Executive Director
The Organization
Travelers Aid’s mission is to provide low-income individuals and families throughout Allegheny County and additional key locations in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania with access to health, education and community services, places of safety and employment opportunities through the position of transportation assistance. Travelers Aid accomplishes this mission by securing funding from public and private sources and networks with local health care and social service providers to provide public transportation options for qualifying patients and clients. Funding supports transportation programs for veterans, women/infants/children, victims of domestic violence, former offenders, and stranded travelers. Travelers Aid transportation programs provide safe access to medical/behavioral health appointments, domestic violence shelters, employment and job training opportunities, youth programs and many more.
Travelers Aid currently networks with over 100 local organizations to provide over $4 million of transportation to an average of 7,200 individuals per month. Travelers Aid provides accountability of transportation funding to the sources by verifying medical appointments kept, jobs secured, interviews attended as well as Behavioral Health services accessed. The organization has since developed partnerships with the Department of Human Services in Allegheny County and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Medical Assistance Transportation, the Office of Children, Youth and Families, the Office of Behavioral Health, Labor & Industry, the Department of Corrections, as well as a plethora of foundations, human services, and medical providers. Traveler’s Aid receives funding support from the United Way of Southern Pennsylvania and various local foundations.
Learn more at: https://www.travelersaidpgh.org/
The Opportunity
The Executive Director will have a passion for transit equity and for ensuring that all residents of Allegheny County can get to where they need to go. Responsible for a budget of over $6 million, the new Executive Director must show a demonstrated commitment to the sustainability and growth of Travelers Aid’s initiatives and programs, representing the organization with integrity and exemplary interpersonal skills at all times. The Executive Director will report to a 12 member Board of Directors while having overall strategic and operational responsibility for the organization.
Travelers Aid seeks a leader with a deep understanding of the operational needs of a growing nonprofit and one with empathy and compassion for the individuals and families served by the organization. Externally-focused with a strength in relationship-building and resource development, the Executive Director needs to be a strategic thinker who can elevate Travelers Aid’ visibility and priority-level within the community.
The Executive Director will be primarily responsible for the following:
Leadership & Management
- Assuring Travelers Aid effectively achieves its mission by providing leadership to the team. This includes day-to-day operations, staff supervision, and strategic planning.
- Ensuring ongoing excellence of programs and initiatives, rigorous program evaluation, and consistent quality of finance, investment management oversight and administration, fundraising, communications, and operations.
- Managing the staff with transparency and respect, creating a workplace that is professional and positive.
- Prioritizing a workplace that values professional development and career growth.
- Assessing the effectiveness of organizational programs through measurable, objective, and quantitative evidence and sharing data with appropriate stakeholders.
Development & Community Relations
- Creating and maintaining relationships with current philanthropic partners while also identifying and cultivating potential opportunities with other major donors.
- Growing fundraising efforts and overall dollars by directing development efforts, setting and achieving financial goals, and personally soliciting gifts.
- Identifying and engaging with key community leaders, forming strategic alliances, and regularly surveying the broad human services community to keep abreast of new thoughts and strategies.
- Overseeing brand strategy; ensuring messaging is cohesive and impactful. Deepening and refining all aspects of communications – from web presence to external relations – with the goal of creating a stronger brand.
- Representing Travelers Aid and its brand messaging to the public, the private sector, and government leaders while also being accessible to and cooperative with the media.
Board Relations
- Continuing the ongoing development and support of the Board of Directors.
- Understanding how to maximize the resources of the Board of Directors and seeking their involvement in policy decisions, fundraising, and strategic planning.
- Communicating effectively with the Board of Directors along with providing, in a timely and accurate manner, all information for the Board of Directors to function properly and to make informed decisions.
- Collaborating with Board of Directors leadership to develop, maintain, and execute the strategic plan for the future of the organization.
The Candidate
The new Executive Director will have passion for the mission of Travelers Aid as well as have demonstrated success with strategic planning, fundraising, organizational management, and program development in the nonprofit sector. With broad management experience and financial acumen, the successful candidate will have overall strategic and operational responsibility for the staff of Travelers Aid, programs, budget, and execution of its mission. Knowledge of poverty issues, and/or experience in human services is preferred.
Demonstrable experience, competencies, and qualifications include:
- Educational background that supports the required skills and competencies.
- Relevant experience in an organization with successful fundraising, marketing communications, and public relations.
- Past success working collaboratively with partners, including but not limited to corporate and business leaders, philanthropic leaders, like-minded organizational partners, and a Board of Directors.
- Interpersonal skills including the ability to motivate, negotiate, and persuade stakeholders into a course of action in a community context.
- Experience raising and enhancing the public profile of their organization. Confidence with public speaking before a wide range of professionals and community audiences.
- A strategic thinker: someone who can execute short and long-term strategic and operational plans while balancing day-to-day organizational priorities and goals.
- Strong cultural competency with deep experience working with diverse populations.
Performance Objectives
In the near term, the new Executive Director will continue to deliver outstanding outcomes while successfully addressing the following in the first 6-12 months:
- Become immersed in the programs and people of Travelers Aid to fully understand the breadth and depth of programming the organization as it currently stands.
- Take a critical lens to development and fundraising efforts. Establish a formal development program and fundraising goals.
- Prioritize marketing and public relations. Become an active and visible member of the community to spread the programming of Travelers Aid.
Compensation & Benefits
This position offers a competitive salary range of $150,000 - $165,000 and a progressive benefits package.
How to Apply
Travelers Aid of Pittsburgh has retained Nonprofit Talent to assist with this important organizational change process. Specific questions related to the position may be emailed to Michelle Pagano Heck, President, at Michelle@NonprofitTalent.com. Please direct all inquiries related to this position to Nonprofit Talent, and do not contact Travelers Aid of Pittsburgh.
Resume, position-specific cover letter, and salary expectations are due by December 18th, 2024 at 5pm. Materials may be uploaded here:
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