Job Description

Title : Executive Director
Reports to : Hamilton Wings’ Board of Directors
Location : Elgin, Illinois (Most of the work is remote; however, the Executive Director should reside in Elgin, or a community close by).
Work Status : 70% time; remote, with available office space at Elgin Community College (ECC)
Salary : $70,000 - $80,000. Due to a partnership agreement between Hamilton Wings and ECC, the Executive Director will receive adjunct faculty status at ECC (please visit compensation + benefits section for more info)
Application Deadline: August 22, 2025
Preferred start date : Early fall 2025

* A cover letter is not required to apply for this role. Instead, all candidates will provide written answers to the application questions. Your responses will be shared with the hiring manager as well as the hiring committee for this search, so please put forth your best effort.

ABOUT HAMILTON WINGS

Hamilton Wings is an after school youth arts organization founded in 1996 in Elgin, IL. Elgin’s school district, U-46, is the second largest school district in the state. Since its inception, Hamilton Wings has provided young people in Elgin with high quality arts enrichment that attends to their holistic and creative needs, and gives them meaningful avenues for personal expression, personal and social responsibility, and tools for building their cognitive and social skills. Hamilton Wings provides this enrichment to school age (2-18 years old) low income youth at no cost. Our art programs help students in need find their voice, develop leadership skills, and help close the achievement gap. Two of our most widely known programs are highlighted below:

• SCORE (Students Creating Opera to Reinforce Education) provides 10-13 year olds with the opportunity to create, develop and produce their own original opera production over the course of a year. This year, SCORE students premiered their original opera, The Truth of Acceptance , with two performances at the Blizzard Theater at Elgin Community College.
  
   
• GIRLS IN MOTION : This program extends the regular classroom core curriculum into the after-school environment for 4 th – 5 th graders through a variety of interactive arts-based strategies, with the support of high school mentors who participate in their own professional development program and develop their own arts integrated lesson plans.  This program focuses on self-esteem and body awareness, and includes fitness instruction with a Certified Personal Trainer, and dance and movement specialists.

Hamilton Wings recently experienced the tragic loss of Founder and Executive Director, Dr Risé Jones, whose influence and impact at Hamilton Wings and within the Elgin community was profound and transformative. Our board of directors is committed to sustaining her legacy through the continuation of Hamilton Wings, which has positively impacted local students with the greatest needs. 

This role is a great opportunity for leaders in the arts, K-12 teaching or school leadership, who have depth of experience in youth programming and/or fundraising. Consultants or semi-retired people with these experiences who are able to devote at least 70% of their time to this role are also encouraged to apply.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Our Board of Directors is searching for a dynamic and inspirational leader to serve as our next Executive Director.  Our new leader must be able to successfully work in a diverse, multi-lingual and multicultural community, and be able engage people from all walks of life and leadership levels. The E.D. will join the organization at a pivotal time, as the organization seeks to push forward with our programming in the absence of our remarkable Founder and leader. 

The E.D. is managed by the Board of Directors, and has two direct reports: the Director of Operations and Finance (who served as Interim E.D. this summer), and the Marketing Specialist. The E.D. will also lead and work directly with program staff and program volunteers.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Programming (45%)

• Oversight and execution of Hamilton Wings’ programs, which includes working with parents to recruit students, and managing existing and identifying new school district partnerships
• Manage day-to-day program operations; work with and provide supervision and support for staff and volunteers to ensure that programs are executed with excellence and deliver desired student outcomes
• Promote the organization’s programs and services to key stakeholders, including donors, volunteers, community partners, and the media, to increase awareness and support for the organization’s mission

External Relations/Fundraising (40%)

• Serve as the public face of Hamilton Wings, building visibility, demand and stakeholder engagement
• Maintain and strengthen relationships with existing funders; build trust through competency, consistency and execution of mission
• Responsible for all grants, including identifying, writing and completing progress reports for existing and new grants
• Identify new funding partners to ensure a balanced budget and long-term continuation of programs. As of the 2024-25 fiscal year, Hamilton Wings has a budget of nearly $700,000

• Work closely with the Board of Directors to ensure successful achievement of programmatic and fundraising goals and pave the way for long-term sustainability in both areas
• Collaborate with the Director of Operations and Finance to ensure sounds financials, operations and performance
• Develop vision for HW that is sustainable long term, and build a new model of organizational success that is not solely reliant on the Executive Director
• Lead and support staff while fostering a collaborative work environment
• In partnership with the Board of Directors, help support and implement strategic planning efforts

QUALIFICATIONS

The strongest candidates for this role will possess many of the following characteristics, experiences and skills:

• Belief in and commitment to HW's mission of promoting leadership development and academic readiness for socially, academically and/or economically challenged children through the use of and access to the arts.
• In-depth knowledge of and experience working in arts, education and/or youth-focused organizations, with an appreciation and understanding of positive youth development strategies and theories
• Strong relationship building capabilities, along with a desire to be out in the community forging new relationships and promoting HW's programming and results
• Impeccable integrity, judgement, and discretion along with a professional demeanor and interpersonal style that elicits trust in the community and among leadership, peers, staff, and board members 
• Excellent communications skills, including the ability to connect with and inspire different audiences (e.g., principals, funders and kids)
• Creative and strategic thinker, with an ability to solve problems, identify opportunities and generate next steps
• High emotional quotient (EQ) - ability to lead thoughtfully in a time of transition and grief
• Commitment and ability to foster equity both internally and externally and across our programs
• Bilingual language proficiency (English/Spanish) is a plus
• A Master’s degree (or commensurate experience) is required

TRAVEL

Travel for this role is primarily local for student events and meetings with institutional funders, supporters and stakeholders.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

The salary for this position is $70,000 - $80,000. A portion of this salary is paid by ECC, a community partner of Hamilton Wings. 

Hamilton Wings provides two weeks of accrued paid vacation time and PTO annually. ECC provides access to the State University Retirement System(for their portion of adjunct faculty compensation and matched 1:1), and also offers health insurance options, paid entirely by the employee.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYMENT

Hamilton Wings is an Equal Employment Opportunity workplace, and are committed to following federal, state, and local EOW statutes.  

APPLY

To express your interest in this opportunity, please apply at bit.ly/HWingsED . No phone calls please.

It’s important to note that all finalists for this role will need to provide professional references, and must also complete a background check if selected for hire.

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