Cheyenne River Youth Project is hiring: Deputy Director Nonprofit Leadership in
Cheyenne River Youth Project, Eagle Butte, SD, United States
Deputy Director – Nonprofit Leadership | Eagle Butte, SD
Organization: Cheyenne River Youth Project (CRYP) Type: Full-Time | Permanent | Exempt | Salaried with Benefits Reports To: Chief Executive Officer Location: Eagle Butte, SD (housing assistance available)
Make a Lasting Impact for Lakota Youth
The Cheyenne River Youth Project has spent more than 35 years building opportunity for Indigenous youth and families on the Cheyenne River. We run after-school programs, teen internships, arts institutes, and family services across two dedicated facilities — and we're growing.
We're looking for a Deputy Director to help lead that growth. This is a senior operations and strategy role for someone who wants their work to matter — a hands-on leader who can run a complex nonprofit from the inside while the CEO focuses on external partnerships and fundraising.
If you're an experienced nonprofit leader with a passion for Indigenous community development, this is a rare opportunity to step into a high-impact, high-autonomy role at an organization with deep roots and an ambitious future.
What You'll Do
Organizational Leadership
- Serve as acting CEO in the Chief Executive's absence; directly supervise department heads
- Co-develop and drive implementation of CRYP's strategic plan
- Manage Board of Directors logistics including meetings, minutes, and quarterly reports
- Track progress against organizational goals and report outcomes to the CEO
Program Oversight
- Oversee development, delivery, and evaluation of youth programs and services
- Ensure programs reflect best practices, evidence-based approaches, and Lakota cultural values
- Use data and evaluation findings to drive continuous improvement
Operations & People Management
- Lead day-to-day operations across HR, finance, facilities, and program administration
- Set performance goals, conduct evaluations, and support staff development
- Lead hiring and onboarding; maintain position descriptions across the organization
- Oversee facilities management across CRYP's two youth center campuses
- Support volunteer recruitment and coordination
Financial Management
- Partner with the finance team on budget development and monitoring
- Identify financial risks and recommend corrective action
- Co-develop and execute a fund development plan covering grants, donor cultivation, and events
- Manage contract grant writer
Partnerships & Communications
- Represent CRYP at external events, conferences, and community meetings
- Cultivate relationships with tribal communities, government agencies, and foundations
- Manage a communications contractor overseeing marketing and media relations
Compliance
- Ensure adherence to all legal, regulatory, and funder requirements
- Prepare and submit required reports; maintain accurate records and data integrity
What We're Looking For
Required
- Bachelor's degree in nonprofit management, social work, education, business administration, or a related field
- 3+ years of progressively responsible leadership in a nonprofit, foundation, or government agency
- Strong understanding of nonprofit operations: program management, financial oversight, and compliance
- Demonstrated experience with strategic planning and performance management
- Excellent written, verbal, and organizational communication skills
- Proficiency with office productivity tools and database systems
- Valid South Dakota driver's license (or ability to obtain one)
- Must pass background check and drug screening
Preferred
- Master's degree
- Experience serving American Indian or Indigenous communities
- Grant writing and fundraising experience
- First Aid / Safety certification (or willingness to be trained)
Compensation & Benefits
- Salary: Commensurate with experience
- Health Insurance: CRYP covers 75% of single-coverage premiums
- Retirement: 401(k) with 3% employer match
- Dental: Optional coverage via payroll deduction
- Supplemental Insurance: Access to AFLAC and Colonial Life
- Paid Time Off: Accrues with tenure; includes personal and sick leave
- Holidays: Indigenous holiday schedule with floating days
- Professional Development: Funding available
- Relocation & Housing: Assistance available depending on situation
About CRYP
Founded in 1988 in a former Eagle Butte bar, CRYP began as a safe after-school space for kids in need. Today it operates two full-service youth centers — including the 25,000+ sq. ft. Cokata Wiconi teen center — offering recreation, arts, technology, workforce development, family services, and cultural programming rooted in Lakota values. We are a community institution, and we're just getting started.
CRYP is committed to investing in our staff. If you're willing to learn, we're willing to teach.
Ready to apply? Submit your resume and a cover letter telling us why this role and this community are the right fit for you.
A few notes on what changed and why:
- Title and location in the headline — Indeed's algorithm weights these heavily for search ranking
- Mission hook up front — LinkedIn and Indeed both show only the first ~300 characters; leading with impact grabs mission-aligned candidates immediately
- Skimmable headers and bullets — job board readers scan before they read; wall-of-text formatting kills apply rates
- Benefits surfaced early and specifically — compensation transparency improves apply rates significantly on Indeed
- "Preferred" vs. "Required" split — reduces self-selection dropout from strong candidates who don't check every box
- Condensed org history — moved to the bottom as supporting context rather than a barrier to the core pitch