Executive Director
About the role
The Executive Director will lead United Black Fund of Greater Cleveland into its next chapter of stability, growth, and community impact. Reporting directly to the Board of Directors, this role oversees all aspects of the organization's operations, staff, programs, fiscal sponsorship, fundraising, partnerships, financial oversight, community engagement, and mission execution.
Responsibilities
Organizational Leadership and Operations: Provide overall leadership and management for UBF’s daily operations, staff, contractors, programs, fiscal sponsorship, administrative functions, and organizational priorities. Ensure clear systems, documented processes, accountability, consistent communication, and strong internal discipline.
Board Relations and Governance Support: Serve as the primary staff partner to the Board of Directors, supporting effective governance by providing timely information, clear recommendations, regular reports, and strong communication to the Board, Executive Committee, and board committees as appropriate.
Financial Oversight and Budget Management: Work closely with the Fractional CFO Team, Treasurer, Finance Committee, and Board to support financial stability, transparency, budgeting, forecasting, reporting, and compliance. Help ensure spending, contracts, reimbursements, payables, restricted funds, grants, and fiscal sponsorship activity are managed according to approved policies, internal controls, and sound nonprofit financial practices.
Fundraising and Revenue Development: Lead and execute UBF’s fundraising and revenue development strategy in partnership with the Board, Fund Development Committee, Development Coordinator, grant writing support, and community partners. Cultivate relationships with donors, funders, corporate partners, foundations, public agencies, and community stakeholders. Strengthen donor stewardship, fundraising systems, campaign coordination, revenue tracking, and a shared culture of fundraising across the organization.
Program Leadership and Community Impact: Provide leadership and oversight for UBF’s programs, including grant-making, fiscal sponsorship, the Center for Diverse and Thriving Organizations, and other community investment or capacity-building initiatives. Ensure programs are mission-aligned, well-managed, documented, measurable, and financially sustainable. Support program staff in tracking goals, outcomes, key performance indicators, participant feedback, reporting requirements, and community impact data.
Human Resources, Staff Supervision, and Performance: Supervise staff and contractors directly or through designated reporting structures. Partner with the Fractional HR Specialist to strengthen HR policies, onboarding, offboarding, employee relations, compliance, and performance management. Support, coach, direct, and hold people accountable while modeling respectful, transparent, mission-aligned leadership.
Requirements
Strong experience across nonprofit leadership, operations, financial oversight, program management, fundraising, governance support, staff leadership, and community engagement.
Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, business administration, public administration, social work, community development, public policy, finance, organizational leadership, or a related field. Master’s degree preferred.
Minimum of 8 to 10 years of progressive leadership experience, preferably in nonprofit, philanthropic, public sector, community development, social impact, or mission-driven organizations. Minimum of 3 to 5 years of senior management experience supervising staff, managing budgets, overseeing programs, and leading organizational operations.
Proven experience working with or reporting to a Board of Directors. Demonstrated experience with nonprofit operations, program management, financial oversight, fundraising, and community partnerships. Experience leading through transition, change management, organizational restructuring, or infrastructure development is strongly preferred.
Understanding of nonprofit finance, fiscal sponsorship structures, grant funding, restricted funds, compliance, reporting, and internal controls preferred. Experience in Greater Cleveland’s nonprofit, philanthropic, civic, business, or community ecosystem is strongly preferred. Experience working with Black-led, grassroots, community-based, or historically under-resourced organizations is preferred.
Skills and Competencies
Strong operational leadership with the ability to manage day-to-day execution while staying focused on long-term priorities.
Ability to translate board-approved direction into clear plans, workflows, goals, and outcomes.
Strong written, verbal, listening, presentation, and relationship-building skills.
Financial awareness and ability to understand budgets, financial reports, forecasts, internal controls, restricted funds, and sustainability issues.
Strong staff supervision skills, including the ability to support, coach, direct, and hold people accountable.
Ability to build effective relationships with donors, funders, board members, staff, contractors, partners, and community stakeholders.
Culturally competent, equity-minded leadership with a deep commitment to Black communities and historically underserved populations.
Comfort navigating transition, ambiguity, competing priorities, and organizational change.
Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills.
High level of organization and ability to manage multiple functions, timelines, and stakeholders.
High integrity, discretion, professionalism, emotional intelligence, and sound judgment.
Benefits
Full-time, exempt position based in Cleveland, Ohio.
Regular in-person presence for organizational leadership, board and committee meetings, funder meetings, community events, and partner engagement. Hybrid flexibility may be available, but this is not a fully remote position.
Standard business hours are Monday through Friday, with flexibility required for evening and occasional weekend commitments.
Starting salary for this position is $105,000, with final compensation commensurate with experience, qualifications, and the board-approved compensation structure.
Benefits may include paid time off, holidays, health and wellness benefits, retirement contributions, and professional development support, subject to final board-approved compensation and benefits offerings.
Equal Employment Opportunity
United Black Fund of Greater Cleveland is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are made without discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, national origin, ancestry, disability, veteran status, genetic information, pregnancy, citizenship status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.