Executive Director - National Association Music Education; NAfME

Career Opportunity The National Association for Music Education (NAfME) seeks an accomplished association executive and relationship-builder to serve as its next Executive Director. At a consequential moment for music education and for the association itself, the next leader will unite a complex national network around clear priorities, strengthen trust with state music education associations and members, and translate NAfME's mission into measurable value and sustainable impact.

The role calls for a leader who can zoom out to see the national landscape and zoom in to ensure disciplined execution. The successful candidate will bring sound nonprofit and association-management judgment, emotional intelligence, financial fluency, and an authentic understanding of the realities facing music educators. They will communicate with clarity, listen without defensiveness, make difficult decisions when needed, and create the conditions for staff, volunteer leaders, and affiliates to succeed together.

Mission: NAfME is a collaborative community that supports music educators and advocates for equitable access to music education.

Reporting Structure: The Executive Director is appointed by and accountable to NAfME's 23-member National Executive Board and serves as the association's chief staff executive. The role leads a 20-member national staff organized across finance and administration, governance, advocacy and public policy, professional development and publications, development, communications, membership, and programs for members and students.

Organization at a Glance
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Founded in 1907, NAfME represents nearly 57,000 active, retired, and future music educators teaching millions of students. The association works through national, division, state, society, council, committee, and staff structures. NAfME operates with an annual budget of approximately $6.5 million, with membership dues currently accounting for 81% of operating revenue.

Salary Range: $240,000-$260,000

Working Environment/Location
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This is a remote role requiring convenient access to a major airport. The Executive Director should anticipate strategic travel to state, division, national, partner, and advocacy gatherings. The Executive Director must be able to lead a distributed staff team across multiple time zones and cultivate a connected, accountable, and collegial culture without relying on a shared physical office.

First-Year Focus: Listen deeply; establish a shared agenda with the National Executive Board; strengthen affiliate relationships; deepen member value; align staff capacity with priorities; and produce a credible plan for membership, revenue diversification, and measurable impact.

The Leadership Moment NAfME enters this transition with enduring strengths: a nationally recognized mission, deep advocacy expertise, respected publications and professional learning, a broad network of educators and volunteer leaders, dedicated staff, and a strong reserve position. Recent investments in the Advocacy Leadership Initiative, Hill Day, state toolkits, and coalition-building demonstrate the power of strong national infrastructure paired with effective state leadership.

The next Executive Director must combine mission-centered leadership with disciplined prioritization, a sustainable business model, and expanded non-dues revenue. This moment offers NAfME an opportunity to demonstrate the value of national membership, strengthen trust with state leaders and members, and define a mutually beneficial partnership between the national organization and its state affiliates.

The Executive Director must be skillful at balancing the perspectives of elected leaders while keeping NAfME firmly centered on its mission. Through meaningful dialogue…