Executive Director

Our Executive Director will be a passionate advocate for Indigenous children and families facing life's greatest challenges and will be effective at communicating the urgency of our mission and the success of our outcomes. They will be a dynamic and engaging spokesperson for the organization and will excel at networking and fundraising with major donors, corporate leaders, foundations, and the communities we serve. They will understand the nuances and bring experience in working with community leaders in urban, rural, frontier, and tribal communities. They will have a deep understanding of our core model as it relates to both the incredible potential of every child and family and also, the significant barriers facing children and families impacted by foster care.

The ideal candidate will have a commitment to the wellness of Indigenous communities, smart head for business, an entrepreneurial spirit, and a soft heart for kids. They will be equally skilled at leading strategic planning, reviewing financial statements, overseeing program evaluation, and securing financial support. The right leader will be fiercely committed to equity and will ensure that every aspect of the organization's mission is executed with full engagement of the youth, families and communities impacted by our work. Are you this amazing leader? Heres what we have to offer you: Opportunity to work with an engaged, motivated Board that works hard, gives generously, and raises funds. A team of talented employees who are passionate about working together to create an extraordinary and impactful organization. Strong, cohesive National team support committed to innovation and high standards. Respect for work-life harmony for yourself and others. Youll bring your full self to work and lead by example by integrating work and personal life with attention to self-care. A culture of belonging where every staff member is respected and valued. A comprehensive benefit package. Compensation commensurate with experience. $95K-$115K (salary with incentive) Most of all, you get to lead an exceptional organization that helps children facing incredible odds change their life story every day.

Skills, Knowledge and Abilities: Knowledge of Indigenous culture and ways of knowing and ability to interweave this knowledge throughout every aspect of the work. Demonstrated fundraising and development results. Strategic thinker, with the ability to research, design/develop, integrate, implement, and sustain programs, projects, and ideas related to the business of the organization. The ability to anticipate problems and focus on details. Experience working with a community-based organization and working for children’s issues. Working knowledge and experience in the Rapid City philanthropic and business communities; ability to cultivate and sustain relationships with these resources, including those at senior levels. Ability to cultivate and sustain relationships and work effectively with a wide variety of constituencies, including staff, program children, current and potential donors, Board members, and community partners. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. A team player, with exceptional interpersonal skills at all levels. Strong decision-making, organizational and time management, delegation, and follow-up skills. Strong, effective leadership and supervisory skills; ability to collaboratively set goals, provide direction, ensure accountability, and motivate others to achieve and overcome barriers. Ability to develop, maintain, and inspire others to buy into the vision of a growing organization. Proven ability to solve problems and meet deadlines and budgets in a fast-paced startup-type environment. Ability to assess opportunities and mitigate strategic risks, while monitoring progress and making timely course corrections. Education and Experience Required: Bachelor’s degree required, advanced degree preferred. 7 years’ experience working in/with tribal communities or tribal serving organizations. Ten years’ experience in non-profit or similar management and fundraising capacity, in progressively responsible roles. Demonstrated success leading an organization and motivating others within a fast-paced constantly- changing work environment. Demonstrated success working collaboratively with tribal communities. At Friends of the Children, you will get to think globally and act locally. You will be part of an established growing national network that provides professional mentors to thousands of children across the country. As the Executive Director for Friends of the Children-He Sapa you’ll receive expert support from our National team, headquartered in Portland, Oregon. You’ll also work with a talented team of leaders from other locations across the country - who collaborate to support the implementation of the model and our award-winning national scaling plan.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities: Leadership: Provide enthusiastic leadership, inspiration, strategic direction, focus, and long-term vision for the organization. Lead the chapter in a culturally humble way, grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing and living Be the lead fundraising champion and enthusiastic spokesperson, ambassador and advocate for Friends of the Children – He Sapa. Model and ensure high professional and ethical standards throughout the organization. Lead the organizational effort to ensure the fair and equitable treatment of all staff and children. Lead and model Friends of the Children’s commitment to diversity and equity. Foster an atmosphere of inclusion, empowerment, and support. Work closely with the National CEO and National staff to ensure that Friends of the Children – He Sapa and National are working together as collaborators and that the program is administered with fidelity. Be able to break tasks and initiatives down into sizable chunks and milestones then select when and how to conquer things strategically. Collaborate with National leadership to promote and grow Friends of the Children both locally and across the country. Development: Establish long-term strategic direction resulting in clear development goals, objectives, and results. Cultivate and sustain meaningful relationships with sovereign tribal nations and tribal organizations. Cultivate and sustain meaningful relationships with major donors. Define, prioritize and participate in major development efforts. Drive effective and positive tribal, public, and community relations. Work closely with the tribal and public officials to develop a funding base that includes an appropriate amount of public funding (city, county, state, tribal, and federal). Work with the nonprofit community to implement and sustain strategic partnerships and collaborations. Work with tribal serving community to implement and sustain strategic partnerships and collaborations. Strategic Planning and Annual Operations: Develop and maintain long and short-term plans, including strategic plans, annual operating plans and budgets, and revenue and expense projections. Work with the Board of Directors to develop, and with staff to implement, strategic plans that identifying three, five, and ten year goals and objectives. Program: Ensure program fidelity. Ensure that youth and their caregivers are receiving the highest quality of service. Ensure that youth and caregivers are receiving culturally appropriate services. Ensure quality feedback loops for program participants (youth, caregivers). Set expectations for organizational performance and monitor program performance outcomes. Work with Program Director to ensure that systems are in place to validate effective program implementation. Ensure training and development of program staff to meet the requirements of the program with regards to skills, knowledge, and understanding of program content. Ensure training and development of program staff focused on Indigenous centered skills, knowledge, and understanding Ensure appropriate organizational structure within program to maximize effectiveness and results. Financial Management, Human Resources, Administrative: Monitor and drive financial performance, including revenue and expenditures. Ensure accurate and timely communications with the Board of Directors and staff. Maximize human resources; ensure the effective supervision, guidance, development, and evaluation of all staff, and a work environment that results in positive morale and employee retention. Maximize organizational effectiveness without compromising program and organizational performance. Collaborate with, and benefit from, National team Finance, HR and Operational resources.

$95,000-$115,000 annually