Executive Director

Leadership Tomorrow is seeking a visionary and collaborative leader to be our next Executive Director.  Leadership Tomorrow educates, inspires, connects, and catalyzes leaders from across Puget Sound who collaborate for collective impact. Through our Flagship Program and alumni programming, we help leaders from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors cultivate a deeper understanding of the interconnected issues that shape our region. Participants in LT programs build lifelong relationships with fellow leaders who share our commitment to making our region a place where people from all communities and identities thrive.

Leadership Tomorrow is built on the belief that great leaders come from all communities, backgrounds, ages, and sectors, and as such we encourage people with a wide variety of leadership experiences and backgrounds to apply! We are particularly seeking candidates who:

• Are visionary and strategic leaders with a strong impact orientation

• Have fluency and experience leading and implementing racial equity initiatives and efforts 

• Know how to work within and across sectors to build partnerships between people with different viewpoints, in order to reach shared goals that benefit our community

• Have experience with resource development strategy and implementation, including the ability to articulate a strong value proposition and comfort making direct asks for support

• Have experience building and supporting inclusive and effective staff teams

• Understand board governance, volunteer engagement, and basic nonprofit or small business operations

• Are familiar with the complex issues and challenges that we face in the Puget Sound region, and share LT’s commitment to making positive change in our communities

The next Executive Director of Leadership Tomorrow will have the opportunity to lead a small and resourceful nonprofit, while also inspiring and being inspired by our large, diverse, and passionate community of engaged LT alums and supporters. The need for greater civic engagement and skilled cross-sector leadership to solve entrenched and interconnected problems has never been more clear. Leadership Tomorrow is excited to welcome a new ED who can build on our history to increase the impact and reach of our organization at this critical moment for civic leadership. We hope you will consider applying!

Salary Range: $155,000 - $180,000 DOE

To Apply:  Applications submitted by October 16 will be given full consideration. Applications will be reviewed as soon as they are received and initial screening calls will begin in late September and continue through mid-October.  Early applications are encouraged.

Read the full announcement here. 

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW

Leadership Tomorrow's mission is to educate, inspire, connect, and catalyze cross-sector leaders who work together for collective impact. We envision a resilient and equitable region where people from all communities and identities thrive.

All of our work at LT is grounded in our organizational values: 

• Accountability: Leading and acting with courage and integrity, in and with communities.

• Antiracism and Social Justice: Inspiring leaders to create equitable policies, institutions, and systems to ensure that all communities have the power and resources needed to thrive.

• Belonging: Building relationships that promote interconnectedness and commitment to one another’s wellbeing.

• Collective Leadership: Working together toward a common vision and sharing responsibility, power, and decision making, especially with those historically excluded.

• Community Stewardship: Serving for the greater good, leading and acting from any position, with joy and love.

• Curiosity and Humility: Approaching dialogues with a desire to learn; considering multiple points of view; seeking to understand the complexity and interconnectedness of issues and solutions.

Our Impact

Leadership Tomorrow (LT) was established in 1982, through a collaboration between the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and the United Way of King County. Today, LT is recognized as one of the premier civic leadership development programs in the nation. Each year, a diverse cohort of 80 leaders from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors in the Puget Sound region  participate in our 10-month Flagship Program. 

Together they examine and cultivate a deeper understanding of our region’s current challenges, work together to develop solutions to complex and interconnected problems, learn new strategies and tools to become more effective leaders, and expand their personal and professional networks. 

The program offers participants opportunities to analyze the history and current impacts of racism within the Puget Sound and engage in projects that advance our vision of equitable and thriving communities across the region. LT’s more than 2,500 alumni are making a difference in our community every day. They are public officials, corporate leaders, community organizers and more; they are working across Puget Sound and leveraging the power of their individual and collective voices for positive systemic change.

As we celebrate our 40th anniversary this year, it is an ideal time for Leadership Tomorrow to honor its legacy while also looking towards the future. Our new Executive Director will help us to continue our evolution and deepen our impact in this critical moment for civic leadership. 

Our Organizational Culture

At LT, there is a culture of empowering each other to be and do our best. The ability to work as volunteers and share power and ownership is a part of the LT culture. 

Our commitment to anti-racism and how we live that commitment as an organization continues to evolve and grow, both organizationally and programmatically. We understand that growing this capacity requires ongoing individual and organizational work. We commit to allocating the appropriate and necessary resources to carry out these beliefs and values focused on racial equity. 

Our alumni represent diverse identities, backgrounds and experiences; we strive to embrace multiple perspectives, views, and work collaboratively. 

Leadership Tomorrow alumni carry out much of the organization’s work: volunteers help to develop and implement the flagship program curriculum; recruit, interview, and select the incoming cohort; and create educational and networking opportunities for the LT alumni network. 

Our Team

LT is governed by a 25 person Board of Directors and has a “small but mighty” team consisting of 3 staff and the Executive Director. LT draws on its alumni network of more than 2,500 participants to engage in ad hoc and standing committees, and plan or deliver LT programming.  LT’s annual operating budget is approximately $800,000.     

THE OPPORTUNITY

The need for civically engaged and action-oriented leaders in the Puget Sound region has never been greater. Given LT’s long history of developing civic leadership, our robust and well-respected alumni network, and deep cross-sector connections, we are in a prime position to increase the impact of the organization and the role it plays in our civic landscape. LT’s next Executive Director will have the opportunity to:

• Shape and share a vision for a thriving community where leaders have the tools, resources, and opportunities needed to be effective leaders

• Catalyze alumni to be change makers in the community

• Engage and activate our alumni network in LT’s efforts to realize our vision as an organization committed to antiracism and inclusive equity-based leadership

• Offer ongoing opportunities to build and hone skills and knowledge crucial to affecting positive change in organizations and the region

• Expand values-driven partnerships with public, private, and nonprofit institutions and explore creative ways to draw on their networks, expertise and influence

ESSENTIAL DUTIES OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The ED reports to the Board of Directors, and will have three direct reports: one staff to oversee and support the Flagship Program, one senior communications staff, and one development  and alumni relations staff. We anticipate the Executive Director will spend their time on the following priorities:

• Championing LT’s vision for a resilient and equitable region where people from all communities and identities thrive, including upholding the organization’s commitment to anti-racism

• Guiding and collaborating with the Board of Directors in driving LT's strategic direction, and implementing and executing those strategies

• Ensuring LT’s financial sustainability, in partnership with the Board, by developing and implementing a diversified resource development and fundraising strategy

• Building partnerships with private sector companies who share LT’s values and want to amplify their impact in our community as participants, volunteers, and supporters - including making requests for funding

• Ensuring all operational aspects of the organization are running smoothly and effectively, including developing and supporting the staff team, creating and managing the budget, and overseeing all communications and fundraising efforts

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

Leadership Tomorrow is seeking a visionary leader who can drive strategic action to increase our impact in this region. Because LT is a collaborative, cross-sector community made up of diverse leaders with different perspectives, the LT Executive Director must be a “leader of leaders” who can actively listen, make tough decisions to move the organization forward, and share a compelling vision that brings people with differing views along. Successful candidates will demonstrate:

• Experience working within and across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors and an understanding of how to build partnerships with a collective orientation that brings together opposing voices, works across lines, and centers community.

• A deep understanding of and commitment to racial justice, and fluency in implementing equity strategies. This leader must have the ability to bring a racial equity lens to all aspects of LT’s programming and organization, both in terms of the processes and the outcomes.

• An inclusive, collaborative leadership style and the ability to hear and respond to diverse perspectives, coupled with the ability to set boundaries, take action, and say no when there are too many good ideas to pursue all of them.

Leadership Tomorrow's next Executive Director will be responsible for creating and implementing new resource strategies to support the work of the organization, and for developing and supporting the staff, board, and volunteer teams that carry out the organization’s mission. Skills and experiences that would help this leader do this work well include: 

• Experience building diversified revenue plans that include earned income, corporate and foundation support, and individual fundraising approaches 

• The ability to tell a powerful story and articulate a strong value proposition in order to build partnerships and develop revenue streams, including comfort making 1:1 asks

• Experience building, managing, and supporting inclusive and high-performing staff teams

• Experience with or understanding of nonprofit board governance and board development, as well as effective volunteer management and appreciation

• An understanding of nonprofit or small business operations, including financial management and budgeting

Because LT programming explores the complex and systemic challenges facing our region at this time, familiarity with issues relevant to the Puget Sound area, including experience living and working here, will be very helpful. An understanding of leadership development theories and the landscape of leadership development programs and models that exist may be helpful but is not a requirement. 

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

This is a full-time salaried position based in Seattle, WA. The salary range is between $155,000 - $180,000 depending on qualifications and experience. 

Leadership Tomorrow offers a flexible, hybrid working environment with some in-person requirements at the main office in downtown Seattle. Occasional evening and weekend work for LT events and retreats, as well as some local travel, is required.

Leadership Tomorrow is affiliated with the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce; staff members of Leadership Tomorrow are officially employees of the Chamber and participate in Chamber benefit plans. The Chamber provides a comprehensive and competitive benefits package including but not restricted to: 

• Medical/Dental/Vision Coverage 

• Generous paid leave: 4 weeks of PTO, 10 holidays, plus the last week of the calendar year

• Paid Parental Leave 

• PTO/Community Service Leave 

• Employer-Matched 401(k) Contribution with up to 6% Match 

• Fully-subsidized ORCA Card 

• Flexible Spending Accounts 

• Life Insurance; Optional ADD/LTD/Personal Accident Insurance 

• Professional Development Opportunities 

• EAP Membership and wellness resources

• Corporate Discount Program

COMMITMENT TO EQUITY

LT recognizes that racial inequity and systemic racism impede our ability to create a healthy community for all. Leaders must intentionally work to replace inequitable systems, programs, policies and norms with ones that are proactively racially equitable. We commit to working with others to support dismantling the foundations of racism. 

Our commitment to diversity includes the recognition that our mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of people of diverse backgrounds, beliefs and cultures. We strongly encourage applications from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, immigrants, refugees, women, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and other underrepresented and historically marginalized groups. 

Read more about our Commitment to Racial Equity here.

Online applications only, please no email or paper submissions.  You will be asked to upload a cover letter and resume. In your cover letter, please describe as specifically as you can how your experience, interests, and values are a fit with Leadership Tomorrow’s goals and mission as described in this announcement. 

Applications received by October 16, 2023 will be given full consideration; early applications are strongly encouraged and will be given consideration as soon as they are received.  All applications will be acknowledged via an email receipt. Initial screening calls and virtual interviewing will begin in late September and continue through mid-October.