ABOUT GIRLS SCOUTS OF GREATER LOS ANGELES
Established in the Los Angeles area in 1922, Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles (GSGLA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is the second largest of 111 Girl Scouts Councils in the nation and the largest organization serving girls in Southern California. With over 35,500 members (grades K-12) and 19,000 dedicated adult volunteers, GSGLA spans 6,200 square miles of the diverse communities of Los Angeles County and parts of Kern and San Bernardino Counties.
GSGLA prepares girls for lives of purpose, commitment, and success. The mission of Girl Scouts is to build girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. With one-third of our members from underserved and under-resourced communities, and with an opportunity to serve thousands more, GSGLA strives to provide an equitable experience by removing barriers so that all girls have access to the proven success of the Girl Scouts experience.
The outcomes tell the Girl Scouts story - girls who participate in Girl Scouts are more likely to finish high school and attain a higher education degree. By participating in Girl Scouts, girls learn valuable skills. They are also more likely to form healthy relationships and develop community problem-solving skills.
As a federated model, the worldwide Girl Scouts movement includes 1.5 million members and millions of alumnae. The Girl Scouts in the GSGLA Council lead the way as they find their voices and make changes that affect the issues most important to them.
The newest version of GSGLA was formed in 2008 when six councils in the greater Los Angeles region were merged together. In September 2019, Theresa Edy-Kiene was selected as its new CEO. Little did she know that within six months the world would face the COVID pandemic. Theresa and her management team navigated through the crisis to ensure their mission was delivered in the new virtual world during COVID. Today, GSGLA has moved into the next phase of its journey. It boasts revenue of $26 million with $62 million in assets and has 14 months of its operating budget in reserve. It has a staff of 155, with another 130 added during the summer months, manages 15 properties, 2 high mountain camps, and 5 retail stores. GSGLA is a highly complex organization that trains 19,000 volunteers a year and will soon begin renovating its Long Beach property.
THE OPPORTUNITY
As one of the top ten Councils in the movement, GSGLA is at the forefront of pioneering new experiences to “move at the speed of girl.” Today, the traditional Girl Scouts model is being challenged by a new ecosystem of girls. Relying on training thousands of volunteers to execute the Girl Scouts experience, combined with the notion that girls no longer see joining as the only mode to gain the leadership skills, the challenge for GSGLA is to envision new and innovative programs and approaches to deliver their mission.
Girls Scouts of the USA is a great resource to its Councils. As the second largest in the movement, GSGLA leverages their resources and is part of a shared brain trust with other Councils to develop and implement best practices. The three directors that directly report to the CMDO are long-tenured and are some of the most respected staff members in their respective positions in the nation. The new CMDO is arriving not to fix problems, but to foster cross-departmental collaboration and to elevate GSGLA’s work through external promotion within the greater Los Angeles civic and volunteer communities. The goal is to inspire innovation and welcome new programming, all while honoring Girl Scouts traditions and ensuring the Girl Scout experience remains relevant for girls across Los Angeles' highly diverse communities.
This is an amazing opportunity for a seasoned leader, with experience navigating a large complex organization, to have a voice at the table determining how Girl Scouts of the USA and GSGLA will deliver its mission today, and in the future, for one of the most recognizable brands in the nation.
To learn more, visit www.girlscoutsla.org, and read about GSGLA’s Core Values of Integrity, Clarity of Purpose, Accountability, and Respect here: https://www.girlscoutsla.org/content/dam/girlscoutsla-redesign/documents/GSGLA-Core-
Values.-2022.pdf.
RESPONSIBILITIES
The Chief Mission Delivery Officer (“CMDO”) will report to the Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) and manage approximately 100 full-time and part-time staff in a hybrid work environment across six field-based locations/offices. Direct reports include the Senior Director of Girl & Volunteer Experience, the Senior Director of Membership & Data, and the Senior Director of Retail & Product Programs. The CMDO will have responsibility for a revenue budget of approximately $22 million of a $26+ million operating budget, with oversight of the Council’s most important source of funding – product sales, including the iconic Girl Scouts Cookie Program. Success in this position requires managing human capital in a highly decentralized environment through managers, staff, and volunteers in the field. Recognition of the fundamental and strategic importance of the large corps of volunteers is essential, and the ability to leverage the talents and strengths of our volunteers, as well as subject matter experts to shape and deliver the member and adult experiences, is critical to the Council’s success.
The CMDO spearheads the development of a comprehensive, multifunctional, integrated plan for program enrichment, membership growth and retention, and volunteer engagement and development. A key member of the CEO’s Executive Leadership Team of three C-suite leaders, the CMDO participates in setting strategic direction and implementing local and national initiatives. Success will be reflected in the achievement of metrics and outcomes.
Increasing membership is a top priority. Cultivating growth in communities unfamiliar with Girl Scouts and creating relevancy and a sense of belonging for girls and their families across L.A. are critical to the GSGLA strategic plan. GSGLA is focusing more attention on underserved/under-resourced communities, in addition to ensuring a safe environment where girls are encouraged to explore, excel, and thrive with the help of mentors and positive role models.
Working in partnership with the CEO, the Chief Financial & Administrative Officer, senior directors who report directly to the CMDO as well as other managers, and the board (as appropriate), the CMDO has the following responsibilities:
Governance, Policy, and Oversight:
Programmatic Leadership & Delivery:
External Relations:
TRAITS AND CHARACTERISTICS DESIRED
Leading candidates will embrace the principles of the Girl Scouts Movement and will find its mission important and compelling. The CDMO will be a collaborative relationship builder and creative thinker with the ability to manage through others to achieve results. As such, the CMDO should be decisive as well as diplomatic, and be able to accomplish goals through motivation and delegation, and through systems that are designed for effective planning, evaluation, and accountability. The successful candidate will be creative, flexible, adaptable, and willing to thrive in an ever-changing and fast-paced environment.
With a high level of personal integrity, the CMDO will fully model key behaviors, including teamwork, communication, respect, critical thinking, judgment, self-awareness, and priority setting. The CMDO will be an entrepreneurial leader with a strong dedication to customer service, particularly with a volunteer base, and will establish and maintain a culture that is inclusive, consensual, team oriented, and respectful. The CMDO will possess strong interpersonal skills and will be comfortable working through problems and conflicts with directness and sensitivity.
The CMDO will be a dynamic leader who can instill a high level of accountability in team-based decision making. The successful candidate should possess exceptional organizational, administrative, and financial management skills and be able to manage multiple tasks simultaneously. The CMDO must be action-oriented and be able to plan, set goals and objectives, and then organize and follow through. The CMDO must be an articulate and persuasive presenter who is able to engage, inspire, and energize a broad group of stakeholders. A positive and collaborative attitude, strong work ethic, self-initiative, good sense of humor, high energy level, and sincere sense of dedication to and enthusiasm for the mission of GSGLA will be critical to the success of the candidate in this role.
CAREER TRACK LEADING TO THIS POSITION
Preferred candidates will bring progressively responsible C-Suite or senior management experience and demonstrated success within a mission-driven and community-oriented organization. Ideally, candidates will have experience working in a complex organization and building cross-functional teams to achieve organizational goals. Demonstrated business acumen and strategic planning skills, supported by strong analytical thinking are essential. The CMDO should be a creative thinker who is aware of a wide range of organizational models from the nonprofit and business worlds. The ideal candidate will be able to perceive the need for innovation and to drive culture change. Team-building skills and a shared leadership style that attracts, retains and inspires staff will also be important. Experience in youth leadership development and volunteer management is highly beneficial. Although the successful candidate will likely have a background in non-profit management, candidates with transferrable skills from the for-profit sector, combined with a passion for the mission of GSGLA, are also encouraged to apply.
COMPENSATION
The annual salary range for this position is $225,000-$250,000. GSGLA and its employees support an inclusive environment and value the individual traits, skills and talents of all staff, volunteers, girls, prospects, and donors. Employees of GSGLA receive a competitive slate of benefits and generous paid time off, including the closure of its offices on the second and fourth Monday of every month. Full-time staff are eligible to opt into plans that cover medical, dental, vision, life and even pet insurance, and many other employer-paid and voluntary benefits, as well as a 403(b) retirement plan. GSGLA employees also enjoy a flexible/hybrid work environment.
GSGLA DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, ACCESS & ADVOCACY STATEMENT
GSGLA is committed to building and supporting a diverse staff that reflects the communities we serve, and we value equity and inclusion in our workplace. We encourage candidates from all groups and communities, different walks of life, and those belonging to communities historically excluded. As an organization committed to making the world a better place, it is essential that we incorporate a diverse, equitable and inclusive lens into all aspects of our work. We encourage candidates with a global perspective and a commitment to values around diversity, equity, and inclusion to apply.
VACCINATION POLICY
GSGLA requires its employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19, subject to certain exemptions as required by law. New hires working at GSGLA must be fully vaccinated upon hire. Individuals in need of an exemption from this policy due to medical or religious reasons must submit a completed Request for Accommodation form so that a review and determination can be made.
OTHER REQUIREMENTS
The CMDO will work on a hybrid in-person/work-from-home schedule with the expectation of regular travel within the Council and attendance at evening and weekend events, and some travel out of state for conferences and national meetings. As such, the selected candidate must live in or within reasonable commuting distance to Los Angeles County for regular in-person meetings with donors, board members, and staff.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS