Executive Director

Overview

A Way Home Washington (AWHWA) (awayhomewa.org), a fiscally sponsored project of TSNE (tsne.org), is driven by a mission to prevent and end youth and young adult homelessness across Washington State. AWHWA partners with the state Office of Homeless Youth, philanthropic foundations, advocates, and service providers who support over 13,000 unaccompanied young people experiencing homelessness in Washington. AWHWA leads and coordinates these stakeholders as we work collectively to build a statewide system so that local communities can respond to youth and young adult homelessness in their areas. Following a tremendous period of growth, AWHWA now seeks their next Executive Director to continue the charge of ending homelessness for young people in Washington.

CORE AREAS OF FOCUS

Fostering Collaboration

In each Anchor Community, AWHWA’s flagship program, a diverse coalition works across systems and silos until they have functionally ended homelessness for all young people. Participating communities receive intensive support to inform, grow, and sustain efforts to prevent and end homelessness among youth and young adults.

Recognizing that the circumstances that lead young people to experience homelessness can vary greatly, Anchor Communities work to develop solutions that are tailored both to their community and to the circumstances of each young person without a safe, stable place to call home.

Activating Innovation

AWHWA provides coaching, training, and tailored technical assistance to communities, fostering community engagement, and encouraging creative approaches to reach their collective goals.

Prevent & Divert

The Centralized Diversion Fund is an important tool to remove small barriers to prevent and end a young person’s housing crisis. Pairing youth and young adult-centered housing diversion support with immediate, flexible funding has made housing solutions an enduring reality for hundreds of Washington young people facing homelessness, all for a low cost per household.

Data & Equity

By-Name Lists identify each unaccompanied young person, making it possible to connect young people with the resources that are right for them.

Represent & Advocate

AWHWA advocates statewide, provides a platform for young people’s voices and works side-by-side to prevent and end youth homelessness. Homelessness is a non-partisan issue, and AWHWA has strong support from both sides of the policy-making aisle. Together with the Anchor Community, AWHWA advocates on the state and local levels, working closely with elected officials and government agencies to advance policies and secure resources that support the organization’s mission.

To learn more about AWHWA’s programs and impact, click here.

Responsibilities

The Executive Director (ED) will play an important role in leading the organization into a bold and impactful future. Working in partnership with communities, staff, and advisory board, the ED will chart the next phase of AWHWA’s future by leveraging learnings from the initial four ACI communities and statewide policy and advocacy initiatives. The ED will work collaboratively to define a comprehensive strategic plan that sets forth bold goals and aligns resources, policies, and organizational structures to most effectively fulfill AWHWA’s mission. They will bring vision and leadership to AWHWA’s efforts to center equity and intersectionality, expand policy and advocacy influence, and to advance a movement to functionally end youth and young adult homelessness. 

The ED will be a natural collaborator who is dedicated to a collective impact strategy and integrating the voices of communities and those with lived experience in shaping the strategy and organizational goals. They will be seasoned in anti-racism and equity work, with a track record of leading equity initiatives both within organizations and externally through programs. The ED will be a proven senior leader who is committed to nurturing and developing a team, a design thinker who connects strategy to organizational structure and execution, and a trusted partner to the advisory board in stewarding the organization. The ED will be a passionate and experienced leader with sophisticated analytical and interpersonal skills who is deeply committed to using political engagement, data driven evidence, strategic execution and a collective impact approach to end youth and young adult homelessness.

Essential Functions

The incoming ED should expect to devote their time and talents to the following priorities:

Vision and Leadership 

• Work collaboratively with staff, advisory board, and community partners to chart the next evolution of the organization and its vision. Through an inclusive and comprehensive planning process, they will develop and execute a unified strategy for AWHWA that fuses evidence and learnings from ACI with the policy, advocacy, and programmatic strengths of the organization.

External Partnerships & Fundraising

• In collaboration with the incoming Development Director and advisory board, sustain and deepen strong relationships built on trust and collaboration between AWHWA and its community partners across the state. Expand AWHWA’s diverse network of partner organizations, philanthropic supporters, and policy champions to advance the organization’s ambitious goals and embrace AWHWA’s role as convener, advocate, and leader in advancing collective impact around youth and young adult homelessness. Establish yourself as the voice, face, and a key representative for the organization in the broader communities in which we work.

Organizational Leadership & Management 

• With a strong and dedicated staff, and informed by programmatic experience, the ED will build cross-team collaboration and an internal culture centered in equity, transparency, and mutual trust. They will strengthen internal communications and collaboration to further align staff with clearly articulated future priorities and direction of AWHWA. And in partnership with the Deputy Director, assess the financial and organizational structures, processes, infrastructure, and relationship to its fiscal sponsor to ensure AWAHA’s current and future initiatives, key programs, policy and advocacy agendas are supported by a stronger and highly effective organizational infrastructure.

Board Governance

• Work closely with the current advisory board to design the next phase of governance, including assessing the potential shift from a funder advisory board to a community-centric advisory board. Support the engagement, recruitment, and onboarding of new advisory board members as thought partners and key advisors, effectively leveraging their diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences to inform the strategic direction and growth of AWHWA. As a trusted partner to the advisory board, the ED will support effective governance practices and opportunities to elevate the advisory board’s collective capacity to influence systematic change to prevent and end youth and young adult homelessness.

Qualifications

WHAT YOU BRING

AWHWA is committed to expanding a diverse, equitable, accessible, and inclusive organization and is investing in promoting a team with a wide variety of backgrounds, identities, languages, cultural ways of knowing, and life experiences. If you meet some of the key requirements below, and you are passionate about our mission and ending youth homelessness, we encourage you to apply. 

Candidates will be evaluated on the full range of their lived and learned experience and core competencies, including:

Connection to Mission

• A combination of lived and professional experience that is aligned with AWHWA’s mission and values.
• Passion for ending youth and young adult homelessness through a community impact model like AWHWA; commitment to outcomes-based, community-driven initiatives that apply a systems-change approach and cross sector collaboration.
• A deep commitment to equity with the proven ability to apply a racial equity lens to all levels of an organization’s work.

Management & Leadership

• Proven track record managing comparable budgets and staff, particularly during early-stage organizational growth and through the steps needed to grow and sustain organizational health and mission focus.
• Excellent management skills and experience leading and inspiring change in a diverse, mission-driven environment; proven capacity to support systems and decision-making that fosters participation, mutual accountability, and growth.
• A track record of success motivating, managing, and mentoring highly talented and diverse teams; inclusive and collaborative leadership style that leverages the knowledge, diversity, and expertise of staff, communities, and organizational partners; the ability to inspire others without exerting hierarchical power. 
• Successful experience leading strategic planning processes that yield clarity of direction and executable plans while authentically including a diverse array of perspectives and voices.
• Familiarity with nonprofit governance structures and growing a strong and representative advisory board. 
• Comfort with data and evidence informed decision-making; ability to translate complex ideas and processes in a way that is accessible to multiple audiences and stakeholders.
• Ability to delegate effectively and keep an eye on the bigger picture while maintaining an awareness of the details.

External Relations & Policy

• Strong relationship-building skills and an authentic interest in listening to and learning from others; the ability to act with intentionality, establish trust, engage stakeholders, and cultivate belonging.
• Experience supporting an organization’s policy, advocacy, and external communications efforts, and establishing meaningful collaborations with relevant partners, agencies, and communities.
• Excellent spoken and written communications skills; ability to call attention to important issues when the moment requires and the humility and maturity to empower others to tell their story.
• Ability and willingness to travel across Washington State and the adaptability to work effectively in a wide variety of geographic, political, and cultural settings.

Physical Demands/Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those for this position. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. Work is performed in an office environment and in close proximity to other workers.

While performing the duties of this position, the employee is required to:

• Handle, or feel objects, tools or controls;
• Reach; traverse; sit (usually for longer periods of time); occasionally ascend/descend; and position self (to) move;
• Occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds;
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate;
• Job is not subject to significant occupational or environmental hazards;
• Likelihood of personal injury would be relatively slight;
• Environmental and work hazards are not present to a measurable degree.

Compensation and Benefits

Location: Work will be primarily performed Hybrid within WA State.

Compensation: The starting salary range for this position is $150,000 - $170,000/yr. and is commensurate with experience. The full salary range possible within the role is $128,750 - $206,000/yr. dependent on experience and performance.

Benefits: This position is eligible for a full benefits package including:

• Generous Paid-Time-Off (PTO): twelve paid holidays, three weeks of vacation, one week of personal holiday, and ability to accrue up to 487.5 hours of health leave time for benefited staff.
• 80% Employer-paid, offering some $0 deductible Health Insurance through Harvard Pilgrim along with several low-deductible plans;
• Low-cost Guardian Dental and Vision.
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) for Health and Dependent Care.
• Employer-paid Life, Long- and Short-Term Disability Insurance.
• Employer-paid Pension and Employee-paid 403b plan through TIAA.
• ...and more!

TSNE/AWHWA strives to achieve excellence through a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment that embraces all of our individual and collective differences. Black, Indigenous, People of Color, Middle Eastern and North African, Bilingual and/or Bicultural candidates, and LGBTQ2SIA candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. We value and honor the unique talents, learning styles, and lived experiences of each individual that enrich and strengthen our workplace culture, and we are proud to be an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.

All employment conditions are based on an individual’s performance and job qualifications. TSNE/AWHWA prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, creed, color, religion, native language, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, physical or mental disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, parental status, pregnancy, race-based hairstyles, or any other protected characteristic stated by federal and state law. Regardless of any class’ protection under the law or lack thereof, TSNE/AWHWA celebrates diversity and values the strengths that come with having a diverse team of employees. It is represented in our workplace culture, and it is who we are.

TSNE/AWHWA's EEO statement extends to volunteers, interns, contractors, vendors, and clients.

Salary : $128,750 - $206,000