The Executive Director is a leader who can apply a diverse set of professional and lived experiences to the betterment of Bike Easy. The Executive Director guides organizational strategy, builds trust with the community, advocates for effective policies at the state and local level, and oversees the tasks and deadlines of internal team members. Our team is highly collaborative and cross-functional, meaning that the Executive Director is expected to work on a wide array of projects simultaneously.
The Executive Director is also expected to uphold Bike Easy values and practices in their leadership and must be comfortable thinking at a high level, coaching staff and other partners in implementing on-the-ground solutions, and serving as the public representative of the organization to public officials and the media. The Executive Director is required to have demonstrated expertise in non-profit and/or business management, including, but not limited to, skills in organizational structure and advocacy, operations, and finance. Bike Easy team members are occasionally required to work evenings and weekends.
Beyond these responsibilities, we aim to enhance Bike Easy with each hire. We encourage individuals to apply who share a passion for our vision, mission, and values and enjoy contributing ideas on how we can become stronger as an organization.
Essential Functions/Responsibilities:
Strategic Planning & Positioning
The Executive Director works to develop, hone, and innovate strategies to effectively achieve the mission of the organization by:
- Working with the Board of Directors, staff, and other stakeholders to lead a multi-year, equity and strategic planning process currently underway for 2022 – 2025.
- Staying up-to-date on best practices in the field, cutting-edge ideas to improve organizational effectiveness, and the political landscape in order to best position the organization for success.
- Maintaining strong relationships with mobility experts, philanthropists, bike activists, politicians & public officials, peer & partner organizations, and many others; and
- Ensuring equitable distribution of organizational resources and equitable outcomes from the work.
Administration & Management
At the direction of the Board, the Executive Director is responsible for the oversight of all management and administrative functions of Bike Easy, such as:
- Collaboratively leading and inspiring staff, board, and volunteers to execute day-to-day responsibilities that further the mission and achieve the strategic plan.
- Creating a diverse and inclusive workplace that values broad perspectives and different personal histories and provides an environment for people of all races, genders, abilities, ethnicities, and socioeconomic backgrounds to thrive.
- Providing team-building, mentorship, leadership development opportunities, and strategic guidance to the full staff while also directly supervising 2-5 positions including independent contractors working on behalf of Bike Easy
- Developing annual budgets with the Board Finance Committee, monitoring receipts and expenditures, and maintaining all proper financial records, including monthly reports to the Board
- Hiring, supervising, and evaluating all staff while maintaining up-to-date human resources practices and protocols for the organization
- Negotiating and managing contracts and overseeing consultants
- Ensuring that Bike Easy maintains full compliance with all federal, state, and local laws
- Establishing/ensuring strong use of organizational systems, including financial controls, work planning, and tracking systems, and communications processes, while innovating processes as needed
Fundraising & Membership
The Executive Director works with the Board and staff to set and hit fundraising goals to support the work, including developing and maintaining a dues-paying membership base by:
- Developing annual fundraising plans, based on the annual budget, and overseeing implementation.
- Writing grant applications and developing relationships with various grantors, foundations, and philanthropists.
- Soliciting corporate sponsorships for events and programs and maintaining strong relationships with sponsors.
- Supporting all elements of the Membership Program – from membership recruitment drives to ongoing member communications – in order to continuously expand membership numbers while providing strong value to existing members; and
- Negotiating fee-for-service contracts for various Bike Easy work, e.g. Bike Valet.
Public Representation & Media Engagement
The Executive Director serves as the primary public spokesperson for the organization and works to raise the profile of Bike Easy by securing positive media coverage. Responsibilities include:
- Setting overall messaging and tone of public communications from Bike Easy.
- Appearing on TV and radio, in print, and in other forms of media.
- Presenting publicly to groups in a variety of settings – from City Council meetings to college classrooms.
- Managing outreach to local, state, and national media and developing contacts among key members of the media; and
- Overseeing all Bike Easy communications, including email, website, social media, and more.
Program & Campaign Support
The Executive Director supports staff in implementing the programs and campaigns that are laid out in the strategic plan, and often personally leads specific projects by:
- Strategically guiding and supporting staff to ensure all deliverables and plans are met.
- Directly engaging in work to support programs & campaigns (i.e., attending meetings with staff, leveraging personal & professional networks to support specific efforts, etc.)
- Meeting regularly with staff to help maintain focus, connect program & campaign work to the overall mission and vision, and continuously revise and track work plans.
- Ensuring program & campaign work is fully funded, stays on budget, and maximizes time & resources allocated; and
- Developing long-term coalitions and grassroots power through temporary campaigns and programs.
Board of Directors Coordination
The Executive Director is the primary contact at the organization for the Board of Directors and supports efficient and effective board functioning through:
- Meeting regularly with the Board President, Executive Committee, and other Committees to plan meetings, discuss board-led projects, and track progress on annual and strategic plans.
- Supporting recruitment and training of new board members; and
- Developing and maintaining relationships with board members in order to best support their engagement with the organization.
Experience & Qualifications:
Skills & Characteristics Desired
- Collaborative and inspirational leadership and staff management
- Excellent communication skills – verbal and written, in a variety of settings
- Organizational systems development and maintenance skills
- Passion for improving Greater New Orleans
- Regular bicycle rider
- A people person who excels at building relationships with individuals
Experience & Qualifications Desired
- A strong commitment to Bike Easy’s mission
- A personal focus and commitment to creating more equitable outcomes for the people of Greater New Orleans
- Prior work with a non-profit, or other relevant business or government entity
- At least 5 years of management experience overseeing staff and/or volunteers
- Knowledge of bicycling and transportation advocacy issues
- Demonstrated ability to raise funds from a variety of sources, including grants, small-dollar donors, and corporate sponsors
- Experience with creating and managing budgets, basic accounting, and financial tracking software (i.e. Quickbooks)
- Relationships with Greater New Orleans organizations, funders, media, activists, government officials, political influencers, etc
- Political campaign experience – electoral or issue-based
If you are interested in the job but do not meet all the desired skills and qualifications, please do not hesitate to apply! The successful candidate will meet many of the requirements listed and will undoubtedly grow into others. There will be professional development available to supplement any necessary skills, and current staff will support the new Executive Director in getting started on many of the details of the role.
Compensation:
Starting salary for this position will be $57,000 or commensurate with experience. Bike Easy also offers a package of paid time off, access to a group health care plan and an employer contribution towards coverage, and opportunities for professional development and travel.
Application Instructions:
- In your cover letter, provide responses to the questions below:
- What do you think is the greatest strength that you would bring to the Bike Easy team and why?
- How do you hope this opportunity will help fulfill you personally and professionally?
- What are your salary requirements?
- No phone calls or follow-up emails, please.
Bike Easy is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, ability, age, or veteran status. We work hard to ensure diverse slates of candidates for openings at our company.
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