All Things Urban

WALKSacramento is a nonprofit planning and advocacy organization that improves quality of life and health equity through community-centered policy and systems change in land use, transportation, and community development.

Since its founding in 2001, WALKSacramento has been a regionally recognized leader in advancing policies that drive health equity, supporting community priorities through meaningful engagement, and delivering programs that encourage active travel for health, economic development, and environmental benefits.

The WALKSacramento Board of Directors is seeking a visionary, impact-focused, experienced nonprofit leader with a strong background in health equity, active transportation, and health in the built environment to lead the organization, raise revenue, and carry out the mission.

The Executive Director is responsible for developing and maintaining a business model that produces exceptional mission impact and sustained financial health. The Executive Director leads the organization’s mission, directs day-to-day operations, fosters staff professional growth and development, and collaborates with and helps cultivate an engaged and productive Board of Directors.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership

• Build a positive work environment that values and supports an open exchange of diverse ideas, capitalizes on staff strengths, and creates a team-oriented culture.
• Advance the mission, vision, and values of WALKSacramento through strong internal and external leadership.
• Develop, maintain, and enhance strategic partnerships and external collaborations to advance WALKSacramento’s reputation in the field and standing in the community.
• Stay abreast of local, regional, state, and federal initiatives, policies, and best practices that impact WALKSacramento’s mission and programs.
• Optimize WALKSacramento’s ability to provide mission work to the community.

Advocacy and Policy Development

• Collaborate with local, regional, and statewide coalitions to influence policy, legislation, and advocacy initiatives.
• Advocate for the need for health in the built environment, health equity, and mobility justice to community members, stakeholders, and the media.

Communications and Community Relations

• Cultivate and maintain positive stakeholder relationships across sectors, including policymakers, funders, agency partners, and the communities WALKSacramento serves.
• Develop communication plans that raise awareness of key issues, build influence, and leverage community engagement to affect policy change.
• Act as a primary spokesperson with all stakeholders, including decision-makers, strategic partners, community residents, current and prospective funders, and the media. Ability to humanize, tell a story, and translate policy into language that is clear and meaningful to diverse audiences.

Organizational Management

• Encourage and foster a healthy, supportive work environment that promotes personal and organization growth, including mentorship and professional training among staff.
• Guide the organization’s programs and ensure alignment with available funding as well as WALKSacramento’s strategic plan.
• Ensure that WALKSacramento's workplace and operations are well-designed and administered.
• Meet staffing needs by following a thoughtful recruitment and onboarding process as well as leveraging process efficiencies, volunteers, and consultants.

Fiscal Stewardship

• Manage WALKSacramento’s financial planning and budget to support the Strategic Plan and ensure financial sustainability.
• Oversee financial activities and controls, and monitor the work of the contract accountant.
• Ensure compliance with state and federal employment, tax and other requirements.

Board Coordination

• Assemble bi-monthly Board of Directors report including financial projections, project updates, initiatives, and other important updates from the organization.
• Facilitate strong Board and staff alignment around organizational structure, and annual and long-range programmatic and financial goals.
• Support the Board of Directors in recruiting and orienting new board members and maintaining board membership.
• Encourage and support board member involvement in fundraising and in other strategic plan initiatives.

• At least five years of experience managing staff and/or volunteers, preferably with a non-profit.
• Bachelor’s degree in Public Health, Public Policy, Social Justice, Environmental Justice, Public
  Administration, Urban Planning, Geography, Architecture, Urban Design, Active Transportation, Social
  Welfare, Nonprofit, Management, or related field. Master’s degree a plus.
• Experience with legislative and policy-making processes.
• Ability to direct a program of projects.
• Strong interpersonal, leadership, analytical, and communications skills, including public speaking, and writing.
• Ability to be a spokesperson for the organization who can catalyze stakeholder action.
• Strong commitment to WALKSacramento’s mission.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and web applications, use of social media.
• Bilingual/Multi-lingual, a plus

How to Apply:

Please view the full job posting on our website before applying.

Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis with the first round of candidate reviews beginning August 15, 2020. Online panel interviews and in-person interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis. In-person interviews will be determined based on current COVID-19 public health guidelines.

To apply, please send the following in one PDF file with the file name firstname_lastname_ExecutiveDirectorPosition to contact@walksacramento.org:

• Cover Letter
• Resume
• Three writing samples (preferably related to policy and community work or outreach campaign
  materials)
• Three references

75,000 - 90,000 BOE

We’re not fully sure whether this role is open to international candidates. If you would need visa sponsorship or work authorisation, we recommend checking directly with the employer before applying.