Executive Director

Title: Executive Director

Reports to: Chicago Cultural Alliance Board of Directors, through the Board President

Salary Range: $90,000 – 100,000/yr + benefits

Type: Full-time, primarily remote (in-person attendance required for many local meetings and events)

Who We Are

The Chicago Cultural Alliance (CCA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our mission is to connect, promote, and support centers of cultural heritage for a more inclusive Chicago. We unite over 50 Chicago-area cultural heritage museums, centers, and historical societies that span 23 neighborhoods and 11 suburbs in the Chicago area and represent over 40 different cultures from around the world.

What We Do

Chicago Cultural Alliance (CCA) connects, promotes, and supports its member organizations through programs, events, professional development, networking, and opportunities for collaboration. With a full-time staff of four, CCA works closely with its members, Board, partners, funders, and community stakeholders throughout the Chicago area. CCA’s signature programs and events include Activating Heritage, Journey Chicago, MOSAIC, and World Dumpling Fest. (Descriptions of each are available on the CCA web site.) CCA also provides capacity-building, networking, and professional development opportunities for its members; strengthens connections among member organizations; and develops productive, sustained relationships with funders and community partners. By promoting the core member organizations, their programming, and all the activities of the Alliance, CCA draws attention to, inspires engagement with, and promotes support for the city’s diverse cultural environment.

https://www.chicagoculturalalliance.org/

We are seeking a visionary leader familiar with both the cultural and funding landscape of Chicago, who can lead the organization into its next phase of growth. The next Executive Director for the CCA will serve as a leader for staff and a collaborator with our Board of Directors, a wide network of volunteers, and an impressive collection of core and partner member organizations to realize the mission of the organization. The new ED will expand the organization’s networks to grow the financial support for the organization, both through new revenue and philanthropic giving. The ED will seek to build a supportive, flexible work environment at CCA that will effectively advocate for diverse communities and voices.

Schedule

The CCA team works remotely with one in-office team meeting per week. The executive director is required to attend major programs, including the Annual Meeting of Membership (January), Activating Heritage conference (March), and the MOSAIC fundraiser gala (Spring). This position requires regular travel throughout Chicagoland for donor meetings, events, board engagements, community activities, and partner visits.

Position Summary

The Executive Director of the Chicago Cultural Alliance serves as the chief administrative and executive officer and has primary responsibility for the organization’s financial sustainability, fundraising, operations, external relationships, and continued growth.

This is an external-facing, development-forward leadership opportunity. The Executive Director will inherit a base of philanthropic, corporate, and community relationships, while also having the opportunity to build a more sophisticated and diversified development operation. The successful candidate will personally cultivate relationships with high-capacity individuals, corporate leaders, foundations, and community partners. This is a position ideal for an individual with the ability to strategically maximize the financial resources of the CCA while motivating the staff.

The Executive Director provides overall organizational and operational leadership, overseeing a budget of approximately $700,000 and leading a team of three. The Executive Director will manage organizational priorities, support a talented team, and ensure that revenue growth translates into programmatic growth.

Primary Responsibilities:

●       Lead the CCA, responsible for overseeing the administration, fundraising, programs, and strategies of the organization.

●       Work closely with stakeholders to develop and implement a vision for the organization as it evolves.

●       Serve as a bridge-builder, creating an ever-stronger network of cultural heritage organizations and connections for those organizations to government offices, businesses, and foundations/philanthropy.

●       Lead the fundraising and revenue strategy, establishing annual and multi-year goals and personally driving major individual, corporate, foundation, and partnership opportunities.

●       Build and manage a portfolio of donors and prospects, cultivating high-capacity individuals, corporate leaders, foundations, and community partners and personally soliciting and stewarding major commitments.

●       Serve as the most visible ambassador for the CCA, representing the organization with donors, corporate and civic leaders, philanthropic institutions, community organizations, media, and other key stakeholders across Chicagoland.

●       Build a strong and connected team culture, providing clear expectations, regular communication and feedback, professional development, accountability, and support while fostering a collaborative, respectful, and inclusive workplace.

●       Partner with and engage the CCA Board of Directors, working closely with the Board President and committee leadership to advance CCA’s strategic priorities. Activate Board members as ambassadors, donors, connectors, event participants, and fundraisers. Board support tasks will include participating in monthly committee meetings, stewardship tasks, and other responsibilities.

●       Financial stewardship with support from the Finance Committee and an accounting service. Overseeing budgeting, forecasting, revenue performance, and financial decision-making.

●       Build a strong and connected team culture, providing clarity, accountability, and support while maintaining the collaborative, flexible, and mission-driven culture that characterizes the CCA.

●       Oversee the three supporting staff positions: Director of Programs, Design & Marketing Manager, and Operations Manager.

Compensation & Benefits

●      Salary range: $90,000-$100,00 annually, commensurate with experience. Additionally, the Chicago Cultural Alliance offers medical benefits through United Healthcare (50% employer paid premium).

●      7 paid holidays + paid winter break (Dec. 24th through January 1st).

●      16 days paid time off (accrued).

●      Various professional development opportunities covered by employer (ex. conference attendance, workshops, online workshops, or courses).

●      Satisfying work advocating for Chicago’s centers of cultural heritage.

●      Regularly engaging with colleagues in Chicago’s arts and cultural communities.

Requirements

●      Demonstrated senior leadership experience in a nonprofit, cultural, philanthropic, community-based, or similarly mission-driven organization, including experience working effectively with a governing board.  3+ years of senior leadership experience preferred.

●      Demonstrated success developing and executing fundraising or revenue-development strategies, including cultivation and stewarding individual, corporate, foundation and/or institutional relationships.

●      Demonstrated experience supervising, developing, and supporting staff and building a collaborative and accountable workplace culture.

●      Candidate must live in the Chicagoland area.

●      Demonstrated ability to lead both strategy and execution in a small or resource-constrained environment.

●      Strong project management and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities.

●      Ability to reliably travel throughout the Chicagoland area.

●      Skill with computer programs including, Google Workspace apps (Google Drive / Docs / Sheets / Slides), Asana, CRM systems (Neon), Zoom, email, and messaging software or similar.

●      All team members of the CCA must follow our organizational mission to support, promote, and advocate for the centers of cultural heritage that we unite. This requires cultural sensitivity, an interest in other cultures, specifically immigrant cultures, advocacy, and related topics. We strongly recommend that applicants review the Chicago Cultural Alliance mission statement before applying.

●      Ability to work both independently and as part of a small, highly collaborative team.

●      Must have regular and reliable access to the Internet.

●      Excellent communication skills, including public speaking and stakeholder engagement.

●      Ability to track, analyze, and use program data to inform decisions and improve outcomes.

How to Apply

If interested, please send a cover letter, CV/résumé (with at least three references), and writing sample addressed to CCA Hiring Committee (careers@chicagoculturalalliance.org) with “CCA Executive Director” as the subject. We ask that cover letters do not exceed 2 pages in length using size 12 font. Suggested writing sample might include a grant proposal, appeal letter, exhibit text, or other public-facing work.

Only complete applications that include a cover letter, CV/résumé (with at least three references_, and writing sample will be considered.

Hiring Timeline

Step 1: Select applicants will be invited to schedule a 45-minute Zoom interview.

Step 2: Applicants advancing to the next stage will be invited to an in-person interview with the hiring committee.

Step 3: Interviewers will contact applicant references.

Step 4: CCA Board President will extend a job offer to the best candidate.

All inquiries and discussions will be handled with the utmost confidentiality. Applications will be reviewed immediately upon receipt and on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy

Chicago Cultural Alliance provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.