The Santa Ynez Valley Community Aquatics Foundation is building something transformative, and this is a defining moment in our journey. With real momentum behind us and an ambitious vision ahead, we are excited to grow our team. We are seeking an Executive Director to help lead this next chapter. This is a rare opportunity to shape a legacy project that will serve our community for generations.
If you are a driven, visionary leader ready to make a meaningful impact, we invite you to explore this opportunity with us.
Santa Ynez Valley Community Aquatics Foundation
Executive Director
Anticipated Start Date: Mid-August
Status: Contract / fractional, ~20-25 hrs/week (flexing up around campaign milestones and the Joint Use Agreement negotiations)
Reports to: Board of Directors
Compensation: Fractional/interim executive rate $100-150 DOE (to be set by board)
Purpose: Provide executive leadership through the close of the Foundation’s capital campaign for a two-pool aquatics complex on the SYV High School campus and the Foundation’s transition into an ongoing fundraising-and-grants engine supporting the four-party partnership with the High School District and the cities of Buellton and Solvang.
This is an entry-level executive director position with the opportunity to grow over time. The position emphasis is on operations, advocacy and communications, with development responsibilities being handled primarily by the Development Director.
This position will run the Foundation’s day-to-day operations — execute the campaign close and build the durable annual/sustaining program that will support the aquatics complex and its programming into the future. This a new, elevated role: from short-term task execution to ownership of advocacy, marketing and communications, rituals and records compliance and ensuring the execution of the ongoing development program in conjunction with the Development Director.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead the strategy to close the capital campaign.
- Hold the Foundation’s relationship with the JUA partners (District, Buellton, Solvang); represent the Foundation in partnership governance and communications.
- Lead or support development of the four-party action plan and the JUA approval timeline.
- Plan and execute a community and key stakeholder outreach strategy and associated events. Manage the ongoing communications and marketing activities with key stakeholders and the community.
- Supervise development staff and contractors.
- Partner with the board on governance, gift-acceptance policy, restricted-fund handling, and accountability for philanthropy flowing into a public partnership.
- Design and launch the Foundation’s post-campaign sustaining model (annual fund + recurring grants program).
- Manage tax and compliance reporting required by state and federal entities.
- Plan and execute routine and special meetings of the board and other team members. Create and maintain management tools such as timelines, execution schedules and responsible parties.
Qualifications:
- Nonprofit executive and/or senior marketing and communications leadership experience.
- Capital campaign experience, ideally through close.
- Comfort working with public-sector partners (school districts, municipalities, joint-use / JPA-style agreements) and private sector partners and donors.
- Prior major-gifts and donor-relationship experience a plus.
- Prior fractional/interim leadership experience a plus.
https://www.syvaquatics.org/about
To Apply:
Please email your resume and cover letter to syvaquatics@gmail.com along with any case studies, work samples or references you see fit. The position will remain open until a candidate is selected.
Application Process:
- Screening Interview
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- Campaign Coordinator & Community Outreach Chair
- Development Director
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- Board Interview Series
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- Board President
- Board Vice President
- Board Treasurer
- Board Programming Director
- Reference Screening
Anticipated Selection & Start Date: Mid-August
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