The Sylvan Adams YM-YWHA seeks an energetic, action-oriented and passionate Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead the organization through a chapter of revitalization and growth. Please contact tamara@philanthropica.ca for more information.
Chief Executive Officer
Sylvan Adams YM-YWHA
Montreal Jewish Community Centre
The YM-YWHA was created over 100 years ago. It is a member-driven organization that responds to the needs of the community. As part of our ongoing efforts to embrace change and prepare for the future, the Board of Directors has implemented a strategic plan to ensure that we remain relevant for the next 100 years. The pillars of this strategic plan are to enhance the Y experience, maximize engagement with a focus on youth and to strengthen the brand and extend the Y’s reach.
Our Vision is to sustain Jewish Continuity. In this pursuit, our Mission is to be the destination of choice for all members of our community; a warm and welcoming place to gather for social and physical activity; where every individual is inspired to achieve a feeling of total wellness, experience a profound sense of belonging and connection, and embrace the value of responsibility to others.
The Opportunity
The Board of Directors of the Sylvan Adams YM-YWHA seeks an energetic, action-oriented and passionate Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead the organization through a chapter of revitalization and growth.
The Y is a complex enterprise that is home to several significant program departments, each with its own unique operating challenges. Areas of particular focus for the incoming Chief Executive Officer will be ensuring the agency’s operational and financial excellence, as well as building a sound organizational structure which will allow its professionals to excel and grow in their work. With a focus on reinvigoration and responsible leadership, the incoming CEO will work on enhancing core operations, ensuring communication and accountability, as well as developing innovative programs and collaborative partnerships with other organizations.
The CEO will be a leader with a passion for Jewish life and whose intelligence, style, communication and executive leadership skills will stimulate creativity in programs and services, as well as continued excellence in how they are implemented and funded.
Responsibilities
Leadership & Executive Management
- Provide operational and creative leadership to the staff, Board and the community.Articulate and implement a shared vision and programs that reflect the unique mission of the Y and its potential impact in the Jewish community and the community at-large.
- Set and advance a positive, success-oriented culture within the organization.Ensure that the Y’s vision, values and brand are evident and consistent in every aspect of the organization, including its staff and programs.
- Maintain a focus on proactive planning that will identify and take advantage of, or respond to emerging trends and needs.
Finance, Operations & Facilities
- Overall responsibility for fiscal management, systems and accurate reporting for the Y. In conjunction with the senior management team and lay leadership, develop a full business model and an administrative and operational plan for the organization, including human resources, finance, facility management and security.
- Work with staff and leadership to evaluate various membership models and other user models that will build broader connections to the Y.Think creatively about how to develop other revenue streams to support parts of the Y’s programs that may not produce revenue but are core to its mission.
- Lead and participate in strategic thinking about expanding the use of Y facilities as well as a strategy for outreach and community-building. Facilities and equipment must be properly maintained and updated as required to meet the needs of the current and potential clients.
Program & Service Development
- Lead staff in setting goals and performance metrics for program innovation, creativity and excellence while ensuring that programming is current and consistent with the mission of the Y and operates within the financial, physical and human resources of the organization.
- Form relationships with clients and community stakeholders to set up appropriate feedback mechanisms. Remain visible and accessible so as to be sensitive to members’ needs and desires.
- Communicate regularly with other organizations to seek collaboration and partnerships in program development.
Community and Board Relations
- Provide professional direction to the President, the Board and its committees and act as the primary liaison between the Y Board and staff. Partner effectively with the Board and its committees to maximize their efforts and maintain a focus on the mission and vision for the Sylvan Adams YM-YWHA.
- Together with the President of the Board, serve as a key spokesperson and representative for the Y throughout the Jewish Community, the community at large, with private and public funders and national and international Jewish organizations.
- Identify and promote opportunities to partner with and share resources with organizations throughout the Jewish and general community. Specifically, they will maintain a strong and professional relationship with Federation planning and allocations process and professionals.
- In concert with the Board and internal staff enhance philanthropic efforts. Play a leadership and strategic role in marketing and fundraising campaign efforts including events, mailings, individual donor cultivation, solicitation and planned giving.
- Have primary responsibility for communications – both written and oral – regarding the Y’s vision, values, programs, challenges and achievements.Play an active role in the creation of effective and exciting marketing materials, program guides and membership materials.
Qualifications
- Executive experience and skills developed as a senior executive in the business sector and/ or nonprofit with a record of progressive achievement in organization leadership, management, administration and financial operations.
- The ability to articulate an inspiring organizational vision consistent with that of the Board; see and manage the Y from a “big picture” perspective; be decisive and inclusive in the decision-making process; be proactive and employ strategic and critical thinking skills.
- Experience managing and leading a multi-million enterprise with profit & loss responsibilities, a large facility and affiliate branches and over 200 employees.
- Keen understanding of running a mission-based organization.Able to integrate the use of business models and sensibility with the core values of a non-profit mission-based agency.
- Excellent interpersonal, political and diplomatic skills, along with the ability to partner with all the professional and volunteer leaders throughout the community.Ability to build consensus and engender cooperation between lay leadership and professionals.
- Comfortable with, and preferably experienced in, program development, organizational and/or institutional growth and facilities management.
- Ability to maintain and model high personal, ethical and professional standards.
- Fluently bilingual.
- Minimum of a bachelor’s degree with 10+ years of strategic leadership and management experience in business, and/or non-profit sectors.
Compensation
An attractive and competitive compensation package, commensurate with the sector, is available.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Elizabeth Gomery, Founding Partner at elizabeth@philanthropica.ca
Tamara Granatstein, Consultant at tamara@philanthropica.ca
This position description is based upon material presented by the Sylvan Adams YM-YWHA.