Pillar Executive Search News! RainCatcher’s Executive Director (Remote or Malibu, CA)

Pillar's New Search

Pillar Search is pleased to have been selected by RainCatcher to manage their search for the Executive Director.  For more information on this exciting opportunity, please contact Pillar Search’s CEO, Cindy Joyce, at cjoyce@pillarsearch.com.

 

This is an ideal role for a nonprofit professional with a passion for RainCatcher’s mission of implementing affordable and sustainable methods for providing clean water for everyone. The successful Executive Director candidate will have international experience, a proven track record of growing the diversity of fundraising sources and the amount raised, and has grown and managed a Board of Directors.

 

 

Organization

RainCatcher is dedicated to healing communities by providing clean water for children in the developing world using affordable and sustainable solution.

 

RainCatcher’s innovative system uses durable, inexpensive components to harvest an abundant existing natural resource: rainwater. It cleans and filters even the dirtiest water on the spot including existing contaminated water sources where rain is not abundant. There are no wells required, no pumps, no electricity, and no irrigation systems. The beauty of the RainCatcher system is its ease of use.

 

For more information about the exciting work that RainCatcher does, please visit www.raincatcher.org.

 

Position

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director (ED) will have overall strategic and operational responsibility for RainCatcher’s staff, programs, expansion, and execution of its mission.

 

Responsibilities

Leadership & Management:

  • Develop, maintain, and support a strong Board of Directors: serve as ex-officio of each committee, seek and build board involvement with strategic direction for both ongoing local operations as well as for the national rollout
  • Ensure ongoing local programmatic excellence, rigorous program evaluation, and consistent quality of finance and administration, fundraising, communications, and systems; recommend timelines and resources needed to achieve the strategic goals
  • Actively engage and energize RainCatcher volunteers, board members, event committees, alumni, partnering organizations, and funders
  • Lead, coach, develop, and retain RainCatcher’s high-performance staff
  • Ensure effective systems to track scaling progress, and regularly evaluate program components, so as to measure successes that can be effectively communicated to the board, funders, and other constituents

Fundraising & Communications:

  •  Expand revenue generating and fundraising activities to support existing program operations and expansion
  • Deepen and refine all aspects of communications—from web presence to external relations with the goal of creating a stronger brand
  • Use external presence and relationships to create new opportunities

Strategic Planning & New Business:

  • Design strategic business planning process for program expansion into new markets
  • Build partnerships in new markets, establishing relationships with the funders, and political and community leaders at each expansion site
  • Be an external local and international thought leader, publishing and communicating program results with an emphasis on the successes of the local program as a model for replication

 

Qualifications

The Executive Director will be committed to RainCatcher’s mission. All candidates should have proven leadership, fundraising, coaching, and relationship management experience. Concrete demonstrable experience and other qualifications include:

  • Advanced degree, ideally an MBA with a focus in international development; track record of effectively leading and regionally and/or nationally scaling a performance- and outcomes-based organization or project; ability to point to specific examples of having developed and operationalized strategies that have taken an organization to the next stage of growth
  • Experience working with an international nonprofit is required
  • Past success working with a Board of Directors with the ability to cultivate existing board member relationships and grow the Board
  • Fundraising experience is required, including a proven track record of diversifying fundraising sources and amounts
  • Experience working in unstable and developing countries managing staff, program delivery, and engaging local stakeholders
  • Unwavering commitment to quality programs and data-driven program evaluation
  • Excellence in organizational management with the ability to coach staff, manage, and develop high-performance teams, set and achieve strategic objectives, and manage a budget
  • 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
  • Travel to Malibu, CA and Africa as needed

 

Location:

RainCatcher is located in Malibu, CA. The Executive Director can work remotely from anywhere in the United States.

 

How to Apply:

Qualified applicants who are excited by the work of RainCatcher are encouraged to apply for the Executive Director role by sending their resume and cover letter to Cindy Joyce, CEO of Pillar Search, at cindy@pillarsearch.com.    Pillar Search and RainCatcher are committed to diversity and equality in employment, and encourage applications from women, ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities and all veterans.

 

 

Exciting Executive Search News! Pillar Has Placed New England ACH Association’s President & CEO!

Pillar's Search Success

Pillar Search is proud to have successfully partnered with New England Automated Clearing House Association (NEACH) on the search for their new President & CEO and to announce the placement of Sean Carter.

Based in Burlington, MA, NEACH is a non-profit association that helps members originate and receive ACH transactions, and provides products, services, education and marketing to increase the acceptance, use and quality of electronic transactions.

Reporting to the Board of Directors, Sean will work collaboratively with the Board of Directors to guide and implement the strategic direction of NEACH and its affiliates. As President & CEO, Sean will provide leadership within the organization to achieve its short- and long-term mission, strategies, goals and objectives, and to advocate the use of electronic payments within the financial services arena and to enable the Board of Directors to fulfill its governance function.

Sean joined NEACH in 1998, and is currently the Senior Vice President, Payments Strategies.  He played an integral role in the creation of the NEACH Payments Group, and has been responsible for the NEACH education and professional development efforts, and managing key strategic relationships for NEACH and the NEACH Payments Group.  Sean is currently serving his final term on the NACHA Rules and Operations Committee and his second term on NACHA’s Risk Management and Advisory Group. 

Hire the best! With over 20 years of experience, Pillar provides retained search and human resources consulting services for exceptional non-profits, foundations and select for-profit firms. A woman-owned business, Pillar is based in Boston, MA, and works on both a local and national level. To learn more about how Pillar can assist with your search needs, please contact Cindy Joyce at cindy@pillarsearch.com.

Hiring! The Search for the Director of Advancement for The Landing School of Boat Building & Design

Pillar's New Search

Pillar Search is pleased to announce the search for the first-ever Director of Advancement for The Landing School of Boat Building & Design in Arundel, Maine.  This is a truly unique and exciting role for an experienced Advancement professional with a passion for education and experience using innovative and varied fundraising techniques to build a culture of advancement that takes The Landing School to the next level.

 

This is a part-time role targeted at 12-20 hours per week initially, and the possibility to increase hours in the future. The Director of Advancement will have the flexibility to work remotely and visit the school 1-2 times per month.  

Overview:

“The Landing” is a short stretch of the Kennebunk River in Arundel, Maine where The Landing School is located. It was once an internationally famous shipbuilding area and the home of more than 20 shipbuilding firms dating back to the 1600’s. In December of 1978, the first class of 9 students at The Landing School launched a Chamberlain dory-skiff, reviving the boat building trade along The Landing.

 

Today, each of The Landing School’s ten-month-long programs culminates in a diploma for students who successfully complete their courses within the high standards set by the faculty. In 2009, the State of Maine Department of Education and The School’s accrediting agency, ACCSC, approved The Landing School as a degree-granting institution. A student who successfully completes two technical programs and 15 credit-hours of general education courses is eligible to receive an Associate’s degree. The Landing School has been recognized by ACCSC as a 2014 ACCSC School of Distinction / ACCSC School of Excellence.

 

Education from The Landing School reinforces and preserves traditional design and construction methods while advancing the art of boat building, design and maintenance through the integration of modern techniques and contemporary materials. The marine industry values this unique training and has lauded The Landing School internationally with a reputation for graduates of exceptional quality.

Brittany announcement The Landing School

 

The Landing School seeks students who are not “usual”, who are not satisfied with the status quo; they look for passionate students who imagine vividly and want to create cool things.  Their students have come from forty-one U.S. states and ten countries.  They are high school graduates, college graduates, second career seekers, veterans, and adult learners. 

 

Within the transformational environment of The Landing School students find strengths they had not imagined. The practical skills offered by our curriculum are designed to provide graduates not simply with a better job prospect but more importantly with a rewarding career in the marine industry as an innovative designer, boat-builder or systems technician. Graduates of The Landing School are able to work professionally on today’s vessels and imagine tomorrow’s, pushing the boundaries of the industry’s evolving technology while understanding and appreciating the rich maritime traditions of the past.

 

As an employer, The Landing School offers a supportive community of faculty, staff, and fellow students who all work together to regularly achieve the impossible.

 

For more information about The Landing School of Boat Building, please visit http://www.landingschool.edu.  

 

Location:

Like many of Maine’s coastal towns, Arundel (once part of neighboring Kennebunkport) first prospered as a shipbuilding center and fishing village, and later became a destination for summer residents. Today, Arundel is one of Southern Maine’s fastest growing communities. Its current population is approximately 4,200.  

The Opportunity:

The Director of Advancement will be the chief fundraiser, and as the first person in this role will create and implement an innovative and comprehensive fundraising program and culture of philanthropy throughout The Landing School. This will include broadening philanthropic funding by engaging students, parents, and alumni, and working with corporate donors and foundations, the community.

 

The Director of Advancement will report to the President of The Landing School. A key member of the executive team, this role will work closely with the board of trustees. Please note that this role will not directly manage staff.

 

Overview of the Ideal Candidate:  

The Director of Advancement will have a minimum of 10-15 years of experience in fundraising, including several years in senior leadership roles, and demonstrate the ability and vision to deliver results. Experience in multiple areas of fundraising is required, including annual fund, major giving, legacy gifts, grant writing, running capital campaigns, and creating a philosophy of lifelong giving in alumni.

 

The Director of Advancement will have the proven ability to advance a school or non-profit both internally and externally, and will be a skilled relationship building who is creative, outgoing, self-starter, motivated and engaging. The candidate must be comfortable working in a small organization and willing to wear many hats as needed.

 

A degree is required. Knowledge of the marine industry is strongly preferred.

 

The Landing School is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, national origin, disability status, or protected veteran status.

TLS 4

For Immediate Consideration:

This search is being managed by Pillar Search. To apply, please send your cover letter and resume, including salary requirements, to Cindy Joyce at cindy@pillarsearch.com.

 

With personalized service and proven results, Pillar is your partner in executive search and human resources consulting. With over 20 years of experience, Pillar provides national retained search services for exceptional non-profits and foundations and early-stage or rapid growth for-profit firms. All share the characteristic of desiring top talent who want an occupassion, not just an occupation.     In addition, Pillar offers human resources consulting services, which was born of clients requesting help on projects beyond executive search, and includes human resources audits, creating a handbook, assessing organizational design, training, team building, and employee communications.    A woman-owned business, Pillar is based in Boston, MA, and works on both a local and national level. To contact Pillar, please click here.

 

Another Successful Executive Search from Pillar for WildAid!

Pillar's Search Success

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Pillar Search is proud to have successfully partnered with WildAid on the search for their Managing Director of U.S. Operations and the placement of Rebekah Owen.

 

Founded in 1999, WildAid is an environmental organization based in San Fransisco, CA focused on reducing the demand for wildlife products. WildAid works with media, governments, celebrities and local partners and communities worldwide to make wildlife conservation a global priority.

 

As Managing Director of U.S. Operations, Rebekah will be responsible for recruiting and hiring all U.S. staff and managing their well-being. She will bring her experience and talent to bear on improving the global organization infrastructure to accommodate continued growth and geographic expansion. Rebekah will plan and lead the organization’s non-programmatic fundraising and non-programmatic organizational communications strategy. Additionally, she will serve as counsel on short- and long-term fundraising, financial, staffing, and administrative decisions.

 

Rebekah joins WildAid from Asante Africa, where she held the role of Chief Operating Officer. Prior roles include Executive Director, Business Management Operations and Strategy at Kaiser Permanente and Manager, Capital Planning and Analysis with Mervyn’s. Rebekah holds a MBA from University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business and an undergraduate degree from Georgetown University.

 

With personalized service and proven results, Pillar is your partner in executive search and human resources consulting. With over 20 years of experience, Pillar provides retained search services for exceptional non-profits and foundations and early-stage or rapid growth for-profit firms. A woman-owned business, Pillar is based in Boston, MA, and works on both a local and national level. To learn more about how Pillar can assist with your search needs, please contact Cindy Joyce at cindy@pillarsearch.com.

Executive Search Success! Announcing the New President of Yestermorrow Design/Build School

Pillar's Search Success

Pillar Search is proud to have successfully partnered with Yestermorrow Design/Build School on the search for their new President.

Yestermorrow Design/Build School welcomes Mike Crowley as its new President. Yestermorrow Design/Build School is a 501(c)3 non-profit educational organization located in the Mad River Valley of Vermont offering workshops, certificate programs and semester programs for adult students from around the country. Yestermorrow’s mission is to inspire people to create a better, more sustainable world by providing hands-on education that integrates design and craft as a creative, interactive process.  The intensive and experiential curriculum includes a wide variety of topics related to sustainable design, green building, architectural craft, and furniture making.

As President, Mike will be responsible for the fiscal, programmatic and functional health of the Yestermorrow, in addition to serving as the primary advocate for its mission and steward of its reputation.  As a school known for innovation, Mike will foster a culture of thinking outside the box and creative experimentation to help Yestermorrow continue to be a place of cutting-edge design education.

Mike joins Yestermorrow from the Institute for Sustainable Communities, where he held the role of Program Director, Resilient Regions Initiative. Prior roles included Climate and Sustainability Manager with Environmental Health & Engineering and Assistant Director of Harvard University’s Office for Sustainability. In addition, Mike was a professor of Planning for Carbon Neutrality at Harvard University Extension School. Mike holds a graduate degree in Environmental Science from Schumacher College/University of Plymouthand an undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies from University of Vermont.

With personalized service and proven results, Pillar is your partner in executive search and human resources consulting. With over 20 years of experience, Pillar provides national retained search services for exceptional non-profits and foundations and early-stage or rapid growth for-profit firms. All share the characteristic of desiring top talent who want an occupassion, not just an occupation.     In addition, Pillar offers human resources consulting services, which was born of clients requesting help on projects beyond executive search, and includes human resources audits, creating a handbook, assessing organizational design, training, team building, and employee communications.    A woman-owned business, Pillar is based in Boston, MA, and works on retained searches both a local and national level. To learn more about how Pillar can assist with your search needs, email cindy@pillarsearch.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Landing a Job With Your Professional “Crush”

We’ve all seen them: The job posting that grabs your attention and you cannot get it out of your mind because it is your dream job. Be it working for a cause you adore, as part of a celebrity nonprofit whose founder you admire, on a fantastic product team, or with an artist who you are a huge fan of, the dream job does not have to be merely a dream. Before zipping off your resume, take a deep breath and follow some of these tips to ensure that you showcase your killer talents and skills in the best light. Drumroll, please:

 

  • Look at the job description very closely. If it is truly a match, pass go, collect $200, and apply immediately! If not, think before you apply. I have done searches for a celebrity-related organizations, rock star status money managers, and arts organizations that receive literally hundreds of unsolicited resumes each week because people are so excited to work there, but for the most part they are not a match in terms of experience fit.  Sending a resume to a job that you are not qualified for will not get the results you want. Wait for a job that fits your skills, as the competition for these “sexy” positions will be fierce.
  • Research the role and the company or organization. Go beyond their website. Who do they partner with? Are they on social media? Do they do a signature event? Check out similar organizations as well. If it is a non-profit, look at Guidestar. If it is a for-profit, check out their annual report. See what press is available about them so that when you craft the cover letter, and hopefully when you have an interview, you can demonstrate that you walk the walk and talk the talk.
  • Write a thoughtful cover letter that highlights your skills and what makes you the ideal candidate. In the cover letter, do not tell the designer that you love her shoes. Do not tell the movie star that you loved their latest movie. They have fans. They need an Executive Director, PR pro, Personal Assistant, or whatever role they have open. Their focus will be on the person who is best equipped to fill that need, not on the one who is most star-struck.
  • If it is a mission-based organization (i.e., nonprofit or foundation), you can and should share if you are a believer in their cause and how their mission resonates with you, but be sure to temper it. Human Resources and Executive Recruiting firms will see right through if it is not sincere. I know someone who worked in the marketing area of a Major League Baseball team’s charitable foundation and she applied despite the fact that she despised baseball. She shared with me that she adored their mission and the work they did with children’s health and education and said she was willing to “put up” with the baseball to get the job working on a cause she loved. That kind of passion shines through.
  • Do not use social media to announce that you are interviewing with a company or organization. It happened during a search and let’s just say that it was not viewed kindly. Organizations with celebrity and/or brand name affiliation will expect discretion.
  • Most importantly, be yourself. Yes, this may be a dream job, and you are probably chomping at the bit to get it, but be real. Be you. I have seen finalists in incredibly competitive searches who meet with the top person or board hiring committee and do incredibly well by relaxing, letting their guard down, and showing their true and talented self.

 

Best of luck in your job search!

 

Cindy Joyce, Founder, Pillar Search