Executive Director: SculptureWalk
3 days ago
Sioux Falls
Job Description Location: Sioux Falls, SD Compensation: Competitive compensation based on experience. Classification: Full-time, salaried exempt This role requires flexibility, including occasional evening and weekend work for events, donor engagement, artist relations, board meetings, installation, de-installation, and other mission critical activities Reports to: Board of Directors Supervises: N/A Organizational Overview SculptureWalk Sioux Falls is a 501(c)(3) and is one of the largest annual exhibits of public sculptures in the country. Our mission is to bring art to the people, and our guiding principle is to be the highest quality, most professional, financially strong, artist friendly, year-round outdoor sculpture program in the United States. Curated by a blind jury of local dignitaries and art enthusiasts, works are graciously loaned by the artists and installed in the spring through downtown Sioux Falls, SD, to be continuously displayed all year. Position Summary The Executive Director (ED) is the chief executive and fundraiser for SculptureWalk Sioux Falls, responsible for the organization’s leadership, financial sustainability, and long-term success. The ED is responsible for leading daily operations, advancing the strategic plan, achieving organizational goals, and ensuring the organization has the resources, relationships, and operating discipline needed to fulfill its mission. The ED maintains a strong working relationship with the Board of Directors through clear communication, regular reporting, and appropriate respect for the distinction between board governance and staff management. First-Year Priorities • Build strong working relationships with the Board, artists, donors, sponsors, civic partners, volunteers, and community stakeholders. • Develop and execute a fundraising plan with clear revenue goals, donor stewardship practices, sponsorship strategy, and grant opportunities. • Assess current operations, staffing, volunteer needs, financial systems, artist processes, and event logistics, then recommend improvements. • Lead successful execution of the annual exhibit cycle, including artist communication, site coordination, installation, de-installation, maintenance, voting, sales, and related community engagement. • Create a year-round engagement calendar that supports fundraising, public awareness, donor cultivation, artist relationships, and community participation. Essential Duties and Responsibilities Executive Leadership & Strategy • Serve as the organization’s chief executive, accountable for overall performance, sustainability, and impact. • Lead execution of the organization’s strategic plan and translate board-approved priorities into annual goals, operating plans, budgets, and measurable outcomes. • Set organizational priorities and make final decisions on resource allocation and strategic tradeoffs. • Foster a mission-driven, accountable, and collaborative culture., • Lead day-to-day administrative and operational tasks. Financial Leadership & Sustainability • Manage the organization’s financial resources responsibly and in alignment with the board-approved budget, strategic priorities, donor restrictions, and nonprofit best practices. • Work with the finance firm, Treasurer, Finance Committee, and Board to support budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, audits or reviews, internal controls, and longterm financial planning. • Provide timely, accurate, and transparent financial information to the Board, including financial performance, risks, opportunities, and recommended corrective action when needed. • Ensure that organizational resources are used in a way that maximizes mission impact, operational effectiveness, and long-term sustainability. • Manage funds, bank accounts, investments, insurance coverage, as well as invoicing and payment collection. Fundraising & Resource Development • Serve as the organization’s lead fundraiser, with primary staff responsibility for developing, managing, and executing a comprehensive fundraising strategy across individual giving, major gifts, sponsorships, grants, endowment, special campaigns, and events. • Cultivate, solicit, and steward donors, sponsors, foundations, artists, civic partners, and institutional funders. • Use Board members strategically to support fundraising through warm introductions, relationship-building, ambassadorship, and donor engagement, while maintaining staff ownership of fundraising execution and follow-through. Board Relations & Board Development • Support the Board President, Executive Committee, and/or Nomination Committee in board recruitment, orientation, training, succession planning, and governance improvement efforts. • Provide staff leadership, information, and tools that help the Board fulfill its governance, fundraising, ambassadorship, and accountability responsibilities. • Coordinate with Board President and Secretary to support effective board and committee meetings, including agenda development, preparation of staff reports, and follow-up on assigned action items. Community Engagement, Communications, & External Relations • Build and maintain strong relationships with artists, donors, sponsors, civic leaders, downtown stakeholders, government partners, media, peer organizations, and community members. • Serve as the organization’s chief spokesperson and public representative., • Oversee organizational messaging, public relations, digital communications, website content, social media, collateral materials, and media outreach to support fundraising, community engagement, artist relations, and public awareness. SculptureWalk Programming & Beyond • Lead the planning, coordination, and year-round execution of the annual SculptureWalk exhibit and related community engagement activities, including artist relations, site coordination, volunteer management, installation and de-installation logistics, sponsor and donor communication, printed and digital materials, sculpture maintenance, public voting, sculpture sales, and related events. • Develop a year-round engagement strategy that uses the annual exhibit, Arc of Dreams, artist relationship, community events, donor opportunities, and public programming to increase visibility, deepen support, and advance the organization’s mission throughout the year. Qualifications • Bachelor’s degree preferred, or equivalent combination of leadership experience, nonprofit management, fundraising success, and community-facing work. • Minimum of five years’ experience in leadership role., • Demonstrated success in fundraising, including major gifts and sponsorships., • Demonstrated ability to develop and execute strategic plans and meet financial targets., • Demonstrated strength in organizational messaging, public relations, and relationshipbased communication., • Strong track record of financial oversight and resource management to drive organizational sustainability. • Proven ability to inspire and manage teams/boards effectively., • Excellent communication, relationship-building, organizational and public leadership skills. • Knowledge of the arts industry and nonprofit governance., • Experience working with Microsoft products and Adobe Creative Suite or Canva. Benefits • Paid time off, • Flexible scheduling and hybrid work potential, • Holiday time off, • Professional development allowance, • Mileage or expense reimbursement for approved business use #hc250059