Overview
1. Organizational Leadership and Day-to-Day Operations
● Lead the daily operations of Pathfinders in alignment with the mission, bylaws, board-approved policies, budget, and strategic direction.
● Maintain regular communication with the Board Chairperson and Board of Directors regarding programs, staffing, finances, risks, needs, opportunities, and major decisions.
● Coordinate program schedules, staff coverage, family communication, facility needs, supplies, documentation, and organizational calendars.
● Strengthen internal systems for attendance, registration, communication, reporting, program files, staff files, and board updates.
● Identify operational barriers and recommend practical solutions to the Board.
2. Staff Supervision and Team Development
● Supervise a small staff team of approximately 3-7 people, including employees, contractors, interns, volunteers, or program support staff as assigned.
● Create clear staff expectations, schedules, responsibilities, accountability practices, and communication routines.
● Lead regular staff check-ins or team meetings to support program quality, safety, communication, and follow-through.
● Support recruitment, onboarding, training, development, and retention of staff and volunteers.
● Address staff performance concerns in a fair and timely manner, in partnership with the Board when needed.
● Build a team culture rooted in youth safety, respect, consistency, accountability, confidentiality, and care.
3. Youth and Family Program Leadership
● Oversee youth and family programming that supports educational success, social-emotional learning, healthy expression, leadership development, mentoring, career exploration, family engagement, and community connection.
● Ensure programming is safe, engaging, culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and aligned with the needs of youth and families.
● Build program calendars, activities, special events, family engagement opportunities, and community-based supports.
● Monitor participation, attendance, youth needs, family feedback, program quality, and basic outcomes.
● Identify opportunities to strengthen current programs and responsibly expand programming based on funding, staffing, licensing requirements, and organizational capacity.
4. Childcare Licensing, Youth Safety, and Compliance
● The Executive Director will be expected to serve as, work toward qualification as, or directly coordinate with Pathfinders' designated childcare program administrator/program director if Pathfinders programming requires a Michigan child care center license. If the Board designates another qualified person as the program administrator, the Executive Director remains responsible for operational coordination, board communication, compliance documentation, staff accountability, and corrective action follow-through.
● Determine, with the Board and MiLEAP or other appropriate licensing contacts, whether Pathfinders programming is required to operate under a licensed child care center, school-age child care center, small capacity center, exemption, or other applicable regulatory category.
● Coordinate licensing application, renewal, inspection preparation, technical assistance, corrective action plans, documentation requests, and ongoing communication with MiLEAP licensing staff, consultants, inspectors, or approved technical assistance providers.
● If designated as the program administrator/program director of record, meet or obtain the applicable Michigan qualification requirements, including being at least 21 years of age, holding a high school diploma or GED, and completing at least 2 semester hours or 3.0 CEUs in child care administration within 6 months of hire or designation, unless another approved administrative credential or qualified central administrator applies.
● Ensure the proposed program administrator credentials are submitted to MiLEAP for review and approval before hire or designation when required by rule, and maintain verification of program administrator, substitute administrator, central administrator, and staff qualifications in the appropriate center or central office files.
● For school-age programming, ensure the designated school-age program administrator meets one of Michigan's accepted qualification pathways, which may include a combination of experience, coursework or CEUs in child care administration/early childhood/child development/youth development or a child-related field, MiRegistry-approved training, a CDA, Montessori credential, Michigan youth development credential, associate degree or higher, and/or Great Start to Quality participation, as applicable to the center type and current rules.
● For programs serving infants, toddlers, preschoolers, or mixed age groups, ensure the designated early childhood program administrator meets one of Michigan's accepted qualification pathways, which may include experience, a CDA, Montessori credential, infant family associate credential, associate degree in a child-related field, associate degree or higher with required MiRegistry training, bachelor's degree or higher in a child-related field, and/or Great Start to Quality participation, as applicable to the center type and current rules.
● Appoint and document a staff-in-charge, site administrator, or substitute program administrator when required, including during absences, multi-site oversight, or periods when the program administrator is not on premises, and ensure that designated staff have authority and access to respond to emergencies, inspections, parent concerns, and required records.
● Maintain required center records, including child files, enrollment records, child information cards, immunization records or waivers, health statements, daily child attendance with arrival/departure times, staff and volunteer attendance, parent permissions, authorized release information, court orders affecting release, transportation permissions, field trip permissions, handbook acknowledgments, licensing notebook, staff credentials, training logs, and compliance records.
● Maintain staff and volunteer compliance systems, including comprehensive background check system enrollment, eligibility documentation, fingerprinting requirements when applicable, supervision restrictions before eligibility determination, and timely disconnection of individuals who are no longer associated with the license.
● Ensure all staff, substitutes, and volunteers complete required orientation and training within required timeframes, including center policies and practices, prevention and reporting of child abuse and neglect, discipline policy, emergency procedures, staff-to-child ratios, daily schedules, health policies, infectious disease prevention, illness procedures, emergency preparedness and response, medication administration, allergy response, building and premises safety, hazardous materials, transportation precautions, child development, and pediatric first aid/CPR requirements.
● Ensure at least the required portion of program staff maintain current pediatric first aid and pediatric/child/adult CPR certification, and keep documentation available in the center, central office, or MiRegistry as required.
● Develop, implement, and monitor written policies and procedures required for licensed child care operations, including admission/withdrawal, schedule of operation, fees if applicable, discipline, food service, program philosophy, daily routine, parent notification for accidents/injuries/incidents/illnesses, transportation, medication, illness exclusion, emergency preparedness, supervision, confidentiality, mandated reporting, and youth safety.
● Ensure children are released only to authorized individuals, parent/guardian documentation is current, transportation and field trip permissions are secured, and adult-youth boundaries, supervision standards, and child-to-staff ratio expectations are followed at all times.
● Maintain medication, allergy, health, illness, communicable disease, accident, incident, injury, and emergency response procedures, including parent notification and required reporting to MiLEAP within required timeframes when serious incidents occur.
● Monitor compliance trends, incident patterns, staff training gaps, documentation gaps, licensing risks, facility issues, safety concerns, and resource needs; communicate concerns promptly to the Board Chairperson and Board of Directors with recommended corrective action.
● Work closely with the board, supporting the Board in adopting, reviewing, and updating policies required by law, funders, insurers, licensing standards, contracts, or sound nonprofit practice, including youth safety, background checks, mandated reporting, transportation, incident reporting, confidentiality, conflict of interest, financial controls, personnel practices, and document retention.
5. Fundraising, Grants, and Resource Development
● Lead or co-lead fundraising and resource development in partnership with the Board.
● Identify grant opportunities, sponsorships, donor prospects, local business support, church/community giving, foundation opportunities, and program-aligned funding sources.
● Prepare or support grant applications, sponsorship materials, donor letters, fundraising campaigns, program narratives, budgets, and funder updates.
● Maintain funder and donor relationships in partnership with the Board.
● Track program needs and translate those needs into clear, fundable requests.
● Provide data, stories, program updates, budgets, and outcome information needed for grant reporting and donor stewardship.
● Work with the Board to diversify revenue and reduce overreliance on any one funding source.
6. Community Partnerships and Public Representation
● Serve as a visible and trusted representative of Pathfinders in Muskegon, Muskegon Heights, and the broader community.
● Build and maintain relationships with youth, families, schools, churches, neighborhood leaders, funders, volunteers, civic groups, community organizations, and public systems.
● Represent Pathfinders at community meetings, partner tables, events, funder conversations, and collaborative opportunities when appropriate.
● Strengthen Pathfinders’ role as a community-based youth and family organization connected to broader youth development, education, family support, prevention, wellness, and trauma-informed community efforts.
● Communicate Pathfinders’ mission, needs, outcomes, and impact clearly to different audiences.
7. Financial Administration and Budget Support
● Work with the Treasurer and Board to support budget development, financial tracking, grant budgets, restricted funds, and spending decisions.
● Follow board-approved financial controls, reimbursement procedures, purchasing expectations, and documentation requirements.
● Monitor program expenses, supply needs, invoices, reimbursements, and funding restrictions.
● Provide information needed for regular financial reports, grant reports, and board review.
● Promptly communicate financial risks, urgent needs, or budget concerns to the Treasurer and Board Chairperson. 8. Board Communication and Governance Support
● Provide regular written or verbal reports to the Board regarding operations, programs, staffing, compliance, fundraising, finances, partnerships, risks, and strategic needs.
● Work with the Board Chairperson to prepare meeting updates, identify decisions requiring board approval, and support strong board-staff communication.
● Support board committees as requested, including finance, governance, fund development, program/youth impact, succession planning, or special event committees.
● Implement board-approved policies, budget decisions, strategic priorities, and directives.
● Participate in Executive Director evaluation, goal setting, and professional development processes established by the Board. Working Board and Shared Leadership Expectations This role must be matched with active board support. At the current compensation level, the Executive Director is expected to lead daily operations and program growth, but the Board must remain actively involved in governance and sustainability. The Board should not delegate all fundraising, financial oversight, compliance, policy work, strategic planning, community relationships, and succession planning to the Executive Director alone.
● Board members are expected to actively support fundraising, sponsorships, donor cultivation, and community introductions.
● The Treasurer and Board remain responsible for financial oversight, budget review, internal controls, and major financial decisions.
● The Board Chairperson remains responsible for supporting board leadership, agendas, communication, accountability, and supervision/evaluation of the Executive Director through the board-approved process.
● Board committees should support finance, governance, fund development, program/youth impact, policy development, and succession planning as needed.
● Major decisions regarding employment, compensation, organizational strategy, licensing direction, large contracts, loans, budgets, and legal/compliance matters remain subject to board approval. Required Qualifications
● Experience supervising staff, contractors, volunteers, interns, or program teams.
● Experience working with youth, families, schools, childcare, afterschool programs, community-based programs, churches, nonprofits, or grassroots organizations.
● Ability to supervise and support a staff team of approximately 3-7 people.
● Strong organizational, communication, documentation, and follow-through skills.
● Ability and willingness to learn Michigan childcare licensing and compliance requirements.
● Experience with fundraising, donor communication, sponsorships, grants, community resource development, or program funding.
● Ability to build trusted relationships with youth, families, staff, volunteers, board members, funders, and community partners.
● Understanding of confidentiality, mandated reporting, youth safety, professional boundaries, and trauma-informed practice.
● Ability to work effectively with a hands-on Board of Directors.
● Comfort leading in a small nonprofit environment where the Executive Director must be both strategic and hands-on. Preferred Qualifications
● Prior experience as an Executive Director, Program Director, Childcare Director, Afterschool Director, Site Coordinator, Youth Program Manager, or comparable community program leader.
● Knowledge of Michigan childcare licensing, MiLEAP childcare rules, MiRegistry, childcare center compliance, or school-age childcare requirements.
● Experience managing grants, foundation-funded programs, nonprofit budgets, sponsorships, or donor relationships.
● Experience building or rebuilding nonprofit systems, documentation practices, staff structures, policies, or program quality systems.
● Experience with trauma-informed care, restorative practices, positive youth development, violence prevention, social-emotional learning, literacy, arts-based youth programming, or family engagement.
● Familiarity with Muskegon Heights, Muskegon County, and local youth/family-serving systems.
● Lived, volunteer, or professional experience connected to the communities Pathfinders serves.
Pay: $60,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Flexible schedule
- Paid time off
Work Location: In person
