Executive Director

The Venture Out Project
Northampton, MA

About The Venture Out Project

Founded in 2014 by Perry Cohen, The Venture Out Project (TVOP) is
considered to be the preeminent LGBTQ+ outdoor adventure
organization. With a mission to make the outdoors more accessible
and safer for LGBTQ+ people, TVOP offers guided outdoor adventure
trips for LGBTQ+ people as well as LGBTQ+ educational programming
to both LGBTQ+ and ally organizations. In 2015, Perry began leading
backcountry trips for the LGBTQ+ community in Western
Massachusetts. Since then, TVOP has grown to be a national
organization that leads hikes and backcountry trips around the
country with the support of nearly every major outdoor retailer in
the US. In addition, TVOP owns and operates a property in southern
Vermont where TVOP hosts “front country” events.

Learn more about The Venture Out Project at https://www.ventureoutproject.com.

The Opportunity

At an exciting time of transition, TVOP seeks an inspiring and
mission-driven Executive Director to join their organization to
define its next era of operation and growth. Understanding the
healing properties of life outdoors and motivated to create access
points to connect in nature, this new leader will have the
opportunity to build on over a decade of success while imagining
new ways to create meaningful programs and events to serve the
LGBTQ+ community.

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director will
work in partnership with TVOP’s staff, partners, and volunteers to
ensure the organization meets all strategic goals and objectives in
accordance with their mission. With a person-first approach, the
Executive Director will play a pivotal role in steering the
organization’s course, exercising leadership over all programs and
administrative functions while leveraging the expertise and talents
of staff.

Candidate Profile

We recognize that there is a spectrum of lived and professional
experience that will set candidates up for success in this role.
While no one candidate will have every experience outlined in the
position profile, ideal candidates will display many of the
following professional and personal qualities, skills, and
characteristics:

Operations Excellence, Business Acumen, and Fundraising
Capability
This leader will bring a keen understanding of organizational
efficiency and effectiveness. This involves streamlining processes,
implementing best practices, and ensuring that day-to-day
operations align with the organization’s mission and goals. The
Executive Director will have well-honed financial skills in
management of a nonprofit organization with oversight of fiscal
operations and previous success cultivating individual and
corporate donors. Past success in working collaboratively with and
reporting to a Board of Directors is key. The Executive Director
should be adept at managing resources efficiently, diversifying
funding streams, and ensuring financial sustainability.

Visionary Leader with a Strategic Mindset
The Executive Director will be a visionary leader with the capacity
to create a clear vision, building upon the foundation of TVOP’s
success and seizing new opportunities to deepen impact while
remaining responsive to ever changing needs of the LGBTQ+
community. Making sure that TVOP’s programs remain accessible, they
will be a big-picture and strategic thinker with the ability to
develop, coach, and mentor staff to achieve strategic goals. In
collaboration with TVOP staff, the Executive Director will ensure
alignment of Operations, Finance, Administration, and Human
Resources to establish and implement annual goals and objectives to
achieve TVOP’s mission.

Passion for the Mission with a JEDI Lens
Living and breathing the ethos of inclusivity and diversity, the
Executive Director will embody a passionate commitment to creating
a space where everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation or
gender identity, feels welcomed and celebrated. This leader will
channel that same commitment towards fostering a supportive and
empowering environment for the LGBTQ community at TVOP and the
clients they serve. This new leader will bring a wealth of
knowledge in developing programs and services that ensure the
emotional and physical safety of TVOP’s clients and the enhancement
of the LGBTQ+ community’s well-being. Grounded in principles of
anti-racism, the Executive Director will be a beacon of integrity,
unwavering in their commitment to advancing justice, equity,
diversity, and inclusion within the organization and the broader
community.

Collaborative Leader and Manager
The Executive Director will be an empathetic and inclusive leader
who possesses a high degree of emotional intelligence with the
ability to foster an atmosphere of partnership across the
organization. This executive will inspire a powerful sense of
shared purpose in others and motivate them to engage in the
opportunities and challenges ahead, promoting staff growth and
development. This self-aware leader will engender trust in building
strong team relationships through collaborative management that
extends across the organization. The Executive Director should be
skilled in recruiting, developing, and retaining talented staff
while fostering a sense of belonging and shared purpose.

Excellent Communicator and Relationship Builder
Humble, warm, and approachable, the Executive Director will have
the ability to develop meaningful and authentic relationships with
staff, clients, corporate partners, donors, the Board, and
collaborators. An excellent listener, the Executive Director will
ensure that all constituents are heard and feel valued. As a leader
supporting and experienced within the LGBTQ+ community, this
individual will have the emotional agility to switch between
environments quickly and create a deep sense of trust with a
diverse range of constituents. It is imperative that the Executive
Director be an excellent and persuasive communicator with
exceptional written, verbal, interpersonal, and presentation
skills, and the ability to foster an inclusive atmosphere where all
voices are acknowledged.

Compensation & Benefits

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. The salary
range for this role is $110,00-130,000 with a generous benefits
package.

Contact

Koya Partners, the executive search firm that specializes in
mission-driven search, has been exclusively retained for this
engagement. Express interest in this role by filling out our

Talent Profile or email [email protected]. All
inquiries and discussions will be considered strictly
confidential.

Koya Partners is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to
individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified
individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing
interest online, please email [email protected].
If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional
information regarding how to request an accommodation for the
interview process.

The Venture Out Project is an equal opportunity employer and
strongly encourages applications from people of color, persons with
disabilities, women, and LGBTQ+ applicants.

About Koya Partners l Diversified Search Group

Koya Partners, a Diversified Search Group company, is the nation’s
premier search firm dedicated to mission-driven leadership. Since
its founding in 2004, Koya has had an exclusive focus on
mission-driven clients and was founded on the belief that the right
leader can transform an organization and have a deep and measurable
impact on our world. Koya works with nonprofits & NGOs,
responsible businesses, and social enterprises in local communities
and around the world.

Diversified Search Group is consistently recognized by Forbes on
its top 10 list of “America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms” and
is an industry leader in recruiting transformational leaders for a
changing world. The firm is deliberately different in its approach,
with best-in-class teams who have decades of experience in
cultivating inclusive leaders, understanding the dimensions of
diversity, and building equitable teams.

Learn more about Koya Partners l Diversified Search Group via the
firm’s
website.

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