Executive Director @ OrKidstra

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Impactful Opportunity

Help create a future where all children and youth have the opportunity to find their voice and build their potential through music

Passionate Team

Although the team is small in size, they can’t be matched when it comes to their level of commitment, passion and energy

Exciting Opportunity

The organization will look to you as not only a leader that will achieve operational efficiencies, but also to utilize your business acumen to expand the operations in a way that is cohesive with OrKidstra’s commitment

Executive Director @ OrKidstra

Company: OrKidstra

Position: Executive Director

Location: Ottawa, ON

OrKidstra, originally also known as The Leading Note Foundation, was inspired by the renowned El Sistema program, which over the last 46 years has proven to the world that music can be an agent of social transformation. OrKidstra is an Ottawa based charitable social development program that empowers children and youth between the ages of 5-18 by teaching fundamental life skills through playing and singing music together. With the passionate belief in the transformative power of music, OrKidstra began its mandate with a group of 27 children and since then has grown their programs to include the participation of over 600 children and youth from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds in their in-school and after-school programs.

OrKidstra’s mandate is to provide children from low-income families the opportunity to learn and make music together, and to ultimately have the chance to benefit from the individual skill development and experience the community values that are inherent in music making. They make this an inclusive opportunity for children who may have otherwise been left out due to financial constraints, cultural differences, language barriers and settlement difficulties by providing free instruments and music lessons in a creative group setting. Its vision is the creation of a future where all children and youth have the opportunity to discover their voice and build their potential through the art of music.

Skills & Experience

Background

Deep connection to the arts and social purpose organizations, and can prove an understanding of how and why playing and singing together has the ability to transform lives.

Experience

Experience in progressive leadership roles within community level, not for profit organizations and have had exposure to reporting to a Board.

Fundraising

Demonstrated track record in overseeing strategic fundraising efforts, ideally with a focus on major gifts and/or corporate partnerships, and are comfortable connecting with relevant stakeholders at a community level.

Leadership

You are an incredibly passionate leader that wants the opportunity to combine your appreciation for the arts and supporting youth in order to make a real difference for under-served children within the community.

Relationship Builder

You explain yourself as a compassionate, kind-hearted and respectful leader that is a true relationship builder and can see the value in leveraging the expertise of the team that surrounds you.

Strategic Planning

You have had exposure to either leading or taking part in strategic planning exercises through to execution.

Summary of the Role

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director will provide operational leadership, planning, evaluation and oversight of all functional departments in order to support the organization’s core mandate and the delivery of both short term and long term goals. As the Executive Director, you will take on a collaborative, respectful and patient approach in order to lead the team with a balance of heart and head. Ultimately, your role is hands-on in nature and requires you to lead by example and not by title.

The responsibilities of the role are exceptionally diverse and will call on your ability to balance your time effectively with both internal and external mandates on a day-to-day basis. You will be expected to pivot without hesitation between strategic planning, operational oversight, financial management, board governance, fundraising, marketing and communications, donor and stakeholder relations, and risk management.

Upon entering your role, you will have a substantial focus on human resources management in order to further develop and implement policies, procedures and systems. Moving forward, you will also be responsible for ensuring that all procedures and practices are being followed, and in doing that, you will have the opportunity to coach and guide staff where appropriate in order to improve overall performance across all departments.

Working in tandem with the executive leadership team and the Board, you will be fundamental in the development and operationalization of a more robust strategic plan as an extension from the ‘Crescendo: Strategy 2032’, a framework outlining OrKidstra’s goal to establish 3 more program hubs in the next 11 years. One of your key priorities is to protect what has been built and ensure that more and more children can be afforded the opportunity to take part in the programs in the years to come. You will achieve this through a combination of fundraising, financial efficiencies, effective partnerships, creative risk taking and most importantly, maintaining a strong connection with the children.

You will be responsible for the development, oversight and execution of a diversified fundraising strategy by the team while also leading the development of corporate partnerships and a major gifts program. Due to the historical nature of OrKidstra’s fundraising strategy including grants, events, public and private funding, you will also be responsible to assist with the upkeep of proposal development and grant writing. Fundraising is critical to the success of the organization and your efforts will be heavily focused on maintaining strong connections with donors and key stakeholders within the community. Not only will you practice good stewardship amongst a very passionate group of donors and supporters, but you will also be able to envision and create strategies and methodologies to both retain and grow the donor base.

Opportunity has been filled!