Executive Director/CEO Camp Fire Heart of Iowa

Camp Fire Heart of Iowa Executive Director/CEO Job Description

REPORTS TO: Board of Directors through the Board President.

Organization Overview: For over 100 years, Camp Fire has served youth and their families in Central Iowa. Camp Fire picks up where school leaves off, serving youth with before and after school and school break day camps during the school year and overnight and day camps in the summer. We believe that the best youth development takes place in small group environments where youth have an opportunity to interact with adults and other youth in a safe, fun environment that allows them to develop personal skills and ongoing relationships with others in the group. Camp Fire Heart of Iowa owns and operates a full service camp facility, Camp Hantesa. Comprised of 166 amazing acres of river valley land just north of Ledges State Park, camp boasts traditional camp program offerings for both overnighters and day campers. In addition, Camp Fire operates Camp Canwita, made up of 15 acres of greenspace in the city of Ames. Based in Des Moines, the current staff at Camp Fire Heart of Iowa is made up of nine full time staff, and 12 part time staff. During the summer, our team swells to over 80 seasonal staff to operate six day camp sites and the overnight camp at Camp Hantesa. Staff join us from all over the world, with staff from 13 different countries in 2019. We proudly serve over 2,400 youth in our Camp Fire programs and another 1,200 youth in our partnerships with other organizations. For more information, please visit: http://www.campfireiowa.org

POSITION OVERVIEW: The Executive Director/CEO of Camp Fire Heart of Iowa, provides direction and leadership in advancing the Council’s mission and strategically achieving its goals and objectives. The Executive Director must be a strong advocate of youth development programs, have a personal passion for advancing the mission of the Council, and be active in raising funds for the Council. The Executive Director strives to bring best practices to all aspects of the Council’s work, performing duties in an ethical manner. Through inspired leadership and thoughtful management, the Executive Director will work toward increasing public awareness and support to ensure that the Council grows to the next level of its development to be considered one of the premiere youth organizations in Iowa.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Fundraising

• Leads all aspects of fundraising activities: grant seeking, building and maintaining donor relationships, personal solicitations, corporate partnerships, etc.
• Secures funding for all programs and events with assistance from the Board of Directors and designated staff.
• Responsible for reviewing and monitoring the annual fundraising plan in conjunction with appropriate staff and Board members.

Board Development

• Serves ex-officio on all committees of the Board.
• Provides support to the Board in recruitment and orientation of Board members.
• Plans Board meetings in tandem with Board leadership and prepares timely agendas and materials for these meetings.
• Maintains open communications with Board members, singularly and as a group, on an ongoing basis.
• Jointly with Board leadership, conducts an annual Board evaluation process.

Administration & Strategic Planning

• Assures the Council has a long-range strategic plan that enables it to achieve its mission.
• Conducts official correspondence for the Council, individually and jointly, with the Chair and Secretary of the Board of Directors, as appropriate.
• Executes legal documents in tandem with designated officers.
• Recommends policies to the Board and/or assists Board in the formulation of policies.
• Ensures implementation of Board authorized policies.
• Ensures official records and documents are maintained and that compliance with federal, state and local regulations occurs.
• Responsible for public accountability of the Council in conjunction with the Board.

Human Resources

• Responsible for overall direction of human resources functions, including recruitment, selection, employment and termination of all personnel, both paid staff and service volunteers.
• Ensures job descriptions are developed and maintained, regular performance evaluations are conducted and sound human resource practices are in place.
• Ensures an effective management team, with appropriate provision for succession, is maintained.
• Maintains a climate that attracts, keeps and motivates a diverse staff of top quality people.

Finance

• Responsible for reviewing and maintaining an effective internal financial control system and ensures accurate and timely financial information is provided for internal and external use.
• Works with staff, the Finance Committee and the Board to prepare the annual budget.
• Monitors the Council’s financial condition and maintains positive relationships with financial institutions and external auditors.
• Ensures sufficient operating reserve and cash flow to meet Council obligations in conjunction with the Board.

Programs & Services

• Provides leadership in assessing and evaluating youth development needs within the Council’s jurisdiction and oversees implementation of Camp Fire programming tailored to meet the needs of local youth.
• Monitors and develops strategies to ensure all youth programs are consistent with Camp Fire’s coeducational, inclusive, contemporary and prevention-oriented philosophy.
• Promotes and supports volunteerism in all areas of the Council’s work.
• Encourages and provides resources for staff and volunteer development and education.
• Maintains a working knowledge of significant developments and trends in the field of youth development programs and nonprofit management/leadership issues.
• Conducts an annual program evaluation.
• Acts to maintain highly effective parent-constituent relationships.

Marketing & Communications

• Responsible for reviewing and monitoring an annual marketing/communication plan.
• Serves as official spokesperson for the Council by representing the programs and point of view of the Council to agencies, organizations and the general public.
• Keeps the Board fully informed on the condition of the Council and all-important factors influencing the board.
• Promotes awareness of the Council’s activities, programs and goals to key stakeholders and the general community.
• Establishes sound working relationships and collaborative arrangements with government agencies, community groups and organizations.
• Oversees the development of collateral materials.
• Maintains appropriate relationships with other professional and human service groups including membership on appropriate community committees and service projects.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in liberal arts, public administration, business administration or related discipline required.
• Master’s degree in human services, nonprofit management, business administration or related discipline preferred.
• Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) certification preferred.

Experience

• Ten years of experience in management with demonstrated progression in responsibilities required.
• Previous work experience in the field of youth development and an understanding of the extended youth program philosophy preferred.
• Nonprofit management experience preferred.
• Must have strong business and fiscal management skills.
• Proven record of successful resource fund development required.
• Youth organization/youth advocacy work desirable.
• Demonstrated understanding of risk management issues and the ability to take calculated risks required.
• Prior experience with capital campaigns preferred

Skills

• Must be highly ethical and have a strong sense of integrity.
• Must be a strategic thinker and an agent for planned change.
• Inspirational leader with a good sense of humor preferred.
• Physical stamina to work long hours required (including many evening and weekend meetings).
• Ability to navigate unpaved roads and trails at our camps.
• Ability to travel locally required. Occasional overnight travel as needed.
• Ability to effectively handle high stress situations.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to network and build lasting relationships required.
• Must be self-motivated and highly organized.
• Must be able to delegate effectively.
• Must have a strong customer-focused philosophy.
• Proven ability to prioritize, plan, organize, and manage multiple tasks and agendas with diverse audiences.
• Outstanding written and oral presentation communication skills required.
• In-depth knowledge of the philanthropic sector preferred.
• Must be computer literate (Microsoft Office Suite).
• Experience with budget development, monitoring and evaluation required.
• Proven ability to work effectively with volunteer Board and committees required.

How to Apply: address resume and cover letter to Jan Doherty, Camp Fire Heart of Iowa Search Committee Chair.

Work Location:

• Multiple locations

Benefits:

• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Retirement plan
• Paid time off
• Flexible schedule

This Job Is:

• A job for which military experienced candidates are encouraged to apply

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday
• Weekends required
• Holidays required