Executive Director
The Venture Out Project
Executive Director
The Venture Out Project
Northampton, MA
About The Venture Out Project
Founded in 2014 by Perry Cohen, The Venture Out Project (TVOP) is considered to be the preeminent LGBTQ+ outdoor adventure organization. With a mission to make the outdoors more accessible and safer for LGBTQ+ people, TVOP offers guided outdoor adventure trips for LGBTQ+ people as well as LGBTQ+ educational programming to both LGBTQ+ and ally organizations. In 2015, Perry began leading backcountry trips for the LGBTQ+ community in Western Massachusetts. Since then, TVOP has grown to be a national organization that leads hikes and backcountry trips around the country with the support of nearly every major outdoor retailer in the US. In addition, TVOP owns and operates a property in southern Vermont where TVOP hosts “front country” events.
Learn more about The Venture Out Project at https://www.ventureoutproject.com.
The Opportunity
At an exciting time of transition, TVOP seeks an inspiring and mission-driven Executive Director to join their organization to define its next era of operation and growth. Understanding the healing properties of life outdoors and motivated to create access points to connect in nature, this new leader will have the opportunity to build on over a decade of success while imagining new ways to create meaningful programs and events to serve the LGBTQ+ community.
Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director will work in partnership with TVOP’s staff, partners, and volunteers to ensure the organization meets all strategic goals and objectives in accordance with their mission. With a person-first approach, the Executive Director will play a pivotal role in steering the organization's course, exercising leadership over all programs and administrative functions while leveraging the expertise and talents of staff.
Candidate Profile
We recognize that there is a spectrum of lived and professional experience that will set candidates up for success in this role. While no one candidate will have every experience outlined in the position profile, ideal candidates will display many of the following professional and personal qualities, skills, and characteristics:
Operations Excellence, Business Acumen, and Fundraising Capability
This leader will bring a keen understanding of organizational efficiency and effectiveness. This involves streamlining processes, implementing best practices, and ensuring that day-to-day operations align with the organization's mission and goals. The Executive Director will have well-honed financial skills in management of a nonprofit organization with oversight of fiscal operations and previous success cultivating individual and corporate donors. Past success in working collaboratively with and reporting to a Board of Directors is key. The Executive Director should be adept at managing resources efficiently, diversifying funding streams, and ensuring financial sustainability.
Visionary Leader with a Strategic Mindset
The Executive Director will be a visionary leader with the capacity to create a clear vision, building upon the foundation of TVOP’s success and seizing new opportunities to deepen impact while remaining responsive to ever changing needs of the LGBTQ+ community. Making sure that TVOP’s programs remain accessible, they will be a big-picture and strategic thinker with the ability to develop, coach, and mentor staff to achieve strategic goals. In collaboration with TVOP staff, the Executive Director will ensure alignment of Operations, Finance, Administration, and Human Resources to establish and implement annual goals and objectives to achieve TVOP’s mission.
Passion for the Mission with a JEDI Lens
Living and breathing the ethos of inclusivity and diversity, the Executive Director will embody a passionate commitment to creating a space where everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, feels welcomed and celebrated. This leader will channel that same commitment towards fostering a supportive and empowering environment for the LGBTQ community at TVOP and the clients they serve. This new leader will bring a wealth of knowledge in developing programs and services that ensure the emotional and physical safety of TVOP’s clients and the enhancement of the LGBTQ+ community's well-being. Grounded in principles of anti-racism, the Executive Director will be a beacon of integrity, unwavering in their commitment to advancing justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion within the organization and the broader community.
Collaborative Leader and Manager
The Executive Director will be an empathetic and inclusive leader who possesses a high degree of emotional intelligence with the ability to foster an atmosphere of partnership across the organization. This executive will inspire a powerful sense of shared purpose in others and motivate them to engage in the opportunities and challenges ahead, promoting staff growth and development. This self-aware leader will engender trust in building strong team relationships through collaborative management that extends across the organization. The Executive Director should be skilled in recruiting, developing, and retaining talented staff while fostering a sense of belonging and shared purpose.
Excellent Communicator and Relationship Builder
Humble, warm, and approachable, the Executive Director will have the ability to develop meaningful and authentic relationships with staff, clients, corporate partners, donors, the Board, and collaborators. An excellent listener, the Executive Director will ensure that all constituents are heard and feel valued. As a leader supporting and experienced within the LGBTQ+ community, this individual will have the emotional agility to switch between environments quickly and create a deep sense of trust with a diverse range of constituents. It is imperative that the Executive Director be an excellent and persuasive communicator with exceptional written, verbal, interpersonal, and presentation skills, and the ability to foster an inclusive atmosphere where all voices are acknowledged.
Compensation & Benefits
Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. The salary range for this role is $110,00-130,000 with a generous benefits package.
Contact
Koya Partners, the executive search firm that specializes in mission-driven search, has been exclusively retained for this engagement. Express interest in this role by filling out our Talent Profile: https://apptrkr.com/4936272/ or email TVOP_ED@koyapartners.com. All inquiries and discussions will be considered strictly confidential.
Koya Partners is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email NonprofitSearchOps@divsearch.com. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.
The Venture Out Project is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from people of color, persons with disabilities, women, and LGBTQ+ applicants.
About Koya Partners l Diversified Search Group
Koya Partners, a Diversified Search Group company, is the nation’s premier search firm dedicated to mission-driven leadership. Since its founding in 2004, Koya has had an exclusive focus on mission-driven clients and was founded on the belief that the right leader can transform an organization and have a deep and measurable impact on our world. Koya works with nonprofits & NGOs, responsible businesses, and social enterprises in local communities and around the world.
Diversified Search Group is consistently recognized by Forbes on its top 10 list of “America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms” and is an industry leader in recruiting transformational leaders for a changing world. The firm is deliberately different in its approach, with best-in-class teams who have decades of experience in cultivating inclusive leaders, understanding the dimensions of diversity, and building equitable teams.
Learn more about Koya Partners l Diversified Search Group via the firm's website: https://diversifiedse1.wpengine.com/our-brands/koya-partners/