Executive Director--Northeast-Midwest Institute

Executive Director--Northeast-Midwest Institute

The Northeast-Midwest Institute is the Washington-based, non-profit, and non-partisan research organization dedicated to economic vitality, environmental quality, and regional equity for the eighteen Northeast and Midwest states and their House of Representatives and U.S. Senate delegations. The Institute conducts non-partisan policy research and performs legislative analysis on economic development, environmental, human resource, trade, and energy issues in response to requests from the Congressional Delegations, the state governments, and city halls and other interested decision makers.

The Executive Director is the chief executive and principal development officer of the Institute and reports to the Board of Directors. He/she coordinates and works with the bi-partisan Congressional delegations, the 18 states' governors, federalagencies, non-profit organizations, foundations and corporations that share the Institute's commitment to the Northeast-Midwest region's economic, social, and environmental future.

The Executive Director's principal tasks are to:

Raise the profile and prominence of the Institute by providing strategic direction and serving as principal spokesperson for the organization, working collaboratively with multiple constituencies and audiences to promote the group's mission, work and vision.

Enable this higher profile and prominence by managing, enhancing, and coordinating the Institute's fundraising efforts, including strategies to increase un-restricted and restricted support from such sources foundations, federal and state governments, corporations, and individuals;

Provide leadership to all administrative, operational, and financial tasks, preparing and adhering to Board-approved annual budgets; recruiting, hiring, evaluating and discharging voluntary and compensated personnel; executing contracts; and maintaining sound records;

Provide inspiring leadership and strong management of the policy research and development process, encourage and support the professional development of all staff; and ensure the highest quality work performance by professional staff, contractors and interns.

The first two tasks of these tasks -- being chief spokesperson and chief development officer -- are inextricably linked and will demand the bulk of the Executive Director's time and attention. Carrying out his/her responsibility to represent the Institute at briefings, meetings, and other functions and demonstrating a strong understanding of the issues facing the region will reinforce the Executive Director's ability to raise both restricted and unrestricted funds. Restricted resources such as grants and contracts are used to support the work of policy analysts and program staff in sector-specific projects. Unrestricted funds such as donations by states, non-profit and for-profit organizations, or interested individuals are used to support Institute operations and address newly emerging issues.

Sources of restricted funds have historically been contracts and grants from foundations and federal agencies that share the interests of the Institute and the Coalitions regarding the economic, social and environmental challenging opportunities facing the region's states and communities. Sources of unrestricted funds have historically been the 18 member states of the region as well as business, labor, non-profit organizations and individuals who elect to support the Institute as Sustaining Sponsors. The Executive Director creates strategies for addressing each of these sources and works in close cooperation with the Board of Directors and the Institute staff to assure that the Institute has sufficient revenues each year to support the activities for which it has made commitments.

A qualified candidate will have:

A pristine personal reputation and character;

Masters or doctorate degree in a relevant field preferred;

5+ years experience in managing people engaged in the analysis of public policy issues;

A history of P & L or budget management responsibility in the public or private sector for a multi-million dollar annual activity, project, public agency, academic department, division, Congressional Committee or other management unit;

Demonstrated experience in sourcing and obtaining funding for policy-related activities and projects;

Practiced eloquence in speech and writing on both economic and environmental subject areas;

Superlative and specific references and recommendations from most recent and past employment settings.

Please send résumés to ed.nemw@gmail.com by September 10, 2010.