Operations / Administration Executive Director
Job Description
ABOUT COLORADO YOUTH CONGRESS
The Colorado Youth Congress (CYC) cultivates the healing and leadership of young people to guide us all into a future grounded in justice and well-being. Our theory of change is based on the concept of fractals: that the work we do internally and within our community will naturally translate to broader cultural and systemic change. By holistically nurturing youth — their identities, wellness and innate curiosity about the world, we will activate their potential for leadership. And when young people are well-resourced and lead from a place of wellness, their leadership is more effective and sustainable. The work they do and the communities they lead will be healthier and better-resourced as a result. Systems will start to shift towards justice.
For more details about our program and strategic plan, see here.
ROLE OVERVIEW
Since 2017, the Colorado Youth Congress has grown from a volunteer-only group with a shoestring budget to one of the largest and most well-known youth leadership organizations in the state. CYC continues to move towards a vision where within our lifetime, the collective voice of young people will be central to the social and political leadership of Colorado. We are looking to the next Executive Director to position CYC, and youth leadership as a whole, as an indispensable part of Colorado’s ecosystem. The ED will act as the visionary leader and will be responsible for overseeing the organization’s strategic, fiscal, and external priorities.
The starting salary range will be from $110,000 – $115,000 and will include a full suite of benefits including unlimited paid time off, a sabbatical policy, a hybrid work schedule including a four day work week, healthcare package (medical, dental, and vision insurance), 401k match, remote working and wellness stipend, and a substantial professional development budget.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Visionary Leadership and Organizational Management
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- Form, execute and iterate an inspiring strategy to reach our vision to center youth voices in the social and political landscape of Colorado.
- Build relationships to galvanize action across staff, board, youth, and the broader education, civic and philanthropic communities.
- Translate the vision into long- and short-term priorities, strategies, and goals, iterating as needed.
- Provide leadership, in partnership with other organizations, in pursuit of our vision.
Fundraising and Fiscal Management
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- Maintain full responsibility for accomplishing CYC’s annual fundraising goals.
- Initiate and deepen relationships with current and potential funders with an emphasis on developing new partnerships.
- Enlist champions and supporters to cultivate strong relationships and continued support for the organization’s key priorities.
- Prepare and submit to the Board proposed annual budget and quarterly financial updates which accurately reflect the financial condition of the organization.
- Ensure resource utilization is aligned with our vision, and maintain the organization in a positive financial position (internal financial systems).
Team Management:
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- Model the organization’s core values, ensuring the organization develops and retains its people.
- Grow and evolve a culture that is strategic, adaptive, and determined to realize the CYC vision within our lifetime.
- Recruit and develop a diverse team of high-quality leaders aligned with the mission and vision of CYC.
- Actively supervise, develop, and evaluate direct reports to be effective in their roles and in the management of their functions.
Board Governance:
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- Manage strong relationships with the Board, particularly the Chair, maintaining regular and ongoing communication with the entire Board.
- Work closely and openly with the Board, ensuring ongoing communication of risks, successes, and emerging opportunities.
- Support the development of a diverse and effective Board, reflective of Colorado, and leverage their networks to support the organizational health and sustainability of CYC.
WHO YOU ARE
- You have a deep understanding of how nonprofit organizations work and have demonstrated effectiveness in multiple domains, including fundraising, team management and familiarity managing budgets.
- You are a visionary and inclusive leader. You have a clear and compelling sense of what you’d like the future to look like and an eagerness to co-create that with others.
- You believe in the inherent power of young people. You are comfortable working alongside young people, learning with and from them, and adapting plans based on the feedback you receive.
- You are knowledgeable (or eager to learn) about the social and political landscape in Colorado state.
- You’re an exceptional relationship builder who knows how to navigate complex environments and authentically bring people in as partners to conversations about impact.
- Your value system centers on justice. You have an understanding of the historical threads of oppression and have reflected deeply on your own racial and socioeconomic positionality. You’ve demonstrated a desire to leverage youth voices to dismantle unjust systems and rebuild something just and sustainable.
- You have the courage to explicitly name problems as they come up and the humility to adapt alongside the community.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT
Colorado Youth Congress is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes a diverse pool of applicants for this search. We are committed to fostering a culture of inclusion and welcome individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States, as we are not authorized to sponsor the H-1B visa.
CYC does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, ethnic or national origin, age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, or other characteristics covered by law with regard to employment opportunities.
