Chief Executive Officer - Boys & Girls Club of Fitchburg & Leominster

An exciting opportunity to lead the growing Boys and Girls Club of Fitchburg and Leominster (BGCFL) is open, and we are looking for our next Chief Executive Officer to make a positive impact on kids’ lives. We’re seeking candidates who will lead the overall planning and operation of the organization – while providing leadership, direction, and support to the Board of Directors. You will be responsible for bringing the organization’s mission to life, as you work to ensure that area kids and teens achieve great futures by delivering a safe and fun space, creating an engaging Club experience, and managing caring professionals to guide them along the way.

As a powerful testament, an astounding 54% of national Club alumni have expressed that the Club has had a life-altering impact on them. This highlights the incredible opportunity that awaits you and your team to make a profound and transformative difference in the lives of our youth, which will undoubtedly bring about profound and lasting changes.

The ambition for the future of the organization is to be able to increase the Boys and Girls Club of Fitchburg and Leominster positive impact. One way to achieve that is to increase the number of youths served. Improving program efficacy is another way. Some combination of the two is the likely strategy for success. The new CEO will be tasked with setting the vision, garnering the community’s support, and harnessing the resources to achieve this two-fold impact improvement.

About the Organization

The Boys and Girls Club of Fitchburg and Leominster offers a multi-level approach to helping youth thrive. Our Formula for Impact is designed to lead young people through the club experience and focus on three priority outcomes: academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. Our Youth Development Professionals provide a safe caring environment, innovative programs, and do whatever it takes to help our members succeed. To have the greatest impact on the youth in north central Massachusetts, our organization is committed to growth, developing staff, leadership, and board talent, and increasing organizational strength through strong financial health, sound governance, and sustainable business practices.

Our Leominster clubhouse is situated in a former private school on conservation land in a residential setting—a unique site for a Boys & Girls Club clubhouse. In addition to the 8 acres owned by the Club, the Doyle Conservation Center (operated by the Trustees of the Reservations) provides more than 160 additional acres on which to play and study. The facility is well equipped with numerous classrooms, meeting places, a full gymnasium, outdoor sports courts, and a middle school teen center and high school workforce development center. The Club is operationally on budget and has a strong balance sheet. BGCFL’s Gardner Clubhouse was started in November of 2015 as a pilot program launched by the BGCFL. The Club takes place every day after school at the Gardner Middle School.

• Implement strategic plans as set by the Board of Directors, as well as annual goals and objectives; financial, program and administrative management; and leadership of the organization. Guidance and direction are provided by the Chair of the Board, and by the Board and its Executive Committee.
• Promote Boys & Girls Clubs services to individuals, other service organizations and the local community with a focus on collaborative communication.
• Direct and participate in public relations and fundraising activities; lead activities to raise funds or otherwise solicit and gather monetary donations or other gifts for the organization.
• Establish goals and budgets; develop policies and procedures.
• Monitor and approve the organization’s program services to ensure achievement of the mission and goals of BGCFL in collaboration with and support of the Board of Directors.
• Oversee management and attainment of resources necessary to ensure the stable financial operations of the organization are conducted in accordance with applicable laws.
• Oversee staffing activities of the organization, including recruiting, training, mentoring, and evaluating both paid and volunteer staff.
• Provide leadership to Club staff by developing administrative and operational standards by which goals will be met.
• Provide professional leadership to the Board of Directors to ensure the development of an effective and motivated Board, including identification, recruitment, training, and involvement of Board members in meeting the goals of the organization.
• Demonstrate that safety is a core value, ensure that the management system conforms with membership requirements and industry standards and is actively engaged in the safety improvement process.
• Ensure that the organization is in compliance with membership and other requirements or standards of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, other affiliated and regulatory agencies and that the Organization has standards and measures in place that define effective safety practices, train to those annually, and identify vulnerabilities and strategies to mitigate risks.
• Serve as point of escalation, feedback and approval for reportable Club incidents ensuring that all accident and incident reports are completed, up to date and submitted to the administrative office for archiving.
• May be assigned special projects periodically by the Board of Directors.
• Reports to the Board of Directors.

Leadership Skills

• Strategic Orientation - The ideal candidate will be able to draw a high level of insight from having successfully led in several different operating environments. The candidate will not only be able to set a compelling vision for the organization but will also be able to develop a strategy & structure to realize the BGCFL vision and drive supporting plans and programs. An ability to assess current strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) and set priorities accordingly will enable this leader to position the organization for continued success in the years to come.
• Team Leadership - This leader will have a strong track record of building effective teams. They will be able to increase the capacity of the existing staff and raise the level of expertise of those they bring into the organization. They will also be a recognized leader in the community and be viewed as a peer among business leaders and other pillars of the community. Additionally, this leader will have the social range to connect, not just at the senior executive and Board level, but also with the kids the Clubs serve.
• Results Orientation - The successful candidate will have a track record of consistently delivering results in dynamic situations involving multiple stakeholders (e.g., school district, social service agencies, key donors, etc.). These results will relate not only to improvements in service quality but will also relate to broad community engagement. Being able to drive internal results (e.g., cost management, eliminating wasteful practices, improved quality) and external results (fundraising, brand awareness, advocacy) will be equally important.
• Collaboration & Influencing - This leader will have demonstrated a track record of building and sustaining effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders alike. They will be particularly good at forging partnerships and working with a Board of Directors. They will be able to leverage excellent communication skills to build and engage a network of a broad range of stakeholders. They will share the BGCFL vision with that network and engage them in that vision to garner their support.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Demonstrated ability to organize, direct, plan and coordinate operations in a multi-unit organization.
• Leadership skills, including negotiation, problem-solving, decision-making and delegation.
• Strong communication skills, both oral and written; ability to speak effectively and persuasively to groups and individuals.
• Demonstrated competency and ability in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with a Board of Directors, staff, community groups and other related agencies.
• Demonstrated ability to supervise professionals and other staff/volunteers who may be in distant subunits of the organization.
• Advanced knowledge and expertise in asset management, including financial resources and property.
• Demonstrated skills and competency in the following areas preferred: the mission, objectives, policies, programs, and procedures of Boys & Girls Clubs; the principles and practices of nonprofit organizations and their management; and resource development activities and sources of funding.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university required, advanced degree preferred.