President & Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

United Way of Northeast Florida
President & Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Role Specifics
Position: President & Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Company: United Way of Northeast Florida
Website: www.unitedwaynefl.org
Location: Jacksonville, Florida
Reporting Relationship: Board of Directors

United Way of Northeast Florida
Since 1924, United Way of Northeast Florida (UWNEFL) has been a leader in creating lasting change and positive impact by bringing together people, resources, and ideas to solve the community’s toughest challenges. UWNEFL works in partnership with a network of more than 80 local non-profit partners and funders across 5 counties to achieve its vision of a community of opportunity where everyone has hope and can reach their full potential. Annually, the organization raises and invests more than $25 million in the community impacting one out of every three people in Northeast Florida. UWNEFL’s goal is to increase economic mobility in the region by focusing on three impact areas:  addressing basic needs, improving financial stability, and ensuring racial equity.

Through its funding and guidance of nonprofits—as well as its data-driven thought leadership and operation of foundational community programs—UWNEFL is not only seen as a premier non-profit leader in Northeast Florida but is also recognized nationally—both in the United Way Worldwide system and by change makers seeking to move the needle. In 2021, MacKenzie Scott recognized the organization’s long track record of success with an unrestricted gift of $20 million to further advance the organization’s vision, mission, and work.

The United Way of Northeast Florida is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. As one of over 1,800 United Way Worldwide (UWW) local affiliates, UWNEFL is fully compliant with all local, state, federal, and UWW standards.

The incoming President & CEO will play a pivotal role in continuing to enhance both the organization’s rich and proud history of community leadership and engagement as well as its overall impact and reach by serving as a strategic thought leader, fundraiser, advocate, and convener.

UWNEFL Vision and Mission
Vision: To create a community of opportunity where everyone has hope and can reach their full potential.

Mission: To solve our community’s toughest challenges by connecting people, resources, and ideas.

In delivering on this vision and accomplishing its mission, UWNEFL believes in: 

• Driving action, creating awareness, and improving the community by connecting people, resources and ideas.
• Creating collective solutions that address both immediate needs as well as systemic issues. 
• Increasing economic mobility by focusing on racial inequities and generational poverty.
• Providing access to basic needs such as housing, food, and mental health.
• Building financial stability through increased assess to early childhood education and increased educational attainment, workforce development, and asset building. 

Key Responsibilities:
The next President and CEO (CEO) will provide inspirational leadership and effective organizational oversight aimed at advancing UWNEFL’s community impact and overall reach. In this highly visible role, the CEO will effectively engage with a broad set of stakeholders in the nonprofit, business, government, donor, and United Way Worldwide communities. As such, they must build and lead a highly effective organization and be known for the breadth of their relationships, influence, and impact.

Through strong leadership and strategic oversight, the CEO is responsible for the achievement of all major strategic goals and objectives of the organization. To this end, the CEO will provide overall operational oversight for UWNEFL’s programs, fundraising, volunteer base, external relationships with numerous stakeholders, and finances with the support of 70 staff. In achieving the overarching objectives of UWNEFL, the CEO will engage the talents of a diverse team of high-performing leaders, staff, and volunteers. In addition, the CEO will also leverage the power of relationships and networks in working across private, public, and corporate sectors to garner support, raise funds, and build capacity to further the goals and objectives of the organization. 

The CEO is responsible for maintaining strong working relationships—collectively and individually—with the Board of Directors, which provides oversight and strategic direction to the CEO and the rest of the management team. The next leader will also work closely with the Board of Directors on governance of the organization, including succession planning for the Board. 

Primary Duties and Responsibilities Include:

Community and Organizational Leadership

• Providing the necessary visioning and strategic thinking to propel the organization forward in building capacity to meet the current and future needs of the community. 
• Energizing others to commit to the mission and vision of UWNEFL by driving innovation and effective community partnership.
• Serving as an effective advocate; passionately and effectively conveying the vision and mission of UWNEFL and the importance it plays within the community at large.
• Providing effective donor relationship management; seeking and building relationships with organizations and individuals who want to invest their financial resources in furthering UWNEFL’s mission.
• Championing racial equity, diversity, and inclusion; acknowledging that racism exists in the northeast Florida region and beyond as well as embracing the significant role UWNEFL can play in addressing racial disparities and raising awareness of the issues.
• Understanding that the community is best served when racial equity, diversity, and inclusion is prioritized and embedded into organizational structures, culture, programs, and processes.
• Encouraging a workplace environment that inspires a culture of inclusion and belonging.
• Fostering talent development by building, developing, and continually improving individual and team abilities through coaching, mentoring and advising; empowering the executive staff. 
• Championing change and demonstrating a willingness and ability to initiate, sponsor, and lead change initiatives.

Resource & Relationship Engagement

• Serving as a strong collaborator; developing networks, building alliances, and convening a wide range of community stakeholders for the benefit of the overarching mission and achievement of organizational strategic objectives.
• As an energetic fundraiser, bringing a creative and entrepreneurial approach to revenue generation; securing significant investment from a variety of different sources in order to diversify the current funding stream and grow capacity.
• Operating with political astuteness; understanding and navigating the local and state political landscape and how it impacts the organization’s mission and strategy objectives.

Business Acumen

• Serving as a results-oriented leader setting performance-related expectations and goals while empowering the team with appropriate authority and accountability.
• Providing effective organizational financial management and strategic resource allocation; setting long-term and annual financial plans and budgets that align with the strategic objectives of the organization.
• Serving as the brand ambassador; continually managing the brand and messaging as a strategic asset that needs to be safeguarded.
• Providing effective human capital management; effectively leading and overseeing the team, with a focus on organizational development, management empowerment, staff engagement, and succession planning.
• Acting as a technology-savvy leader with a strong appreciation and understanding of how technology can benefit and progress UWNEFL’s mission and strategic objectives.

Exemplary Values and Personal Attributes

• Bringing a strong, unbridled passion for the mission and work of UWNEFL and the role it plays within the broader community.
• Engendering trust with the innate ability to build confidence and credibility to develop productive and fulfilling relationships.
• Leading by example with an achievement-oriented focus and demonstrating uncompromising accountability, courage, and self-confidence, even in the face of adversity.
• Always operating with an unwavering commitment to integrity and ethical conduct.
• Demonstrating adaptability and openness to alternative solutions and flexibility when interacting with others; understanding their needs, interests, and perspectives.
• Desiring continuous learning and improvement; analyzing personal strengths and weaknesses and developing a plan for personal growth.
• Maintaining a welcoming and inclusive stance in networking and partnering with all stakeholders including broad and diverse representation of private/public and traditional/non-traditional community organizations. 

Board Engagement

• Engaging and collaborating with the Board and other organizational volunteers to set the overarching strategic direction so that UWNEFL continues to address the ongoing needs within the community.
• Maintaining a strong, trusting, and collaborative partnership with the Board to shape the future of the organization.
• Participating with the Board to identify, recruit and cultivate new members and committee chairs who align with the organization’s values and strategic objectives.
• Overseeing the preparation of annual operating plans and budgets for the Board to review and approve.
• Providing regular updates on all current strategic, operational, and programmatic matters and future initiatives. 

Professional Experience and Qualifications:
The successful candidate will be an innovative and enthusiastic leader with a strong passion and commitment to the mission of the United Way.  The next CEO must be a credible and proactive leader with demonstrated executive-level experience within an organization of similar size, scale, and complexity. The ideal candidate will have at least 10 years of experience directing an organization including cultivating skills in strategic planning, operational oversight, and organizational management.

The CEO should possess the following characteristics:

• An inspirational leader with the ability to build and maintain collaborative relationships with community partners and local non-profit organizations.
• A charismatic leader who will serve as a strong advocate in promoting the mission of the UWNEFL with key stakeholders.
• A visionary leader who can effectively partner with the Board of Directors in order to set the long-term strategy and to grow capacity and overall reach within the community.
• An ability to leverage the diverse talents of a dynamic and engaged volunteer Board of Directors.

• Experience and expertise in the community-impact issues reflected in UWNEFL’s vision, mission, and strategic direction.
• Experience in successfully managing and engaging a sizable team.
• A demonstrated track record of promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Demonstrated success in fundraising, growing revenue, and increasing philanthropic support.
• Demonstrated success in community building and in developing and maintaining productive partnerships with the public sector as well as for-profit and non-profit organizations.
• Demonstrated superior ability to work with volunteers and/or community leaders.
• An understanding of the importance of technology in information management, with the ability to drive a technology strategy for an organization.
• Proven management, business, financial, and fundraising acumen.
• A keen analytical mindset, critical thinking, and problem-solving that enables sound decision-making.
• Strong professional ethics, integrity, and accountability in all actions.
• Experience with non-profit fundraising and working with a non-profit board a plus.

Education:

• An undergraduate degree from an accredited university is required. An advanced degree is preferred.

Compensation:
A competitive compensation package will be made available to the selected candidate.

Additional Information:
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Application Process:
Interested and qualified candidates are welcome to submit a resume and cover letter to: https://kfopportunities.loop.jobs/job/Korn-Ferry-Executive-Search-Jacksonville-President-and-CEO-FL/167169589

It is the policy of the United Way of Northeast Florida to provide equal opportunity to all qualified employees and applicants without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, religion, disability, or national origin. It is their policy is to employ individuals solely on the basis of qualifications, to recognize each person as an individual throughout the period of employment with their organization, and to provide fair and equal treatment for all employees and applicants for employment regardless of their race, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, religion, disability, or national origin.