Riverdale Senior Services, Inc.

Background:
Riverdale Senior Services, Inc. (RSS): The Center for Ageless Living is a nonprofit organization that has championed older adults and their families in the Northwest Bronx since 1974.  RSS provides approximately 5,000 members annually the opportunity to live their best, happiest, and healthiest lives and works within a $2.3 MM operating budget and a staff of 20 dedicated individuals.

The organization originally opened with the mission of providing a place where people could meet friends, share a meal, and learn from one another.  As it has grown, it has responded to the changing needs and interests of the diverse senior population in the area.  In addition to a daily lunch, RSS now offers a full range of fitness, cultural, health management, social programs, behavioral health services, and an adult day program for seniors experiencing memory loss.  RSS also partners with local organizations and institutions to offer off-site programs in the community.  Since COVID, RSS has further expanded its geographic footprint by adding a series of virtual programs to complement its traditional in-person roster of programs and services.

Across the organization’s fifty-year history, there have been five executive directors.  Currently, under the leadership of an interim Executive Director, RSS has recently restructured to include its first departments of clinical services and development/fundraising to diversify programmatic and revenue streams, respectively.  As Riverdale Senior Services advances into its next iteration, it is looking for an experienced Executive Director to raise and secure revenue and improve upon the existing infrastructure to support RSS’s current services and future growth.

The Position:
The Executive Director (ED) serves as the leader of Riverdale Senior Services. The ED oversees all aspects of the internal operations, administrative activities, financial management, program development and delivery, fundraising, and the strategic planning of the organization.  The ED will provide mission-based leadership for the organization and cultivate partnerships with government agencies, elected officials, funders, program partners, and other stakeholders.  The ED will be experienced in organizational development and possess the leadership tools to foster an efficient working environment across all departments, ensuring the effective management of resources, programs, and personnel to achieve the organization’s mission and goals.  This person will report to the Board of Directors and will have five direct reports.

Riverdale Senior Services is seeking an experienced, multifaceted, and innovative Executive Director with a shrewd business acumen and a passion for improving the quality of life for older adults.  The ideal candidate is a resourceful and results-oriented leader with a record of accomplishment in positively impacting a community-based, social service organization.

Key Responsibilities include:

• Leadership & Strategy:
  • Develop, clarify, and execute the organizational strategy, including, but not limited to, vision, mission, core values, and competitive/environmental analysis.
  • Provide visionary leadership and foster a positive, collaborative, and inclusive organizational culture.
  • Design and implement outcomes-based evaluation practices that improve operations and provide an evidentiary basis for internal and external reporting.
• Development & Fundraising:
  • Collaboratively determine a fundraising strategy and execute it against goals across all funding streams: government, individuals, foundations, corporations, and special events.
  • Sustain existing donor relationships and cultivate new ones.
  • Grow existing earned income streams and create new ones consistent with innovative fee-for-service business models.
• Human Resources Management:
  • Recruit, retain, and professionally develop five direct reports: Director of Clinical Services, Director of Community Engagement, Development Manager, Deputy Director of Operations, and the Director of Communications and Non-Clinical Programs.
  • Collaborate with department directors to design and administer performance assessments and determine annual goals.
  • Support department directors in the full-cycle recruitment process.
  • Lead corrective action conversations between staff and their direct reports.
  • In collaboration with external brokers and benefit managers, onboard all new employees into the benefits systems.  Prepare and submit benefit claims as needed.
• Financial Oversight:
  • Lead the work of the finance committee, the Deputy Director of Operations, and the external financial management team to develop the annual budget, monitor expenses, and ensure sound financial practices.
  • Collaborate with the internal financial management team to monitor financial performance, including revenue growth, expenses, cash flow, and investments.
• Program Management:
  • Collaborate with the department directors to ensure high-quality service delivery to clients and/or beneficiaries.
• Operations and Administration:
  • Support the day-to-day operations, including facilities, IT, transportation, security, and infrastructure.
  • Manage and mitigate organizational risk and ensure compliance with legal, financial, regulatory, and reporting requirements.  Collaborate with counsel as appropriate.
• Board of Directors Relations and Development:
  • Support the board of directors in fulfilling its governance functions and duties of care, loyalty, and obedience to the organization.
  • Keep the board of directors informed of organizational activities, financial status, and important developments.
  • Assist in recruiting and orienting new board members and leverage their expertise to benefit the organization.
  • Participate in executive, finance, nominating/governance, and development committee meetings.

Qualifications:

• At least five years in an executive director or senior leadership role for an organization of similar size and scope.
• Bachelor’s degree required.  An advanced degree in nonprofit management, public administration, social work, or a related field is preferred.
• Experience with and/or knowledge of the field of aging and the unique and complex issues that affect older adults.
• Strong fundraising record with significant experience in cultivating individual donors and foundation relationships.
• Visionary leader with exceptional communication skills and the ability to inspire and motivate staff, volunteers, and stakeholders.
• Experience leading an organization with significant government funding.
• Robust experience in human resource management including staff development, onboarding/offboarding, performance review, and benefits management.  Membership or certification in the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is preferred.
• Solid understanding of financial management, including budget preparation, analysis, and reporting.
• Technologically savvy with an interest in and capacity to sustainably grow the organization.  Knowledge of integrated data collection and analysis processes is preferred.
• Program and organizational assessment and evaluation design experience is preferred.
• Commitment to Riverdale Senior Services’ mission and the ability to convey a vision of their strategic future to staff, Board, volunteers, and donors.

RSS is an Equal Opportunity Employer that does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, creed, color, religion, alienage or national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, disability or handicap, sex, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information, arrest record, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.  The management team is dedicated to this policy with respect to all employment actions, including, but not limited to recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, training, compensation, benefits, employee activities, and general treatment during employment.

This is an NYC-based role with a projected salary in the range of $150,000 – $160,000, commensurate with experience.  The comprehensive benefits package includes 100% employer-sponsored medical and dental insurance, 403b retirement (after one year of employment), and generous PTO.

For more information about Riverdale Senior Services, please visit rssny.org.