COMPENSATION:
Up to a $200,000 base salary and up to a 20% performance bonus of base salary commensurate with compensation history, experience as well as other success factors.
WEBSITE:
https://TechLauderdale.org
ORGANIZATION BACKGROUND:
TechLauderdale is a collaborative effort by Greater Fort Lauderdale’s business and educational community to enhance the technology ecosystem in Greater Fort Lauderdale and Broward County. TechLauderdale is the new Broward focused brand of the South Florida Technology Alliance, South Florida’s tri-county regional technology association founded in 1999.
TechLauderdale’s mission is to enhance the technology ecosystem in Greater Fort Lauderdale and Broward County by recruiting, retaining and training our 35,000 STEM workforce and students in our community; enhancing our tech educational offerings; providing access to entrepreneurs and technology resources to business leaders; and promoting Greater Fort Lauderdale and Broward County as a tech hub.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
The new Executive Director must embrace the passion and the desire – with the Board and the community – to positively impact the technology ecosystem in Broward County. Specifically, the Executive Director is responsible for developing and driving the overall growth strategy of TechLauderdale and will champion its mission in concert with its Board of Directors. The Executive Director will provide the leadership and direction to advance TechLauderdale’s strategic vision for growing the technology ecosystem in Broward County and establishing Broward County as a nationally recognized tech hub. Given the culture of TechLauderdale, which is highly collaborative and relationship-oriented, the successful candidate must work effectively at all levels, recognizing and appreciating and building on the successes to date, and eager to be part of the team as the organization moves into the future.
Specifically, the Executive Director will:
- Collaborate with the Board to execute our existing vision and continually improve our platform contemplating significant growth, sustainability and relevance for our constituency.
- Conduct research and benchmark best practices and technology ecosystems nationally
- Develop new strategic partnerships and enhance existing ones to provide sustainable long term support for the organization.
- Assume a highly visible role in the development of new sources of funds thereby increasing the financial capacity of TechLauderdale to achieve its mission.
- Lead advocacy efforts with federal, state, county and local governments to enhance relationships at all levels of government including grants and funding for the Broward County and Greater Fort Lauderdale technology ecosystem and for TechLauderdale.
- Work in concert with the Board Chair to develop a Board that can have passion for executing the mission of the organization.
- Assist the Nominating Committee in the identification and recruitment of qualified Board members, committee members, and volunteers.
- Optimize the level of engagement of the Board to leverage the Board’s skills and contacts.
- Recruit, train and manage the organization’s staff for the successful execution of its mission.
- Ensure that an annual business plan, based on the organization’s strategic direction, is created, executed and continually evaluated.
- Oversee financial management, including the development of an annual budget.
- Ensure that appropriate fiscal controls, procedures and reporting are in place to ensure transparency and accountability.
- Collaborate and exchange best practices with other tech-oriented organizations so as to extend TechLauderdale’s reach to more members, technology professionals, technology companies and students.
CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS:
- Have a passion that is contagious!
- Have a vision of growth potential and opportunities – be able to see the future of the organization while collaborating with technology organizations in the South Florida region.
- Drive fundraising to a new level.
- Possess unquestionable integrity, personal values, and a strong work ethic.
- Possess a consistent “can do” attitude and act quickly to rally support for initiatives.
- Be a natural leader – inspire, motivate, and catalyze the TechLauderdale constituency and staff to create a strong tech hub for Broward County and Greater Fort Lauderdale.
EXPERIENCE/SKILLS:
The successful candidate will be a visionary change agent: bright, creative, and with tremendous energy and drive. This person will be eager to participate and have a real impact. S/he will be both interested and interesting – – a multi-dimensional thinker who operates not only on the basis of important past experiences but in light of new approaches and developments that occur in the market. The successful candidate must also be able to check their ego at the door, valuing and building upon successes rather than discounting them. The successful candidate must be able to establish instant credibility and will be a person who both speaks and acts with the authority gained through experience. The candidate must have sufficient know-how to impact the organization in a powerful way.
More specifically, the candidate should have the following:
- Experience as the executive director or president of a nonprofit organization with a significant mission, operations, and budget Is a strong plus.
- A minimum of 10 years of experience in positions of Increasing responsibility with demonstrated experience leading organizations and a track record of achieving results.
- Demonstrated success in developing strategic fundraising programs and growth initiatives.
- Highly developed community and public relations skills.
- Ability to attract and inspire a diverse group of community leaders.
- A propensity for delivering results and managing challenges.
- Demonstrated passion for assisting educational institutions in strengthening career pathways for technology education.
- Sense of mission and urgency in enhancing the Broward County and Greater Fort Lauderdale technology ecosystem and becoming a tech hub.
- Track record of raising money from corporations and foundations.
- Knowledge of the philanthropic community with a special interest in technology.
- Political savvy.
LEADERSHIP CHARACTERISTICS
Acting with Honor and Character
- Is a person of high character who exhibits consistency and acts in line with a clear and visible set of values and beliefs. Is direct and truthful but can also keep confidences.
Communicating Effectively
- Is a person with exceptionally strong oral and written communication skills and can get the message across to the audience.
Entrepreneurial
- Politically adept and business savvy yet possesses an entrepreneurial spirit of creativity, urgency and passion with business savvy.
Creating the New and Different
- Visionary, creative and full of ideas, with broad interests and knowledge. Can manage innovation. Can both create and bring exciting ideas to market.
Inspiring Others
- Is skilled at getting individuals, teams, and an entire organization to perform at a higher level and to embrace change.
- Negotiates skillfully to achieve a fair outcome or promote a common cause.
- Communicates a compelling vision and is committed to what needs to be done.
- Builds motivated, high-performing teams and understands what motivates different people.
Being Organizationally Savvy
- Can maneuver well to get things done and knows where to go when something is needed.
Driving for Results
- Approaches every project with drive and energy keeping an eye on results while remaining sensitive to relationships.
- Is not afraid to initiate action before all the facts are known.
- Drives to finish everything started.
EDUCATION:
Bachelor’s Degree
