Career Opportunity
Executive Director [SC-01]
AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION
Charleston, South Carolina

The American Civil Liberties Union welcomes applications for the position of Executive Director of the South Carolina National Office. This position is available immediately.

OVERVIEW:
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) was founded in 1920 to preserve the fundamental liberties written in the Constitution and its Bill of Rights.

The ACLU is composed of two separately incorporated nonprofit organizations. The ACLU, a 501(c)(4) membership organization, is the primary lobbying arm. The ACLU Foundation, a 501(c)(3), conducts litigation and public education programs in support of civil liberties. The majority of support for the ACLU and ACLU Foundation comes from individuals, who believe in the guarantees of freedom, justice, equality, and fair treatment under the law. The ACLU receives no government funding and never charges clients for legal representation.

Every ACLU office builds a menu of programs and services to meet the unique characteristics of the communities that are served. Through communications, lobbying and litigation, the ACLU endeavors to preserve and enhance liberties grounded in the United States and state constitutions and civil rights laws. Among these liberties are separation of church and state, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of association, the right to privacy, reproductive rights, due process of law, and the right to equal treatment under the law. To learn more about the work of the national ACLU, please visit www.aclu.org.

The South Carolina National Office:
The ACLU South Carolina is a national office of the ACLU and is the state’s guardian of freedom. Working to promote and defend civil liberties throughout the state, its mission includes a variety of legal, legislative and public education programs encompassing a broad range of constitutional issues.

Until recently, the ACLU of South Carolina was a separately governed and operated statewide affiliate organization located in Columbia, South Carolina. In June, 2008, the national ACLU reorganized to create an office of the national ACLU to strengthen its statewide operations and program capacity. The new office, to be opened in July, 2008, will be located in Charleston, South Carolina, with easy proximity to South Carolina’s state capitol, Columbia.

The newly formed ACLU South Carolina National Office will be focused on expanding the ACLU’s capacity to meet the increasing civil liberties challenges in the state. The incoming Executive Director will be reporting to the national organization and working collaboratively with a leadership team of dedicated professionals to (1) Establish and maintain positive, proactive statewide communications with existing members, supporters, and donors; (2) Implement a statewide community engagement strategy designed to attract new supporters, members and donors statewide; (3) Partner with the national leadership team to launch targeted programs and services; and (4) Foster the creation and collaborative efforts of a core team of staff and volunteers to provide high quality service with measurable outcomes.

POSITION OVERVIEW:
The Executive Director is the leader of the South Carolina National Office and provides the strategic and tactical direction necessary to enable the ACLU to fulfill its mission to protect and defend the rights and liberties of the people of South Carolina. The Executive Director reports to the Director of Affiliate Support at the ACLU’s headquarters in New York City.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITES:
In partnership with the national leadership team, the Executive Director is responsible and accountable for all aspects of the ACLU South Carolina National Office’s management and operations, including:

• Directing the legal, legislative, public education, and field organizing activities of the organization.
• Overseeing and taking lead responsibility for fundraising planning and implementation, identifying and soliciting significant donors, planning special fundraising events, and working to secure grants and other additional resources.
• Developing the annual budget and prudent management of the financial resources within budget guidelines and in accordance with accepted nonprofit accounting standards and practices.
• Developing and implementing the statewide membership recruitment strategy.
• Serving as an articulate and effective spokesperson for the ACLU South Carolina National Office with the members, the public and the media.
• Lobbying the Legislature and other bodies on civil liberties issues; coordinating the overall lobbying efforts of the ACLU South Carolina National Office.
• Directing public education efforts designed to increase public awareness of civil liberties issues.
• Building and supporting effective advisory board operations and identifying and recruiting new members with diverse strengths and backgrounds.
• Creating alliances with like-minded organizations and activists to work on shared issues to advance the cause of civil liberties in South Carolina.
• Developing and maintaining strategic plans for Office growth and advancement.
• Serving as the primary liaison between the Office and the national ACLU.

REQUIREMENTS:

The Ideal Candidate will:

• Be a passionate advocate with a reputation for innovating, leading through challenging situations and fueling change at a grassroots level. The candidate will be “at home” in a start-up grassroots environment, yet comfortable navigating within a larger national structure and hierarchy as well. The Executive Director will have a thorough knowledge of all of the key elements of growing and leading a successful start-up organization with a focus on bottom-line financial management. Key personal attributes include: tenacity, diplomacy, results-orientation, the ability to move self-confidently through uncharted waters, and a total commitment to the non-profit mission of the ACLU.
• Also be an experienced senior nonprofit leader and manager with proven ability and a record of success in the development of statewide programs and membership, grant-writing, organizational and team development, and the ability to manage the organization. The successful candidate will be a strategic thinker with excellent planning, analytic, financial management, and budgeting skills. The Executive Director will also have a track record in resource development, and possess the ability to speak and write persuasively about the ACLU’s key initiatives. The Executive Director will have the marketing skills needed to build community awareness and to catalyze new and existing ACLU members throughout the state. The candidate will also have a demonstrated ability to work effectively with and quickly gain the respect and support of various constituencies, including board members, national staff members, consultants, potential donors, and other community leaders. A critical success factor for this candidate will be a background and a strong commitment to directly connecting with people from diverse communities and cultures.
• Have superb interpersonal and communication skills and as spokesperson, be equally comfortable with diplomacy and strong issues-based advocacy. The Executive Director will possess a willingness to publicly take unpopular positions and stand behind them. The candidate will also have a commitment to diversity and a personal approach that values the individual and respects differences of race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ability and socio-economic circumstance. The candidate will be an inspiring public leader, while also possessing the ability to coach and lead a staff in an environment that fosters creativity, teamwork, a commitment to excellence, and mutual respect. The successful candidate must have a reputation for honesty, fairness, and high ethical standards in all aspects of professional work.
• Have a thorough understanding of contemporary civil and human rights issues, and the vision and intellect to address them effectively. While welcoming the opportunity to be an active and visible participant in the Charleston community, the successful candidate will also join in a leadership role with the national ACLU team, staff, and volunteers to expand and grow the reach of the ACLU throughout South Carolina. A willingness and ability to travel frequently throughout the week and on weekends, both locally and regionally, is a must. In addition, the ideal candidate must be willing to devote as many hours as necessary to get the job done.

COMPENSATION:
The ACLU offers a generous and comprehensive compensation and benefits package, commensurate with experience and within parameters of the ACLU compensation scale.

HOW TO APPLY:
Please send a cover letter and resume that describes your interest in this position, your relevant qualifications and experience, and your availability. Applications should be sent by email to jobs@aclusouthcarolina.org – reference [SC-01/WACLU] in the subject line – or by mail to:

American Civil Liberties Union
RE: Executive Director [SC-01/WACLU]
PO Box 20998
Charleston, SC 29403-6322

Applications will be accepted until position is filled, which will not be before July 31, 2008.
Please indicate where you learned of this job posting.

The ACLU is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and encourages applications from women, people of color, persons with disabilities, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals.