Seattle Executive Director Summer Search

At Summer Search, we envision a world in which young people, regardless of circumstances, can chart their own destiny. In the United States, students from underserved communities – disproportionately BIPOC and first-generation – face systemic inequities in school, the workforce, and in life. Nevertheless, these young people possess unique strengths, resilience, and limitless potential.

Since 1990, Summer Search has partnered with young people during their transition from adolescence into adulthood by connecting them to expansive opportunities, professional mentoring, and a community of support. Summer Searchers recognize their potential and build a toolkit to navigate and challenge systemic barriers, break new ground for their families and communities, and achieve economic equity and a life of purpose.

Learn more about Summer Search Seattle at

Job Summary

Reporting to the Chief Impact Officer, the Seattle Executive Director (ED) provides strategic, operational, and external leadership to advance Summer Search's mission in the Seattle region. The ED is responsible for driving fundraising success, ensuring high-quality program delivery, and leading a dynamic team that supports youth in achieving personal and professional success. This role requires a balance of strategic vision, relationship-building acumen, and disciplined execution to strengthen both local outcomes and network-wide priorities.

WHO YOU ARE

• You are an experienced strategic leader who combines vision with disciplined execution to drive organizational success. You excel at aligning diverse stakeholders of staff, donors, board members, and partners around shared goals and measurable outcomes.
• You are a skilled fundraiser and relationship builder, bringing authenticity, presence, and strong communication to every interaction, inspiring trust and collaboration. You are a storyteller and advocate who knows how to elevate the organization's visibility, mobilize resources, and cultivate lasting partnerships that strengthen both Summer Search and the communities it serves.
• You are grounded in equity and systems thinking, leading with both heart and rigor, advancing Summer Search's mission while strengthening the teams and communities you serve.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities (Essential Functions) Organizational & Strategic Leadership

Provide strategic leadership over Summer Search's network-wide OKR to achieve mutually beneficial goals in Seattle.

Fundraising

Program Excellence

Financial Management

Board Relations & Governance

Team Leadership

External Engagement and Advocacy

Qualifications and Experience

Travel

This position is based in the Seattle area, with flexibility for hybrid work. Occasional travel to other Summer Search sites and national convenings is required up to four times per year.

Competencies

Strategic Acumen : You anticipate, articulate, and prepare for various outcomes and use this skill to collaboratively develop objectives and priorities that are informed by data and align with the organizational direction.

People Management : You coach, guide and support members of your team towards achieving individual and collective goals. As a leader, you embody practices to effectively hold space, facilitate professional growth, amplify strengths, and hold staff members accountable. Your management style reflects your ability to be adaptive, responsive, and supportive of your team to show up as their authentic and full self.

Accountability : You hold yourself and others responsible for processes, decisions, actions, and commitments to results to drive high quality outcomes. You're responsive to the needs of stakeholders and follow through on commitments.

Change Mindset : You have a desire to learn, grow, and improve with an evolving organization. You prioritize transparency and communication and recognize that it is critical to supporting others to thrive amidst change.

Team & Collaboration : You value many voices, are comfortable creating space for dialogue and handle interpersonal issues constructively. You inspire and foster commitment, connection, enthusiasm and trust and motivate others to achieve common goals.

Technology Skills : Proficient in PowerPoint, Canva and Excel.

Compensation & Benefits

This is an exempt position with a starting pay rate of $150,000–$180,000. Summer Search is committed to transparent, equitable compensation practices. Salaries are benchmarked using current market data and salary bands are created to demonstrate the growth potential within the band. Typically, offers are made at the starting place of the salary band. The Hiring Manager partners with the Talent Team to ensure offers are appropriate, competitive and maintain internal equity.

Well-being, flexibility, and ongoing learning and development are pillars of our culture. We value our staff and are committed to creating an environment where every individual feels seen, heard, and valued. Investments in our staff include :

Individual, local, regional, and national training; a commitment to developing leaders from within the organization; an organizational culture that supports staff well-being and holistic self-care / community care; ample opportunities to connect with the students and communities we serve.

Our Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

With a staff that cares deeply about social justice and racial justice, we believe that diverse perspectives and backgrounds create a rich work environment and enhance our ability to pursue our mission. We are committed to building an organization with critical consciousness in order to impact how we work with students, as well as how we work together as a team. We hope you will join us as we continue to build a justice-centered organization that fosters a work environment where people from all backgrounds are welcomed and valued.

To Apply

Kimberly Aguilera of Zocalo has been exclusively retained for this search. To apply for this role, please submit your materials through this link. All inquiries and discussions will be considered strictly confidential.

Zocalo is a premier executive recruiting firm operating at the intersection of creativity, culture, and impact. We specialize in retained and embedded search, partnering with purpose-driven leaders to build high-performing teams that fuel transformative growth.

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