Executive Director

[Back to Jobs Page]

The Sikh Coalition is a community-based organization that defends civil rights in the United States, educates the broader community about Sikhs,, promotes local community empowerment, and fosters civic engagement amongst Sikh Americans. The Coalition serves as a resource for all organizations and individuals as well as a point of contact for the Sikh people.

Formed immediately after 9/11 in order to combat bias and backlash, the Coalition has grown into a permanent institution with a track record of success. Scores of legal victories, significant government relationships and strong educational programming have impacted the communities in which we operate.

POSITION SUMMARY: The Executive Director of the Sikh Coalition must have a diverse skill set and the ability to manage relationships with a variety of stakeholders. The ideal candidate will be able to establish a strategy and execute a plan for growth that will further the organization’s mission. The Executive Director will be passionate about the Coalition’s mission, able to work with a wide range of people inside of affected communities, and effectively represent the organization with leaders in other NGOs, government, business and the media.

The Executive Director is critical to the growth and success of the Coalition. Key responsibilities include providing vision and leadership, overseeing fund development, operations, and fiscal management. Working in partnership with the Board, staff, and the communities we serve, the Executive Director will help to guide the Sikh Coalition to the next level of organizational growth and stability. This position reports to the Coalition’s Board.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Leadership & Management
  • Building a structure and team for the most effective use of organization’s resources (to achieve its mission)
  • Establishes with the board the organization’s broad vision, mission and direction.
    • Ensures that all the work of the organization is strategically forwarding that broad vision, mission and direction; provides coherence and strategy to programmatic work
  • Leads/facilitates goal setting of program areas and key initiatives and creating transparency on progress towards those objectives
  • Responsible for best leveraging management and support personnel
• Fundraising & Development
  • Introduces strategies, techniques and opportunities for fundraising
  • Works with board to develop a fundraising plan that selects the organization’s short-term and long-term fundraising goals and selects the strategies with the greatest likelihood of reaching those goals.
  • Ensure fundraising goals are met by developing a successful fundraising operation with clear roles for individual staff, board and volunteers.
  • Develop and maintain relationships with potential and existing funding sources and key individual donors (program for donor relationship management)
  • Develops and executes on plan to attract institutional funding (grants
• Operations and Financial Management
  • Proposes an annual budget for board approval. Responsible for managing spending to approved budgets.
  • Ensures finances are well managed; oversees financial systems and controls.
  • Manage day-to-day operations of office
  • Maintain confidential personnel records
• Board Development / Partnership
  • Working with the board to ensure it has the right mix of talents, skills, abilities, and perspectives among its membership.
  • Creating a full board/executive director partnership.
  • Work with Board on strategic planning and organizational development
  • Holds primary responsibility for implementation of Board decisions
• Public Advocacy
  • Offering clear and consistent messages about who the organization is and what it is trying to achieve. Serve as a spokesperson to all stakeholders inside and outside the community.
  • Create network of people required to effectively supplement ED communications (e.g. to address language gaps, generation issues, cultural differences)
  • Coordinate and oversee all public relations activities
  • Building partnerships and relationships with other key constituencies that are essential to forwarding the organization’s mission.
  • Represent Sikh Coalition at appropriate conferences, meetings, and other occasions
  • Develop and maintain strategic partnerships with public and private agencies, governmental and community leaders and media sources in support of the Coalition’s mission and activities

  QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

  The Executive Director will have demonstrated abilities in the following areas:

  • Commitment to values, mission and vision of the organization. Engagement in social justice issues, with a particular interest in or focus on civil rights issues and education. Deep understanding of the social, economic and racial causes of discrimination and injustice, and specific understanding of the effects of post-September 11, 2001 policies on affected communities.
  • Experience in leading an organization or providing increasingly responsible leadership in a senior management capacity, preferably in a social justice agency. Capacity to provide leadership in transitioning organization to next level.
  • Working with diverse constituencies. Ability to develop and foster stakeholder and strategic partnerships. .
  • Ability to generate revenue, implement a comprehensive fundraising plan, and think creatively about options to establish long-term financial sustainability.
  • Ability and desire to supervise, train, support and motivate staff. Ability to work with different work styles and to facilitate staff communication. Ability to build an grow a volunteer base to supplement full time staff.
  • Excellent organizational skills, including ability to design and maintain effective systems, organize resources and establish priorities. Experience with financial management, including developing and managing budgets, cash flow and financial reporting.
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills. Comprehensive analytical, strategic thinking and problem solving skills. Ability to plan and implement in a fast paced environment
  • Fearlessness, love of challenge, and ability to work in a constantly changing environment

  Masters preferred/Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience directly related to the duties and responsibilities specified. Punjabi language skills a plus.

  This is a full-time exempt position. Salary commensurate with experience. Benefits package includes medical and vacation. To apply for the position, please send your resume, a brief statement on why you are interested and how you can help, and your employment and salary history to: jobs@sikhcoalition.org or fax to 815-346-2803. The Sikh Coalition is an Equal Opportunity Employer.