National Executive Director

Cover letter, resume, and a writing sample is required with application.

Acting under the general supervision of the National Board of Directors (board), the National Executive Director (NED) serves as the chief executive officer of the organization, and is responsible for the overall functioning and performance of the national staff, as well as carrying out the directives, instructions, and policies legally adopted by the board and/or the membership in convention assembled. The position represents the interests of the organization and serves as a liaison between the organization and federal, state, and local agencies; veterans and military service organizations; other organizations of and for the blind; and private sector entities.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Administration

• Manage and supervise the day-to-day operations of the organization.
• Implement the board-approved strategic plan and ensure all activities align with the mission.
• Ensure compliance with policies and other governing documents adopted by the board, all relevant state and federal laws, and any funder restrictions.
• Ensure compliance and the successful implementation of administrative functions, including but not limited to human resources, finance, grants, fundraising, and communications.
• Ensure compliance and the successful implementation of governance functions, including but not limited to nonprofit compliance, strategic planning, and board relations.
• Ensure compliance and the successful implementation of programs, including but not limited to advocacy, veterans service, and member relations and management.

Human Resources

• Ensure overall staffing structure and individual job duties meet the needs of the organization.
• Ensure compliance with relevant state and federal employment laws as well as best practices.
• Manage all personnel. Oversee recruitment, hiring, and onboarding processes. Design and implement an annual employee evaluation process. Design and implement staff training, professional development, and team building activities.
• Maintain the workplace and work relationships in accordance with all local, state, and federal non-discrimination laws, rules, and regulations.

Financial Management & Fundraising

• Work with the development and finance teams to prepare and implement the annual budget.
• Ensure compliance with relevant laws, regulations, best practices, funder restrictions, and organizational policies.
• Authorize expenditures within the board-approved budget.
• Advise the board on financial matters, budget, and future needs.
• Oversee the research, development, and implementation of a fundraising plan.
• Support fundraising initiatives, particularly special events, donor relations, and grants.
• Lead the planning and implementation of the annual convention.

Board Relations

• Recommend long-term strategies, short-term plans, policies, and annual budgets to the board.
• Participate in monthly board meetings including preparing the meeting agenda, attending meetings, and reporting to the board.
• Assist with the identification, recruitment, and orientation of new board members.
• Steward board members and develop board members’ capacity for fundraising.
• Stay apprised of board and committee activities; serve as their primary point of contact.

Public Relations & Advocacy

• Serve as the primary spokesperson for the organization; ensure positive representation of the organization; and advocate on behalf of the organization, its mission, and its stakeholders.
• Develop and maintain positive relationships with key stakeholders.
• Cultivate relationships with other organizations; seek and evaluate opportunities to partner on collaborative projects.
• Oversee the research, development, and implementation of an advocacy agenda.
• Oversee the development and implementation of a communications plan.
• Attend community events as required.

ADDITIONAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Performs other related work as required.

This job description is not intended to be and should not be construed as an all-inclusive list of all the responsibilities, skills, or working conditions associated with the position. While it is intended to accurately reflect the position activities and requirements, management reserves the right to modify, add, or remove duties and assign other duties as necessary that are a logical assignment to the position.

MINIMUM TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE

• Knowledgeable Professional: Has military and blindness / low vision competency plus familiarity with relevant laws. Has a bachelor’s degree and possibly advanced degree(s) as well. Has a minimum of 5 years of nonprofit management experience.
• Inspirational Leader: Able to inspire staff, board, volunteers, and the community to pursue the BVA mission with passion and excellence. Dependable, organized, efficient, and emotionally intelligent leader.
• Board Champion: Experienced in working effectively with volunteer boards to establish good governance practices and strategic direction so that together we can create a strong future for the organization.
• Relationship Builder: Skilled in leading teams to excellence. Values collaboration and transparency. An attentive listener, consensus builder, compassionate mediator, and strong communicator.
• Persuasive Advocate: Influential ambassador with proven success in advocacy work. Emotionally intelligent and eager to learn from others. Confident with solid judgment and a positive, can-do attitude. Passionate about accessibility.
• Financially Astute: Experienced in fiscal management, including budgeting and cash flow management. Has familiarity with QuickBooks, Microsoft Suite (including Excel), and Google Docs.
• Enthusiastic Fundraiser: Comfortable asking for money and has proven success in fund development, including acumen in donor cultivation, stewardship, fundraising events, and grant writing.
• Pragmatic Manager: Experienced in managing nonprofit teams. Engages in the challenging day-to-day work of actualizing BVAs mission by envisioning and implementing processes and procedures that align with strategic priorities.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Physical Requirements: Must be physically able to operate a variety of machinery and equipment including computers, keyboards, calculators, copiers, facsimile machines, camera, projector, smart phones, etc. Must be able to exert up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. Physical demand requirements are for those for light work.
• Data Conception: Requires the ability to compare and/or judge the readily observable, functional, structural, or compositional characteristics (whether similar to divergent from obvious standards) of data, people, or things).
• Interpersonal Communication: Requires the ability of speaking and/or signaling people to convey or exchange information. Includes giving instructions, assignments, or directions to subordinates or assistants.
• Language Ability: Requires the ability to read a variety of technical reports, correspondence, specifications, contracts, manuals, etc. Requires the ability to prepare correspondence, technical reports, etc., using prescribed formats and conforming to all rules of punctuation, grammar, diction, and style. Requires the ability to speak before groups of people with poise, voice control, and confidence.
• Intelligence: Requires the ability to apply principles of logical or scientific thinking to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions; to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagrammatic form; and to deal with several abstract and concrete variables.
• Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to record and deliver information, to explain procedures, to follow oral and written instructions. Must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently in a variety of technical or professional languages.
• Numerical Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize mathematical formulas; to add and subtract; multiply and divide; utilize decimals and percentages; understand and apply the theories of statistics and statistical inference.
• Manual Dexterity: Requires the ability to handle a variety of items such as office equipment. Must have minimal levels of hand/foot coordination.
• Color Discrimination: Does not require the ability to differentiate between colors.
• Interpersonal Temperament: Requires the ability to deal with people beyond giving and receiving instructions. Must be adaptable to performing under stress and when confronted with persons acting under stress.
• Physical Communication: Requires the ability to talk and hear: (Talking: expressing or exchanging ideas by means of spoken words. Hearing: perceiving nature of sounds by ear). Must be able to communicate via a telephone with or without adaptive technologies.