Summary

The Elling Eide Center seeks a collaborative and entrepreneurial Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to usher our organization with a $1million operating budget to its next stage of growth and evolution by increasing local and academic community engagement, expanding and diversifying revenue sources, and deliberately focusing on rebuilding a small team and nurturing a culture of teamwork and respect.

Description

About Elling Eide Center
The Elling O. Eide Center is a research library and nature preserve overlooking Little Sarasota Bay in Sarasota, Florida.  As a private non-profit facility operated and funded independently from the state government, the Center fills a unique role in the cultural and scholarly landscape of its coastal Florida location.  The Eide Library sits on seventy-two acres of natural habitat with a rich assortment of native and exotic species. It is dedicated to the study of classical Chinese humanities and social sciences.  The comprehensive holdings, amassed by Eide over six decades, contain rare books, manuscripts, and artwork.  This significant resource is actively augmented by new acquisitions. The library is housed in a building for which architect Guy Peterson won an American Institute of Architects Honor Award of Excellence. 

Since opening its doors in the fall of 2016, the Elling O. Eide Center has hosted conferences and visiting fellowships that provide scholars with opportunities to research Chinese and East Asian culture and history on a pristine nature preserve.  It also holds interpretative tours of the grounds for the public, and programs through which members of conservationist societies can pursue research.  The Center’s public lecture series extends beyond pre-modern Asia to feature topics such as US-China relations, the indigenous-American and later history of the Sarasota region, and the local ecosystems.

To learn more, please visit https://ellingoeide.org/

Position Summary
The Elling Eide Center seeks a collaborative and entrepreneurial Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to usher our organization with a $1million operating budget to its next stage of growth and evolution by increasing local and academic community engagement, expanding and diversifying revenue sources, and deliberately focusing on rebuilding a small team and nurturing a culture of teamwork and respect.

The CEO is the primary steward of the Elling Eide Center, responsible for strategic leadership, financial oversight, fundraising and community engagement, and organizational management. Reporting directly to the Board of Directors, the CEO embodies the Center's mission and vision while ensuring effective governance and operational excellence. The CEO will embrace and advocate for the organization's mission, history, and vision by fostering open communication with staff and the donor community. The successful CEO will have the ability to set priorities decisively, communicate effectively, delegate responsibilities, ensure accountability, and allocate resources to produce results.

Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Community Engagement

  • Oversee day to day management of the Elling Eide Center, Research Library and Preserve, and its buildings and infrastructure.
  • Acquire an in-depth understanding of bylaws, nonprofit regulations, and laws pertinent to the Center's operations.
  • Cultivate relationships with professional, civic, and private organizations to bolster the Center's image and expand its outreach within the community.
  • Establish communication channels with local organizations, engage actively in community activities, and forge relationships with key stakeholders, donors, and academic leaders.
  • Join relevant clubs and associations to increase visibility and engagement within the community.

Fiscal and Fundraising Oversight

  • Serve as the organization’s lead fundraiser by identifying, cultivating, and stewarding relationships with current and prospective donors to achieve annual revenue goals and to build organizational reserves.
  • Develop a fundraising strategy to identify potential grants, donations, and revenue sources.
  • Ensure fiscal integrity by overseeing the budget, financial statements, and investment program in collaboration with the Treasurer and Board to maintain financial stability.
  • Master financial systems and evaluate or enhance the Center's website for better usability and effectiveness.

Team Management

  • Provide leadership in supervising 5 staff members, establishing employment policies, and ensuring smooth day-to-day operations aligned with the organization's mission.
  • Build strong relationships with stakeholders, staff, and Board members while actively recruiting for open positions and conducting assessments to optimize the organization's functionality.
  • Develop comprehensive job descriptions, set performance goals for staff, and conduct regular evaluations to ensure alignment with the Center's mission and objectives.
  • Regularly evaluate the organization's performance, report to the Board on progress, challenges, and proposed strategies for improvement.

Desired Qualifications
A leader with a strong interest in humanities or research, the new CEO will be passionate about promoting the Center in the local and academic communities worldwide.  A track record of masterminding strategic planning initiatives and executing on those, coupled with the capacity to collaborate with diverse stakeholders and an active Board toward a shared vision, will be crucial.

While it’s understood that no single candidate will bring every single competency, strong candidates will offer the following skills, characteristics, and experiences:

  • Possess a minimum of at least 5 years of senior management experience, especially in an academic institution or working closely in Academia.
  • Advanced Degree and/or experience with academic fields directly related to the Center’s mission, particularly Chinese or Asian studies, with research, and with knowledge production.
  • Demonstrated experience of having developed and operationalized strategies that have taken an organization to the next stage of growth.
  • Experience in property management or familiarity and an appreciation for preserving natural ecosystems, nature conservancy, parks, or other ecological space.
  • Unwavering commitment to quality programs and data-driven program evaluation.
  • Excellence in organizational management with the ability to coach staff, manage and develop high-performing teams, set and achieve strategic objectives, and manage a budget.
  • Past success working with a Board of Directors with the ability to cultivate existing board member relationships.
  • Strong marketing, public relations, and fundraising experience with the ability to engage a wide range of stakeholders and cultures.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills; a persuasive and passionate communicator with excellent interpersonal and multidisciplinary project skills
  • Action-oriented, entrepreneurial, adaptable, and innovative approach to business planning.
  • Ability to work effectively in collaboration with diverse groups of people.
  • Passion, idealism, integrity, positive attitude, mission-driven, and self-directed

Compensation and Benefits
Full compensation is estimated to be between $120,000-$150,000. Compensation is based on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, skill set level, years of previous/applicable experience. As the organization grows and scales, salary will grow commensurately. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, retirement plan, and PTO.

Location
The Elling Eide Center is in Sarasota, FL. This position is full-time in the office. Relocation is available for interested candidates.

How to Apply
Maneva Group is a woman and minority owned national executive search firm that specializes in mission-driven searches, has been exclusively retained for this engagement.

To express interest in this role, please submit your resume and cover letter answering the following questions: 1) Why are you interested in this position? and 2) Why would you be good for this role? Please submit to this APPLICATION LINK.

All inquiries and discussions will be considered strictly confidential. This position is available immediately; we will accept and review new applications until filled.

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