On behalf of our client - North Hills Community Outreach

 

MISSON AND ORGANIZATION North Hills Community Outreach (NHCO), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, serves low-income individuals and families across Northern Allegheny County.  Since its establishment in 1987, following devastating floods in the North Hills, NHCO has evolved its services to encompass various needs, from Community-centered disaster relief to essential support such as food, transportation, and selfsufficiency programs. With six offices and a community garden, NHCO stands as one of the most esteemed human services organizations in Allegheny County, operating under the umbrella of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church. 

 

Mission: NHCO is a community- and interfaith-based organization dedicated to assisting people in crisis, hardship, and poverty. 

 

Vision: Northern Allegheny County is a sharing community where no one needs to be cold, hungry, or alone. 

 

NHCO upholds the following values to fulfill its mission: • Faith: Recognizing the love of God for everyone. • Compassion: Treating all individuals with dignity, understanding, and caring. • Empowerment: Fostering self-sufficiency and improved quality of life. • Stewardship: Managing our resources in a trustworthy and responsible manner for the good of the community. 

 

During 2022-2023, NHCO provided 23,234 services to 4,092 local families in need. With a committed staff (~30) and a robust volunteer network (~650), NHCO is dedicated to nourishing the community and equipping neighbors with the essential resources to forge a brighter future.  NHCO offers an array of free programs aimed at addressing various needs, including: 

• Food Pantry:  NHCO operates multiple food pantries in Northern Allegheny County, including Allison Park, Millvale, and Avalon. • Pathways Program: A program to assist in the making and achieving of goals. • Services for Seniors: A variety of services that help older adults in the greater North Hills community live with dignity at home in a healthy and safe manner. • Sharing Projects: NHCO holds various collections throughout the year and distributes the donated goods to those in need. • Ask The Attorney: Free, 30-minute legal consultations to eligible low-income residents with a volunteer attorney. 

• Education Assistance: A program that helps non-traditional adult students in need reach their education goals. • Employment Services: We help connect unemployed adults with a professional career counselor who assesses their skills, employment needs, and barriers to employment. • Smart Investments for Women: Small financial grants are available to help ease a personal crisis. • Free Tax Preparation: Help for low-income families through the United Way’s Free Tax Prep program. • Transportation Assistance: A program that offers several ways to help local people in need meet and overcome transportation challenges. • Utilities and Emergencies: NHCO provides assistance to qualifying families with utilities through various programs. 

POSITION OVERVIEW NHCO is in search of a resilient and visionary leader to steer the organization towards a sustainable future. This role demands a fervent dedication to food equity and justice, along with a comprehensive grasp of food systems and their intricate connections, encompassing activities, resources, and communities vital for promoting wellbeing. Overseeing a substantial budget exceeding $3 million, the incoming Executive Director must exhibit a proven dedication to nurturing NHCO’s initiatives and programs for long-term viability and expansion, while consistently embodying integrity and exceptional interpersonal skills in all endeavors. 

 

We are seeking an individual who possesses a profound comprehension of the operational requirements of a burgeoning, multi-location non-profit, coupled with a profound sense of empathy and concern for individuals and families served by NHCO. With an outward-facing orientation and a knack for cultivating relationships and securing resources, the Executive Director must be a strategic visionary capable of enhancing NHCO’s visibility and prominence within the broader community. 

 

Key responsibilities of the Executive Director include but are not limited to: 

 

Leadership and Organizational Development • Ensures ongoing excellence of programs and initiatives, rigorous program evaluation, and consistent quality of finance and administration, fundraising, communications, and systems. • Leads and develops the Staff with transparency and respect, creating a workplace that is professional and positive. Engages employees in strategic discussions and empowers them to improve organizational culture. • Designs and implements leadership development programs aimed at building a robust bench for succession planning, ensuring a diverse pipeline of qualified leaders at all levels. • Collaborates across the organization and Board to establish clear career paths for employees, incorporating necessary training and development opportunities to support advancement within the organization. • Conducts regular reviews of staff compensation using benchmark data from the compensation survey, ensuring competitive pay structures that attract and retain top talent. • Champions diversity and inclusion initiatives within the organization, working to create an inclusive workplace culture that values and celebrates the contributions of employees from diverse backgrounds. • Provides coaching and mentorship to emerging and established leaders, guiding them in honing their skills and preparing them for future leadership roles. • Develops and facilitates training programs on effective leadership practices, including communication, decision-making, and conflict resolution. • Collaborates with cross-functional teams to identify high-potential employees and create tailored development plans to nurture their growth and leadership capabilities. • Evaluates the effectiveness of leadership development initiatives through metrics and feedback mechanisms, continuously refining programs to meet the evolving needs of the organization. • Serves as a strategic partner to the Board, offering insights and recommendations on talent management, succession planning, and organizational development initiatives. • Incorporates Board member management into leadership strategies, ensuring alignment with the organization’s goals and values. Prepares and delivers state-of-the-union presentations at each quarterly Board meeting, providing updates on leadership development initiatives and their impact on organizational objectives. • Demonstrates a deep understanding of communities served by the organization, considering their needs and challenges holistically. Utilizes data to drive decision-making processes, aligning community efforts with organizational goals and objectives. • Analyzes root causes of challenges and identifies strategies for pivoting to deliver on the organization’s mission. Adapts plans and initiatives as needed, ensuring flexibility and responsiveness to changing circumstances. • Navigates limited funding constraints by understanding tradeoffs and prioritizing initiatives that align with organizational goals.   • Makes data-driven decisions to maximize impact while managing resource constraints effectively.  • Balances time effectively between multiple offices ensuring all Staff receive adequate support.  • Identifies and engages with key community leaders, forms strategic alliances, and regularly surveys the broad labor and employment community to keep abreast of new thoughts and strategies. • Develops, maintains, and supports a high-performing and passionate Board of Directors.  • Maintains open channels of communication with Board members in order to solicit feedback to better perform duties as a servant-leader.  • Provides on-going education to the Board of Directors on emerging issues and unmet needs. • Generates and tracks metrics that monitor the performance of the organization with respect to the mission and key objectives of the organization. • Provides leadership in developing organizational, program, and financial plans with the Board of Directors and carries out plans and policies authorized by the Board. • Prepares and presents mission and programmatic information at each meeting to ensure Board understanding of the work and people associated with the organization.  • Fosters increased collaboration with the Board in fundraising and community outreach. • Fosters an interfaith environment that honors and celebrates the diversity of religious beliefs and practices, creating a welcoming space where individuals from all backgrounds feel valued and respected. • Serves as a liaison with the Methodist church leadership while maintaining open and respectful relationships with representatives from other faith communities fostering collaboration and partnership in pursuit of shared goals. 

Revenue Generation and Community Relations • Acts as the primary representative and ambassador of the organization, effectively communicating its mission, values, and impact to stakeholders, including donors, partners, volunteers, and the broader community. • Stewards relationships with current philanthropic partners while also identifying and cultivating potential opportunities with other major donors. • Grows fundraising efforts and overall dollars by directing development efforts, setting, and achieving financial goals, and personally soliciting gifts. • Oversees brand strategy; ensures messaging is cohesive and impactful.  • Represents the organization and its brand messaging to the public, the private sector, foundations, and government leaders. Is accessible to and cooperative with the media. • Promotes awareness of poverty and its related issues throughout the community through presentations and involvement at community events. • Facilitates partnerships among groups outside of the organization that have a vested commitment to poverty and socioeconomic mobility. Organizational Architecture and Advancement • Collaborates with senior leadership to translate strategic objectives into actionable plans, ensuring alignment with the organization’s mission, vision, and values. • Develops and implements organizational structures, processes, and systems that support the strategic plan, fostering efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability across all levels. • Facilitates cross-functional alignment by engaging stakeholders from various departments and levels of the organization in the strategic planning and implementation process. • Monitors and evaluates progress towards strategic goals, identifying opportunities for refinement and realignment as needed to ensure continuous improvement and relevance. • Assesses the effectiveness of organizational programs through measurable, objective, and quantitative evidence. Shares data with appropriate stakeholders. • Leads change management efforts to embed strategic priorities into the organizational culture, driving buy-in and commitment from staff at all levels. • Provides guidance and support to departmental leaders in aligning their goals and initiatives with the overarching strategic plan, fostering a cohesive and integrated approach to organizational development. Communicates the strategic direction and priorities of the organization effectively to internal and external stakeholders, ensuring clarity and alignment of purpose. • Fosters a culture of innovation and adaptability, encouraging experimentation and learning to drive ongoing alignment with the strategic plan in a dynamic environment. 

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES The ideal candidate for the role of Executive Director will have a track record of success in strategic planning, fundraising, organizational management, and program development within the non-profit sector. We seek an individual with extensive experience in non-profit management and a strong understanding of financial principles. The Executive Director will assume overall responsibility for NHCO's staff, programs, budget, and the fulfillment of its mission. 

 

Preference will be given to candidates with knowledge of poverty issues and/or experience in promoting food equity. All applicants should possess exceptional non-profit management skills, demonstrated leadership abilities, expertise in relationship management, and a proven track record in resource development. 

 

Additionally, candidates should exhibit a combination of the following skills and attributes:  • Educational background that supports the needs of the position.  • Past success working collaboratively with partners, including, but not limited to, corporate and business leaders, philanthropic leaders, like-minded organizational partners, and a Board of Directors.  • A successful track record with fundraising from diverse sources.  • Knowledge of how marketing, communications, and public relations can further fundraising efforts, and a track record of thought leadership for using these tools to improve and optimize these efforts.  • Working style that is transparent, encouraging, and collaborative.  • Experience and confidence with public speaking before a wide range of professionals and community audiences. • Advanced strategy and planning skills; demonstrated success with program development. • Analyze and interpret financial statements, including income statement, balance sheets, and cash flow statements, to provide insights into the organization’s financial health and performance. • Utilize financial data to inform strategic decision-making, providing recommendations to the Board of Directors to optimize financial resources and mitigate risks. • Serve as a financial advisor to the Board of Directors, presenting financial reports and analysis in a clear and comprehensive manner, and providing guidance on financial matters to support informed decision making. • Lead the development of the annual budget in collaboration with departmental leaders, incorporating input from key stakeholders to align budgetary allocations with strategic priorities and organizational objectives. 

PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES Your primary focus will be on fostering strong leadership within our organization, ensuring that our team operates cohesively and efficiently towards our shared goals. In the near term, you will lead key initiatives aimed at providing a comprehensive overview of our organization's trajectory and strategic direction. Whether it is strengthening our operational framework or implementing a transformative overhaul, your leadership will be instrumental in guiding us forward. You will serve as the go-to person for outreach, leveraging your deep understanding of our organization's mission to effectively engage stakeholders and foster meaningful partnerships. Your ability to articulate and execute initiatives aligned with the Board's expectations will be crucial, as you drive forward clear and actionable strategies to achieve our objectives. Financial acumen is essential in this role, as you will be responsible for the fiscal management of our organization, ensuring sound financial practices and strategic decision-making to sustain our mission. 

 

Additionally, you will oversee staff development efforts, attracting and retaining top talent to drive our organization’s success. 

 

Your executive presence will be paramount as you represent our organization to various stakeholders, including the Board, press, and donors. With your baseline knowledge of financial management and experience in strategic planning, you will play a pivotal role in reviewing and assessing our current strategic plan, ensuring its alignment with our mission and vision. In addition, you will lead the development of our next strategic plan. Moreover, your expertise in fundraising, particularly in grant development, will be invaluable in advancing our development efforts and securing crucial resources to support our initiatives. 

 

COMPENSATION This position offers a competitive salary, commensurate with previous experience and demonstrated skills. NHCO provides a competitive complement of benefits to employees.