Executive Director

Founded in 2003, GiGi's Playhouse Inc.'s mission is to change the way the world views Down syndrome and send a global message of acceptance for all. We profoundly change lives through national campaigns, educational programs, and by empowering individuals with Down syndrome, their families, and the community. All programs are free and are therapeutic or educational in nature. Each one of our programs is designed to work on specific skill development, including speech and language, literacy, socialization, and fine and gross motor skills. GiGi's Playhouse currently has over 50 locations across North America and is growing by several locations annually.
Job Description
The Executive Director is a marketing-minded and development-minded individual who ensures long-term sustainability, prominence, and operational excellence of a GiGi's Playhouse location or multiple locations in one community. This includes helping to ensure operation is fully funded and that the community is aware of the scope and impact of programs offered. The Executive Director will be actively involved in development/fundraising activities, driving community members to the Playhouse, and building a strong community presence and local donations through donor outreach, developing media contacts, and other related activities. The role is estimated to be roughly 50% development and 50% playhouse management & marketing.
Primary goals for this role include:
Deepen family engagement and connection with the playhouse.
Increase funding through individual donors, sponsorships, in-kind, and corporate support.
Maximize awareness of GiGi's Playhouse and Down syndrome across the local community.
Ensure delivery of highest quality operational execution and outstanding customer experience.
Essential Job Functions:
Operational and Strategic Management
Hire, onboard, and manage all who work to support the Playhouse operation, including staff and key volunteers.
Motivation and stewardship.
Performance management & coaching.
Ensure all programs, events, and activities are fully staffed to support the needs of the Playhouse (we are 99% volunteer-run).
Drive the Playhouse's achievement of the GiGi's Standards of Execution, continually striving to achieve Center of Excellence level on all SOE's.
Deliver outstanding operational execution in the Playhouse to ensure a high-quality experience for families, volunteers, donors, and community members.
Support the team's ability to maintain all Playhouse hours.
Ensure the proper upkeep of the Playhouse facility and its assets.
Financial management and fundraising
Budget responsibility for the Playhouse.
Manage a donor portfolio to help ensure local funding meets Playhouse needs.
Achieve hard dollar fundraising objectives, continually seeking revenue generation opportunities.
Develop and implement fundraising plan to achieve revenue targets in partnership with the local board and fundraising committee.
In close partnership with the event chair for each fundraising event, support and heavily engage with all events, particularly in terms of committee representation, revenue-generation, marketing, securing in-kind donations, volunteer recruitment and management, and overall community engagement.
Develop and implement stewardship strategy for donors and volunteers.
Marketing & Communications
Consistently promote happenings and impact stories within the playhouse to drive both families and community members into the playhouse and to events.
Ensure quality execution of monthly e-newsletters.
Oversee the local website and social media platforms to ensure they reflect brand standards, and provide inspirational and relevant content to promote local Playhouse events and activities.
Identify and foster relationships with local media sources.
Leverage national marketing tools and strategies, ensuring the GiGi's mission and messaging is drip-fed throughout all communications and engagements.
Partner with the Board marketing chair or marketing committee to leverage additional marketing leadership and support.
Engagement with Program Participants and Families
Ensure the program lineup and quality serves the needs of the community while executing the full fidelity expected of GiGi's Signature programs.
Connect with families in the local Down syndrome community to help them further engage in playhouse programs, volunteer activities, and events.
Provide a welcoming support network to families new to the Down syndrome diagnosis, actively connecting them to resources, programs, and other families.
Build and engage with a formal Family Committee/Board that is involved in fundraising, volunteerism, community outreach, program input, and event support.
Gather stories and pictures of Playhouse programs and activities to effectively demonstrate impact.
Demonstrate sufficient understanding of program objectives and execution models to be able to fill in on occasion to help support program needs.
Community Outreach and Acceptance-Building
Grow community awareness by proactively bringing groups, organizations, and individuals to the playhouse to engage in the work we do.
Engage with the local Chamber of Commerce, schools, and other community organizations to seek donors, volunteers, and partners, through presentations, newsletters, in-person visits, and press releases.
Engage in and proactively initiate acceptance initiatives throughout the community, employers, schools, etc. to help build a more accepting environment for our participants and families.
Alignment with GiGi's Playhouse national office, Playhouse network, and local Board of Managers
Liase with Board members, work with Board President on agenda and materials for board meetings; effectively communicate Playhouse impact, activities, needs, and concerns.
Attend GiGi's annual National Leadership Conference and ensure completion of monthly Impact Report.
Leverage all nationally developed tools and resources in lieu of building new processes, programs, and tools from scratch.
Follow all national Standards of Execution and policy manuals; collaborate and work closely with the National Program, Operations, IT, Marketing, and Development teams to ensure outstanding execution of all national resources.
In partnership with other Executive Directors across the GiGi's Playhouse network, provide leadership and act as an example for other Playhouses to follow.
Qualifications
Education and/or Experience: Bachelor's degree required and 7+ years related experience and/or training in social services, non-profit, and/or related field.
Language Skills: Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, and technical procedures. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals.
Computer Skills: Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams), social media platforms (Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook). Ability to work proficiently in a database program (Sales Force).
Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.
GiGi's Playhouse Core Values:
Enthusiasm: Bringing positive, high energy to our work.
Best of All: Always looking to improve in all that we do.
Get It Done: Making things happen and blasting through barriers when needed.
Believe: Believe in ourselves, believe in our mission.
Locally Concerned, Enterprise Minded: To best serve our local communities.
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