December 30, 2022

About the ACLU of Montana
The ACLU of Montana (founded in 1972) is an affiliate of the national ACLU (founded in 1920) and operates as a private, independent, nonprofit organization. It is Montana’s largest and most influential civil rights organization. The current top priorities of the ACLU of Montana (ACLU of MT) are criminal legal reform, Indigenous justice, a number of ‘Defensive Priorities’ such as protecting the right to abortion, the right to vote, and the rights of those who identify as LGBTQ2S, as well as Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (EDIB). It also works on a range of additional issues including decriminalization of poverty, immigrants’ rights, freedom of speech and religion, and informational and digital privacy.

The ACLU of MT envisions a fair, equitable, and free Montana that welcomes and celebrates diversity. In its vision of Montana, everybody is treated with dignity and respect, and has equal access to rights and freedoms.

The ACLU of Montana has a current staff of 13 and an office located in Missoula with a budget of approximately $2 million. 

The Opportunity
The ACLU of MT seeks an Executive Director (ED) to be the next leader of the ACLU of MT with responsibility for managing the day-to-day activities and operations of the organization, leading fundraising efforts, motivating and coordinating the work of a professional staff in an open and collaborative workplace, and serving as the primary spokesperson for the organization. The ED will ensure that the organization is fiscally sound and that its litigation, advocacy, fundraising, and communications programs are meeting the current and emergent needs and interests of its constituents.

The ED will have a working knowledge of civil liberties issues and policies aligned with the priorities that the ACLU of MT is pursuing and be a leader and manager who is adept at balancing internal management with external impact and visibility. The individual must be an outstanding communicator who is able to effectively convey the mission and activities of the ACLU to a variety of constituencies including internal stakeholders, as well as to the broader public. The ED will be asked to commit, contribute, and engage in the ACLU of MT’s ongoing internal racial equity work, with an emphasis on anti-racism and anti-colonialism. The ED will also engage with the issues of institutional and structural racism and bias and their impact on underserved and underrepresented communities.

The responsibilities of the ED include:

Strategic Vision and Leadership

  • Build on past successes by inspiring the creation and implementation of a clear vision for transformational political and legal objectives to expand ACLU of MT’s programs and outcomes to align with the organization’s vision for the state of Montana; build and share institutional knowledge to serve the mission of the organization;
  • Operate strategically in a political and social environment where success on civil liberties issues depends on the ability to work effectively with individuals and organizations across the political spectrum;
  • Exhibit courage and clarity when addressing highly controversial and complex issues and lead the staff and Board through thoughtful consideration of conflicting positions on those issues;
  • Advance the work of the ACLU of MT in its priority issue areas by working, with honesty and transparency, with staff, board, external partners, and community stakeholders.

Fundraising and External Relations

  • Work with development staff and Board in furthering a robust fundraising program that ensures the financial viability of ACLU of MT by cultivating, stewarding, and soliciting diversified donors;
  • Anticipate funding needs and engage program staff as needed to ensure that staff have the resources they need to be successful and have a firm understanding of the finances related to their work;
  • Serve as an inspiring spokesperson for ACLU of MT and work with the Communications Director to clearly articulate the organization’s work and to augment the organization’s reputation to its supporters and the public at large;
  • Initiate and strengthen relationships and collaborations with organizations and leaders who are allied to the ACLU’s mission and purpose, including serving as the primary liaison between the affiliate and the National ACLU.

Staff Leadership

  • Inspire, motivate, and build rapport to cultivate a cohesive staff, ensuring that there is transparent internal communication, participation, and coordination;
  • Work with staff to establish goals for their respective departments with clarity and accountability to specific metrics; ensure staff have the resources needed to accomplish their goals;
  • Attract, recruit, lead, mentor, and retain a diverse staff that works to further the mission of ACLU of MT with enthusiasm and a personal understanding of the work; prioritize staff’s professional development.

Organizational Management

  • Ensure by effective management and leadership that the day-to-day operations are efficiently organized and administered;
  • Manage the organization’s financial operations including the budgetary process and ensure that sound and transparent financial controls are maintained;
  • Regularly assess how ACLU of MT is incorporating the principles of anti-racism and anti-colonialism into internal and external work.

Board Relations

  • Regularly brief the Board on the status of the organization and engage the Board in meaningful participation to further the organization’s goals including by fostering collaborative relationships between Board and staff;
  • Work with the Board to identify and help recruit new Board members who will add a diversity of perspectives and skill sets to the Board and whose talents, interests, and commitment will help to further the mission of ACLU of MT;
  • Champion and value equity work centered on concepts of anti-racism and anti-colonialism in working relationships with the Board and all staff.

Candidate Profile
The ideal candidate will have most, if not all, of the following professional and personal qualities, skills, and characteristics gained through lived, and/or professional or volunteer experiences, or coursework:

  • Passion for, and a well-articulated knowledge of, civil liberties and social justice, and a familiarity with the work and the mission of the ACLU;
  • Managerial experience required, preferably with a demonstrated ability to manage in a mission-driven organization of similar size and complexity; ability to translate vision into action and lead staff to execute;
  • A successful track record in fundraising, specific experience working with major individual donors preferred; a successful track record in managing budgets for a similarly sized non-profit;
  • Willingness and ability to learn about Montana’s politics, judicial, and legislative system as well as social justice nonprofit landscape – if candidate does not already possess this knowledge;
  • Experience working with tribal communities, tribal governments, and/or Indigenous staff to accomplish initiatives guided by Indigenous Justice principles;
  • Robust understanding of and commitment to anti-racism and anti-colonialism values with a history of integrating these principles into organizational policies, practices, management, and culture;
  • High emotional intelligence and proven success at working effectively and collaboratively with diverse staff as well as coalitions and community groups; ability to work across the political spectrum and value differences of race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ability, experience with the criminal legal system, and socio-economic circumstance;
  • Empathetic and compassionate leadership style with a genuine openness to constructive input from Board members, staff, members, donors, coalition partners, and the public; approach to leadership that emphasizes communication, collaboration, and transparency;
  • Demonstrated ability to think strategically, creatively problem-solve, exercise good judgment, and lead change; ability to transparently and honestly make and communicate decisions that advance the mission of ACLU of MT even when they are difficult;
  • Experience in creating and implementing programs in collaboration with other organizations; ability to connect ACLU of MT to resources and opportunities outside the organization;
  • Adept at self-management including an understanding of the role of Executive Director in decision-making, conflict management, and communication;
  • Keen attention to detail; ability to work simultaneously with initiative on multiple projects at various stages of completion; good problem-solving and collaboration skills; a positive, professional attitude with sound judgment, flexibility, determination, and good humor in a fast-paced, sometimes high-pressure office.

Compensation & Benefits
This position will pay an annual salary of between $116,500 to $139,500 commensurate with experience. Excellent benefits offered, including health, vision and dental insurance, short and long-term disability and life insurance, 401(k) retirement plan and employer matching, and generous vacation, holiday, sabbatical, and family and medical leave policies.

The ACLU of Montana is committed to developing and collaborating on thoughtful training programs and onboarding processes with the Executive Director that identify an individual’s growth areas in relation to the job description and empower their existing knowledge and skills.

The ACLU of MT strongly encourages applications from Black, Indigenous, and other people of color, immigrants, people of all genders, people with disabilities, bi- or multi-lingual (including Indigenous languages) speakers, bicultural individuals, members of the LGBTQ and two-spirit community, those who have been formerly incarcerated or are currently under supervision, and other underrepresented and historically marginalized groups. ACLU of MT seeks to build a team that reflects that diversity. All qualified applicants who share its vision and who have a desire to contribute to the mission of the ACLU of MT are encouraged to apply.

The ACLU of MT is an equal opportunity employer. It values a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. It believes that having a board, staff, and volunteer base with diverse personal and professional backgrounds enhances its ability to meet its mission and creates an environment where all members of its community can thrive.

The ACLU of MT does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, faith, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, tribal affiliation, disability, veteran status or record of arrest or conviction. It is committed to providing a work environment free from discrimination and harassment and one that honors and promotes a culture of equity and a wide array of diversity. It is engaging in ongoing internal racial equity work, with an emphasis in anti-racism and anti-colonialism.

Click here to apply

Contact
Koya Partners, the executive search firm that specializes in mission-driven search, has been exclusively retained for this engagement. Trisha Sutrisno and Amber Gomes of Koya Partners have been exclusively retained for this search. To express interest in this role please submit your materials via their website or email Trisha and Amber directly at tsutrisno@koyapartners.com and agomes@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.

For more information about Koya Partners, visit www.koyapartners.com.

To read more or apply for this position, visit https://diversifiedsearchgroup.com/search/aclu-montana-ed/

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