Austin Bat Cave - Executive Director
Austin Bat Cave is a creative community. Our writing programs empower students to find their voices and tell their stories. With our workshops and other programs, we seek to strengthen each student’s power to express ideas effectively, creatively, confidently, and in his or her individual voice. We connect a diverse population of young writers and learners with a vibrant community of adult volunteers in Austin.
Austin Bat Cave is looking to hire a full-time executive director. The ideal candidate will share our commitment to educating its racially and socioeconomically diverse student population. Austin Bat Cave is an equal opportunity employer committed to achieving a diverse and inclusive workforce. People of color are strongly encouraged to apply. Austin Bat Cave does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, age, religion, sexual orientation, political orientation, disability, veteran status, or gender identity or expression.
Our organization seeks a highly motivated, spirited individual who believes deeply in our mission and possesses the ability and skills to communicate this vision to any audience. This individual will guide, lead, and inspire our board of directors, our staff, our large pool of instructors and volunteers, and the thousands of students who participate in ABC’s programs. This person will envision—and realize—the successes of the organization in the short and long term. In summary, this individual will be a visionary, a fundraiser, a communicator, and a mentor, someone who is passionate about equity and justice and a champion for social, educational, and creative change in the city of Austin and surrounding areas.
Principal job responsibilities and qualifications include the following:
Strategy
Work with the Austin Bat Cave board to develop, implement, and track the progress of a strategic plan for the organization and lead a forward-thinking approach to its staff, leadership, and the entire organization.
Report to the Austin Bat Cave board of directors on programming, fundraising, finances, events, publications, personnel, strategic planning, and other matters; enlist their support as needed.
Fundraising and Financial Management
Successfully lead fundraising efforts to raise ABC’s annual budget of $440,000. ED will manage contract grant writers who assist toward this effort and work with a development team and ABC Board of Directors to achieve this goal.
Ensure prudent fiscal management of Austin Bat Cave including establishment of salaries, management of expenses, strategic financial planning, and preparation of monthly financial reports and annual budgets.
Work with Austin Bat Cave development team to create and implement fundraising strategies, including grant applications, corporate and private philanthropy, individual donations, adult classes, and special events.
Successfully and directly ask individual and other funders for financial gifts; Cultivate and support donors through every stage of a gift; Deliver authentic gratitude, timely information, and individualized attention to donors in our community of supporters.
Programming
Partner with Program Director to establish robust educational objectives, and work to achieve them, in support of youth in Austin and the surrounding regions (Del Valle, Manor, San Marcos, Pflugerville,etc) and guided by organizational guidelines.
Partner with Program Director to oversee all programming and collecting qualitative and quantitative data.
Partner with Development Associate to oversee adult classes including developing digital marketing campaigns, recruiting and training writers as instructors, and tracking and growing revenue.
Collaborate with design team and development team to conceptualize and oversee design of annual anthologies for both youth and adult programming.
Marketing/PR/Communications
Guide all external relations and collaborations, including website, annual fundraising appeals, and public relations; serve as spokesperson for media appearances and other public speaking opportunities; handle crisis communications.
Develop and maintain relationships with education and community leaders that will facilitate programming growth.
Operations/Supervision
Direct and support 5 staff members, interns, and volunteers, to pursue Austin Bat Cave’s educational mission, in alignment with its values.
Manage all legal and operational issues, including contracts, employment matters, technology, leases and building management, publication and other agreements, and oversight of retail operations.
EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS
A leader with strong problem solving abilities in all operations of an organization; has a proven record as a successful fundraiser and who has led healthy, dynamic organizations through growth stages.
Significant leadership experience in the worlds of education, youth development, and/or the arts.
Ability to balance multiple, concurrent priorities with patience.
Outstanding written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills.
Passionate about writing and creativity, and its crucial role in social and racial justice, as demonstrated through previous work and/or volunteer efforts and has worked to build community support systems in which everyone can thrive.
Expected Salary Range: $72,000, plus year-end bonus dependent on success of fundraising in given year.
ABC pays 100% of health care premiums for staff and offers unlimited PTO
TO APPLY:
Please submit your application to board@austinbatcave.org by Thursday, January, 31st. Please include the following:
Your resume
A cover letter
Explain why you are interested in working with Ausitn Bat Cave
Speak to your leadership experience that would make you a strong candidate for this position.
What challenges do youth face right now and what ways would you work to protect and uplift their creative voices?
Phone numbers and email addresses for three professional references (one of these references must be from your most recent employer)
This position has work from home options but requires weekly in-person meetings and events in Austin, TX. If you need accommodations in the application and interviewing process due to a disability, we’ll do our best to accommodate you.
