Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director

Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director

National Coalition Against Censorship

New York, NY

About National Coalition Against Censorship

Established in 1974, the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) is the nation’s first responder to censorship challenges, offering direct assistance and counseling for groups and individuals facing censorship attempts. Our core constituents are students, teachers, librarians, booksellers, book publishers, authors, and others in the visual and performing arts. The NCAC also acts as a clearinghouse for information on censorship and censorship issues for students, journalists, legal and other professionals, and the general public. It cooperates and coordinates its actions with 56 like-minded coalition partners ranging from the American Civil Liberties Union to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.

Read more about what’s included within the scope of the NCAC – the https://ncac.org/free-expression-network, dedicated to opposing government efforts to suppress constitutionally protected speech, the https://ncac.org/project/youth-free-expression-program, committed to fighting the on-going assault on the free speech rights of young people, and the https://ncac.org/project/arts-advocacy-program, which works with individual artists and curators involved in censorship disputes. As NCAC expands its impact, influence, and reach, the organization seeks to further develop advocacy in new media and deepen its relationships with the next generation of free expression advocates and influencers.

For more information, please visit the https://ncac.org/.

The Opportunity

This is a unique opportunity to help lead a coalition during a critical moment in history when censorship and book banning are on the rise and the protection of free speech and expression is more important than ever.

NCAC seeks a visionary Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director (CEO/ED) with the leadership, public relations, and fundraising skills needed to grow the organization’s revenue, elevate NCAC’s name recognition, raise public awareness of the increasingly dangerous censorship issues in American society, and protect and preserve the freedom of thought, inquiry, and expression. Learn more about the https://ncac.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2021-2023-NCAC-Strategic-Plan.pdf; with the plan being in its final stages, the next CEO/ED will have an unprecedented opportunity to create actionable impact, launch a successful capital campaign, support and expand program initiatives, and work with NCAC core constituents to build and implement a new strategic plan for 2024.

Reporting directly to the Board of Directors, NCAC’s next CEO/ED will be a dynamic and creative leader with an understanding of and passion for First Amendment issues. The CEO/ED will oversee the following key functions:

Strategy and Growth: Effectively and strategically position the organization as a core resource for those facing censorship challenges (i.e., students, teachers, librarians, authors, the media, and artists). Ensure strong Board engagement and recruitment practices. In close partnership with the Deputy CEO, recruit Board and Capital Campaign Committee members, and oversee the next phase of NCAC’s strategic planning process.

Communications and Public Relations: As NCAC’s primary spokesperson and ambassador, serve as a national voice on censorship and First Amendment issues to members, community partners, the public, and media. Convey NCAC’s influence and impact in defending and preserving free expression and effectively elevate the organization’s national profile, increase media coverage, and position NCAC as a prominent, credible voice in guiding the national dialogue around issues affecting free expression and censorship.

Fiscal Oversight and Stewardship: Oversee budget and financial reporting. Lead NCAC in its next strategic planning phase; develop, execute, and assess the strategic plan, support the implementation of a multi-year capital campaign, successfully fundraise for the campaign, and recruit and engage leadership for NCAC.

Fundraising: Lead all development initiatives for NCAC. Work closely with the Deputy CEO to launch a successful capital campaign, ensure efficient utilization and management of resources, and assess the organization’s financial status to expand impact and services.

Organizational Effectiveness: Lead a team of 10 staff members. View the list of current https://ncac.org/about-us/coalition with whom the CEO/ED will maintain and strengthen connections. Develop and seek strategic new partnerships, and actively engage in national conversations around censorship to build mutually beneficial relationships with active members.

Program Development: Leads the assessment, development, evaluation, and execution of all NCAC programs. Learn more about some of NCAC’s programs: https://ncac.org/project/student-advocates-for-speech, https://ncac.org/project/open-discussion-project, https://ncac.org/project/arts-advocacy-program, https://ncac.org/project/the-kids-right-to-read-project, https://ncac.org/project/film-contest, and https://ncac.org/project/youth-free-expression-program. Partner with NCAC program teams to improve and expand programs and service lines while developing strategies to strengthen and grow NCAC core programs.

Candidate Profile

We believe everyone has the potential for success and we recognize a range of skills and experiences that will complement our mission, goals, and priorities. While candidates might not have experience in every responsibility outlined in the position profile, successful candidates will demonstrate these fundamental qualities, skills, and characteristics:

Passion for the Mission

An advocate for protecting the right to free expression, you share the belief that civil society now faces grave new threats to free speech and expression. You are inspired to protect these freedoms and feel compelled to advocate for freedom of thought and inquiry, oppose censorship, and encourage and facilitate the critical dialogue between divergent voices and perspectives, especially those who have been historically silenced. As a leader, you recognize and understand that protecting these fundamental human rights requires nuanced political and entrepreneurial skills, are invigorated by deliberate civic engagement and community participation and strive to build bridges for productive, cooperative dialogue and action.

Strategic Communications

A persuasive public presence, you listen and communicate across multiple channels to reach your core audiences. You understand how political, legal, and social implications impact advocacy communications, cultivate interest-based negotiations around politically charged and contentious issues, and continuously assess and adapt your communications strategies to shape and inform impact. You build and leverage the communication loops to develop informed decision-making, monitor and communicate opportunities and challenges, and demonstrate the nuanced cross-cultural, intergenerational communication skills to inspire your teams, your coalitions, and the community to make actionable impact.

Organizational Effectiveness and Inclusive Management

A dynamic and creative leader, you motivate others to act and develop diverse, equitable, and inclusive teams. You manage collaboration, develop opportunities for your leaders and teams, and instill principles of fairness, transparency, and inclusive engagement. You reflect on personal and collective effectiveness, seek and provide mutually beneficial feedback loops, assess and measure outcomes, and identify indicators of success for programs, goals, and strategic priorities. You design and manage collaborative working relationships, demonstrate empathetic leadership, and develop effective processes to set, communicate, and assess individual and collective performance goals. You balance teamwork and autonomy and understand how to harness the power and experience of your team to impact your organization’s mission and vision.

Partnerships and External Engagement

As a connector and collaborator, you are skilled at stewarding relationships, including boards, community members, partners, and affiliates, on a national scale. An adaptable leader and ambassador, you seek strategic partnerships and build alliances with other partners (membership associations, community organizations, government, media, advocacy groups, and/or other core constituents) to leverage collective expertise and foster a spirit of competition. Highly skilled at planning and building collaborative networks and cross-sector partnerships, you balance professional and organizational obligations with your partners and co-conspirators to attract funding opportunities, share resources, and prime your organization for maximum impact and engagement. You recognize the importance of donor engagement, aggressively seek new opportunities to generate revenue, and find actionable opportunities to convert partners and allies into donors and supporters.

Action-Oriented

You thrive in nimble environments and position your teams to seize new opportunities, act on emerging challenges, and drive coordinated efforts for impact. You possess an internal locus of control, take bold risks, apply decisive decision-making, and take accountability (both individual and collective) for both successes and challenges. Persistent and resilient in the face of adversity, you apply a solutions-oriented lens toward maximizing your organization’s action, impact, and standing within the community.

Compensation & Benefits

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. The salary range for this role begins at $155,000 with a generous benefits package

Note that the final salary will reflect internal equity and the selected candidate’s individual experiences and qualifications.

Contact

Koya Partners, the executive search firm that specializes in mission-driven search, has been exclusively retained for this engagement. Molly Brennan and Malissa Brennan of Koya Partners have been exclusively retained for this search. To express interest in this role please https://apptrkr.com/4012430. 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 https://tinyurl.com/4s3eh7j9. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.

National Coalition Against Censorship is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from people of color, persons with disabilities, women, and LGBTQ+ applicants.

About Koya Partners

Koya Partners, a part of Diversified Search Group, is a leading executive search and strategic advising firm dedicated to connecting exceptionally talented people with mission-driven clients. Our founding philosophy—The Right Person in the Right Place Can Change the World—guides our work as we partner with nonprofits & NGOs, institutions of higher education, responsible businesses, and social enterprises in local communities and around the world.

For more information visit the https://diversifiedsearchgroup.com/koya-partners/.