Executive Director

Job Summary:

This position is responsible for providing vision, leadership, and management of resources to ensure the mission of Pace is accomplished in the local community.

Salary: Up to $125,000

Who We Are:

At Pace we transform girls’ lives through academic and counseling programs based on girl-centered, strength-based and trauma informed framework. Team members create a safe place for girls to learn, process, heal and begin again.


Founded in 1985, Pace Center for Girls is a nonprofit organization that believes all girls, regardless of their story, deserve a safe and supportive space where they can become strong, compassionate and successful women.

Our Culture:

At Pace, our culture is built on core beliefs that foster a supportive, mission-driven, and empowering environment where girls can thrive and reach their full potential. Our culture is rooted in the following foundational behaviors:

Caring – We are warm, sincere, compassionate, and collaborative, fostering an environment of support and connection.

Purposeful – We are focused on our mission and committed to social responsibility, ensuring our efforts make a meaningful impact.

Learning Oriented – We are open, inventive, and exploratory, continuously seeking growth and improvement.

Results Driven – We are focused on achieving goals and measurable success, ensuring accountability and progress.

Girl-Centered – The ways that girls learn and develop are unique. That's why we've created an environment that responds to their needs so they can feel safe enough to develop meaningful and trusting relationships while embracing their capabilities, strengths and autonomy.

Using Your Strengths – Every girl brings something exceptional to the table. At Pace, we focus on developing these special characteristics. By supporting a girl's talents and positive attributes we help her achieve her goals.

Understanding Trauma – Trauma can alter the course of a girl's life. At Pace, we recognize that trauma may be the root cause of unhealthy behaviors, which is why we work hard to help heal and empower girls.

What We Offer:

• Growth and Development - Competitive salaries, ongoing learning and development opportunities, and subject-specific instructional coaching to support growth and success.
• Work Life Balance – Team members benefit from 20 paid time off days, 14 paid national holidays, and an additional 5 days for wellness week. Center based team members observe a balanced schedule with 230 academic days and 20 dedicated in-service planning days. Teachers become eligible to receive an additional 2 weeks of paid time off after one year of employment.
• Comprehensive Benefits - Full-time team members are eligible for a range of benefits, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term and long-term disability, flexible spending accounts, critical illness, accident coverage, legal and identity theft protection, and a 403(b)-retirement plan. Team members working 30 or more hours per week are eligible for medical, dental, FSA, HSA, and the 403(b)-retirement plan. Those working less than 30 hours per week are eligible for the 403(b)-retirement plan.
• Mental Health and Well-Being - All team members have access to wellness resources, offering wellness rewards, counseling sessions, leadership coaching, mindfulness resources, and more to support their overall well-being.

What This Role Does:

Leadership and Advocacy

• Demonstrates leadership and advocacy for the agency at all levels including:
• Advocating for the needs of girls in the local community.
• Participating in special assignments and projects.
• Providing input and communication pertaining policies, procedures and strategic direction setting.
• Cultivating relationships with major stakeholder (i.e., legislatures, city and county officials, business interests, other child serving agencies, Juvenile Justice Council, and school boards).
• Demonstrates measurable results pertaining to the Standards of Excellence.
• Focuses on the need of the agency and balances all competing voices to make optimal decisions for girls and staff.
• Articulates and models the values of the agency in a way that inspires staff, girls, and board.

Human Resources

• Motivates and inspires passion for agency, mission, and excellence in roles of responsibility.
• Selects and places highly qualified staff in all positions.
• Provides direction and models for middle managers the strategies to ensure the retention goals of the agency are met.
• Provides opportunities for growth and development of staff.
• Supervises, counsels, and evaluates staff.
• Develops and implements a succession plan for all major roles in the Center.
• Resolves employee relations issues in a manner that is amicable to staff and agency.
• Creates an adaptable learning environment for agency, staff, and volunteers.
• Obtains maximum utilization of the staff by clearly defining duties, establishing performance standards, conducting performance reviews, and recommending competitive salary structure.
• Follows Human Resources Policies and Procedures to ensure compliance.

Finance

• Manages Center finances within approved budget.
• Demonstrates an understanding of the monthly financial reports and can identify trends and discrepancies.
• Communicates and clarifies the monthly financial reports to assist the Board in their oversight of the center budget.
• Prepares budgets that have solid assumptions for the future and is in compliance with Board policy.
• Follows finance policies and procedures to ensure timely compliance.
• Provides contract information to the Finance Department to assist and ensure the accuracy of monthly financial statements.
• Ensure necessary controls and audits of processes related to financial controllership.

Development

• Develops a group of supporters that are commensurate in size and capacity to the local community.
• Demonstrates the ability to maintain and grow community supporters and donors.
• Solicits and secures diverse, multiple funding sources.
• Ensures the community public relations efforts reflect the values of the agency.
• Complies with Development Policies and Procedures (including Center Board Guidelines).

Program

• Ensures program operates in compliance with DJJ, School Board and grant contracts.
• Establishes referral sources and an appropriate waiting list.
• Achieves outcomes for girls that significantly exceed the standards of the contract.
• Demonstrates competencies of gender responsive programming and trains at center level.
• Provides core Pace services that are provided in accordance with the agency guidelines.
• Aligns new initiative(s) that advances the mission.
• Achieves consistent successful QA reviews.
• Complies with Program Policies and Procedures.

Governance and Boards

• Board reflects primary community interest.
• Recruits, trains, and develops board members on a continuing basis.
• Provides board orientation to new members.
• Influences and leads the board to operate within the center board guidelines.
• Facilitates regular board retreats.
• Encourages consistent attendance at Board and Committee Meetings.
• Develops and implements succession plan.
• Works closely with the Board to develop strategic plans that include both long-term and short-term priorities.
• Facilitates consistent representation to Board of Trustees.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

What We Require for the Job:

Required

• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited College or University with a major in Social Services, Education, Non-Profit Management, or equivalent work experience.
• Minimum 7-10 years of experience managing multiple programs in a non-profit organization; child serving organization preferred.
• Must be proficient in office applications such as Word, Excel, etc.; must be capable of compiling data and reports.
• Must possess excellent written and oral communication skills; will be required to represent Pace at certain speaking engagements.
• Demonstrated experience working with Boards and Governance where team building, and problem-solving skills are utilized to maintain Board stability.
• Demonstrated success in development and grant-writing.
• Experience handling complex financials and fiscal responsibility.
• Current Florida driver’s license.

Preferred

• Master’s degree from an accredited College or University with a major in Social Services, Education, Non-Profit Management.
• Experience managing multiple programs in a child serving agency, in an at-risk environment.

Other

• Must be capable of overseeing students both visually and audibly to ensure their safety and well-being
• Expected to complete and participate in all required trainings and drills
• Required to align with the Mission, Values, and Guiding Principles, maintain ethical standards, and comply with all policies and procedures of Pace Center for Girls

This position requires a Level II pre-employment background screening pursuant to Chapters 435, 984, 985 and 943, Florida Statutes, and the Department of Juvenile Justice policy and procedures. Additional information is available through the Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse Education and Awareness website:

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities


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