Apply to be the VietAID Executive Director!

The Vietnamese American Initiative for Development (Viet-AID), founded in 1994, is the first and only grassroots community development corporation founded and operated by Vietnamese refugees and immigrants in the United States.  Located in Fields Corner, one of the largest Vietnamese population centers on the East Coast, Viet-AID's mission is to build and support a strong Vietnamese American community and a vibrant and diverse Fields Corner overall. Viet-AID's mission is anchored by five key goals:  1. Promote economic development and self sufficiency, 2. Build and maintain affordable housing for residents, 3. Provide high quality youth programs, child care services and early childhood education, 4. Foster youth and grassroots leadership, and 5. increase civic participation. Presently, Viet-AID, operates a preschool and childcare center which serves 54 children, and provides year round programs for 120 youth.  Together with its affiliates, Viet-AID currently provides 88 units of affordable housing, and by early 2016, 123 units.   In addition, the organization manages its community center, and provides numerous newcomer resettlement services, including ESL classes, translation, and counseling.  For more information about Viet-AID please visit our website at www.vietaid.org.

Position Overview:

The Viet-AID Board of Directors is seeking a dynamic, visionary leader to serve as the next Executive Director for this active and multi-faceted community development organization. Reporting directly to the Board, the Executive Director provides overall leadership for the strategic direction and daily operations of all functional areas including fundraising, program development, public and community relations, financial management, and operations. Skilled at managing complex relationships, the Executive Director is responsible for building a web of partnerships across a wide range of constituent groups, inspiring and facilitating open and ongoing dialogue, and developing and leveraging a team of full time staff and volunteers.

General Responsibilities:

• Working with the Board of Directors, ensure that the organization has a long-range strategy which achieves its mission, ensuring the implementation of high-quality, outcomes-oriented, community-centered programming.
• Direct a team of staff to develop and deliver on strong, measurable goals for each functional and program area including building strategic alliances and collaboration at all levels.
• Working closely with lead members of the Board of Directors, facilitate participation in financial oversight, the development and setting of organization-wide policies and systems of accountability, and board development.
• Design fundraising strategy and ensure the cultivation, solicitation, and funds annually from individuals, foundations, corporations, government, and revenue generation.
• Advocate for and promote the mission of the organization and the greater community, serving as the voice and face in meetings, at events, and on councils, providing vision and direction, and engaging and leveraging others to ensure broad and successful collaboration.
• Oversee the preparation and sound management of the organization's budget.
• Act as a catalyst for organizational change, building a shared vision with others and influence others to translate vision into action.
• Promote active and broad participation by members of the Board of Directors and other volunteers in all areas of the organization's work.
• Maintain official records and documents, and ensure compliance with federal, state, local and/or other regulations.
• Maintain a working knowledge of significant developments and trends in the field.
• Provide grant writing, the ability to research new funding sources, knowledge of current federal, state and locally funded programs.

Specific Responsibilities

Program Planning, Development, Implementation and Evaluation:

1. Working with the Board of Directors, plan and develop programs which meet the mission, goals and objectives of the organization.
2. Oversee and lead staff for all aspects of program implementation, with assurance that the programs have adequate resources to succeed.
3. Working with staff, engage in quality control by designing and implementing regular evaluation and program impact assessment, and make programmatic changes as needed.

Staff, Volunteers and/or Contractors:

1. Manage the human resources of the organization in accordance with established personnel policies and procedures, which includes the recruitment, employment, and release of all personnel, paid staff,contractors and volunteers.
2. Ensure that staff and volunteers are fully engaged in carrying out the mission and objectives of the organization, actively guiding them towards common goals.
3. Ensure that job descriptions are developed, regular performance evaluations are held, and that sound human resource practices are in place.
4. Provide opportunities for staff and volunteer development and education.
5. Create a positive and open work environment which can attract and retain highly qualified and diverse personnel.

Communications:

1. Work with staff and Board of Directors to ensure that the Board of Directors have current material information.
2. Provide regular reports, and make recommendations to the Board of Directors regarding any organizational issues that impacts the successful operation of the organization.
3. Establish sound working relationships and cooperative arrangements with community groups and organizations in the City of Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
4. Develop a media plan which will help assure that the organization and its mission, programs, and services are consistently presented in a clear, compelling and positive image to all stakeholders and the general public.

Budget and Finance:

1. Utilize financial management experience to set priorities, track organizational expenditures to ensure financial health of the organization.
2. Work with staff and advisors to develop and maintain strong financial practices, including clear and accurate reporting of all organizational activities.
3. Work with the staff, Finance Committee, and the Board in preparing annual budgets.
4. Provide asset management and asset development, oversight and direction of Viet-AID and its affordable housing properties.
5. Develop long term capital plan to ensure the long term strategic soundness and viability of Viet-AID and its affiliates' properties.

 Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in business, nonprofit management, urban studies or related field from an accredited College or University. Masters Degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Urban Planning or related field preferred.
• Proven experience in representing an organization to the media and public, including public speaking and marketing.
• Understanding of nonprofit financial statements.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment and decisive decision making, with high level of personal and professional ethics.
• At least 10 years professional work experience with at least 5 years senior nonprofit leadership including managing multiple functional areas, such as youth services, childcare and early education, and affordable housing development.
• Proven ability to develop and implement programs that respond to a wide range of community needs.
• Excellent analytical skills with project management experience.
• Experience building public/private partnerships, community organizing, or coalition building is a plus.
• Experience designing and delivering a fundraising and revenue generation plans.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work with broad range of people of diverse race, class, gender, age, sexual orientation.
• Knowledge of the Vietnamese community in the greater Boston area.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and ability to listen; demonstrated success initiating and managing complex relationships and facilitating dialogue across multiple departments and/or constituent groups; experience managing and developing a board preferred.
• Fluency in Vietnamese and knowledge of Vietnamese culture are preferred.

To apply:

Materials to be sent by deadline by Executive Director Candidates:

Personal Resume; Three (3) Personal References; three (3) Work References; One (1) brief (1 to 4 pages) sample of your writing (a grant application, an article, press release, etc.)

Please send materials electronically to: hr@vietaid.org

Application Deadline: March  31, 2015