Executive Director

Description

Smithbucklin , a 650-person, employee-owned professional services company with more than 70 years of success serving the association market, with primary offices in Chicago and Washington, D.C., is looking for an Executive Directo rto join our team in our Chicago or Washington, DC office .

The ISTAT Foundation is the charitable arm of the International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading (ISTAT) , the preeminent global membership organization for professionals in commercial aviation finance, leasing, and asset management. Founded to advance civil aviation through education, the Foundation funds scholarships, internships, mentorship, grants, and humanitarian aid for individuals and organizations that strengthen the next generation of aviation professionals.

The Foundation is governed by a Board of Trustees composed of senior industry leaders and operates through a partnership with a professional services company that provides staffing, financial administration, and operational infrastructure. The Executive Director serves as the Foundation's senior staff leader within this partnership model, accountable to the Board of Trustees for the Foundation's programs, strategic execution, and organizational health.

The Foundation is at an inflection point, investing in governance reform, brand and communications infrastructure, independent revenue development, and program excellence. The incoming Executive Director will be a builder - someone energized by the opportunity to professionalize and scale a well-regarded institution with a loyal donor base and a deep industry network.

The Executive Director is the Foundation's chief staff officer, responsible for translating board strategy into operational reality. Reporting to the Board of Trustees and working in close partnership with the Chairperson and Committee Chairs, the Executive Director leads all aspects of Foundation management: programs, development, governance support, financial stewardship, communications, and stakeholder relationships.

At Smithbucklin, we embody a culture driven by optimism, ambition, expertise, and thoughtfulness , where every team member is empowered to exceed expectations and deliver exceptional results for our clients. Join us in shaping the future of association management, where our values serve as the cornerstone of our success.

What You Will Do:

Governance & Board Partnership

• Serve as primary staff resource to the Board of Trustees and Executive Committee; prepare board books, minutes, and governance documentation.
• Partner with the Chairperson on agenda development, trustee communications, officer elections, and committee coordination.
• Maintain and administer the Foundation's bylaws, policies, and compliance obligations as a nonprofit corporation.
• Support the Governance and Nominating Committee in trustee recruitment, onboarding, and succession planning.
• Coordinate annual reporting obligations, legal filings, and engagement with foundation counsel.

Strategic Execution & Organizational Leadership

• Drive implementation of the Foundation's strategic plan in partnership with the Board, translating priorities into annual operating plans with measurable outcomes.
• Build and maintain the operational infrastructure - systems, processes, and accountability frameworks - needed to support the Foundation's growth.
• Direct staff resources, issue work instructions, and ensure service quality and accountability.
• Serve as a non-voting member of the Executive Committee, providing staff perspective on strategic and operational matters.

Fundraising & Development

• Collaborate with the Development Committee Chair and committee to set fundraising priorities, track progress, and ensure accountability against goals.
• Support diversifying the Foundation's revenue base beyond the ISTAT annual grant, providing the Development Committee with the data, planning support, and operational resources needed to execute its strategy.
• Ensure named scholarship donors and restricted fund holders receive appropriate stewardship, acknowledgment, and reporting in accordance with applicable agreements and compliance requirements.
• Serve as staff lead to the Development Committee; prepare materials, coordinate with the Committee Chair, and ensure decisions translate into completed action.
• Oversee fundraising event logistics and execution, ensuring events are delivered on time, on budget, and to the standard expected by the ISTAT community.

Programs Management

• Oversee all Foundation programs: scholarship awards, internship-related reimbursements, the mentorship program, grants, and humanitarian aid.
• Ensure program excellence, participant experience, and alignment with the Foundation's mission and strategic priorities.
• Manage university and institutional partnerships (including Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Purdue University) and associated program agreements.
• Support Committee staff leads for the Scholarships, Internship & Mentorship, Humanitarian, and Grants Committees.
• Track program outcomes and report results to the Board and Executive Committee; ensure the Foundation can demonstrate impact against its mission in a clear and defensible way.

Financial Stewardship

• Oversee budget development and management in collaboration with the Treasurer and Smithbucklin's finance staff.
• Support the Treasurer and Board in the oversight of the Foundation's investment and reserve policies, including coordination with external managers and ensuring adherence to Board-approved financial guidelines.
• Coordinate the annual audit process, present financial reports to the Board and Executive Committee.

Communications & Brand

• Direct the Foundation communications strategy across all channels: e-mail, social media, website, and industry media.
• Ensure brand consistency and professional presentation across all Foundation materials and platforms.
• Manage the Promotions & Communications Committee staff lead; collaborate with the Committee Chair on content strategy.
• Represent the Foundation at ISTAT events, industry conferences, and with external stakeholders.

ISTAT Relationship

• Serve as the Foundation's primary liaison to the Executive Director of ISTAT and ISTAT staff and maintaining alignment on shared priorities.
• Manage the annual ISTAT grant process, including coordination with ISTAT staff on timing, documentation, and disbursement.
• Identify opportunities for cross-promotion and collaboration between the Foundation and ISTAT to maximize impact and reach.

This Role Might Be for You If You...

• Build trust with volunteer leaders quickly and sustain it over time, understand how to work through boards, not around them.
• Operate with transparency and hold the organization to ethical standards, understand that a public-facing charitable institution must maintain the trust of its donors, trustees, and industry community.
• Think strategically and execute operationally, are comfortable setting direction and rolling up your sleeves.
• Are energized by institutional transformation.
• Communicate clearly and concisely.
• Have genuine fundraising instincts. Not just event management, but relationship-based development and donor stewardship.
• Bring professional gravitas appropriate to the ISTAT community, credible and confident in rooms with senior aviation finance executives.

Basic Qualifications:

• Minimum eight (8) years of progressive nonprofit management experience, preferably within a 501(c)(3) organization, with demonstrated leadership responsibility.
• Experience supporting or working directly with volunteer boards of directors or trustees in a nonprofit governance context.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills; ability to represent the Foundation with credibility to senior industry professionals.
• Strong financial acumen; experience managing nonprofit budgets, audits, and financial reporting.
• Working knowledge of 501(c)(3) compliance requirements, including IRS Form 990 obligations, state charitable registration, and the legal standards governing nonprofit governance and grantmaking.
• Demonstrated ability to build organizational systems, manage operational complexity, and lead through change.
• Bachelor's degree required.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in or meaningful exposure to the aviation, aerospace, or aviation finance industry.
• Advanced degree in nonprofit management, business administration, or a related field.
• Proven track record in fundraising and donor development, including major gifts, annual fund management, and/or corporate sponsorship.

Where Do You Fit?
Whether you are just beginning your career or are a mid- or senior-level professional, working at Smithbucklin will offer you countless opportunities to develop transferable skills, acquire meaningful knowledge and gain rich experiences at an accelerated pace. By working collaboratively with smart, ambitious, multi-talented, genuine and hardworking colleagues, you will build meaningful, deep and enduring relationships that will serve you well throughout your career, regardless of your chosen path. In addition, as a 100 percent employee-owned company, Smithbucklin offers all of our people - regardless of position or compensation - an equal chance to experience the fulfillment and reap the benefits of ownership. As owners, our employees control the destiny of Smithbucklin and are unified in the goal of building a great, enduring company.

Smithbucklin is a hybrid work environment with in-office days established as Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Employees will work a standard 40-hour week, with the possibility of additional hours based on project deadlines.


Smithbucklin considers several factors when determining compensation, including a candidate's recent coursework, training, experience, and certifications, among other considerations. The expected pay for this role is $140,000-170,000.

Equal Employment Opportunity At Smithbucklin, Equal Employment Opportunity is our commitment and goal. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, gender, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, marital status or any other protected status designated by federal, state or local law. Applicants are encouraged to confidentially self-identify when applying. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a reference and background investigation based on position.

Smithbucklin will not sponsor applicants for work visas and as a precondition of employment. You must be authorized to work in the United States permanently.