Chief Executive Officer

Chief Executive Officer

Washington, D.C. (negotiable)

For over two decades, NSC has developed and successfully deployed a four-part strategy focused on changing how America invests in its people. This strategy sets NSC apart from any other national workforce organization.

Jobs that require skills training are the backbone of our economy. National Skills Coalition (NSC) fights for a national commitment to inclusive, high-quality skills training so that more people have access to a better life, and more local businesses see sustained growth. 

NSC’s next leader will have the opportunity to leverage the organization’s history of thoughtful, bipartisan, cross-sector policy advocacy and to chart its path forward for the coming decades.

National Skills Coalition seeks a strategic, open-minded, and visionary leader who believes that more people will have access to a better life, and more local businesses will see sustained growth, if inclusive skills training is central to workforce, education, and anti-poverty policies.  This entrepreneurial individual will have at least 15 years of executive experience and bring leadership characterized by a visionary outlook and organizational savvy; the propensity to increase the visibility and philanthropic resources for the organization; the ability to garner broad external support around advocacy efforts; extraordinary success creating strong, effective, collaborative teams; and the fortitude to carry forward major new projects and initiatives in the interest of spurring further impact.  This leader’s experience will be grounded in a deep commitment to racial equity and an understanding of the issues confronting marginalized workers.

External Relations & Advocacy.  The ideal candidate will have strong experience working with coalitions of nonprofit, labor, business, and government leaders to build support for key policy efforts and campaigns.  Experience working with federal and state-level elected leadership and their staff is highly desirable. Demonstrated success conceptualizing, developing, and executing advocacy and policy campaign strategies, and lobbying to success, is a must. As a result, the candidate we seek will possess the highest level of oral, written, and interpersonal communication abilities to effectively engage a broad range of individuals and organizations including the Board, staff, coalition partners, funders, professional colleagues, public officials, and the media. The next CEO must be comfortable speaking with the press and serving as a key spokesperson of the organization across various platforms and venues.

Funding and Relationship Development. The successful candidate will have a strong background in philanthropic revenue development, particularly with respect to foundation relations.  This leader will have a track record of success in securing significant resources through a relationship-based approach on behalf of an organization’s success. They will have experience developing and leading fundraising strategy and implementation, including cultivating, building, and maintaining enduring relationships with high level funders.  An understanding of the funding environment and key resources, as well as a metrics/deliverables-based approach to delivering on grant funded initiatives is preferred.  Direct experience working with leadership, Board, and other stakeholders to build new philanthropic and business relationships is expected.

Network and Coalition Building. The next CEO must have a proven ability and experience to drive impact through collaborating with and convening diverse stakeholders including workers, students, employers, public officials, labor unions, and educational institutions as well as business, federal, state, and local government, and nonprofit partners sharing common interests and values.  The successful candidate will be a natural networker and will demonstrate the ability to forge relationships at both organizational and individual levels, to advance NSC’s culture of organizational convening and facilitation of professional connections.

Staff Development and Nurturing Positive Internal Culture. This leader will have the ability to inspire and motivate a large and diverse staff, and a have proven track record of leading successful strategies to identify, recruit, develop, and retain talent. The successful candidate will have a proven ability and desire to advance a healthy and diverse relational culture, with a democratic leadership approach that enhances a shared sense of mission, mutual trust, respect, and pride in NSC’s work and values.

Leadership qualities possessed by the incoming leader include:

Commitment to Racial Equity. A track record of advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in a multicultural organization, and the ability to work with NSC’s staff team and Board to help identify barriers and ways to continually deepen NSC’s efforts to incorporate equity into all NSC initiatives, both external and internal, is required.

Knowledge and Expertise.  Knowledge of the workforce and higher education policy arena (or adjacent arenas) is strongly required. Candidates will ideally have experience in policy and/or practice in workforce development.

Personal Attributes. Along with these skills, some of the important personal attributes we seek include approachability, authenticity, adaptability, integrity, humility, emotional intelligence, good listening skills, transparency, and a sense of humor.

The salary range for the position is $250,000-$275,000, commensurate with experience. NSC offers an exceptional, comprehensive set of benefits including health, life and disability, 401(k) retirement plan, and generous paid time off.

To apply, please send a current resume and letter of introduction to Kittleman & Associates,

LLC at https://apptrkr.com/4285107.

For more information about National Skills Coalition, please visit https://nationalskillscoalition.org/