Off the Pews: Faith in Action, Ltd. is a faith-based, intergenerational, 501c3 nonprofit initiated by Cluster 6 of the Chicago Metropolitan Association of the Illinois Conference of the United Church of Christ. Off the Pews was birthed out of a community-based call-to-action focused on reducing youth violence. Our mission is to serve the community through the use of an intergenerational, faith-based, social justice model designed to embrace inclusion and reduce the impact of trauma resulting from systemic violence.
Off the Pews is seeking an experienced, part-time, strategic and visionary Executive Director to lead the organization in fulfilling its mission. The Executive Director should have a proven track record of building and maintaining partnerships with communities most impacted by violence and civil rights injustices. They should have strong organizational and communication skills, be able to develop and maintain relationships that ensure the financial health and stability of Off the Pews. The candidate should have a proven capacity to build important partnerships that will maximize the organization’s influence and effectively convey the mission and activities of Off the Pews to a variety of constituencies and the broader public. The position requires that the Executive Director be adept at balancing internal management with external impact and visibility. They must ensure that the Board is kept fully informed on the condition of the organization; motivate and maintain a cohesive staff ensuring that there is strong internal communication, coordination and accountability; support teamwork; and ensure that the staff has the resources needed to accomplish their goals.
Position
Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director (ED) will have overall strategic and operational responsibility for Off the Pews’ staff, programs, expansion, and execution of its mission. They will initially develop deep knowledge of field, core programs, operations, and business plans.
Responsibilities
Leadership & Management:
Ensure ongoing local programmatic excellence, rigorous program evaluation
Actively engage and energize volunteers, board members, event committees, and funders
Lead, coach, develop, and retain Off the Pews’ management team
Fundraising:
Expand local revenue generating and fundraising activities to support existing program operations and regional expansion.
Programming:
Design intergenerational, faith-based and social justice programs that promote critical thinking and problem-solving skills, youth leadership development and social justice strategies aimed at decreasing systemic violence and embracing inclusion.
Qualifications
The ED will be thoroughly committed to Off the Pews’ mission. All candidates should have proven leadership, coaching and relationship management experience. Concrete demonstrable experience and other qualifications include:
A Bachelor’s degree with at least 3-5 years of senior management experience
Past success working with a board of directors with the ability to cultivate existing board member relationship
Strong fundraising and marketing experience with the ability to engage a wide range of stakeholders and cultures
Strong written and verbal communication skills; a persuasive and passionate communicator with excellent interpersonal and multidisciplinary project skills
Ability to work effectively in collaboration with diverse groups of people
Passion, idealism, integrity, positive attitude, mission-driven, and self-directed
Compensation
This will be a part-time position to start and the salary will be determined by prior experience and the hours contracted (agreed upon).
To Apply
Please email your resume and cover letter to Juanita Bradley at juanita2340@sbcglobal.net with the subject: “Executive Director OTP Application [your name].”