President and Chief Executive Officer
Job Category: | Executive |
Location: | Manhattan |
Job Sectors: | Education |
Salary Range: |
Background
The National Defense University Foundation (NDUF) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)3
philanthropic foundation established to support the National Defense University’s mission of joint
strategic education and leadership development. The NDU Foundation seeks to drive excellence and
innovation in the faculty and student body through external partnerships, financial support and
original initiatives bringing together military, diplomatic and intelligence leaders to ensure our
collective national and international security.
Position
The National Defense University Foundation is currently seeking a seasoned President & Chief
Executive Officer (P/CEO) who is an experienced fundraiser. Reporting to the Board of Directors,
P/CEO must be a visionary leader who will lead the Foundations’ fundraising efforts and grow the
Foundation’s strategic position as a key partner to NDU. The P/CEO must be an effective leader who
will take operational responsibility for the Foundation’s employees, programs, procedures &
processes, expansion, and execution of its mission. Specifically, the P/CEO will ensure that the
Foundation’s fiscal operations, donor (investor) development and stewardship, brand positioning
and marketing, fundraising events, human resources, technology and data operations, and programs
are strategically planned and aligned as well as effectively implemented across all segments of
the organization. The P/CEO must be the leading ambassador to all key NDUF stakeholders, be
passionate about NDUF’s mission and communicate NDUF’s importance as a key strategic and financial
partner to NDU. The position will be based out of the NDUF offices full time with
Foundation-related travel as needed.
Responsibilities
• Oversee comprehensive marketing, branding, fundraising events, and development strategies
that will ensure consistency throughout the organization and enhance revenue from major donors,
foundations, and corporations
• Commitment to ongoing fundraising initiatives to both sustain and grow NDUF as a
key strategic and financial partner to NDU
Strategic Vision and Leadership
• Provide inspirational leadership and direction to all staff and ensure the continued
development and management of a professional and efficient organization; establish effective
decision-making processes that will enable the Foundation to achieve its long- and short-term
goals and objectives
• Collaborate with the NDU leadership and NDUF Board of Directors to develop, refine and
implement the strategic plan while ensuring that the budget, fundraising goals, staff and
priorities are aligned with the Foundation’s core mission
• Cultivate a strong and transparent working relationship with the Board and ensure open and
reliable communication about the measurement of financial and programmatic performance against
stated milestones and goals
• Partner with the Board to leverage, provide, and secure resources to support the
Foundation’s mission and strategic objectives
• Oversee staffing of board committees (Executive, Corporate Governance, Development, Finance
and Programs)
• Maintain strong, and positive relationships with the NDU leadership, DoD and Pentagon and
other entities that help the Foundation fulfill its mission
• Speak persuasively for and represent the Foundation in meetings and events around the
country to enhance the Foundation’s public image and reputation, and strengthen the NDUF brand
Management and Operations
• Build a sustainable infrastructure including professional staff, technology, communications,
fundraising and programs
• Ensure strong administrative practices are in place across the Foundation such as annual
books audits, monthly activities reports, quarterly Board of Directors meetings, and the National
Security Forums
• Facilitate collaboration and strengthen internal communication between NDU and NDU Foundation
thereby creating and promoting a positive, multicultural work environment that supports consistency
throughout the organization’s strategy, operational methods, and data collection
• Oversee the financial status of the organization including developing long and short-range
financial plans, monitoring the budget and ensuring sound financial controls are in place; set financial priorities accurately to ensure the organization is operating in a manner that supports the needs of the program and staff
Qualifications
• Minimum of a BA; Master’s degree or related advanced degree preferred
• 15 plus years of overall professional leadership experience
• Proven track record of successful fundraising initiatives including from private sources,
foundations, and government; ability to connect with high net-worth individuals and develop
sustained relationships
• Knowledge of the military and national security apparatus, protocol applicable in military
and diplomatic environments beneficial
• Prior nonprofit management experience ideal
• Previous experience as a flag/general officer, senior-level government, or C-suite executive
beneficial but not required
• Effective board development, marketing/branding and fiscal management experience
• A financially savvy and politically astute leader with the ability to set clear priorities,
delegate, and guide investment in people and systems; keen analytic, organization and
problem-solving skills that support and enable sound decision-making
• Excellent coalition building skills with an ability to communicate and work effectively with
a variety of internal and external stakeholders; a persuasive negotiator able to achieve consensus
amongst differing opinions
• Outstanding presentation and communication skills and the experience and proclivity to be
an
outgoing spokesperson, relationship builder, and fundraiser
• A creative thinker with intellectual curiosity, able to develop and implement strategic
plans, harnessing the skills and creativity of the staff and board
• Strong commitment to the professional development of staff; successful track record of
recruiting and retaining a diverse team
• Ability to travel as necessary to visit funders / strategic partners and to attend
key events, conferences and meetings
About National Defense University
The National Defense University (NDU) was established in 1976 and is located on the U.S. Army base
at Fort Leslie J. McNair. The mission of The National Defense University is to “support the joint
warfighter and select civilian, interagency government leaders by providing rigorous Joint
Professional Military Education to members of the U.S. Armed Forces and select others in order to
develop leaders who have the ability to operate and creatively think in an unpredictable and
complex world.” It is the premier joint professional military education institution in the U.S.
Department of Defense system housing five colleges, as well as research centers. The University offers Master’s Degrees in National Security Strategy and National Resource Strategy through its two leading institutions, the National War College and the Eisenhower School. It also includes the Joint Forces Staff College, the College of Information and Cyberspace, and the College of International Security Affairs. Notable national alumni include White House Chief of Staff General John Kelly USMC (Ret); General James Mattis USMC (Ret.) and The Honorable Colin Powell, General, USA (Ret.), 65th US Secretary of State and 12th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. https://www.ndu.edu/