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Executive Director

Young Chicago Authors Invites Applications for Executive Director Position

Founded in 1991, Young Chicago Authors encourages self-expression and literacy among Chicago's youth through creative writing, performance and publication. YCA provides student-centered, artist-led workshops to youth ages 13-19 in schools and communities. Our process emphasizes artistic development, mentorship, and creating safe spaces where a young person's life matters. We believe that through their words, young people can promote tolerance and remove barriers to transform their lives and society.

Young Chicago Authors' Executive Director oversees, manages and is responsible for the organization's administration, operations and programs. The ED ensures that YCA programs are high quality, engaging to youth, artistically challenging and in keeping with progressive educational practices. Working closely with YCA's Board, staff, and stakeholders, the ED ensures that YCA programs and initiatives are coherent, diverse, and responsive to YCA's mission and needs.

The Executive Director is responsible for maintaining a healthy sense of collective community, artistic excellence and youth development mentorship throughout all YCA programs and constituents. S/he understands the organization's mission and vision, and can articulate it to parents, youth, funders, and community and school partners.

With Board oversight and support, the ED is responsible for the organization's budgets, financial record keeping and planning, including cash flow projections, payroll, tax reporting, and annual audits; and determining salaries with Board approval.

Oversight of YCA's operations includes working closely with and getting input from youth, teaching artists, staff, Board, parents, funders, community and school partners; recruitment, hiring, management and evaluation of teaching artists and/or program managers; and organizational functions such as program development, and strategic planning. S/he communicates program strategies and outcomes with the community of YCA supporters, the arts education field locally and nationally, and the Board of Directors.

S/he works closely with YCA Development Director to communicate YCA funding needs and report on progress; develop relationships with supporters and donors; develop grant proposals for government, foundation and corporate funders. S/he is also responsible for working with staff to synthesize information from evaluations and documentation in order to improve YCA operations.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in related field & at least five years work experience in youth, arts and/or educational settings with youth from diverse racial / ethnic / economic communities;
• Extensive management experience in youth arts non-profit;
• Extensive experience in fiscal management, budgeting, and financial planning;
• Experience working with a Board of Directors and as a liaison with staff and Board;
• Commitment to YCA mission and youth-centered educational practices;
• Experience with organizational strategic planning processes;
• Experience with grant-writing, fundraising, special events and major donor giving;
• The ability to coordinate and manage multiple project schedules, working with youth, community partners, teaching staff and organizational stakeholders;
• Excellent written and oral communications skills;
• Accuracy, organization, attention to detail and ability to meet deadlines;
• Background in literary arts preferred;
• Familiarity with Quickbooks or other accounting software preferred;
• Working knowledge of the Chicago youth arts community and national knowledge of field.

Benefits include health insurance; salary commensurate with experience.

To apply, please email a cover letter and resume by May 9, 2008 to: ycasearch@youngchicagoauthors.org

Letter can be made to the attention of Lisa Lee and Julie Parson Nesbitt, Co-Chairs, Board of Directors.