Location: Sioux Falls, SD
Compensation: Competitive compensation based on experience.
Classification: Full-time, salaried exempt
This role requires flexibility, including occasional evening and weekend work for events, donor
engagement, artist relations, board meetings, installation, de-installation, and other mission critical activities
Reports to: Board of Directors
Supervises: N/A
Organizational Overview
SculptureWalk Sioux Falls is a 501(c)(3) and is one of the largest annual exhibits of public
sculptures in the country. Our mission is to bring art to the people, and our guiding principle is to
be the highest quality, most professional, financially strong, artist friendly, year-round outdoor
sculpture program in the United States. Curated by a blind jury of local dignitaries and art
enthusiasts, works are graciously loaned by the artists and installed in the spring through
downtown Sioux Falls, SD, to be continuously displayed all year.
Position Summary
The Executive Director (ED) is the chief executive and fundraiser for SculptureWalk Sioux Falls,
responsible for the organization’s leadership, financial sustainability, and long-term success.
The ED is responsible for leading daily operations, advancing the strategic plan, achieving
organizational goals, and ensuring the organization has the resources, relationships, and
operating discipline needed to fulfill its mission.
The ED maintains a strong working relationship with the Board of Directors through clear
communication, regular reporting, and appropriate respect for the distinction between board
governance and staff management.
First-Year Priorities
- Build strong working relationships with the Board, artists, donors, sponsors, civic
partners, volunteers, and community stakeholders.
- Develop and execute a fundraising plan with clear revenue goals, donor stewardship
practices, sponsorship strategy, and grant opportunities.
- Assess current operations, staffing, volunteer needs, financial systems, artist processes,
and event logistics, then recommend improvements.
- Lead successful execution of the annual exhibit cycle, including artist communication,
site coordination, installation, de-installation, maintenance, voting, sales, and related
community engagement.
- Create a year-round engagement calendar that supports fundraising, public awareness,
donor cultivation, artist relationships, and community participation.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Executive Leadership & Strategy
- Serve as the organization’s chief executive, accountable for overall performance,
sustainability, and impact.
- Lead execution of the organization’s strategic plan and translate board-approved
priorities into annual goals, operating plans, budgets, and measurable outcomes.
- Set organizational priorities and make final decisions on resource allocation and
strategic tradeoffs.
- Foster a mission-driven, accountable, and collaborative culture.
- Lead day-to-day administrative and operational tasks.
Financial Leadership & Sustainability
- Manage the organization’s financial resources responsibly and in alignment with the
board-approved budget, strategic priorities, donor restrictions, and nonprofit best
practices.
- Work with the finance firm, Treasurer, Finance Committee, and Board to support
budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, audits or reviews, internal controls, and longterm financial planning.
- Provide timely, accurate, and transparent financial information to the Board, including
financial performance, risks, opportunities, and recommended corrective action when
needed.
- Ensure that organizational resources are used in a way that maximizes mission impact,
operational effectiveness, and long-term sustainability.
- Manage funds, bank accounts, investments, insurance coverage, as well as invoicing
and payment collection.
Fundraising & Resource Development
- Serve as the organization’s lead fundraiser, with primary staff responsibility for
developing, managing, and executing a comprehensive fundraising strategy across
individual giving, major gifts, sponsorships, grants, endowment, special campaigns, and
events.
- Cultivate, solicit, and steward donors, sponsors, foundations, artists, civic partners, and
institutional funders.
- Use Board members strategically to support fundraising through warm introductions,
relationship-building, ambassadorship, and donor engagement, while maintaining staff
ownership of fundraising execution and follow-through.
Board Relations & Board Development
- Support the Board President, Executive Committee, and/or Nomination Committee in
board recruitment, orientation, training, succession planning, and governance
improvement efforts.
- Provide staff leadership, information, and tools that help the Board fulfill its governance,
fundraising, ambassadorship, and accountability responsibilities.
- Coordinate with Board President and Secretary to support effective board and
committee meetings, including agenda development, preparation of staff reports, and
follow-up on assigned action items.
Community Engagement, Communications, & External Relations
- Build and maintain strong relationships with artists, donors, sponsors, civic leaders,
downtown stakeholders, government partners, media, peer organizations, and
community members.
- Serve as the organization’s chief spokesperson and public representative.
- Oversee organizational messaging, public relations, digital communications, website
content, social media, collateral materials, and media outreach to support fundraising,
community engagement, artist relations, and public awareness.
SculptureWalk Programming & Beyond
- Lead the planning, coordination, and year-round execution of the annual SculptureWalk
exhibit and related community engagement activities, including artist relations, site
coordination, volunteer management, installation and de-installation logistics, sponsor
and donor communication, printed and digital materials, sculpture maintenance, public
voting, sculpture sales, and related events.
- Develop a year-round engagement strategy that uses the annual exhibit, Arc of Dreams,
artist relationship, community events, donor opportunities, and public programming to
increase visibility, deepen support, and advance the organization’s mission throughout
the year.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree preferred, or equivalent combination of leadership experience,
nonprofit management, fundraising success, and community-facing work.
- Minimum of five years’ experience in leadership role.
- Demonstrated success in fundraising, including major gifts and sponsorships.
- Demonstrated ability to develop and execute strategic plans and meet financial targets.
- Demonstrated strength in organizational messaging, public relations, and relationshipbased communication.
- Strong track record of financial oversight and resource management to drive
organizational sustainability.
- Proven ability to inspire and manage teams/boards effectively.
- Excellent communication, relationship-building, organizational and public leadership
skills.
- Knowledge of the arts industry and nonprofit governance.
- Experience working with Microsoft products and Adobe Creative Suite or Canva.
Benefits
- Paid time off
- Flexible scheduling and hybrid work potential
- Holiday time off
- Professional development allowance
- Mileage or expense reimbursement for approved business use
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