Executive Director - International House

Job Description

The Opportunity

This is a remarkable opportunity for a collaborative and relational leader to join a much-revered Charlotte, NC organization working toward the vision of a community where immigrants and international culture thrive. The International House is steeped in generations of deeply engaged and committed community-minded volunteers and donors who work alongside a team of passionate, dedicated and highly talented staff.

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director (ED) provides consistent oversight of International House operations including programs, fundraising, financial management, communication, and community relations. This leader will bring a strong understanding of and passion for immigration issues. Significant nonprofit management and fundraising experience and a deep commitment to internal and external community-building are essential for the next ED.

The organization operates with a Board of Directors of 10 to 15, a staff of 20, and an operating budget of $1.8 MM. Executive leadership includes six senior level staff. This highly committed team has a combined tenure of more than 50 years with International House. The agency currently utilizes a fractional operating officer as well as a fractional finance services provider. The new ED will have the opportunity to define and build an executive team of complementary leaders.

The Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate will have the following professional and personal qualities and evidence of accomplishment in the following areas:

Strategic and Relational Leadership: The ED will bring a keen understanding of the changing landscape of immigration services and will have evidence of successful innovation in programming. They will be a thoughtful and strategic leader - setting priorities collaboratively, delegating responsibilities, ensuring accountability, and effectively allocating resources to ensure strong outcomes. The ED will have demonstrated experience running a financially sound organization, including managing a budget similar to that of International House. They will have a strong understanding of the current funding environment for immigration organizations and regulatory necessities. The ED will also have proven experience navigating the financial complexities of an organization that operates with government funding as well as foundation support and private donations.

Leading by positive example and in strong collaboration with organizational leaders, the ED will encourage learning, growth, and empowerment of all team members. They will be a leader of leaders - highly approachable and skilled at listening to and learning from others with a deep belief in fostering a transparent, stable, and productive organizational culture. This leader will also have the professional maturity to be vulnerable. Deeply invested in staff voice, the ED will recognize the commitment and expertise of IH staff and will foster an atmosphere of appreciation, collaboration, consensus-building, and partnership across the organization. They will motivate staff to persevere supporting the immigrant community even during times of transition or uncertainty. The ideal candidate will possess the ability to properly balance collaboration and decisiveness, understanding where input is needed and then leading effectively toward execution.

Passion for the Values, Mission, and Vision: The ED will possess a deep drive and passion for ensuring International House remains at the forefront of community service, continually developing new opportunities to serve the mission. This leader will have a strong grasp of the immigration services landscape and be consistently focused on the future and how to best adapt the organization to potential changes. The ED will embody the values and mission of International House including a strong spirit of hospitality with the staff team, volunteers, and members of the community. The ideal candidate will be an individual of unquestioned integrity, ethics, and values; someone who is sincere and can be trusted without reservation.

Communication and Inclusion Skills:

The ED will lead an inclusive and engaged workforce and have experience working with diverse populations and bringing an inclusive lens to each aspect of their work. They will possess the ability to lead toward mission navigating ambiguous situations. The successful candidate will have the ability to develop rapport with people of varying experiences, backgrounds, and philosophies, and to understand the nuanced differences among each community International House serves. The leader will have a high level of emotional intelligence with a demonstrated ability to quickly build trust and credibility w

Full-time