Executive Director Job Description

The Miami Workers Center is seeking a passionate, analytical, politically savvy and seasoned leader to succeed our founding director, Gihan Perera. The executive director is accountable to an 8-12 member Board of Directors composed of allies and community members and is responsible for oversight of all operations to carry out our mission and goals.

The executive director will provide essential leadership to guide organizational and programmatic shifts and help ensure stability during this transition period, especially as we sharpen the organization’s focus on more locally based work.

The successful candidate will be passionate about social justice work. S/he will be a big picture strategic thinker grounded in local politics and committed to playing a prominent role in cutting edge local organizing and advocacy, while also maintaining regional and national alliances in order to increase the scope and scale of impact.

The executive director must have proven leadership and management experience with a track record of managing and motivating high performing staff and achieving desired outcomes; demonstrated commitment to developing grassroots working class leadership; and experience leading fundraising efforts, fiscal management and oversight of a nonprofit organization or program of comparable size.

In addition, the executive director must be ethical and able to build trust, with strong communication and interpersonal skills. S/he must possess a demonstrated ability to build collaborative partnerships among culturally diverse community leaders; develop and empower the leadership of staff; build an effective board; create and implement strategic organizational plans; and passionately support strategies that fully develop the leadership and power of grassroots members and incorporate their perspectives in organizational decision making.

Key Responsibilities and Duties

Program and Staff Management

(Approximately 25% of responsibilities)

• Provide leadership and guidance to staff and Board Committees to develop, deliver, evaluate effective programs, and assess MWC’s contributions to movement building alliances and events;
• Supervise staff (4 positions) to ensure implementation of their workplans and encourage team accountability around larger organizational issues and MWC’s long-term strategic plan.

Resource Development and Communications

(Approximately 25% of responsibilities)

• Establish relationships to secure diverse financial resources to meet budgetary priorities;
• Build an organization-wide commitment to fundraising;
• Oversee strategic integration between organizing, communications and fund development.

Community Relations, Advocacy, and Organizing

(Approximately 20% of responsibilities)

• Work with communications staff, organizers and members to develop coherent public/community relations and build community visibility;
• Act as MWC spokesperson as appropriate, and encourage active leadership and visibility among other staff and grassroots leaders.

Budget, Finance, and Human Resources/Personnel Management

(Approximately 15% of responsibilities)

• Ensure MWC’s policies and procedures and other organizational practices for fiscal and human resource management practices are comprehensive and consistently implemented;
• Help create an organizational culture and consistent practices to support strong work teams, and attract, develop and retain high quality staff and volunteers;
• Support the Program Director to ensure job descriptions and professional development plans are appropriate and sustainable for all staff positions and annual evaluations are completed;
• Work with the staff and Board to develop MWC’s annual budget, and review mid-year budget and other necessary financial reports with the Finance and Operations Director.

Board of Directors Development and Management

(Approximately 15% of responsibilities)

• Work with board members to build a vibrant, active, representative board that can fully fulfill their role as organizational leaders related to the overall mission, goals, and long term priorities of the organization(note: goal is 51% majority representation from the grassroots);
• Attend all Board meetings and, as necessary, task forces and committees meetings;
• Provide the Board with complete information to help members reach sound decisions and establish policies.

Key Qualifications and Skills

Strong candidates will have proficiency in the following areas:

• Experience as an executive director or senior manager (5 years minimum) managing and leading a nonprofit enterprise;
• Experience managing advocacy campaigns, working in and building coalitions and collaborations, developing constituency through organizing strategies, and working across multiple constituencies;
• Ability to work nights and weekends as needed to support community events and actions.