Organization Overview
La Puerta Waco is a community-based nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding educational opportunities, workforce development, and access to supportive services for individuals and families in the Waco area. Through adult education, English-language instruction, career and skills development, counseling, and community partnerships, La Puerta helps participants build pathways toward greater stability, self-sufficiency, and long-term success
Summary/Objective:
The Executive Director serves as the chief executive officer of La Puerta Waco and reports to the Board of Directors. This position provides strategic leadership, strengthens financial sustainability, directs organizational operations and programs, develops community and funding partnerships, and ensures that La Puerta’s mission is carried out effectively. The Executive Director is responsible for leading staff, managing resources, supporting the Board of Directors, and positioning the organization for responsible growth and long-term community impact.
Required Education, Licenses, Certifications, and Experience:
1. Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in nonprofit management, business administration, social work, education, public administration, or a related field is required
2. Master of Social Work degree or doctoral degree is preferred
3. Progressive leadership experience in a nonprofit, educational, workforce development, social services, or related community-serving organization
4. Demonstrated experience in fundraising, grant writing, grant management, donor relations, resource development, and financial stewardship
5. Experience supervising staff, interns, volunteers, and multidisciplinary teams
6. Experience managing organizational budgets and supporting financial planning
7. Experience developing community partnerships and collaborative initiatives
8. Valid driver’s license, reliable transportation, and personal automobile liability insurance
9. Fluent in both English and Spanish
Work authorization/security clearance required:
Must be eligible to work in the United States.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
1. Strong leadership, strategic planning, organizational development, and decision-making skills
2. Ability to develop and manage budgets, interpret financial information, and ensure responsible stewardship of organizational resources\
3. Knowledge of nonprofit fundraising, grants, resource development, endowment-building strategies, and outcome reporting
4. Ability to build collaborative relationships with donors, foundations, churches, educational institutions, businesses, government agencies, and community partners
5. Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, and public-speaking skills
6. Ability to manage competing priorities, meet deadlines, exercise sound judgment, and maintain confidentiality
7. Proficiency with common office technology, data systems, electronic communications, and online collaboration tools
Major Duties and Responsibilities:
1. Provides strategic leadership and day-to-day executive management in alignment with the mission, vision, values, and direction established by the Board of Directors.
2. Partners with the Board of Directors to develop organizational priorities, annual goals, policies, and long-range plans and provide timely reports and information needed for effective governance.
3. Leads, supervises, develops, and evaluates the organization’s staff and workforce, which may include the Office Manager, program staff, childcare workers, instructors, interns, a part-time Volunteer Coordinator, counselors, and volunteers.
4. Oversees La Puerta’s educational, workforce development, counseling, childcare, volunteer, and community-support programs and ensures quality, responsiveness, compliance, and measurable outcomes.
5. Develops and manages the annual operating budget, monitors financial performance, strengthens internal controls, and ensures responsible stewardship of grants, donations, contracts, and other funding sources.
6. Leads fundraising and resource-development efforts, including grants, donor cultivation, sponsorships, special initiatives, and opportunities to strengthen long-term sustainability and endowment resources.
7. Maintains grant compliance, reporting, program data, and outcome-measurement systems and ensures accurate and timely reporting to funders, the Board of Directors, and other stakeholders.
8. Cultivates and sustains strategic partnerships with community organizations, educational institutions, healthcare providers, churches, businesses, government agencies, and other stakeholders whose work advances La Puerta’s mission.
9. Serves as the organization’s principal spokesperson and represents La Puerta at community meetings, public events, conferences, and partnership activities.
10. Oversees organizational communications, branding, public relations, and digital presence in coordination with staff and outside resources.
11. Ensures compliance with applicable laws, grant requirements, contracts, organizational policies, and sound nonprofit-management practices.
12. Performs *other duties as assigned and as needed to help drive our vision, fulfill our mission, and abide by our organization's values.
*Other Duties as Assigned:
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice, and the team member may be asked to perform other duties as assigned.
Physical and Mental Requirements and Abilities
The role of an Executive Director often requires the ability to work effectively in a moderate to fast-paced environment. This environment typically involves frequent activities, interactions, and tasks that must be completed within specified timeframes. Additionally, interruptions and unexpected events may occur, which can require flexibility and adaptability while maintaining a professional and courteous demeanor.
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by the Executive Director to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. The employee frequently sits and/or stands. The employee may occasionally climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, lift, and/or move up to 25 pounds. The employee will constantly use their fingers, hands, wrists, elbows, and any necessary upper extremities to do so. Employees may occasionally have to twist, pull, or stretch. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust the focus with and/or without using prescribed or over-the-counter optical glasses, contact lenses, or other visual aids. The Executive Director may be exposed to various (fair to extreme) weather conditions.
We Value All
La Puerta Waco values everyone and believes in providing equal opportunity to whom we hire, train, and promote in all positions without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. We seek to ensure that decisions regarding compensation, promotions, benefits, and/or programs align with our values.
Our Commitment to Anti-Harassment and Discrimination
La Puerta Waco is committed to providing all of its employees with a working environment in which they are treated with respect and dignity. Accordingly, La Puerta Waco strongly disapproves of and will not tolerate, condone, or allow harassment or discrimination by or against any of its staff members. This anti-harassment policy prohibits harassment based on biological sex, race, age, color, national origin, and physical/mental disabilities.
Pay: $50,000.00 - $60,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
Education:
Experience:
- Nonprofit management: 2 years (Required)
- Grant proposal writing: 2 years (Required)
Language:
Work Location: In person
