Quality Executive Director - Berkeley, CA, United States - Independent Living, Inc.

Description

The Center for Independent Living (CIL) , based out of the Ed Roberts Campus in Berkeley, CA, is a not-for-profit independent living center that promotes the full inclusion of all people with disabilities and older adults into their community.

In the face of climate change, public health emergencies, and the economic and housing crises in the Bay Area, people with disabilities and older adults face persistent and emerging challenges when seeking to live, work, and play to the same degree as their non-disabled peers.

We seek an Executive Director (ED) who will guide the development and growth of the organization over the next several years in order to meet this challenge The ED will report to a Board of Directors, of whom more than 50% are people with significant disabilities.

Our mission is to provide advocacy and services that increase awareness, collaboration, and opportunity among people with disabilities and the community at large.

Our existing programs provide disabled people with skills, knowledge, and resources that negate damaging and ableist notions of disability, supporting us so that we can strive toward realizing our full potential.

Our service area covers communities and neighborhoods across Northern Alameda county (the cities of Oakland, Berkeley, Piedmont, Albany, Emeryville, and Alameda. We are part of a network of independent living centers across the San Francisco Bay Area and California.

We also benefit from partnerships with a diverse network of local entities and community service providers across the Bay Area, including large and small businesses, educational institutions and universities, government agencies, and non-profit and grassroots organizations.

Emerging from the independent living movement of the 1960s, students and community members around the U.Berkeley campus joined together in 1972 to form the CIL, an organization run by and for people with disabilities.

Since our founding, we have supported self- and collective advocacy to secure disability rights and inclusion, and offered a number of critical services unavailable to a previously neglected and discriminated community, including peer independent living and benefits counseling, wheelchair repair, assistance finding accessible and affordable housing, residential access through home modifications, vocational training, and social and community engagement and support.

Today, our services have expanded to meet the needs of diverse people with disabilities in the face of new challenges and opportunities, including technology training, computer coding, disaster preparedness, and to transition and divert people from institutional settings and into community living.

About the Executive Director Role

The Executive Director (ED)–the Chief Executive of the CIL–reports to the Board of Directors and is responsible for the achievement of the organization's programmatic and financial objectives, and, in collaboration with Board and staff, provides the vision and leadership to take the organization forward in order to meet the needs of people with disabilities in today's world.

The ED also represents the CIL's interests and promotes its mission, values, and advocacy priorities in local, state, and national forums, and serves on the Ed Roberts Campus (ERC) Board of Directors.

Lead the CIL with a deep understanding and commitment to the values and principles of the Independent Living Movement of People with Disabilities, including the reasonable accommodation of consumers and staff to services that enable them to work toward the achievement of their goals.

Partner with CIL staff and Board on the vision and growth of the organization through an exploration of a shared-leadership model, which may include partnership and collaboration with a staff leadership team, made up of staff in varying roles and with diverse identities and lived experiences.

Guide the CIL in transforming and deepening its engagement of, and services for, disabled people, with particular attention to intersectional identities, including LGBTQIA+ disabled people, disabled Black and Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC), low- and no-income disabled people, people with mental health and psychiatric disabilities, unhoused disabled neighbors, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, people incarcerated and formerly incarcerated, and disabled people facing acute impacts of the climate crisis.

Manage the immediate and long-term programmatic and financial health of the organization.

Communicate effectively for the organization and its mission, as well as amongst its diverse staff and volunteers, using non-violent, collaborative, and power-sharing models and methods of communication and relationship-building.

Finance, Operations, Program and Strategic Planning

Guiding the development, implementation, assessment, and management of short-term and long-range strategic plans, with the guidance of the Board and in collaboration with staff, and assuming overall accountability for program success.

Overseeing preparation of management reports and financial statements to fulfill external reporting requirements for review by the Board of Directors.

Ensuring that the CIL complies with all relevant laws, regulations and internal policies set by the Board.

Supporting the Board in its governance role and assisting with Board development, while informing the Board of internal developments.

Developing a fundraising plan to increase revenues in collaboration with the Development Director and the Board members tasked with development outreach.

Building relationships with major donors and expanding our major donor network in collaboration with the Development Director.
Overseeing all funding and project proposals; functioning as the Contract Officer for the agency.
Increasing CIL's endowment to help make CIL more financially independent.
Responding to public speaking and disability engagement training requests.

Collaborating with the network of Independent Living Centers to develop positions and strategy on key advocacy issues that impact consumers.

Utilizing modern ideas and progressive thinking to develop new and innovative partnerships and programs.

Orienting service growth towards marginalized communities, with specific attention to BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and undocumented people with disabilities, unhoused people with disabilities, disabled people re-entering the community from carceral or institutional settings, people with mental health and psychiatric disabilities, and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Building collaborative relationships with organizations and movements that work at the intersection of diverse issues of justice and civil and human rights.

serving as chief risk manager for the agency.
Ensuring internal policies and practices are aligned with agency mission and values and contractual and other legal requirements.

Investing in the success of all staff by leading by example, cultivating a climate of equity, justice, accessibility, and inclusiveness at all levels, and supporting robust professional development.

Ensuring that job descriptions are developed, regular performance evaluations are held, and sound human resource practices are in place.

Promoting and committing to reasonable accommodations for staff members.

Prioritizing diversity in hiring, particularly amongst disabled communities that have been systematically overlooked for leadership positions, including BIPOC communities, LGBTQIA+ communities, people with mental health and psychiatric disabilities, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, formerly incarcerated and/or unhoused people, poor, or working class communities, older adults, and more.

Financial and administrative expertise in organizational management and in state/federal grant processes.
~ Deep knowledge and understanding of the civil rights/independent living movement for and of people with disabilities, including both historical and current trends and issues, disability justice, and cross-movement organizing.
~ Commitment to a collaborative form of leadership that empowers and centers the unique and diverse skills, experiences, and needs of staff.
~ A track record of positive relationships and partnerships with various stakeholders.
~ First-hand disability experience is expected.

Thoughtful and grounded organizer who can help the CIL take on current modern challenges facing our community (e.g., lack of affordable and accessible housing, health inequity, systemic discrimination, physical and programmatic inaccessibility, etc.)

Persuasive public speaker and skilled community organizer who can successfully build coalitions across various communities and interest groups with shared priorities.

Demonstrated experience in intersectional, cross-movement organizing in areas of social justice (e.g., racial justice, queer and trans liberation, immigrant rights, tenant or affordable housing movements, climate justice, etc.) able to operate and excel in an increasingly digital environment.

Must be able to communicate and exchange accurate information via telephone, video meetings, email and in person with staff, consumers, and community members, with customary assistance as required by disability.

Must be able to travel to other agencies and organizations.

We embrace difference and diversity, and do not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, immigration status, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, parental status, histories of incarceration or legal records, housing status, military service, or other non-merit factor.

We provide reasonable accommodations to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.
Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis.
Monday – Friday
Saturday – Sunday – Closed
Stay up to date with our latest news, program updates, and more.
#