GECF: The GE Chamber Foundation (GECF) is committed to strengthening and supporting long-term sustainability of small businesses in Greater Englewood and all across the southside. GECF prioritizes Black/LatinX small business owners by amplifying their needs, finding solutions that build their organizational capacity, while supporting the surrounding community. We are working to transform the economic landscape by addressing systemic racial policies and processes that creates barriers for businesses of color.

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Established in 2018, with a mission to assist member businesses by:

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• Sharing new ideas & best practices among new & existing business owners that are aimed at

driving forward the financial goals of businesses within the community

• Showcasing the neighborhood businesses financial viability which supports & builds upon the

robust fiscal relationships within the community gained from marketing, networking & local

tourism opportunities

• Be an advocate for member businesses by providing information about resources available from

other member businesses, community members and various City of Chicago agencies

The Chamber is a deliberate and strategic effort to rewrite Englewood's economic story; one small

business at a time!

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Position Overview

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The Associate Director partners closely with the Executive Director to chart GECF’s strategic response to organizational and sector challenges and plays a critical role as counselor, advisor and strategic thought-partner for the Executive Director. The Associate Director also works to create high engagement from staff, board and member organizations and to resolve day to-day issues before they reach the Executive Director.

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As the supervisor of most senior staff, the right candidate will be a mission-focused, seasoned, strategic, and process-minded leader with experience developing a culture of learning and continuous improvement among a group of diverse, talented individuals. They must have the skills, sensitivity, and personal confidence to tap into the power that each member of the team brings to GECF’s mission; this is ultimately a supporting role that helps other colleagues succeed. The role requires significant independence, analytical skills, strong relationship building, ample people and project management experience, flexibility, agility, and discretion.

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Title: Associate Director, GE Chamber Foundation

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Organizational Leadership:

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• Provide effective and inspiring leadership by being actively involved in all programs and services, developing a broad and deep knowledge of their purpose, role and contributions to the organization.

• Serve as an advisor and co-strategist to the executive director, providing sound counsel and confidentiality.

• Ensure GECF’s external programming and internal culture, policies and practices align with the organization’s commitment to diversity, inclusion and engagement.

• Provide a supportive day-to-day leadership presence for staff.

• Work with and support the executive director and program manager to develop and implement strategies around communications, marketing, membership, website and database.

• Organizational Strategy, Planning and Road-mapping: With the Executive Director, develop long and short terms plans for program and advocacy strategy, decision making, grant management, monitoring, evaluation, and forecasting performance, setting short- and long-term priorities.

• Teams: With the Executive Director develop and lead implementation of professional development strategies, including hiring, onboarding and training, coaching and mentoring, and performance management. Provide supervision consistent with Chicago Cares’ supervision philosophy.

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Planning:

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• Participate as a member of the fundraising team and assist with increasing fundraising abilities of organization including: identification and analysis of prospects, creation of content and materials to support fundraising activities, and representing organization at external fundraising events and meetings.

• Oversee and analyze success and challenges with current programs and services. In collaboration with the leadership team, design and develop program offerings and metrics based on analysis, in accordance with strategic plan, and in support of organization’s mission, to increase depth and breadth of impact.

• Develop long-term strategies for organizational staffing and structure that ensure GECF’s current and future needs are met.

• Diversify & continuously align program and grant-making design and execution, partner relationship management and cultivation, and community relations strategy. Innovate on existing tactics and implement new tactics that strengthen program and grant-making design and execution, partner relationship management and cultivation, and community relations activities. Forecast and respond to the landscape, adapting strategies to be responsive.

• Program Development: Diversify & continuously align program and grant-making design and execution, partner relationship management and cultivation, and community relations strategy. Innovate on existing tactics and implement new tactics that strengthen program and grant-making design and execution, partner relationship management and cultivation, and community relations activities. Forecast and respond to the landscape, adapting strategies to be responsive.

• Program Management: Manage the organization’s programs, including regularly reviewing impact-driven outputs and outcomes, and providing annual projections for activities, benchmarks and grant-reporting. Lead efforts to set annual programmatic priorities, conduct regular evaluation of programs to achieve impact.

• Program Oversight: Oversee the program and grant-making functions of the organization, inclusive of their administration, including monitoring, analyzing and forecasting to ensure GECF’s health and vitality, business development, and needed structures and systems are in place.

• Data Management & Evaluation: Ensure necessary data is provided to the Board and leadership accurately and within the requested timeline, and that requests from Board, staff, and/or funders are responded to in a timely manner. Leverage data to evaluate and inform efforts related to organizational health and sustainability, compliance, benchmarking, planning and forecasting.

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Supervision:

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• Lead, coach, develop, and retain senior-level employees.

• Develop staff using a supportive and collaborative approach: assign accountabilities; set objectives; establish priorities; and monitor and evaluate ongoing progress toward goals and overall performance.

• Promote a culture of high performance and continuous improvement that values learning and a commitment to quality.

• Provide mentorship and guidance, and alleviate and address individual and group concerns as necessary.

• Ensure staff members receive timely and appropriate training and development.

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Special Projects and Initiatives:

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• Lead development, planning, implementation, and analysis of special projects and initiatives as needed.

• Provide cross-functional supervision to staff members who have assignments that support special projects.

• Perform analysis and strategic consultation on major issues impacting the organization; and prepare briefings, memos, or presentations to communicate findings.

 

Other:

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• Attend and participate in Board and Executive Committee meetings.

• Represent the organization externally, including speaking at public events and meetings.

• Help to create an inclusive and welcoming environment for all individuals in regards to diversity which may include geography, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, immigration status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender, sex, age, ability and religion.

• Perform other job duties as assigned.

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Relationship Responsibilities:

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• Public Relations: Continuously develop expertise, visibility and positionality necessary to ensure GECF’s leadership. Represent GECF at external functions, including local, regional, national forums.

• Partner Development: Manage key strategic organizational relationships with members, Board of Directors members and organizational stakeholders. Strategically communicate with and steward strategic partners to ensure GECF’s goals are met.

• Partner Accountability: Ensure strategic partner needs are met through the entire lifecycle of their relationship with GECF, serving as a navigator and advisor to organizations to support they're capacity building needs.

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Competencies Needed

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• Agility, ability to simultaneously build and sustain efforts responsively

• Change-positive leadership, embracing innovation, creativity, and risk-taking

• Steadiness and stability under pressure

• Start-up savvy and entrepreneurial competencies, able to deliver strategy and activity

• Comfort with discomfort and willingness to embrace ambiguity, tension and conflict

• Structural lens needed for ground-up, behind the scenes organizational development

• Process and detail-oriented

• Commitment to developing an Anti-racist lens and practice

• Accountability, transparency and candor, a willingness to say and hear no, to take feedback

productively, push back and engage in productive conflict

• Emotional intelligence, cultural competence, and diplomacy, especially in thoughtful and

balanced communication

• Authenticity, self-awareness and self-knowledge, including of strengths and a sense of humor

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Requirements

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• 3+ years of progressive leadership and/or managerial experience in nonprofit organization

• Prior, proven leadership and management experience in job-related functional expertise:

capacity building, operations, human resources and financial management

• Experience in strategic planning, project management, financial management, staff supervision and development, and leading key internal strategic initiatives.

• Strong record of leading key organizational functions and teams with a targeted focus on

continuous improvement.

• Demonstrated commitment to GECF’s mission and to social, economic, racial justice

• Strong familiarity with Chicago’s BIPOC communities and nonprofit ecosystem

• Critical race analysis as it relates to BIPOC communities and nonprofit ecosystem

• Exceptional interpersonal skills that demonstrate the ability to build innovative, creative and strong relationships with individuals and groups from diverse cultural, ethnic, and geographic backgrounds.

• Ability to build strong relationships with small nonprofit organizations

• Demonstrated ability and commitment to collaborate with diverse stakeholders in a way that prioritizes partner organization development and builds organizational capacity

• Excellent written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills with ability to make effective oral presentations to large and small groups in a culturally competent manner.

• Excellent PC skills, including Google Apps Suite and Microsoft Suite.

• Ability to take initiative, work independently, meet deadlines and handle multiple projects in a rapidly changing start-up environment – including interruptions and adjustments to priorities

• Ability to apply creativity and flexibility; strong problem solving, quantitative and analytical abilities.

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Required Hours

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Generally, Monday through Friday 8:30am to 6:30pm, 40 hours per week, including evening and weekend hours (as programming is scheduled, Chamber events, meetings with key stakeholders, etc.) will be necessary for this role. Much of the work will take place in Greater Englewood. Flexibility to work remotely and with adjusted schedule to accommodate work/life balance.

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Working Conditions

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Work is currently performed in office and may eventually be performed virtually or a hybrid of both.

Must be able to work in an open office setting with moderate noise levels.

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Compensation

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A unique opportunity to build strong, resilient small businesses all across the South Side. An outstanding chance to partner with community leaders. A competitive compensation package including salary, paid-time-off benefits and professional development opportunities. The base salary for the position is $57,000 annually.

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The GE Chamber Foundation provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants

for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or

expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. In addition to federal

law requirements, GE Chamber Foundation complies with applicable state and local laws governing

nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which it has facilities. This policy applies to all

terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination,

layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

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Please submit cover letter and resume to gtech@gechamber.com

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