esp Atlanta Executive Director

Executive Director - esp Atlanta

esp Atlanta Mission. esp exists to create transformative experiences for people with disabilities and their families, changing communities for the better.

Vision. esp envisions a world where every person, of every ability, in every community has universal access to transformative experiences.

Core Values. Unrelenting in our mission. Activating the abilities of all. Crazy about celebration.

Connecting the unconnected. Compassion freely given. Innovating possibilities. Integrity. Everyday.

Position Summary

The esp Atlanta Executive Director oversees the strategic and operational implementation of the organization’s programs, operations, and fundraising for the Atlanta site specifically. The professional will be heavily involved in the development of esp presence in the region and a key member of the fundraising team. The Executive Director will be responsible for selecting and building a team for the esp Atlanta campus. The leader will manage full-time staff directly and hold the entire team accountable for the completion of their annual goals. The Executive Director is responsible for the development and execution of transformative experiences for participants and their families; staff, volunteers, and interns; donors and community partners; and the greater esp community. The Executive Director is a representation of esp’s core values and mission, ensuring the site fulfills the greater objectives of the organization as a whole.

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate for the Executive Director’s position is a professional who is prepared to become engaged in the lives of the participants and their families. The individual must have the energy and drive to love and celebrate the abilities of the participants as well as lead esp Atlanta in terms of networking, strategy, development, growth of team members, and its inspirational mission. The professional should also have experience in fundraising and developing community partnerships. The Executive Director must have excellent communication skills. This will include traveling the Atlanta region for Java Joy events and building relationships. The professional must become active in the esp programs while at the same time develop a trust between the organization, participants, parents, donors, and the community.

Qualification Summary

Education & Experience

• Experience in the areas of leadership, fundraising, and community engagement are key skill sets required of the position. Prior experience in the area of disabilities is not required.

• Experience in successfully selecting staff members, leading, managing, engaging with, and holding a team accountable.

• Eligible to obtain a valid State of Georgia driver’s license within the first 90 days of employment.

Critical Thinking Skills

• Possess skills necessary to establish and maintain effective working relationships with people and organizations.

• Experienced team builder and leader that will effectively represent esp in a professional manner always.

• Capacity to evaluate and select among alternative courses of action quickly and accurately.

• Ability to work well in high-pressure situations while maintaining composure and objectivity.

• Talent to identify potential issues and develop methodologies to prevent or limit the impact of those issues.

• Ability to assimilate complex information and data from various sources and consider, adjust, or modify to meet the constraints of the need.

• Capability to effectively listen to, understand, and clarify concerns and issues expressed by stakeholders.

Financial Skills

• Sound understanding of budgets.

• Management of financial responsibilities of the organization.

Technology and Communication Skills

• Proficient with word processing and spreadsheet skills to prepare business correspondence and reports with speed and accuracy.

• Skill in writing grammatically correct routine business correspondence such as letters, emails, meeting minutes, and other documents as required.

• Ability to make oral group presentations to persuade others to accept a specific opinion, action and/or provide information or explain procedures, policies, etc.

Specific Duties and Functions

Leadership, Mission, and Strategy

• Uphold the mission, vision, and values of the organization at all times.

• Provide consistent and decisive communication to team members to set the direction, tone, and clarity for all site initiatives.

• Build, nurture relationships, and provide leadership to the local Champion Board.

• Manage and hold accountable the team to adhere to the approved income and expense budgets.

• Attend and participate in programs and events to provide feedback and encouragement to team members, provide quality oversight, and serve as a representation of leadership for stakeholders.

• Maintain a pulse, connection, and relationship with esp participants and families, and donors.

• Provide direction and leadership for programs, following esp standards, compliance, and quality assurance.

• Increase awareness of the organization by being the main spokesperson and liaison with regional supporters and partners.

• Collaborate with esp Headquarters to build an Atlanta specific long-range strategy that achieves its mission, maintains esp’s standards as defined by Headquarters, and make consistent and timely progress toward reaching the goals established.

• Work with the esp Leadership Team to create and establish city-specific standard operating procedures, to benefit of the city as well as future esp communities.

• Maintain a working knowledge of significant trends in the field to provide context and application in day-to-day operations and strategies.

• Lead as a balanced provider between mission and vision, and programs and development.

Select, Lead Professional Staff / Volunteers

• Based on budget, select, build, and lead an effective team dedicated to fulfilling the organization’s mission through highly successful programs, community engagement, and fundraising.

• Lead and maintain company culture through each team member, maintaining a pulse of team needs, resources and support.

• Identify and address staffing requirements for efficient operations.

• Maintain a strong work culture that attracts and retains people while driving the organization’s mission.

• Establish measurable goals for team members and hold each member accountable fo results through consistent, individual meetings.

Fundraising

• Lead accountability for the Atlanta site reaching its annual fundraising goals.

• With the support of the local site development team, grow and implement an actionable plan for fundraising in the areas of individual gifts, corporate partners, and events.

• Recruit and sustain key relationships with donors of $15,000 or more through meetings, personal updates, emails, and other forms of communication.

• Work with the esp Headquarters on annual fundraising events.

• Fulfill the site’s annual goals as established in partnership with the esp Leadership Team.

• Manage monthly cash flow based on fundraising results.

Site Operations

• Networking and development, inside and outside the Atlanta Perimeter, will be a key role.

• Work closely with the esp Leadership Team to assess and address issues affecting the organization and site.

• Manage daily operations of the site, building, equipment, fleet upkeep, and budget management.

• Recommend policies and procedures as necessary to ensure effective and efficient operations.

• Operate the site in compliance with local, state, and federal guidelines and laws.

• Maintain site records / documents to ensure compliance with annual regulations.

Compensation

The Executive Director will be compensated based on experience, performance, and budget.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand and talk or hear and sometimes walk and sit. Occasionally the employee will bend or twist at the

neck more than the average person. While performing the duties of this job, the employee may occasionally push or lift up to 10 to 25 lbs such as boxes and other assorted items. Certain assignments in this position may require the employee to lift or directly work with participant to meet their basic care requirements, which may include but not be limited to, assistance with eating, changing, or transferring. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision such as to read handwritten or typed material, and the ability to adjust focus. The position requires the individual to meet multiple demands from several people and interact with the public and other staff.

esp Atlanta is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status. The preceding job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees to this job.

How To Apply

esp has retained The Chason Group, an executive search firm specializing in non-profit organizations, to lead the search process. Professionals interested in applying for the position may upload a cover letter and resume at www.thechasongroup.com. For more information about the position, candidates may contact Tim Chason at 404.735.0540. The position will remain open until filled. Leading candidates will be tasked with completing a detailed application prior to interviews. The anticipated start date for the Executive Director is June/July 2024.