Position Description:

The Executive Director of the Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial, Indigenous, and Tribal Populations (Permanent Commission) will act as the organization’s central director overseeing all projects as well as the organization’s annual budget and administration. The Executive Director will oversee the development, execution, and reporting of all projects initiated by the full Permanent Commission, ensuring that commissioners and staff are engaged collaboratively throughout the project lifecycle. The Executive Director also can approve and execute small projects (under 5% of the Commission’s annual budget) at their discretion. To ensure coordinated management across projects, the Executive Director must steward the Permanent Commission’s annual budget, steering it in accordance with the strategic plan set forth by Commissioners. Furthermore, the Executive Director must maintain the Commission’s status as a sound state organization by collaborating with other Departments regarding administrative needs. The Executive Director manages the four staff directors within the Permanent Commission: Policy and Communications Director, Community Engagement Director, Research Director, and Operations Director. The Executive Director reports to the Co-Chairs of the Permanent Commission as well as the Finance and Operations Standing Committee.  

Duties, Functions, Responsibilities: 

• Direct and oversee all projects committed to by the Permanent Commission, ensuring that projects are designed, implemented, and reported on in accordance with established project management workflows, leveraging the expertise of commissioners, staff, and contractors to ensure project success. 

• Direct and oversee the financial status of the Permanent Commission, ensuring the sound management of the Commission’s annual budget, contracts, and other administrative needs related to budgeting and accounting, working with other commissioners and staff as relevant. 

• Collaborate with government partners—such as DAFS, BHR, OIT, Secretary of State, and the Attorney General—to ensure the smooth administration of the Permanent Commission within state government. 

• Serve as a forward-facing representative for the Permanent Commission in government, community, and other spaces as needed for engagement and networking purposes, working with other commissioners and staff as relevant. 

• Manage and retain highly qualified professional staff, overseeing and supporting their execution of duties through regular personal engagement, coaching, and professional development opportunities. 

• Report to the Permanent Commission co-chairs at least biannually regarding the execution of Executive Director duties. 

Specific Duties: 

• Responsible for the planning, organizing, and directing of the organization’s operations and programs according to established project management workflows. 

• Oversee and report on project management and results to Commissioners. 

• Contract management with contracted entities (procurement), internal contract management with operations director

• Develops and implements consistent inventory and cost accounting policies, procedures, and operational reporting/metrics.

• Ensures that services and funding relationships are robust enough to meet or exceed strategic goals and objectives.

• Coordinates and leads annual budget reviews, monthly and quarterly reviews, and periodic forecast updates with operational and senior management for all locations.

• Supervises the development of operations-based financial modeling. 

• Serve as forward/outward-facing representative in government, community, other spaces, including regarding fund development and networking. 

• Testifying/lobbying/etc. – Activities related to the legislature and legislative policy.

• Communications broadly – second set of eyes, drafting internal and external documents.

• Commission/commissioner management/liaising with the full Commission if applicable. There are many examples of this online, especially related to nonprofit management. 

• Retains a diverse, highly qualified staff and provides career coaching, growth, and personal development for direct/indirect report employees.

• Provides leadership to and manages the efforts of site staff to ensure appropriate support of all departments.   

Qualifications/ Skills: 

• Strong understanding of issues related to BIPOC communities, through lived and/or professional experience. 

• Demonstrated advocacy with BIPOC communities, whether micro (individual) or macro (from community to policy/systems transformation)

• At least a generalist understanding of state government, public policy, and law

• Strong relationships and relationship-building skills, especially with impacted communities and community members, state government actors (Executive, Legislative, Judicial branches), community partners, and others

• Ability to manage and support professional staff—especially the ability discern what kinds of training and supports are necessary to help staff, commissioners, etc., in implementation of the broader mission of the entity. 

• Ability to work collaboratively in various team settings, with other organizations and entities

• Ability to multitask, work independently, take initiative, and creatively problem solve

• Ability to be to be flexible and adaptively manage individual projects as well as the broader growth of the Permanent Commission. 

Additional Attributes of Strong Candidates: 

• Exhibit Permanent Commission’s cultural values of teamwork, responsibility, accountability, excellence, openness, and balance.

Education and/or equivalent experience:

• 5 years of management experience and a relevant bachelor’s degree, or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.

Preferences:

• Strong understanding of issues impacting marginalized communities.

• Strong ties to a marginalized community.

Salary:

• $71 - $96,000 per year

Apply:

Apply online at: https://mainebhr.hire.trakstar.com/jobs/fk0xqgi/