Executive Director

First Tee — Metro Atlanta currently serves kids and teens throughout an 8-county metropolitan Atlanta area without restrictions for residency or socioeconomic status. The mission of First Tee — Metro Atlanta is to positively impact the lives of Atlanta’s young people by providing learning facilities and educational programs that promote character development and life-enhancing values through the game of golf. We enable kids to build the strength of character empowering them through a lifetime of new challenges. By seamlessly integrating the game of golf with life skills curriculum, we create learning experiences building inner strength, self-confidence, and resilience that kids carry to everything they do. The foundation of this mission is built upon First Tee’s Nine Core Values: honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, confidence, responsibility, perseverance, courtesy, and judgment.

Position Overview

The Executive Director (“ED”), First Tee – Metro Atlanta has overall responsibility for the leadership and management of the organization. The ED is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations and strategic direction of First Tee – Metro Atlanta. This leader needs a CEO mindset.

Role Responsibilities

• Strategic Planning: Working with the Board and team to develop, implement, and lead the organization’s long-term strategic plan. Responsible for converting the long-term strategic plan into an operating plan and associated annual budget, driving the overall business approach to deliver on First Tee – Metro Atlanta’s mission.
• Revenue Growth: The ED will establish revenue goals tied to strategic priorities. Responsible for the creation, coordination, and cultivation of a sustainable philanthropic strategy. as well as annual giving campaigns, that support programming growth metrics as established by the strategic plan. Understanding that fundraising is relational, develop strategies that ensure donors are nurtured from their first gift. Work with staff and board to develop new revenue generating opportunities.
• Operational and Program Excellence: Overall responsibility and accountability for all First Tee youth development programming and outreach initiatives. Establish clear metrics to measure growth in youth participation.
• Financial Management: Lead the organization’s financial management in conjunction with the Board with full accountability for the P&L. Responsible for budget oversight, management, and controls; thereby helping ensure the financial stability, growth, and long-term sustainability of First Tee – Metro Atlanta.
• Marketing and Communications: As the face of the organization, serve as the primary spokesperson for First Tee – Metro Atlanta. Create awareness about the organization’s key initiatives, while enhancing its’ image and brand to help achieve the vision of being “recognized as the premier youth development organization in metro-Atlanta and beyond.
• Stakeholder Management: Manage a diverse set of internal and external stakeholder relationships including participants, parents, partners, community organizations. Interact with these constituents consistently, fairly, and proactively. Build, cultivate and nurture a true partnership with the Board of Directors built on mutual respect and trust; work in full collaboration with the Board to have a pro-active, diverse, and engaged membership. Work with First Tee National Headquarters, other First Tee chapters, and youth development organizations to ensure identification and adoption of best practices.

Experience and Skills

• Significant P&L experience managing an organization of similar size and complexity, with direct accountability for program development and delivery, operational results, financial management, and revenue generation through philanthropic fundraising and partner sponsorships.
• Experience working with volunteer Board leaders or senior management teams to execute a strategic vision for an evolving and diverse organization.
• Extensive background as a collaborative business and consensus builder, leading high-performing diverse teams to successful outcomes on behalf of committed and passionate stakeholders.
• An adept leader with experience serving as a dynamic and energetic “face and voice” of an organization; comfortable leveraging multiple organizational assets and opportunities to advance the institution’s mission and goals with transparency and decisiveness.
• Knowledge of and passion for developing youth.

Critical Competencies for Success

Strategic Vision and Collaborative Leadership: Possesses a deep belief in and passion for the organization’s purpose. Creates a compelling destination for the business over a three‐ to five‐year horizon. Develops robust strategies that are aligned with the organization’s vision. Demonstrates a willingness to take appropriate risks to create value and drive growth. Reduces complex issues to clear, understandable courses of action. Recognizes his/her own limits and surrounds themself with a team that possesses complementary strengths.

Organizational Development

In an environment in which sound financial and business practices are essential to the vitality of the organization, the ED will:

• In consultation with the Board, develop specific staff performance metrics and goals that measure progress in achieving First Tee – Metro Atlanta’s goals and overall strategic initiatives.
• Manage all aspects of the organization’s financial and business operations in a transparent fashion and according to best business practices. Develop P&L plans and budgets that are clear and promote accountability.

Communications and Relationship-Building

Given First Tee – Metro Atlanta’s role within the community, effective communications and positive relationship-positioning are essential. Understanding this the ED will:

• Build, maintain, and communicate the organization’s value proposition and brand, both internally and externally, to support the development of key initiatives, high-profile events, and promote overall youth development.
• Ignite and kindle the passion for First Tee – Metro Atlanta’s mission with all organization stakeholders – staff, board, volunteers, donors – propelling them to invite people to join in the organization’s work.
• Exhibit an example of “service-first” behavior that permeates across all levels of the organization and into the community.
• Serve as the “voice and face” of First Tee – Metro Atlanta; comfortable in public speaking and delivering consistent messaging that effectively advances the organization’s interests before community leaders, First Tee National Headquarters, partners and other key stakeholders.
• Keen understanding of the ability to listen, meet people where they are and engage in meaningful dialogue with stakeholders.