About the Organization: The Foundation has been leading the fight to overcome the challenges of living with epilepsy since it was founded in 1982 as the Epilepsy Support Group of Greater Hartford. It became the Epilepsy Foundation of CT in 1990. Epilepsy affects over 36,000 people in CT. Our Vision is to improve the lives of all people living with epilepsy. Our Mission is to support people impacted by epilepsy through advocacy, education, programs and connections to ensure they can live their best lives. Our Values include Compassion, Respect, Professionalism, Collaboration, Integrity, Diversity and Inclusion, Independence and Courage. Our prior year revenues exceeded $500k. Our team is located in Middletown and supports clients across the state.

Position Description: The Executive Director has overall strategic and operational responsibility for the Foundation, including oversight of the staff, programs, development and execution of the organization’s strategic plan; and ensuring effective and responsible application of all resources when leading the charge to support people and families affected by epilepsy in Connecticut. The position reports directly to the Board of Directors.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Leadership & Management

· Implement the execution of the Strategic Plan, approved by the Board, every three years with annual updates as applicable.Seeks and builds Board involvement with strategic direction for the organization.

· Ensures ongoing local programmatic excellence and consistent quality of finance and administration, fundraising, communications, processes and IT systems; recommends timelines and resources needed to achieve the strategic goals.

· Actively engages with the organization’s Board members, partnering organizations, and funders.

· Reports regularly to the Board on various phases of the organization’s operation so that it can approach policy-making duties with a firm, objective information base.

· Participates ex-officio on Board Committees unless the agenda includes topics surrounding the Executive Director’s leadership such as performance reviews, compensation structures and the establishment of goals, as determined by the Committee Leader.

· Recruits, employs and manages all staff and volunteers.

· Provides staff career coaching and professional development with transparent communication of goals and measurement thereof.

· Keeps Board and staff fully informed of National activities; maintains National relationships, attends National leadership conferences and utilizes resources made available including training, programs rollouts and national sponsorships.

· Supports National’s affiliate requirements.

Fundraising & Development

· Create and execute a development plan, ensuring fiscal sustainability, including an efficient system for identifying, soliciting, cultivating and tracking individual donations and corporate sponsorships.

· Develops a clear and concise communication message from the strategic plan and related tools across all marketing platforms including social media, in-person meetings, and the website.

· Research foundations to confirm fit and submit multiple grants annually to fund the mission.

· Expands statewide revenue sources to fund existing and new program operations with input from the Fundraising/Development and Marketing/Programs Committees.

Financial Management

· Develops policies and procedures with the Finance/Investment Committee that fulfills the long-range goals of the organization.

· Adhere to the generally accepted accounting principles developed by The Financial Accounting Standards Board for 501(c)3 organizations.

· Exercise fiscal management and control including: preparation of an annual operating budget, monthly cash flow budgets and monthly actual operating financial statements for Board approval. Works with the Treasurer to support the annual budget assumptions and audit by a third party.

· Compares actual results for all fundraising or special events and compares them to the budget at the completion of each special event.
Ensures the return on investment of time and money is satisfactory.

· Cooperates fully with the organization’s auditors in completing and filing the annual financial statements and Form 990.

Programs/Advocacy

· Provides a platform of programs & services supported by a needs assessment that considers both health issues and demographics. Works with Professional Advisory Board as a sounding board to provide programs in line with the Mission. Develops an advocacy strategic agenda and platform to address these needs of people loving with epilepsy.

· Works closely with federal and state Government Relations personnel, Corporate Public Relations personnel and other Public Relations leaders from the private sector to develop and implement an annual legislative agenda.

· Meets with Senators and Representatives in support of the organization’s public policy priorities as needed.

· Develops letters, testimony, regulatory comments, position statements, articles grassroots communications, background materials, and op-eds for internal and external audiences.

Qualifications:

· Bachelor’s Degree required.

· Prior Executive Development experience.

· Fundraising and development experience for a non-profit.

· Passion for the Epilepsy Foundation of Connecticut’s mission, vision and values.

· Experience with strategic planning development and/or implementation.

· Ability to think strategically and to effectively communicate with the Foundation’s community members (including the Board, clients, donors and government representatives).

· Excellent relationship- and partnership-building skills.

· Skills to operate and lead with best practices, while creating a positive culture with integrity and transparency.

· Demonstrated experience in problem solving and taking initiative, while utilizing solutions-oriented approach.

· Proficiency to achieve or beat strategic objectives in line with the budget.

· Growth-oriented, competitive and results driven.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are fundamental principles at the Epilepsy Foundation, where employment is based upon personal capabilities and qualifications. The Foundation does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices based on race, color, religion, national origin, creed, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

The Epilepsy Foundation recognizes that to fulfill its mission to serve people affected by seizures it must acknowledge the diverse makeup of its clients and the people who work to fulfill the mission.

To that end, the Foundation affirms its commitment to reflect the diversity of American society in its Board of Directors, staff, and programs. In particular, the Foundation will work to ensure that its workplace has an inclusive environment that maximizes the benefits of the differences of its workers and presents equal opportunities to all applicants and employees.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $95,000.00 - $100,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k) matching
• Health insurance
• Paid time off

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Monday to Friday

Education:

• Bachelor's (Preferred)

Experience:

• Fundraising: 3 years (Required)
• Management: 5 years (Required)
• Executive Director: 3 years (Required)

Ability to Commute:

• Middletown, CT 06457 (Required)

Ability to Relocate:

• Middletown, CT 06457: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Middletown, CT 06457