GiGi's Playhouse - Milwaukee
Overview
The Executive Director is a business-minded leader who ensures long-term sustainability, prominence, and operational excellence of a GiGi’s Playhouse location or multiple locations in one community. This includes helping to ensure the operation has the right team, is fully funded, and that the community is aware of the scope and impact of programs offered. The Executive Director will be actively involved in fundraising activities, driving community members to the Playhouse, and building a strong community presence and local donations through donor outreach, developing media contacts, grant writing, budget development and control, overseeing financial operations, and other related activities. In addition, the Executive Director is responsible for managing the playhouse staff and partnering closely with the local Board. The role is estimated to be roughly 50% development/outreach and 50% playhouse management and marketing.
Please send your resume, cover letter & salary requirements to milwaukee@gigisplayhouse.org. The position will be posted on our website https://gigisplayhouse.org/milwaukee/careers/ very soon.
Primary goals
Increase funding through individual donors, grants, sponsorships, in-kind, and corporate support.
Maximize awareness of GiGi’s Playhouse & Down syndrome across the local community.
Lead the team to ensure delivery of the highest quality operational execution and outstanding customer experience to deepen family engagement and connection with the Playhouse.
Essential Job Functions
Strategic Leadership & Board Relations
Drive the development of the Playhouse’s strategic plan in collaboration with the Board; implement the plan, ensuring alignment with mission, values, and growth objectives.
Serve as the primary liaison between the Board & the Playhouse, providing regular updates and seeking guidance.
Recruit & evaluate potential Board Members through community connections and present viable candidates to the Board selection committee.
Fundraising & Financial Management
Oversee financial operations, including fundraising and ensuring financial sustainability; draft the organization’s budget to align with the strategic plan.
Develop & implement a fundraising plan to achieve revenue targets in partnership with the local board & fundraising committee.
Manage & implement a donor portfolio & stewardship strategy for donors & volunteers.
Achieve hard dollar fundraising objectives, continually seeking revenue generation opportunities through grants, individual donors, family foundations, corporations, and events.
In close partnership with the event chair for each fundraising event, support and heavily engage with all events, particularly revenue-generation, marketing, securing in-kind donations, volunteer recruitment & management, and overall community engagement.
Staff Leadership & Operations
Ensure all playhouse hours, programs, events, and activities are staffed to support the needs of the Playhouse (GiGi’s programs are 99% volunteer-run).
Hire, train, manage, and evaluate all Playhouse employees, fostering a positive and productive work environment.
In collaboration with staff managing programs & volunteers, support recruitment, training, and management of volunteers, leveraging their skills and time to support the organization's mission.
Drive the Playhouse’s achievement of the GiGi’s Standards of Execution, continually striving to increase levels of achievement, to ensure a high-quality experience for families, volunteers, donors, and community members.
Marketing & Community Engagement
Represent the organization to the public, media, donors, schools, community organizations, and other stakeholders with impact stories, building strong relationships and promoting the organization's mission.
Grow community awareness by proactively bringing groups, organizations, and individuals to the playhouse to engage in the mission.
Leverage newsletters, social media platforms, website, and other channels to provide inspirational and relevant content to promote local Playhouse programs, events, and activities.
Engage in and proactively initiate acceptance initiatives throughout the community to help build a more accepting environment for our participants and families.
Program Implementation (with Playhouse staff)
Oversee and ensure the program lineup and quality serves the needs of the community while executing the full fidelity expected of GiGi’s Signature programs.
Passionately serve the needs of the local families and build relationships with them such that they understand that GiGi’s makes a lifetime commitment to them.
Build and engage with a Family Committee that is involved in program input, volunteerism, community outreach, fundraising, and event support.
Connection with GiGi’s Playhouse national office & peers
Proactively engage with peers to share ideas, solve problems, and collectively raise the bar of performance of GiGi’s Playhouses nationwide; attend GiGi’s Annual Leadership Conference.
Follow all national standards & policies; collaborate with the national teams to leverage centrally developed tools & resources in lieu of building new processes, programs, & tools from scratch.
Competencies
Visionary Leadership : Displays passion and optimism; inspires respect and trust; mobilizes others to fulfill the vision; provides vision and inspiration to peers and subordinates.
Achievement Oriented : Focuses on results and desired outcomes; sets high goals and works hard to achieve them; pushes self and others to achieve milestones and measurable metrics.
Communication : Strong written and oral communication skills; ability to express ideas verbally; writes clearly and inspirationally; edits for spelling and grammar; keeps others informed.
Relationship-Based Approach : Builds gratitude and stewardship within relationships; networks and connects with people of diverse backgrounds.
People Management : Includes staff in planning and decision-making; provides regular performance feedback; fosters growth and high-quality service.
Collaboration & Teamwork : Team player with a collaborative spirit; able to work with staff, board, volunteers, families, and donors; tact and flexibility in diverse settings.
Problem Solving & Judgment : Identifies and resolves problems; makes sound judgments; involves appropriate people in decisions.
Planning/Organizing : Prioritizes tasks; sets goals; organizes people and resources; develops action plans.
Adaptability : Adapts to changes and manages competing demands; maintains poise in fast-paced settings.
Qualifications
Education and/or Experience:
7+ years of management and related experience in organizational leadership, non-profit, and/or related field. Extensive demonstrated community connections and board experience. Marketing experience is a plus.
Computer Skills:
Proficient in Microsoft Office; familiarity with social media platforms; ability to work with a database program (Salesforce) to manage interactions.
Work Environment:
This role requires extensive engagement with the Playhouse team, families, and volunteers. Approximately 50% of time is in the community building relationships with donors and organizations. This is an in-person role.
GiGi’s Playhouse Core Values: GiGi’s challenges all staff and volunteers to embody the core values noted on our website.
The job duties listed in this job description may not be inclusive of all requirements of this position; other duties may be assigned.
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Please send your resume, cover letter & salary requirements to milwaukee@gigisplayhouse.org. The position will be posted on our website https://gigisplayhouse.org/milwaukee/careers/ very soon.
Primary goals
Increase funding through individual donors, grants, sponsorships, in-kind, and corporate support.
Maximize awareness of GiGi’s Playhouse & Down syndrome across the local community.
Lead the team to ensure delivery of the highest quality operational execution and outstanding customer experience to deepen family engagement and connection with the Playhouse.
Essential Job Functions
Strategic Leadership & Board Relations
Drive the development of the Playhouse’s strategic plan in collaboration with the Board; implement the plan, ensuring alignment with mission, values, and growth objectives.
Serve as the primary liaison between the Board & the Playhouse, providing regular updates and seeking guidance.
Recruit & evaluate potential Board Members through community connections and present viable candidates to the Board selection committee.
Fundraising & Financial Management
Oversee financial operations, including fundraising and ensuring financial sustainability; draft the organization’s budget to align with the strategic plan.
Develop & implement a fundraising plan to achieve revenue targets in partnership with the local board & fundraising committee.
Manage & implement a donor portfolio & stewardship strategy for donors & volunteers.
Achieve hard dollar fundraising objectives, continually seeking revenue generation opportunities through grants, individual donors, family foundations, corporations, and events.
In close partnership with the event chair for each fundraising event, support and heavily engage with all events, particularly revenue-generation, marketing, securing in-kind donations, volunteer recruitment & management, and overall community engagement.
Staff Leadership & Operations
Ensure all playhouse hours, programs, events, and activities are staffed to support the needs of the Playhouse (GiGi’s programs are 99% volunteer-run).
Hire, train, manage, and evaluate all Playhouse employees, fostering a positive and productive work environment.
In collaboration with staff managing programs & volunteers, support recruitment, training, and management of volunteers, leveraging their skills and time to support the organization's mission.
Drive the Playhouse’s achievement of the GiGi’s Standards of Execution, continually striving to increase levels of achievement, to ensure a high-quality experience for families, volunteers, donors, and community members.
Marketing & Community Engagement
Represent the organization to the public, media, donors, schools, community organizations, and other stakeholders with impact stories, building strong relationships and promoting the organization's mission.
Grow community awareness by proactively bringing groups, organizations, and individuals to the playhouse to engage in the mission.
Leverage newsletters, social media platforms, website, and other channels to provide inspirational and relevant content to promote local Playhouse programs, events, and activities.
Engage in and proactively initiate acceptance initiatives throughout the community to help build a more accepting environment for our participants and families.
Program Implementation (with Playhouse staff)
Oversee and ensure the program lineup and quality serves the needs of the community while executing the full fidelity expected of GiGi’s Signature programs.
Passionately serve the needs of the local families and build relationships with them such that they understand that GiGi’s makes a lifetime commitment to them.
Build and engage with a Family Committee that is involved in program input, volunteerism, community outreach, fundraising, and event support.
Connection with GiGi’s Playhouse national office & peers
Proactively engage with peers to share ideas, solve problems, and collectively raise the bar of performance of GiGi’s Playhouses nationwide; attend GiGi’s Annual Leadership Conference.
Follow all national standards & policies; collaborate with the national teams to leverage centrally developed tools & resources in lieu of building new processes, programs, & tools from scratch.
Competencies
Visionary Leadership : Displays passion and optimism; inspires respect and trust; mobilizes others to fulfill the vision; provides vision and inspiration to peers and subordinates.
Achievement Oriented : Focuses on results and desired outcomes; sets high goals and works hard to achieve them; pushes self and others to achieve milestones and measurable metrics.
Communication : Strong written and oral communication skills; ability to express ideas verbally; writes clearly and inspirationally; edits for spelling and grammar; keeps others informed.
Relationship-Based Approach : Builds gratitude and stewardship within relationships; networks and connects with people of diverse backgrounds.
People Management : Includes staff in planning and decision-making; provides regular performance feedback; fosters growth and high-quality service.
Collaboration & Teamwork : Team player with a collaborative spirit; able to work with staff, board, volunteers, families, and donors; tact and flexibility in diverse settings.
Problem Solving & Judgment : Identifies and resolves problems; makes sound judgments; involves appropriate people in decisions.
Planning/Organizing : Prioritizes tasks; sets goals; organizes people and resources; develops action plans.
Adaptability : Adapts to changes and manages competing demands; maintains poise in fast-paced settings.
Qualifications
Education and/or Experience:
7+ years of management and related experience in organizational leadership, non-profit, and/or related field. Extensive demonstrated community connections and board experience. Marketing experience is a plus.
Computer Skills:
Proficient in Microsoft Office; familiarity with social media platforms; ability to work with a database program (Salesforce) to manage interactions.
Work Environment:
This role requires extensive engagement with the Playhouse team, families, and volunteers. Approximately 50% of time is in the community building relationships with donors and organizations. This is an in-person role.
GiGi’s Playhouse Core Values: GiGi’s challenges all staff and volunteers to embody the core values noted on our website.
The job duties listed in this job description may not be inclusive of all requirements of this position; other duties may be assigned.
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