Category: 
Job
Organization: 
1000 Friends of Wisconsin


Location: Madison or Milwaukee, WI

Executive Director

Salary: $85,000 – 95,000

Job Overview

The Executive Director (ED) will have overall strategic and operational responsibility for 1000 Friends of Wisconsin's programs and execution of its mission. The ED will lead the team and engage with our Board to inspire and build partnerships and to expand 1000 Friends programs and make our work useful and relevant to diverse communities. The ED will be a steward of the mission and build on 28 years of success promoting healthy communities through sound land use, transportation, and climate policy. The ED ensures the continued evolution of the organization, its partnerships, and understands what it means, and what it takes to create lasting benefits to the state.

The Executive Director is a dynamic, thoughtful, and strategic leader. In addition to driving execution of the mission and the strategic plan, the ED represents the organization statewide and with regional coalitions. The ED ensures the continued evolution of the organization, its partnerships, and understands what it means, and what it takes to create permanent benefits across the state.

Responsibilities

Leadership & Management:

  • Develop and maintain strategic goals for the organization, including recommended timelines and resources needed to achieve those goals.
  • Actively engage and energize 1000 Friends of Wisconsin staff, volunteers, board members, partnering organizations, and funders.
  • Maintain, build, and expand partnerships and relationships; inspire, motivate, communicate, and raise funds to cover our diverse programming.
  • Proactively seek to partner with traditional and nontraditional stakeholders to ensure that 1000 Friends remains relevant and a leader – identifying and initiating new opportunities that leverage our strengths.
  • Integrate with and leverage funding from foundations, individual donors, local, state, and federal programs to advance the 1000 Friends mission.
  • Lead, inspire and develop 1000 Friends personnel.
  • Develop, maintain, and support a strong Board of Directors.

Operations:

  • Manage board, donor, and partner relationships; staff board meetings and assure accurate reporting of our work.
  • Manage organizational finances; build a yearly budget and execute the financial plan for the organization.
  • Supervise staff; encourage personal and professional development.
  • Develop and maintain strategic and annual operating plans for the organization and insure we are fulfilling grant commitments.
  • Oversee strategic and operational plans, including communication, marketing, and fundraising plans.

Skills & Qualifications:
The Executive Director must be committed to 1000 Friends of Wisconsin mission. Candidates should have proven leadership, relationship-building and financial management experience. Concrete demonstrable experience and other qualifications include:

  • Management experience; track record of effectively leading staff; ability to take an organization to the next stage of growth.
  • Supervisory, project management and financial management experience.
  • Grant writing and other fundraising experiences and/or skills.
  • Commitment to quality programs and data-driven program evaluation
  • Excellence in organizational management with the ability to coach staff and set and achieve strategic objectives.
  • Past success working with a Board of Directors with the ability to cultivate existing board member relationships.
  • Ability to engage a wide range of stakeholders.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills.
  • Ability to work effectively in collaboration with diverse groups of people, awareness of social inequalities.
  • Experience initiating, leading, team building and problem-solving with strong interpersonal skills.
  • Ability to work with diverse communities of donors, board leaders, community leaders, managers, and employees.

Salary Range & Benefits:

  • $85,000 – 95,000 per year based on experience and qualifications.
  • 12 paid holidays per year
  • Annual leave starting at 3 weeks per year.
  • Paid sick leave accrued at the rate of 6 hours per month.
  • Simple IRA retirement (1000 Friends matches up to 3% of the employee’s salary based on their voluntary contribution.)

Work Conditions:

Highly flexible working conditions. Work remotely Monday to Friday (and occasional evening and weekend work); ability to provide one’s own transportation for work locally.

How to Apply:

If you are interested in being considered for this exciting opportunity, and can demonstrate the required abilities and knowledge, please submit your resume and cover letter to:

dnemeth@1kfriends.org Subject line: ED Position

Applications will be reviewed as received with the goal of identifying an outstanding candidate by the end of 2024. The expected start date for the position is flexible.

For 1000 Friends history and current programming please visit our websites:

About 1000 Friends of Wisconsin

1000 Friends of Wisconsin is a statewide membership organization created in 1996 by a group of academics and environmentalists with the primary focus of promoting legislation that led to Wisconsin's Smart Growth Comprehensive Planning Law. Over the years we have continued to work to defend the law but also to expand our mission to the many issues that are associated with land use policies and activities that advance healthy communities, positive economic outcomes, and environmental benefits in Wisconsin. We understand that climate change and land use are intrinsically linked. Our goal is to help people make the connection between sound land use and transportation decisions, which lead to a healthier, cleaner environment. We are working to ensure communities across Wisconsin draft and adopt comprehensive climate action plans that focus on equitably reducing greenhouse gas emissions and a responsible focus on mitigation. We address community policies that are too frequently underestimated in their importance to protecting our environment and our health. We are committed to applying an equity lens to all our programming and operations.

1000 Friends currently has offices in Madison and Milwaukee. One full time staff person and a contracted consultant are in Milwaukee and 3 staff members are based in Madison.

1000 Friends is committed to working toward a future of environmental, climate and social justice for all. Through collaborative programs we are expanding partnerships with community-based and statewide organizations that share this commitment. We recognize that our work promoting sound land use, transportation, and climate policy cannot be successful without an equitable foundation.