Executive Director Search

Position Description:  The Executive Director (“ED”) will have overall strategic and operational responsibility for the programs and activities of Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Connecticut and Western Massachusetts (“RMHC-CT and Western MA”). These programs currently include the programs and activities of the Ronald McDonald House of Connecticut (“RMH-CT”), a grant making program supporting other organizations in the community, and RMHC Scholars, an annual scholarship program.  This is a new position, created to combine the management and leadership of multiple programs under the direction of one key executive.  The ED will report to the President(s) of the Boards of Directors of RMHC-CT and Western MA and RMH-CT (the “Boards”) and be responsible for program administration, expansion, Ronald McDonald House staff, finance, internal and external communications, and Board development and fundraising.

History:

The Connecticut/Western Massachusetts chapter of Ronald McDonald House Charities is one of 276 chapters in the US.  The Chapter was formed in 1988 and provides grants to local non-profits, scholarship programs, and support for RMH-CT and the Ronald McDonald House of Western MA (“RMH-SPR”).

In 1982, RMH-CT was opened with the help of the local community [SM Comment:  The Local Chapter did not exist when the House formed].  The website for RMH-CT at: rmh-ct.org provides an overview of the House, its operations and activities. 

In 1991, RMH-SPR opened.  It, too, received support from the local chapter, as well as community support.  The website for RMH-SPR is:  ronmcdhouse.com

Over the last 2 decades, RMHC-CT and Western MA has continued to support both RMH-CT and RMH-SPR with capital improvement funds, grants for special projects and activities and by providing a portion of the money collected in the McDonald restaurant donation boxes to each house.

The three organizations, RMHC-CT and Western MA,  RMH-CT and RMH-SPR operate with a single vision and purpose – to provide care, comfort and support to children and their families – but function independently, are each governed by their own board of directors, and are each separate 501(c)(3) organizations.     Work is underway to pursue a merger of RMHC-CT and Western MA and RMH-CT by early 2012 to streamline organizations and reduce redundancies.  Under the proposed restructuring, one Board of Directors will be formed and one Executive Director (this position) will oversee all operations and activities. During this time, RMH-SPR will consider its options and decide if it too would like to join the newly merged entity in 2012.

Responsibilities:

Reporting to the President(s) of the Boards, the Executive Director provides overall leadership to the organization, including operations, financial management, marketing, fundraising, public/community relations, program development, human resources management, and strategic direction. The Executive Director’s responsibilities also include providing institutional vision, guided by the mission and values of our national Ronald McDonald House Charities.

The key areas of responsibility for the Executive Director and his/her leadership are:

  1. Supporting the mission, vision, financial and program needs of the RMH-CT and Western MA, RMH-CT and RMH-SPR,
  2. Researching and documenting the local needs of the communities;
  3. Collaborating with local businesses and the national RMHC to acquire capital funding for the needs documented as a result of research and outreach in the local areas;
  4. Establishing ongoing outreach to the local communities and partners; and
  5. Overseeing and managing the creation of the activities needed to fulfill the local needs, on time and within budget.

The Executive Director is responsible for creating and managing a performance-oriented culture and a sustainable infrastructure. The Executive Director should maintain a high professional profile in the community and be a strategic marketer and relationship builder, one who knows how to maximize connections and develops the agenda and conversations in order to further the RMHC-CT and Western MA mission.

Specific responsibilities include the following:

I. Facilitating and Leading Fundraising and Community Relations

  • Working with the Boards and the house(s)’ management in developing and achieving annual and long range financial goals in the development and support of fundraising programs; and assuming a strong management role in identifying, cultivating and soliciting gifts fro m individuals, corporations, foundations, the public sector, and other sources that will provide a network of resources for RMHC-CT and Western MA;
  • Providing a high degree of community visibility and serving as a chief spokesperson for RMHC-CT and Western MA; working with the management of the house(s) to discern, interpret and communicate community needs and attitudes affecting the organization; and, together with the management of the house(s) and the Boards, establishing and strengthening partnerships with relevant community groups and other agencies and organizations;
  • Establishing and maintaining relationships with RMHC-CT and Western MA partners and the medical community;
  • Establishing and maintaining relationships with local McDonald’s owner/operators and nationally with Ronald McDonald House Charities;

II. Furthering Strategic Vision

  • Providing creative leadership and direction to staff and advice to the Boards in order to further develop and implement the overall vision, structure and direction as a national leader in serving children and families;
  • Formulating and prioritizing institutional goals, while simultaneously balancing the needs and resources of the organization;
  • Facilitating communication between the Boards, staff and community stakeholders in order to ensure the achievement of institutional goals; and promoting inter-program collaboration in the fulfillment of RMHC-CT and Western MA’s mission;

III.  Ensuring Operational Excellence

  • Directing all administrative management aspects of RMHC-CT and Western MA; developing and maintaining an effective organization with respect to structure, personnel, business operations, regulatory affairs, risk management, and physical environment; continuing to build an organizational culture characterized by commitment to quality, service and outcomes;
  • Managing the organization in a fiscally-responsible manner within the Boards-approved budget; ensuring that policies and systems that support financial control and effectiveness are in place and fully functioning;
  • Encouraging an organizational culture characterized by streamlined processes for the effective management of internal and external resources, and open communication; and developing and fostering institutional practices that focus on the family’s and the child’s experience while participating in the services of the houses or other entities developed over time based on agreed upon community needs;
  • Providing support and developing teamwork throughout the leadership of the organization;
  • Serving as a mentor to and providing professional development opportunities for RMHC-CT and Western MA staff;
  • Identifying and developing staff to fill key leadership positions in the organization; and
  • Enhancing business systems and processes to assure optimal professionalism throughout all aspects of the organization.

Qualifications

  • BA or BS required; an advanced degree is preferred.  10 years of senior management and business development experience with a proven track record of effectively leading a performance and outcomes-based organization.
  • A minimum of 10 years in a senior management “staff  role” working with non profit boards and committees.
  • Excellence in marketing, public relations, sales experience with a strong ability to engage a wide range of stakeholders and cultures
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills; a persuasive and passionate communicator with excellent interpersonal and project skills
  • Strong listening skills and ability to “connect the dots”
  • Demonstrated past success in developing high performance teams that are not under this position’s direct management (e.g., volunteers, Board members, community stakeholders, local hospital leaders, physicians, and McDonald Owner-Operators, among others).  Success includes strong communication and interpersonal skills and demonstrated good working relationships with a wide range of people to achieve common goals.

Please remit your resume along with a white paper to: Kathy Lucas at kathy.lucas@us.mcd.com

The white paper should communicate your vision and ability to bring multiple stakeholders together to operate with a single vision and purpose.

Executive Director Job Description