United States of America: President and Chief Executive Officer

Organization: International Institute of Connecticut
Country: United States of America
Closing date: 02 Feb 2015

The International Institute of Connecticut, Inc. (IICONN) is a statewide nonprofit organization that assists refugees, immigrants, victims of human trafficking and survivors of torture in overcoming legal, economic, linguistic and cultural barriers so that they can become self-sufficient, integrated and contributing members of the community. IICONN (www.iiconn.org) achieves this mission by compassionately and professionally providing a wide array of high-quality legal, cultural and educational programming, and by promoting cross-cultural understanding and decent treatment for all. Each year, IICONN assists over 7,000 individuals from its offices in Bridgeport, Stamford and Hartford. In 2013, IICONN became the first recipient in Connecticut of an investment from Social Venture Partners, a community of social entrepreneurs that leverages capital and expertise to help key nonprofits achieve greater impact in providing solutions to societal problems.

Headquartered in Bridgeport, IICONN is funded with federal, state and local grants, private donations and program fees it earns by providing low- and no-cost services to clients, government agencies, local and regional businesses and nonprofit organizations.

Position

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the President and CEO will have overall strategic and operational responsibility for IICONN’s staff, programs, execution and expansion of its mission. He or she will oversee a staff of 35 full- and part-time employees, set policies related to working with volunteers, and manage a budget of approximately $2 million. This is a highly-collaborative position, requiring ongoing interactions with the Board, staff, clients, community stakeholders and funders.

Major Responsibilities of the President and CEO

• Ensure ongoing programmatic excellence, rigorous program evaluation, and consistent quality of finance, administration, fundraising, and communications.
• Prepare and execute strategic and operating plans to ensure that visionary goals are set and achieved.
• Develop and oversee the budget while simultaneously managing a sound balance sheet.
• Lead, coach and develop IICONN’s high-performance senior management team, build on the organization’s existing internal infrastructure, and ensure that programmatic objectives are supported internally.
• Develop and implement the organization’s fund development plan to ensure that all relevant funding opportunities are aggressively and professionally pursued while expanding local revenue-generating activities to support existing program operations and expansion.
• Maintain and enhance the organization’s overall public image, reputation and key relationships, including relationships with government, media, donors and stakeholders.
• Strengthen, enhance and establish collaborations that further the mission of the organization with stakeholders and other non-profits.
• Serve as a leading public advocate for immigrants and refugees in the state of Connecticut.
• Actively engage board members and support ongoing board development.

Qualifications

IICONN is poised for growth, having built considerable operational momentum in the past year. Further, at a time when national trends and policies have driven increased demand for immigrant and refugee services, IICONN’s mission has never been more critical. Consequently, the Board seeks candidates with the following qualifications:

• B.A. required, Master’s preferred.
• Experience in the nonprofit sector as a senior manager, director or in other leadership roles, preferably, but not necessarily, in related fields such as immigration law, refugee and immigration studies, international relations, or social services.
• Track record of effectively leading a growing organization with complex programs; demonstrated examples of implementing entrepreneurial initiatives; and knowledge of measuring results and outcomes.
• Experience working with a board of directors.
• Leadership in a strategic collaboration.
• Strong written and verbal communications skills, combined with a passion to advocate for IICONN’s mission.
• Multicultural experience; bilingual preferred.
• Experience in all aspects of fundraising, with expertise in applying for and administering federal and state grants.
• Ability to collaborate and inspire diverse groups of people and organizations.
• Enthusiasm, idealism, integrity, imagination, positive attitude, mission-driven and self-directed.
• Requires statewide travel and site visits.

Compensation

Salary commensurate with skills and experience.

How to apply:

The ideal candidate will be available to begin in April 2015. Applications should be submitted by February 2, 2015. To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to Cynthia Russell, Interim Executive Director, at CRussell@IICONN.org, with “President and CEO Application” in the subject line.

IICONN is an equal opportunity employer and recognizes the value of diversity in the workplace. We make no employment or volunteering decisions based on gender, race, age, disability, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or any other protected class.