Executive Director Job Description
The Executive Director (ED) reports to the board of directors and has overall responsibility for
Pongo’s staff, operations, programs, expansion, and implementation of its mission.

Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Organizational Growth

• Lead Pongo in its journey to become an anti-racist organization and promote and instill
  diversity, equity and inclusion in all we do
• Implement the national expansion
• Present at national and regional conferences and organizations to promote Pongo
• Begin to build partnerships in new markets, establishing relationships with practitioners
  and funders, and political and community leaders at each expansion site
• Serve as an external local and national spokesperson who communicates program
  results with an emphasis on the successes of the local program as a model for regional
  and national replication
• Build board capacity and involvement with strategic direction for both ongoing local
  operations as well as for the national expansion

Fundraising & Communications:

• In collaboration with the Development Manager, expand revenue generating and
  fundraising activities to support existing program operations and national expansion
• Deepen and refine all aspects of communications—from web presence to external
  relations with the goal of creating a stronger brand
• Use external presence and relationships to garner new opportunities for growth
  Management & Operations:
• Work with staff to ensure ongoing programmatic excellence and consistent quality of
  finance and administration, programs, fundraising, communications, and systems
• Create and maintain a collaborative environment in which all staff are valued and have
  opportunities for personal and professional growth
• Actively engage and energize Pongo staff, volunteers, board members, committees,
  partnering organizations, and funders
• Develop, maintain, and support a strong and diverse Board of Directors; serve as ex-officio of select committees
• Develop effective systems to track scaling progress, and regularly evaluate program components to measure successes that can be effectively communicated to the board, funders, and other constituents

Qualifications
The ED must be thoroughly committed to Pongo’s mission. Candidates will be considered based
on the range of their lived and learned experiences, professional background, and direct and
transferable skills. Pongo seeks candidates with a compelling combination of demonstrated
experience and skills.

Required Qualifications include:

• At least 5 years of senior management experience; track record of effective leadership
  and growing a nonprofit organization regionally and/or nationally; ability to point to
  specific examples of having developed and operationalized strategies that have taken an
  organization to the next stage of growth and impact
• Excellence in staff management with the ability to create and maintain a collaborative
  work environment in which everyone feels valued
• Demonstrated fundraising experience including strategy, a track record of having
  achieved increased financial support, donor stewardship and retention, and major
  donor solicitation
• Commitment to anti-racism and experience helping an organization move forward in its
  anti-racism journey
• Experience working with diverse communities
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; a persuasive and passionate communicator with excellent interpersonal and multidisciplinary project skills
• Experience in providing financial administration including developing and monitoring a budget and providing relevant reports to board and staff

Preferred Qualifications include:

• Appreciation for poetry and the role of expressive arts in healing
• Past success working with a Board of Directors with the ability to cultivate existing board
  member relationships
• Strong marketing and public relations experience with the ability to engage a wide range
  of stakeholders and cultures

Our ideal candidate will be:

• Action-oriented, collaborative, entrepreneurial, adaptable, and innovative
• Passionate, positive, mission-driven, and self-directed

Compensation and Benefits:
This is a full-time position. Salary range is $75,000 to $85,000 DOE plus benefits. The position
starts on or around January 4, 2022. Benefits include health insurance stipend, paid time off, 9 paid holidays, a one-week winter break and a flexible work schedule.

To Apply:
The position will be open until filled. Applicant review will begin in late summer. Offer will be
made in November. Please submit a resume and cover letter addressed to: [email protected] . Pongo Poetry Project is an equal opportunity employer. All people who add to our diverse community are encouraged to apply.