Searching for a challenging career opportunity reaping bountiful rewards? 

Look no further… the OUDC Executive Director position offers this and so much more. 

Founded in 1995, Operation Understanding DC (OUDC) is a nonprofit organization that operates a transformative leadership and cultural education program for high school students from the Washington, DC metropolitan area. As a small organization, with a distinguished record for promoting life changing and enduring values, our mission is to build a community of youth leaders who promote respect, understanding and cooperation, while working to eradicate racism, anti-Semitism and other forms of discrimination within the broader community. 

The Black and Jewish communities, through a relationship that has endured for many decades, remain at the forefront of the social justice movement in America. These groups have worked, separately and together, to end religious and racial bias and build a diverse and inclusive community. Inspired by this legacy, OUDC was founded to strengthen this time-honored alliance where students can learn about the history, culture and diversity among both groups. The program is open to all students, regardless of ethnicity, gender, race or religion. The central focus, however, promotes viewing historical and current events through the lens of the Black and Jewish experience. 

OUDC has earned an excellent reputation and is positioned to increase its leadership locally and nationally in the inclusion and anti-discrimination education and training fields, building on its core experiential, youth education and training model. 

For more information about Operation Understanding DC, visit www.oudc.org 

Position 

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director (ED) will have overall strategic and operational responsibility for OUDC staff, fundraising, programs, expansion, and execution of its core mission. The incoming Executive Director will work closely with the Board to elevate OUDC’s work and respond to the moment that we are experiencing as a country. The Executive Director will collaborate with the Board to develop a strategic vision for the coming years and will support the execution of that vision through targeted fundraising and resource development. 

Salary Range: $70,000-$80,000, commensurate with experience, plus benefits packet. 

Responsibilities 

Leadership & Management: 

• Ensure ongoing operational excellence in areas of administration, finance and communication; 
• Lead, coach, monitor, foster teamwork and retain OUDC’s staff by cultivating and sustaining a positive, healthy working environment; 
• Document, oversee and preserve records and intellectual property of the organization; 
• Collaborate and advise with our engaged Board of Directors, serve as ex-officio on each Board committee, partner in the development of the strategic plan, provide a linkage with staff and identify, maintain and expand ongoing involvement opportunities with local community groups; 
• As a spokesperson, the ED would actively engage and energize OUDC volunteers, Board members, alumni, event committees, partnering organizations, and other stakeholders and funders. 

Fundraising and Communications: 

• Partner with Board of Directors to develop and implement a fundraising plan for the organization in order to cultivate individual donors, identify corporate partners, expand foundation funding, etc. to increase the organization’s revenue; 
• Collaborate with the Board, through the Board Treasurer, to prepare a comprehensive annual budget; 
• Communicate regularly with OUDC parents, alumni and other stakeholders; 
• Build new partnerships and develop special projects to establish relationships with funders and community leaders; 
• Deepen and refine all aspects of communication—including web presence and social media with the goal of creating a stronger footprint; 
• Use external presence and relationships to garner new opportunities by exploring online fundraising strategies and identifying other innovative approaches, such as non-monetary resource development. 

Planning & Vision: 

• Identify strategic opportunities to grow the program in support of the organization’s mission and vision on an ongoing basis; 
• Develop an operational plan to implement OUDC’s strategic vision; 
• Oversee the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the daily delivery of OUDC’s existing programs and services and plans for future programming; 
• Demonstrate expertise in program design, including designing theories of change, logic models, evaluation plans, establishing learning objectives, and curriculum development, etc.; 
• Continue to promote OUDC’s external local, regional and national presence that endorses, communicates and publishes programmatic activities, with an emphasis on the successes of the core program to meet the expectations of students, families, Board, funders and other stakeholders; 
• Expand outreach via the use of technology to emphasize the intrinsic value and successes of the organization. 

Qualifications 

• The Executive Director will be thoroughly committed to OUDC’s mission. 
• Candidate should have proven leadership, coaching, and relationship management experience. 
• Resides in or plans to relocate to the immediate DMV (District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia) area, with the resumption of in-person business and activities. 
• In addition, other proficiencies and concrete, demonstrable experiences include:
  • Undergraduate degree in the area of education, social work, American history, business or related fields is a prerequisite (Master’s degree or equivalent encouraged, but not required); 
  • At least 3-5 years of senior management experience with a track record of effectively leading a performance- and outcome-based program; 
  • Experience supervising teams of five or more staff is preferred with demonstrated skills in managing virtual teams; 
  • Strong marketing, public relations, and fundraising experience with the ability to engage/collaborate with a wide range of stakeholders and diverse communities; 
  • Demonstrated experience with/command of issues related to social justice, civil and human rights, required; knowledge about Black and Jewish U.S. History, specifically, a plus; 
  • Unwavering commitment to quality programs, data-driven program evaluations/outcomes, and ongoing learning related to diversity, equity and inclusion; 
  • 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; 
  • Past success working with an advisory board, planning committee, or Board of Directors with the ability to cultivate existing board/committee member relationships and help recruit new members to the Board; 
  • Demonstrated sound written and verbal communication skills—a persuasive and passionate communicator with excellent interpersonal abilities and proficiency in social media and conducting virtual meetings. 
  • o Passion, idealism, integrity, positive attitude, mission driven and self-directed. 

Please send a resume, a thoughtful and concise cover letter, and a short writing sample (500 words or less) addressing the following question: What does Social Justice mean to you in 2021? Submit complete packet* to: resumes@oudc.org, by COB Friday, February 19, 2021. Subject line: OUDC Executive Director Search. 

*Note: Only complete application packets, including all required documents and submission by the deadline, will be given consideration. 

OUDC is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. 

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