Executive Director

Role Summary

Literacy Works is seeking a strategic leader who will build on the strong reputation and success of the organization to date and continue to grow its impact. With an annual budget of $500K+, the new executive director will lead a talented team of staff and volunteers in a remote environment based in and around the Chicagoland area. While fundraising and team leadership experience is a must, prior organizational leadership experience is not required.

• Experience in or exposure to nonprofit
• 5+ years’ experience of strategic team management (must include some direct supervisory experience)
• Proven experience leading teams using equity-based frameworks, including experience with or openness to collaborative leadership and decision‑making approaches
• Demonstrated success leading comprehensive fundraising efforts that center authentic relationship building and long‑term donor partnerships
• Bachelor’s degree (advanced degree is a plus)
• Experience successfully navigating technology (including shared drives, virtual meetings, and other collaborative tools) and building organizational culture in a hybrid or remote setting

• Experience in or exposure to adult education, literacy, or plain language fields
• Advocacy and/or coalition building experience
• Direct service experience
• Understanding of member-based organizations

Mission-focused - You Have An Authentic Commitment To The Mission And Values Of Literacy Works And The People And Organizations That It Serves. Literacy Works Values

• We center humans over systems
• We cultivate joy
• We are all teachers and learners
• We prioritize access to education and information
• We challenge oppression
• We respond to the needs of our community

you have the desire to build and grow Literacy Works programming, including the fee-for-service offerings, while maintaining our organizational integrity, identity, and values.

you lead with collaboration and trust, supporting staff to leverage their impressive skills and strengths as a team, providing guidance without micromanaging

you have the skills to be a formidable spokesperson for Literacy Works, elevating the profile of the organization, raising and diversifying funding, while also building partnerships supporting adult education and plain language issues.

• Articulate Literacy Works’ vision and unique value proposition, working with staff and board to develop long-and short-term goals and strategies to achieve aligned outcomes benefit ting clients and membership organizations
• Support staff in implementing goals, responding to the needs of clients and member organizations, and designing and implementing high-quality programs, trainings, and deliverables within the Community Literacy and Clear Language Lab programs
• Monitor, evaluate, and guide the adjustment of strategies as needed

• Serve as the lead fundraiser for Literacy Works, which currently has an annual goal of $500K+ and a desire to grow and diversify revenue (in addition to frontline fundraising, this includes collaborating with the Development Manager on grant writing, communications tasks, and special events)
• Personally cultivate, solicit, and steward donors, building and growing long term and authentic partnerships with existing and new potential donors
• Attract funding from new foundation sources including those that have not previously funded adult education or communication equity work

• Identify and develop partnerships with new member organizations for the Community Literacy program
• Identify and develop partnerships with new fee-for-service clients for the Clear Language Labs and Community Literacy Programs
• Collaborate with Directors to explore various pricing strategies for fee-for-service program offerings
• Serve as an advocate and coalition leader for adult education and plain language issues

• Oversee a team of seven full-time (four direct reports) plus…