Job Title: Executive Director, Alliance for Better Utah/Better Utah Institute
Reports to: Boards of Directors of Alliance for Better Utah and Better Utah Institute
Job Type: Full-time Employee
Salary Range: $80,000-$110,000 based on experience. Health, a generous PTO policy 20 days annual + 18 holidays) are a part of the benefits package.
Location: Better Utah office, role is hybrid, based on needs of team
DEADLINE TO APPLY
Priority Deadline: January 31, 2025 (will be rolling process until filled)
START DATE March 15, 2025 (or earlier, depending upon applicant)
TO APPLY
Submit a cover letter or video (no longer than 1 page or 1 minute), resume, and three references to jeff@betterutah.org. References will not be contacted unless the candidate is a finalist and finalists will have the opportunity to notify their references before we make contact. In your cover letter or video, please address how your experiences match the key responsibilities and required skills outlined in the description. In addition, your response must address the following questions
- What are you really good at professionally?
- What are you not good at or are not interested in doing professionally?
ABOUT ALLIANCE FOR BETTER UTAH & BETTER UTAH INSTITUTE
Alliance for Better Utah drives a public narrative on podcasts, television, radio, and social media that empowers Utah’s electorate and holds public officials accountable. We champion a better Utah, where everyone can live happy, healthy, and productive lives; where public officials act with integrity, transparency, and for the common good; where informed and engaged Utahns seek progressive change of and through the political process.
Better Utah Institute educates Utahns on issues of public concern and seeks to increase civic engagement. Good governance and civic engagement are related. As Utahns become more active in civic affairs, our government will become more responsive and accountable. And, as our government improves, Utahns will be incentivized to engage more in the democratic process. We’ll see less apathy in Utah, and we’ll see more of what makes Utah such a great place.
WHO SHOULD APPLY
As Utah’s premier progressive communications organization, we seek a highly motivated, entrepreneurial Executive Director with experience building and growing a strong brand and developing and maintaining critical, pivotal programming and coalitions. We offer an exciting opportunity to rebuild governance and programming to shape and scale Alliance for Better Utah to expand our reach and influence through the state. If your values align with our mission and you meet most of the following criteria, we encourage you to apply.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Create and execute a strategic plan that positions the organization as intrinsic and foundational to a progressive Utah landscape
- Work with board leadership to improve processes, policies and procedures to ensure effective operations at both the board and staff levels, as well as preparing for long-term strategic scaling and growth through board training and succession.
- Develop, execute, and lead a successful fundraising strategy including identifying, cultivating, and stewarding small donor and major funding partners, both institutional and individual
- Lead, support, and supervise the Better Utah team, including employees, interns, consultants and volunteers
- Evaluate current programming to identify and nurture key programs and initiate any additional critical but missing programs
- Oversee programmatic message development, media relations, and broader communications
- Define and build the Better Utah position and working relationship within our statewide partner organizations
- Develop and maintain deep ongoing knowledge about partner organizations and explore opportunities for alignment across organizations and sectors
- Courageously lead and support organizational efforts to provide transparency around Utah’s legislative business
- Nurture, protect and expand our legislative coalitions using discretion to ensure our collective goals
- Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders both statewide and across the nation to ensure Better Utah utilizes best practices and proven effective strategies and programs.
- Oversee Better Utah’s financial systems, including budgeting, operating, reporting, tax filing and audit, and regulation compliance
- Manage staff or consultants to ensure grant preparation and reporting, fundraising communications, and event organization
SKILLS & EXPERIENCE
- Demonstrated ability to create, execute, measure, and evaluate a multiyear strategy and lead a long-term vision with energy and optimism
- Demonstrated commitment to political advocacy and a commitment to transparency and ethics in government
- Demonstrated experience with creating and implementing governance best practices
- Demonstrated experience in managing boards of directors, including board development and succession planning
- Demonstrated ability to make progress while managing, navigating and aligning a diverse set of stakeholders
- Demonstrated ability to manage budgets and fundraise accordingly
- Demonstrated excellence as a communicator and writer, with experience tailoring messages to multiple and diverse audiences, making change/impact via media channels
- Demonstrated ability to navigate traditional and new media to create social change
- Proven ability to work in a dynamic environment, take initiative, and make tough decisions
- Demonstrated ability to negotiate, build consensus, and strategically disagree
- Collaborative and visionary leadership style; able to be engaging, inclusive and motivational
- Demonstrated ability to read and understand information and data, especially in the communications context
- Experience facilitating meetings and activities on behalf of a coalition
- Experience navigating c3/c4/IE program compliance
- Ability to work well independently in a remote setting and with teams
LOCATION AND TRAVEL
Travel is minimal, but the Executive Director is expected to travel about 85 percent locally (Wasatch Front) and about 10 percent statewide, and 5 percent nationally.
HIRING STATEMENT
Alliance for Better Utah/Better Utah Institute does not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, class, status as a veteran, status as an individual with a disability, incarceration or conviction history, or any other protected characteristic as established under law.
