About Women’s Rights and Empowerment Network
The Women’s Rights and Empowerment Network (WREN) is a statewide, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that is building a movement to advance the health, economic well-being, and rights of women, girls, gender expansive people, and their families in South Carolina. WREN is the leading statewide gender justice advocacy organization in South Carolina, and one of the leading organizations dedicated to gender research, advocacy, and organizing in the nation. WREN engages and influences diverse audiences – from our 40,000+ member database, hundreds of non-profit partners, elected officials, business leaders, donors, and the public.
For more information on WREN, please visit its website.
The Opportunity
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is responsible for developing and implementing the organization’s strategic direction in partnership with the Board of Trustees and staff, overseeing its development efforts, guiding day-to-day operations, collaborating with staff, and representing WREN to the media and public. Reporting to the Board of Trustees, the CEO will ensure that the organization is fiscally sound and that its policy, advocacy, and programmatic initiatives meet current and emerging needs consistent with the strategic direction and mission as determined by the Board and staff. The CEO will be adept at optimizing both internal performance and external impact and visibility.
The CEO’s responsibilities will include:
Vision and Strategy
Fundraising and External Relations
Organizational and Staff Management
Programmatic Oversight
While no one candidate will have every experience outlined in the position description, ideal candidates will display the following professional and personal qualities, skills, and characteristics:
Deep personal passion for and demonstrated commitment to WREN’s mission, vision, and values;
10+ years of leadership experience in non-profit, academic, or for-profit spaces; experience in senior roles required;
Experience in strategic planning, fund development, budgeting, and finances in the private, non-profit, or public sector; able to balance big-picture, longer-term strategy with urgent needs;
Demonstrated ability to think strategically, creatively problem-solve, and exercise good judgment;
A strategic, resourceful, and politically astute individual who is inspiring, able to translate vision into action, to conceptualize and express ideas, and to anticipate and act nimbly on events which may create opportunities for WREN;
Strong understanding of policy advocacy, lobbying, and public engagement, ideally in a conservative environment and culturally sensitive to nuances within the state of South Carolina and/or the South;
Proven experience that includes managing, coaching, and mentoring staff through collaborative program development and implementation and goal-setting processes;
Empathetic, compassionate, and collaborative leadership style with the ability to listen to Board members, staff members, donors, partners, and the public with respect and genuine openness to constructive input;
Successful track record of raising money from a variety of sources, including major donors and foundations, and ability to connect WREN to resources and opportunities outside the organization;
Proven success at working effectively and collaboratively with diverse staff as well as local officials, media or press, and community members and groups; ability to navigate across the political spectrum and value differences of race, ethnicity, age, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, religion, ability, and socio-economic circumstance;
Robust understanding of and commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, as well as experience successfully leading and integrating these principles into organizational policies, practices, management, and culture.
Significant travel (primarily in-state, some national) will be required.