Findaleader

Executive Director – Rancho Los Alamitos Foundation

Findaleader, Long Beach

Position Profile

Executive Director

Rancho Los Alamitos Historic Ranch and Gardens (RLA), a nonprofit organization, seeks an experienced Executive Director to lead the organization’s successful achievement of its mission.

RLA’s mission is to educate and engage visitors by sharing our rich history, our compelling stories and our authentic connections to California’s past and thus inspiring a sense of community. Its vision is to be widely recognized as a valued cultural and historical asset exploring California’s past, shedding light on the present and imagining the future.

Rancho Los Alamitos spans 7.5 stunning acres comprising the ranch house, barns, and gardens. Land and buildings are held in public trust for the residents of Long Beach and the Southern California region.

The Executive Director works directly with the Foundation Board and Executive Committee in developing long‑term operational strategies that help meet the organization’s objectives as outlined in the recently restated Strategic Plan.

The plan lays out short‑term and long‑term goals. The first goal is to ensure high‑quality interpretation, education and public programs for continued relevance of the Rancho in the 21st century. This includes executive oversight of designing and implementing visitor experiences and public programs that are educational, engaging, interactive and align our activities and resources with the needs and expectations of our guests.

The mid‑range goal is to build operational strength and increase capacity. A long period of major construction, seismic upgrading and restoration, and dealing with challenges of the COVID pandemic, somewhat limited our ability to offer a broad range of programming. However, at this stage the organization is healthy and energized, and is ready to take significant steps in upgrading facilities and programming. The Board of Directors is in the process of its own expansion and diversification of expertise and perspectives. The new ED will also work with a robust volunteer base, and provide leadership to strengthen and support this corps of over 100 people, placing a high priority on recruitment, training, communication, engagement, recognition, and retention.

A longer‑term goal is to improve visibility, and sustainably increase on‑site attendance while broadening engagement. For over 30 years, we have welcomed more than half a million visitors, and yet, the site is still little known, even to our closest neighbors. To address this, the ED will lead the revitalization of marketing plans to identify key target audiences. An aggressive online and social media program will be designed to build on and enhance the current program to accomplish benchmark goals. We will increase the number of new and returning visitors and develop an ongoing relationship with visitors that will build and sustain annual attendance. We will leverage digital opportunities for increased visibility and engagement with the Rancho, its stories and collections (on‑site, off‑site in the community, and online).

Another long‑term goal is to ensure future financial sustainability. The organization enjoys the stability of a strong portfolio, but leadership realizes that much more can be done with increased resources to build current capacity and support future enhanced operations. The ED will maintain relationships with current donors and supporters and initiate an aggressive plan to cultivate and acquire new donors and community partners. The ED will support and provide guidance to staff and board resources to expand bequests and planned giving opportunities. A focus on earned income will include sustainably monetizing appropriate aspects of the Rancho experience.

Required Expertise

Areas of responsibility for the new ED require thorough knowledge of management best practices and fiscal responsibility. You must be a leader who can bring people together, assess situations, and solve problems. Because the Rancho is a city asset governed by the Foundation Board, the ED will interact with public, board members, stakeholders, teachers and students, visitors, and neighbors. Consequently, the board will be looking for candidates with demonstrated skill in broad public engagement, and when necessary, expertise in negotiation and mitigation of issues with diplomacy, decisiveness, and confidence.

The Executive Director will provide executive oversight to engage board members, staff and volunteers to ensure the Rancho runs smoothly and continues to increase its profile in Southern California and the world. The Executive Director will ensure processes and procedures are in place with key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure organizational success. The ideal candidate will be a proven leader who can manage, coach and inspire the staff and volunteers, develop positive relationships with private and public funders, interface with governmental personnel, and explore new opportunities for service and growth. He/she will benefit from a broad Board committee structure in place for policy guidance.

POSITION DUTIES

Under general direction and policy guidance from the Board of Directors, the Executive Director is responsible for directing and supervising all operations and activities of the organization:

OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT:

Ensure and support leadership to administer all programs of the Rancho in accordance with required regulations and established policy, procedures and budget
Maintain and monitor quality services that are provided in safe, enjoyable, clean, well‑maintained and supportive environments; implement systems for quality assurance and improvement
Ensure the solicitation, retention, evaluation and support of sufficient and qualified personnel to provide quality services and maintain high‑quality business operations; develop and direct an administrative plan and procedures to ensure a clear definition of lines of responsibility, equitable workloads, adequate supervision and harmonious working relationships; ensure attention to diversity, equity and inclusion in employment practices
Supervise staff performance evaluations and determine pay raises according to approved compensation policy and budget
Develop and oversee systems to ensure proper attention to grounds and maintenance, and address maintenance or replacement issues as they arise
Directly supervise curatorial, development, operations and financial/administrative directors
Work closely with committees and hired consultants to ensure we meet the deadlines of State‑and City‑funded capital and maintenance projects with specific milestones and performance requirements

FISCAL INTEGRITY:

Maintain, monitor and evolve financial recording and reporting systems to ensure accuracy, efficiency, safekeeping, and understandability for decision‑making
Develop and monitor realistic budgets for the Facility that will provide adequate information for governance decision‑making and resources for agency programming; establish and maintain systems to ensure that managers comply with controlling costs and provide options for dealing with unexpected fluctuations; prepare annual operating budget for board approval
Supervise financial transactions and prepare reports and information for auditors

SUPPORT FOR GOVERNANCE AND PLANNING:

Attend all meetings of the Board of Directors to report regularly on current operations and needs; advise the Board as required and implement its plans and directives
Maintain a keen eye on opportunities and present options to the board for their strategic decision making; maintain interactive engagement with organizational strategic planning processes
Provide primary staffing for the board to ensure its efficient and effective discharge of its duties; assist the board in its development, training and orientation as requested
Report on operations, plans and needs of the facility and provide information to the community regarding current standards

OUTREACH AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS:

Represent the organization in the community and for interagency purposes
Maintain and grow an appropriate referral base (schools and other government or private organizations); stay abreast of various community programs with which the agency can collaborate and encourage reciprocal referrals
Actively engage in community partnerships to enhance credibility and visibility of the Rancho and to influence enlightened policy change

RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT:

Assure the attainment of diversified earned income; maintain awareness of revenue enhancement opportunities
Ensure successful leadership of programs to explore acquisition of philanthropic funds from individuals, foundations and corporations; develop and interact with potential and current major donors
Maintain and enhance relationships with governmental funders who can or do support our service population; ensure adequate systems for fulfillment of service commitments of all contracts

REQUIRED SKILLS/EDUCATION:

Minimum of five years of experience at an executive level with a nonprofit of the general size and complexity of RLA
Excellent demonstrated organizational and leadership skills
Demonstrated expertise in management of finance and accounting, including endowment funds
Demonstrated business acumen with direct experience working with staff and advisors managing financials and investments
Experience working with senior public officials and advocacy
Proven track‑record in fund development oversight and active engagement with major donors
Thorough understanding of grant acquisition and grant management systems; working knowledge of data analysis and performance/operations metrics
Demonstrated effectiveness in representing organizational vision, mission, goals, and outcomes to a diverse group of internal and external stakeholders in a variety of venues
Advanced knowledge of non‑profit management and human resources best practices, laws and regulations; collaborative leadership style and attention to staff equity, diversity and professional development, and the latest changes in staff motivation/support
Attuned to the value of diversity in all its dimensions and ability to engage diverse populations
Must be of good character and maintain a reputation of personal integrity
Familiarity with Microsoft Office Suite and relevant business software Must be able to pass criminal background clearance
BS/BA in business administration, Nonprofit Management, Museum Management, or relevant field; MBA is a plus (educational requirement may be waived based on significant experience)

Preferred qualifications include:

Working Conditions and Nondiscrimination

Work is performed typically in an office environment and a variety of settings among diverse stakeholders and audiences. A considerable amount of time will be spent in meetings, at a computer screen for extended periods, at events, and visiting supporters and volunteers. Frequent use of electronic media will be required to communicate with stakeholders. The ED will frequently work outside normal working hours and be on‑call for emergencies at any hour; she/he will drive for work with donors, collaborators and other stakeholders in the community. Occasional travel out of town and out of state will be required. Comprehensive performance evaluations will be conducted.

The RLAF is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions).

Compensation

Salary: $160,000-$180,000 DOE plus fully paid medical and dental coverage, life insurance, and other standard employee benefits (as outlined in the employment handbook), such as PTO, holidays and employer funded pension plan (401K).

RLAF values inquiry‑based exploration, interactive and hands‑on experiences, and educational programming that sparks curiosity, informs and instructs, and instills a desire to know more.

In 1989, the Foundation adopted a Master Plan which guided the evolution of the site, its restoration, and operations for 30 years. The COVID pandemic delayed some aspects, but its core items are operational and new planning is underway. The implementation of the Master Plan included a $14.5 million capital improvement project, funded almost entirely by private support, which resulted in the construction of the iconic Rancho Center, the complete restoration of the historic Barns Area and development of the site’s extraordinary interpretive exhibits.

Today, RLA relies on private contributions, corporate sponsorships, and grants to welcome the public at no charge for admission to visit our extensive property. Our school tours provide children with direct experience with California and Long Beach history in a safe outdoor haven as they make barnyard friends with the resident livestock and engage in stimulating interactions hosted by expert docents from a dedicated team of volunteers who bring history to life through storytelling and demonstrations.

In addition to School Tours, RLA is open to the public for tours of the gardens, ranch house, barnyard and more. RLA offers site rentals for retreats, meetings, and small to mid‑size gatherings, in addition to crafts and special programs for children and adults throughout the year. It anticipates robust attendance up to and during the 2028 Olympics, and will use the opportunity to reinvent and reintroduce itself to the community. A recent commitment of significant public funding will enable upgrades and expansion.

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