Chief Executive Officer

Ruth’s List Florida seeks a Chief Executive Officer who is a strong, strategic leader and political operative.  The new leader should have a demonstrated ability to effectively manage a team to achieve ambitious goals in a dynamic and challenging environment.

Ruth’s List Florida comprises a 501(C)(4) organization, Ruth’s List Florida Action that houses a Political Action Committee (PAC), Ruth’s List Florida, Inc. It is the only organization dedicated to recruiting, training, and electing progressive, Democratic, pro-choice women candidates to state and local offices in Florida, with a focus on flipping the leadership in Tallahassee and building a vibrant bench of candidates from the local level. Started in 2008 by former Chief Financial Officer for the state of Florida, Alex Sink, Ruth’s List has established itself as an influential, highly reputable, and effective entity poised for continued growth and influence in the state.   With a budget of approximately $1 million and staff of eight, including fellows, this small organization has an outsized impact on Florida politics.

Leadership Opportunity

Working in partnership with the Board of Directors, donors, and constituents, the successful candidate will lead the organization by building on its current successes, growing its visibility, expanding a diverse membership, and increasing its resources. The successful candidate will help build a legacy with the organization by impacting the state’s political landscape through the cultivation and election of progressive women who are champions of reproductive freedom.

Responsibilities

• Leadership. Establishes an excellent working relationship with the Board of Directors through regular and transparent communications that include shared agreement about strategic goals and objectives and clearly defined roles and responsibilities for board and staff. Maintains an efficient process for addressing issues and opportunities related to strategy, resource development, governmental, political and ally partner relationships, finance and human resources. Demonstrated ability to recruit, train and develop staff to enable the organization to achieve its goals.

• Fundraising. Develops strategies and tactics to drive effective fundraising efforts. Diversifies the organization’s funding base beyond its major gifts program and successful events. Maintains and enhances the major gifts program, develops a robust foundation grant strategy, implements innovative small donor programs, including leveraging digital and social media to maximize geographic reach and to significantly increase small dollar donations.

• Candidate and Campaign Staff Recruitment and Training. Expands and delivers the organization’s successful and dynamic recruitment and training efforts. Identifies, assesses, cultivates and recruits talented women candidates for opportunities across the state for all levels of government. Develops strategies to construct candidate and campaign staff pipelines within all areas of the state. Delivers high impact training for campaign managers and staff.

• Communications. Develops and executes compelling strategies, consisting of internal and external communications for all stakeholder groups including candidates, donors, partner organizations, volunteers and the press. As the face of Ruth’s list, exhibits exceptional platform speaking skills, with the ability to deliver inspiring messaging to multiple constituencies. Excels at identifying compelling themes for membership and fundraising communications, including social media.

• Management and Operations. Builds teamwork in the management of staff and consultants to achieve organizational objectives. Responsibilities include fiscal and compliance oversight including budgeting, allocations of funding, filing of campaign finance reports and 501(c)(4) related tax documents. Hiring and team development.

Desired Attributes

Ruth’s List’s CEO must be committed to the values of the organization and dedicated to creating and stewarding relationships with internal and external constituencies that will enable the successful, consistent delivery of its mission. Also, they should possess key attributes, including:

• Knowledge of Florida’s political landscape and relationships with key political insiders and influencers.
• A deep commitment to and understanding of Ruth’s List’s mission.
• A proven track record of fundraising including major gifts and events. This must include demonstrable success in building dynamic relationships with key members of the community along with allied partners and the willingness to spend significant time cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major donors.
• An understanding of and strong appreciation for the legal status and external regulations related to a PAC and 501(C)(4) entities housed within the same organization.
• Superior written and oral communication skills.
• Experience with nonprofit organizations and a track record of effectively establishing and maintaining a productive relationship with a nonprofit Board of Directors.
• Proven leader with experience in directing and motivating a team to achieve exceptional results.
• Ability to inspire confidence among staff, board members, donors, partner organizations, candidates, and other constituents.
• Tenacious and creative in the achievement of goals and objectives.
• Demonstrated ability to prepare and manage budgets and systems.
• Creative, strategic and practical problem solver.

Qualifications

• At least 10 years of relevant experience.
• College degree preferred, but not required for candidates with 15+ years of experience in the political/non-profit space.
• Willingness and availability to travel frequently for work throughout Florida.

Salary Commensurate with Experience

HOW TO APPLY

Please email a resume and cover letter to info@ruthslistfl.org with the subject line “CEO application”. In your cover letter, explain why you would like to join Ruth’s List and why your skills are appropriate for this position. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled. No calls please.

Ruth’s List supports diversity and inclusion in the workplace and hopes to have a pool of applicants with different backgrounds, cultures and orientations who will broaden our perspective and experience.