Executive Director

The National Consumer Law Center (NCLC), the country's preeminent advocate for low income consumers, seeks an Executive Director. Through its leadership and expertise, the organization has been the indispensable catalyst in successful efforts to secure consumer justice and a measure of economic security for the disadvantaged since its founding in 1969.

NCLC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides training, legal analysis and advocacy, case consulting assistance, and educational materials for low-income consumers, attorneys, advocates, community organizations, and government agencies nationwide. It is probably best known for its authoritative 20-volume series of consumer law treatises. These volumes are used by thousands of lawyers everywhere as the primary legal practice resource in the field and are widely cited by federal and state courts in their formal opinions.

If not for NCLC's history of advocacy, Americans would not enjoy many of the basic consumer protections they now take for granted. It has played an important leadership role in the development of consumer law as an area of legal expertise and in the increasing number of attorneys who now practice in this field

This is an exciting opportunity to build on an impressive legacy of achievement and excellence and lead a highly respected and well run organization to the next level of impact. The position calls for a talented leader with outstanding strategic, communication, and managerial skills, as well as intellectual and emotional intelligence and fundraising savvy. Demonstrated commitment to NCLC's mission and vision is essential, as is a record of an inclusive management style, responsible fiscal management and strong leadership.

The NCLC Executive Director reports to an active 13-member Board of Directors and oversees a talented 45 person staff. Most of the staff are located in the Boston headquarters and the Washington, DC office has a staff of five. Over the past five years NCLC's annual operating budget has averaged around $8 million. As of June 2015, it had a $5 million endowment. Continuing the organization's role as a forceful champion of an equitable society through its work for low income consumers and continuing to strengthen its record as a thought leader and advocate that can produce concrete results are key priorities for the incoming leader.

For the complete position profile see the link below:
http://www.nclc.org/images/pdf/about_us/ed-full-profile.pdf

The new Executive Director of the National Consumer Law Center will inherit a highly respected organization with an impressive legacy and substantial strengths. While these strengths will serve as the cornerstone for future success, the incoming leader will be expected to sustain momentum and take advantage of new opportunities as they arise. Working closely with the Board and staff, the Executive Director will be expected to bring a fresh perspective to a well-managed and highly respected organization while maintaining the core principles of its mission and management.

The key opportunities and challenges for the Executive Director are as follows:

• Maintain and build on the excellence of the work product and the reputation of the center as a highly desirable place to work. NCLC’s strength lies with its staff and its reputation for credibility and excellence. Turnover is low and when openings occur, the process to fill them is highly competitive. Preserving this excellence is a key goal of the incoming Executive Director.
• Prepare the organization for, and guide it through, the generational change in leadership that will occur in the next three to seven years. 2014 saw the departure of NCLC’s long term Deputy Director and the announcement of the retirement of its long term Executive Director. The coming years will see more retirements by others who have made significant contributions to the organization and who possess valuable institutional history and knowledge.
• Ensure that the organization is agile and responsive to changing conditions, new trends, and unexpected challenges. A key to the financial health of the Center has been the strength of the consumer bar, which is the largest buyer of its publications and the source of its individual donor base and Cy Pres awards. The new Executive Director will monitor developments that affect class action litigation and Cy Pres awards and make adjustments as needed.
• Raise the profile and visibility of the NCLC. In addition to spotlighting the work of the Center, the new Executive Director will promote the Center’s expertise through traditional and new avenues, ensure that the Center takes best advantage of new media, social networking, and other technologies, and serve as one of the many spokespeople for the organization, its vision, and its mission.
• Increase and diversify funding. The new Executive Director will play a leading role in the Center’s fundraising through personal efforts, through encouraging staff members in their efforts to secure funding for their projects, and through a strong and well supported development team. The new Executive Director will also continue to monitor and pursue creative new avenues for revenue generation.
• Serve as a unifying, collaborative and decisive staff leader. Ensure open communications and transparent decision making. Because the work of the Center is so diverse, many of the employees operate with a fair degree of autonomy. The new Executive
• Director will be expected to be the unifying force of the organization, sustaining a supportive, collaborative, and equitable working environment that encourages accountability and excellence at all levels. Open channels of communication and transparent decision making are important in meeting this goal.
• Guide and lead the Center through transitioning its signature series of legal treatises
• into the digital age. NCLC’s 20-volume series of treatises went online in March of 2015. The new Executive Director will be expected to take the lead in ensuring that the transition is successful.
• Continuously reassess the balance of the Center’s work product. NCLC is a complex organization with many programs and many sources of revenue. The Executive Director will be expected to evaluate the effectiveness of each of the Center’s components as measured against the costs in terms of both financial and personnel resources.
• With input from the Board and staff, be prepared to take well considered risks to ensure the continuing growth and health of the organization. In the past the organization has taken calculated risks that contributed to its growth and success. The new leader will beexpected to lead the organization with a similar entrepreneurial spirit that is grounded in facts and data.
• Take steps to continue to strengthen the organization’s research capacity. The new Executive Director will be expected to continue to ensure that excellent research serves as the foundation of the organization’s advocacy work and its funding efforts.