Executive Director

Executive DirectorThe Executive Director is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the Center's operations, including strategic planning, program management, fundraising, financial management, staff leadership, and community engagement, while ensuring the organization effectively fulfills its mission by collaborating closely with the board of directors and representing the organization publicly. The Executive Director carries out the vision and mission of the organization. This is a hybrid role with the expectation that as needed employee will work in person in the Grand Rapids area.ResponsibilitiesStrategy and LeadershipWorking in partnership with the Board of Directors to create the Center's strategic plan and implement new processes and approaches to achieve itIdentify, hire, and manage effective team members and contractors to support the strategyMaintain strong communication with the board of directors, providing regular updates on organizational performance, and ensuring alignment between the board's vision and operational executionProvide for all staff and partners a strong day-to-day leadership presenceReview, design, and execute improvements to organizational structure; find knowledge and skills gaps and help address themRepresent the Center publiclyFundraisingEnsure the financial sustainability and stability of the organizationIdentify fundraising targets and lead efforts to raise funds, including but not limited to corporate, individual, foundation, and municipal grantsManage grants, including tracking key metrics and completing grant reports in a timely fashionFinancial ManagementOversee the organizational budget with approval from the board of directors ensuring alignment with the vision and mission of the organizationAdminister and review all financial plans and budgets; monitor progress and changes; and keep the board informed of the organization's financial statusCoordinate and lead the annual audit process, liaise with external auditors and the finance committee of the board of directors; assess any changes necessaryMaintain and execute financial policies procedures, accounts payable and receivable, including contractsPartnership and Business DevelopmentLead outreach and cultivate relationships with potential audiences, including business networking groups, community groups (i.e. chamber of commerce), business advisors, educational institutions and state/local government.Lead and oversee the main MICEO initiatives including: The Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Opportunity supported Transition to Employee Ownership initiative in Michigan, WK Kellogg Foundation efforts in the Grand Rapids area, the USDA rural business development project in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and the Rural Readiness Program project serving the northern region of Michigan's Lower PeninsulaGuide and support the West Michigan Employee Ownership Council currently being incubatedCultivate relationships within the professional and service provider communityBuild on existing deep roots in business and community ecosystemsCultivate relationships within government & educationOrganize stakeholder conveningsImplement outreach on succession planning and employee ownership to the business communityDevelop and facilitate educational events to help spread awareness of employee ownership across the stateCreate and maintain a database of contacts and upload them to Center's CRM.Submit periodic reports, as requested.Attend conferences on behalf of organizationMarketing and OutreachImplement outreach to the business communityConduct marketing and PR effortsDevelop and manage web and social media plansCreate materials for advertising, conferences and displaysDevelop toolkits, templates and presentations to assist business leadersParticipate in conferences and exhibitionsOperations and Human ResourcesDevelops and implements operational efficiencies, including policies and proceduresManages all HR, including benefits administration, payroll, business registrations, tax submissions, insurance requirements, etc.Ensures organization is in good legal standingManage risk and insuranceLead the performance management process that measures and evaluates progress against goals for the organizationServe as liaison with organization climate, employee well-being, project updates, proposals, and planningQualifications and ExperienceA bachelor's degree or equivalent experienceMinimum of 10 years of business or nonprofit managementCommitment to social and economic equityFinancial literacy and proven ability to create and manage budgetsExperience interacting and reporting to a board of directors, including building and executing on strategic plansTrack record of successful fundraising and/or grant writing and business developmentProven ability to lead a nonprofit organization or a large department of a similar sizeExcellent written communication and public speaking skillsHands-on, engaging leadership styleStrategic thinker and builderConfident decision makingHigh personal standard of ethics and accountabilityExperience with grassroots organizing and advocacy is a plusMarketing or public relations business-to-business environment, with some business-to-consumer experience also being helpful.Ability to build and execute social media strategy through competitive research, platform determination, benchmarking, messaging, and audience identification.Commitment to continuous learning and personal mastery of new skills/knowledgeDemonstrated ability to successfully work independentlyEntrepreneurialMission-driven with high expectations for the quality of service providedComfortable managing teams and contractorsA bachelor's degree or equivalent experienceMinimum of 10 years of business or nonprofit managementDemonstrated leadership in starting or building organizationsKnowledge of and openness to all forms of employee ownership, including Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), worker cooperatives, and employee-ownership trustsHigh degree of familiarity and ability to work independently with Microsoft Office Suite, Google Suite, and social media platforms