Executive Director

Position Summary:

The Executive Director is responsible for the overall leadership, administration, management, and successful operation of NAMI Westchester. The Executive Director must be a strong organizational and administrative leader who can effectively manage the day-to-day operations of the organization while also maintaining a broad, strategic view of its mission and future. A critical component of the role is relationship building. The Executive Director serves as a visible ambassador for NAMI Westchester and develops and maintains strong relationships with community leaders, government officials, donors, partners, volunteers, mental health organizations, and other key stakeholders. The Executive Director should have familiarity with Westchester County and an understanding of how to effectively navigate its civic, community, healthcare, philanthropic, and governmental landscape. Working closely with the Board of Directors and staff, the Executive Director advances the organization’s programs, fundraising, community presence, and impact and is accountable to the Board for the organization’s operating affairs and progress toward its goals.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Leads, upholds, and ensures focus on the organization’s mission, vision, strategy, and values.
• Provides strategic leadership and support for the organization’s work across both programs and operations.
• Facilitates strategic and operational planning and ensures the effective management of the organization’s growth and resilience.
• Acts as a spokesperson and ambassador for the organization, representing and promoting its mission and work throughout Westchester County.
• Maintains an understanding of local, state, and federal laws and regulations as they apply to the mission and operations of the organization.
• Builds and maintains strong relationships with key community and civic leaders, government officials, healthcare and mental health organizations, donors, and other influential stakeholders, and is comfortable navigating Westchester County’s community and governmental networks to advance NAMI Westchester’s mission and priorities.
• Works with relevant team members to help steer the overall framing, content, and messaging of the organization’s programmatic work.

Serve as Primary Staff for the Board of Directors:

• Provides strategic leadership, guidance, and support to the Board of Directors.
• Works closely with the Board Chair(s) to support the Board’s agendas, priorities, strategic planning, and board development.
• Supports efforts to build and cultivate a strong, diverse, and engaged Board of Directors.
• Serves as the primary staff liaison to the Board, supporting committee and task force work as appropriate.
• Partners with and motivates the Board to support and advance the organization’s mission and programming.
• Attends all regular and special meetings of the NAMI Westchester Board of Directors.
• Keeps the Board informed through timely reports required by the Board, by-laws, and/or law, and provides information necessary for thoughtful and timely Board decision-making.
• Plans and executes the operations of NAMI Westchester in accordance with the by-laws and policies of the Board.
• Works with the Board and Executive Committee to develop and implement strategies for accomplishing organizational objectives.

Oversees and Ensures Fundraising Efforts:

• Leads a diversified fundraising strategy to support the organization’s budget and grow its programs and services, in coordination with development staff.
• Actively participates in donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship and builds strong relationships with key stakeholders, corporate partners, and individual donors.
• Ensures that grant opportunities are researched and grant applications and reporting are executed effectively.
• Maintains oversight of the Westchester Financial Grant Contract to ensure all standards, expectations, and deliverables are met in a timely and accurate manner.

Team Management and Organizational Culture:

• Manages direct reports, assisting with the creation of individual objectives and work plans aligned with team and organizational goals and providing advice, direction, and high-level support.
• Fosters a healthy, mission-driven, team-centric, and trauma-informed organizational culture that practices transparency and accountability and prioritizes staff safety, security, and well-being.
• Oversees financial management processes to maintain the fiscal integrity of the organization, including annual budgets, quarterly financial reports, and annually audited accounts presented to the Executive Committee and Board of Directors.
• Develops staff position descriptions and makes hiring and termination decisions in accordance with organizational policies.
• Recruits and screens candidates for staff positions.
• Supports, engages, and values NAMI Westchester’s volunteers and individuals and families with lived experience.
• Maintains appropriate organizational records and information systems.

Education, Skills & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree preferred; equivalent experience will be considered.
• Minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible leadership experience in a nonprofit, community-based, healthcare, human services, or related organization; prior Executive Director experience is preferred but not required.
• Commitment to NAMI’s mission and an interest in mental health advocacy; prior professional experience in the mental health field is a plus but is not required.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with experience in public speaking and the ability to speak compellingly about the organization to a broad and diverse set of stakeholders across the nonprofit, private, and public sectors.
• Exceptional relationship-building and interpersonal skills, with a demonstrated ability to establish credibility, develop meaningful connections, and engage effectively with senior community, civic, governmental, philanthropic, and organizational leaders.
• Familiarity with Westchester County and an ability to effectively navigate and build relationships within its community, civic, healthcare, philanthropic, and governmental networks; residency in Westchester County is not required.
• Demonstrated ability to handle multiple priorities, project management, and meeting deadlines with strong planning and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated strength in organizational and administrative management, with the ability to oversee day-to-day operations, staff, finances, systems, deadlines, and multiple competing priorities while maintaining attention to detail.
• An instinct for effective, high-level strategic thinking and planning, coupled with experience in setting direction and helping a team prioritize and focus on goal achievement.
• A deep understanding of how to lead, motivate, organize, and manage an organization that prioritizes and cultivates trust and accessibility with team members at every level.
• An approach to leadership, management, and decision-making centered on transparency, integrity, equity, empathy, participation, accountability, and inclusion.
• Exceptional analytical, reasoning, and problem-solving skills.
• Familiarity with nonprofit financial management, including budget preparation, analysis, decision-making, and reporting.
• Comfort with technology and standard nonprofit financial, donor-management, communications, and office platforms.

Fostering Teamwork:

• The ability and desire to work cooperatively with others on a team.
• Listens and responds constructively to other team members’ ideas and expresses disagreement constructively.
• Provides assistance to others when needed and creates opportunities for collaboration and shared learning.
• Application Information:

Please include a cover letter along with your resume to [email protected] telling us about you and why you are excited about the opportunity to contribute to NAMI Westchester’s mission.

While we appreciate your interest and application, only candidates under consideration will be contacted.

• Salary and Benefits:

The salary range is $85,000 - $95,000

NAMI Westchester offers a benefits package that includes:

• Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA)
• 403(b) retirement plan
• Paid time off
• Summer Fridays
• One week off in July, in addition to vacation time
• Additional Information:

Must be authorized to work in the United States.

NAMI Westchester is an Equal Opportunity Employer.