RID Executive Director Search

PDF: RIDEDAdMay15

On RID site: www.rid.org/aboutRID/EDSearch

The Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. (RID) is a 501(c)(3) association with more than 15,000 members. The mission of RID is to support the continued growth of the profession of sign language interpreting by ensuring excellence in the delivery of interpretation and transliteration services between people who are deaf or hard of hearing and people who are hearing. As such, RID is seeking a proven leader to serve as executive director; the ideal candidate is dedicated to promoting the welfare and growth of individual interpreters and the profession of interpretation and transliteration as a whole. RID currently employs 17 full-time staff and has an annual budget of $3 million. RID is located in Alexandria, Virginia.

RID EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JOB DESCRIPTION

The executive director of RID is responsible for the ongoing and consistent achievement of RID’s Strategic Plan and for the implementation and completion of initiatives set forth by a board of directors and the association members.

Under the direction of and in collaboration with the board of directors, the executive director is expected to achieve the following strategic objectives:

• STANDARDS: Focus on the growth and development of the interpreting profession through enhanced professional standards utilizing RID’s National Testing System (NTS), Certification Maintenance Program (CMP) and the Ethical Practices System (EPS).
• RELATIONSHIPS: Establish and nurture relationships among the association’s membership, Deaf community, affiliate chapters and other stakeholders to promote and contribute to the growth of the interpreting profession.
• RESOURCES: Ensure the association has the necessary resources to fulfill its mission and serve its members.

The duties of the executive director include: 

1. Advocate on behalf of the association, under the direction of and in collaboration with the board of directors, to the myriad of stakeholders of RID.
2. Demonstrate intercultural competence and appreciation for diversity in all interactions and communications.
3. Collaborate with the board of directors in strategic planning, budgeting, program development, and communications.
4. Develop and administer RID’s annual budget, provide regular financial reports and fiscal forecasts to the board, and manage the association’s financial and legal obligations.
5. Identify and seek additional revenue streams through development and fundraising efforts that support the association’s goals.
6. Keep abreast of current legal, fiscal, and other trends in the non-profit community.
7. Lead the national office staff in developing and implementing a comprehensive operations plan to meet the strategic objectives of the association.
8. Hire, motivate, and conduct performance evaluations of the national office staff.
9. Foster an environment of collaboration, communication and participation at all levels of the association – staff, board of directors, affiliate chapters, member sections, committees, councils, task forces and all members in general.
10. Oversee, monitor, and evaluate the association’s existing programs and services and provide consultation to the board regarding the development of enhanced or new programs and services in accordance with the strategic objectives of RID.
11. Utilize emerging technologies to meet the strategic goals of the association.
12. Other duties as assigned by the board of directors.

Qualifications:

1. A Master’s degree or equivalent education
2. A proven leader with 7-10  years’ experience in a similar sized association (preferably nonprofit)
3. Certification in Association Management (CAE) preferred
4. Experience hiring, managing, training, motivating, and evaluating staff
5. Excellent communication skills with diverse audiences
6. Excellent financial management skills and experience in budget preparation and implementation
7. An understanding of current legal, fiscal, and other trends in 501(c)(3) associations
8. Experience developing non-dues revenue streams for an association, including fundraising and grant proposal writing
9. Experience working with boards of directors and board-appointed committees of a membership association
10. Experience in strategic and operations planning
11. Experience managing multiple program initiatives
12. Experience with a certification or credentialing program
13. Cultural and linguistic knowledge and understanding of the deaf community
14. Proficiency in American Sign Language is strongly preferred
15. Experience working with multi-cultural and multi-lingual stakeholders; knowledge of and proficiency in other languages and cultures is highly valued
16. Experience using emerging technologies
17. Willingness to travel for meetings and conferences

APPLICATION PROCESS

Applicants will need to submit a cover letter (including salary requirements), resume, a 500-word essay on what intercultural competence and appreciation for diversity in all interactions and communications means to you and how you would uphold the philosophy, mission and goals of RID, and three references.

In lieu of a written essay, applicants may submit video essays in American Sign Language. Signed video essays should be no longer than 7 minutes in length. It is recommended that applicants caption their videos or provide a written English transcript. Video essays should be uploaded to YouTube and a link to the video then given to RID. For information on how to privately post your video essay and share it with RID, please see the resources below, which are courtesy of YouTube.

Resources for Posting Video Essay on YouTube:
How to Make Your Video Private (visual directions): http://youtu.be/0Gz7RyPcJZo
How to Share Private YouTube Video (visual directions): http://youtu.be/xsMXvaNLizM
Private Videos and How to Share them (written directions):  http://support.google.com/youtube/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=157177

All application materials should be sent to execsearch@rid.org by July 2, 2012. No phone calls, please.

Scheduled interviews for this position will occur in August and September, 2012, with hiring to be finalized on or before December 31, 2012.
The Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer.