acts on feedback;

• Reflects the people and communities LYRIC serves;

• Comfortable in the role of adult ally;

• Cultural competency and humility, as well as a trauma-informed and healing-centered approach to managing and organizational development;

• Self-motivated and can manage multiple initiatives simultaneously – on-time and within budget – while maintaining high quality standards;

• Highly organized and able to work in a fast-paced environment;

• Commitment to ongoing self-improvement and professional development;

• A champion for LGBTQQ and BIPOC youth.

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COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:
LYRIC is offering a comprehensive compensation package that includes a base salary in the range of $145,000 to $170,000, full health insurance coverage (medical, dental, vision, and acupuncture/chiropractic); $800 annual health & wellness cash supplement; annual, merit-based raises up to 5%; 403b retirement plan; generous holiday, vacation, sick, and personal leave; and flexible schedules to support work/life balance. The position may meet qualifications for the Perkins Student Loan cancellation.

 

TO APPLY:
Inquiries, nominations, or applications (including a resume and cover letter framing interest and fit with this Recruitment Profile) can be sent in confidence, to search@kevinchasesearch.com. We are pleased to answer any questions or supply further information.

Kevin Chase Executive Search Group has been retained to lead this recruitment effort on behalf of LYRIC. LYRIC is an equal opportunity employer; a diverse workforce and inclusive culture are core values. LYRIC and Kevin Chase Executive Search Group welcomes applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, or veteran status. BIPOC, disabled, and/or LGBTQ+ candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Kevin Chase, Managing Partner
Kevin@kevinchasesearch.com

Catie DiFelice, Senior Associate
Catie@kevinchasesearch.com

 

Kevin Chase Executive Search Group
1800 Hi Point Street
Los Angeles, CA 90035
(323) 930-8948

 

www.kevinchasesearch.com

All inquiries or referrals will be held in strict confidence.
Please note that all education, dates of employment, compensation and other information provided will be verified prior to an offer of employment.