Executive Director

Executive Director

Save the Chimps

Our Client

Save the Chimps is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing permanent sanctuary for the lifelong care of chimpanzees retired from research laboratories, the entertainment industry, and the pet trade. An internationally respected and standard-setting operational, intellectual, and philanthropic institution, Save the Chimps was founded by Carole Noon, Ph.D., in 1997. It is now the largest privately funded chimpanzee sanctuary in the world. Every day the staff and volunteers of Save the Chimps provides care to approximately 240 chimpanzees.

Thanks to a generous donation by Jon Stryker of the Arcus Foundation, the Save the Chimps Sanctuary is located on 153 acres in Fort Pierce, FL. The chimps are homed in groups across 12 islands, each comprised of several acres. Each island features its own landscapes of hills, trees, and climbing structures as well as a hurricane-proof chimp house.

Save the Chimps is committed to providing lifetime care to chimpanzees until there are no more chimpanzees in need.

Save the Chimps operates in line with the following organizational values:

• Save the Chimps provides safety, privacy, lifetime care, freedom from exploitation, and the best captive care possible to the chimpanzees who live at the Sanctuary. The cornerstone of Save the Chimps’ philosophy is that chimpanzees experience emotions such as joy, grief, anger, sorrow, pleasure, boredom, and depression.
• Chimpanzees are persons, not commodities, and Save the Chimps will not buy, sell, trade, loan, or conduct any commercial commerce of chimpanzees.
• Each individual chimpanzee has equal value.
• Save the Chimps does not endorse captive breeding and will—to the best of its ability—prevent reproduction among the resident chimpanzees through vasectomies and female birth control.
• Save the Chimps limits access to the Sanctuary to the Board of Directors (Board), employees, consultants, volunteers, and vendors and only allows visits or tours to other members of the public by invitation.
• Chimpanzees are accepted only in circumstances where Save the Chimps is assured they will not be replaced by the organization or the individual giving over guardianship.
• If it is in the best interest of an individual chimpanzee, Save the Chimps will consider placement of that chimp at another sanctuary able to provide an equally high-quality care for life.
• Research is permitted only under limited circumstances. Such research must be observational and noninvasive and must demonstrate that it is of direct benefit to chimpanzees before approval by the leadership of Save the Chimps.
• Save the Chimps respects all life and observes animal- friendly practices that demonstrate their commitment to the environment, including efficient use of resources, reuse and/or recycling of products, and preferential use of nontoxic substances.

For more information please visit: www.savethechimps.org

The Role

Save the Chimps now seeks a highly motivated and ambitious Executive Director that aspires to build a world-renowned organization in pursuit of the promise of its mission: to provide sanctuary and exemplary care to chimpanzees in need.

Reporting to the Board, the ED will be the public face of the organization and will represent Save the Chimps’ mission and the Sanctuary. The successful candidate will provide strategic leadership and work collaboratively with the Save the Chimps’ staff and Board to develop and execute a compelling vision for the organization. Success will require a strong, dynamic leader who brings a sense of urgency and who will work to further professionalize the organization and ensure sustainability of the business model for the long term. This leader will have the primary responsibility of building and strengthening the management team, deepening the impact made by existing staff, and continuing to enhance and grow the Sanctuary and the organization’s efforts. Above all, the ED will be passionate about Save the Chimps’ mission.

This creative leader will grow partnerships, funding, support, and operational capabilities required by Save the Chimps and its Sanctuary. The ED will analyze Save the Chimps’ fundraising potential and will design and implement an ambitious development and marketing plan to accelerate the growth of the organization in a sustainable way. On a day to day basis, the ED will be an active and front-facing fundraiser capable of managing a portfolio of high-level donors. The ED will build a development department from the ground up while actively engaging with major donors. While the ED will be expected to hire a Director of Development almost immediately, the ED will be the strongest and highest generating fundraiser for Save the Chimps. The successful ED candidate will forecast fundraising and manage the forecast of the fundraising team. They will lead development efforts by engaging external resources in order to facilitate new strategic partnerships and increase funding. The ED will also manage and execute an institutional communications strategy and marketing plan to promote Save the Chimps, spread brand awareness, and advance the organizations strategic goals and key initiatives. The ED will own the Save the Chimps brand and the institutional credibility and be fervently dedicated to building a platinum reputation and brand equity.

Working closely with the talented Save the Chimps’ staff and Board, the ED will drive an effective strategy and communicate a compelling vision that inspires and motivates constituents to deepen their level of engagement with—and support for—the organization. The Executive Director will be a self-starter, bring an entrepreneurial mindset, and be able to build a collaborative and supportive working environment that fosters trust and teamwork. The ED will set new and expanded vision for the Sanctuary and its impact and efforts.

While the ED will, ideally, be based in New York with the organization’s ambitious and hard-working administrative team, they will need to have a strong presence at the Florida-based Sanctuary. The ED will have overall responsibility for the strategic, programmatic, financial, fundraising, and management operations of the organization. They will provide “best-in-class” financial and operational management and will also maintain the Sanctuary’s programs (chimpanzee care, enrichment, community, and safety) at the highest industry standards. The chimpanzees require around-the-clock food, shelter, and medical care. Save the Chimps’ 153-acre property and facilities—including 12 three-acre islands—require regular maintenance and security measures that can withstand the strength of its residents as well as the heat and humidity of the region.

The successful candidate will build, lead and motivate a senior team. The ultimate staff structure will be designed by the ED to ensure appropriate management and direction of the Sanctuary, enabling it to fulfill its mission. The successful candidate will also work closely with the Board and its committees as part of a broader effort to provide appropriate governance to Save the Chimps.

The ED will be responsible for building trust with the management team—and across the organization— and creating a strong environment of collaboration by demonstrating a shared passion for—and a sense of urgency around—the mission. The ED will lead with respect, compassion, and appreciation of the work and diversity of every individual that Save the Chimps employs, partners with, and reaches through its work.

Supporting all of this is a dedicated and well-credentialed Board that is relentless in their commitment to excellence in pursuit of the mission and vision for Save The Chimps.

Candidate Profile

The successful candidate for the ED role will bring deep and informed passion and a proven track record of results around building, sustaining, and managing a mission-driven organization. The successful candidate must have demonstrable current or recent experience as an executor as well as a manager. The ideal candidate will be attracted to a challenging assignment where they can apply lifelong experience and talents to achieve operational and financial goals for a special organization that is ready to professionalize on the promise of its mission. Previous experience in animal welfare or conservation is a plus.

Other core competencies will include:

Financial Acumen. The candidate will have sound and demonstrated understanding of business principles, including, but not limited to, financial acumen, financial/departmental budget management and headcount (i.e., setting, managing, and delivering on/under budget), fundraising accountability, and process orientation. They will possess proven problem-solving skills, strength in analytics, and the ability to execute. The candidate will have the ability to analyze financial statements including cash flow statements and balance sheets. The ED will have a growth mindset and a successful track record of leading organizations through financial growth and evolution.

Strategic Vision. The successful candidate will have a demonstrated record of setting priorities and leading organizations through transition and evolution as well as delivering results. Building and working with Save the Chimps’ senior leadership team and Board, this transparent leader and strategic thinker will establish plans and methods to reach strategic objectives, build sustainability into existing programs, and develop a business model that allows the organization to realize its full potential and secures its fiscal viability for the long term. The ED will build a positive and affirming work environment, ensuring that the management, staffing, and culture of the organization and Sanctuary align with the mission and strategic ambitions. The candidate will lead by example and have the ability to set priorities, delegate responsibility, assure accountability, and allocate resources in a fiscally-responsible manner to achieve ambitious goals.

Leading Teams. The ED will be a self-starter and a strong, decisive leader who listens, delegates, and motivates. They will have a high level of personal drive and will lead with a roll-up-your-sleeves attitude and exemplary levels of professionalism, probity, and resilience. The ED will have the ability to recruit and retain top talent, motivate the team, and lead successful teams in a culture that is committed to execution, collaboration, communication, and growth. The ED will have a high level of cultural acuity, emotional intelligence, empathy, and integrity. They will build and manage a highly-effective staff and recommend organizational structures that allow for the supervision and evaluation of quality execution while building unity and a shared vision across teams. The new ED will have experience as a sophisticated manager of an organization with a large, loyal, and operationally-important base of volunteers.

Developing and Leveraging Relationships. The ED will have—or develop—a strong network of external relationships at high levels in the philanthropic, corporate, community, and public sectors. They will use relationship networks strategically to lead Save the Chimps to accomplish its objectives and secure institutional financial sustainability beyond a loyal and generous base of current core donors. They will possess the ability to influence internally and externally through informed vision, political savvy, and networking.

Resource Development. The ED will have the demonstrated ability to secure funds from a wide range of constituents including foundations, corporate partners, major gift and principal donors, and the Board. They will have directly led—or been managerially accountable for—fundraising and donor development in an organization that grew its operating budget or overcame deficits. They will have a successful track record of forecasting, establishing ambitious fundraising goals, and leading efforts to meet these goals. If the successful candidate comes from outside of the nonprofit sector, they will have a demonstrated track record of building partnerships that lead to sustainable revenue generation and will also possess previous experience working with a nonprofit organization in some capacity. The ED will possess a sophisticated understanding of online marketing and digital campaigns. They will have a revenue- and business-oriented approach to marketing and development and will see them as complementary disciplines that are independent revenue streams. The successful candidate will have a high fluency in email distribution, marketing integration, donor CRM, and ancillary development tools (i.e. online auctions, e-vite services).

Build Commitment. The ED will motivate staff, Board members, volunteers, and others to pursue common objectives with excitement about the future. The ED will also display enthusiasm, a sense of urgency for goals, transparency around execution, and the genuine belief in Save the Chimps’ ability to succeed and grow. The ED will be an inspiring and proficient communicator who can articulate the organization’s vision and impact to a wide and diverse audience as well as being authentic one-on-one.

Communication. This individual will communicate passion, energy, competency, and excitement around the Sanctuary’s mission, strategy, goals, and needs. They must be articulate and able to make compelling arguments (such as the need for financial support) to diverse audiences including staff, Board, volunteers, business leaders, donors (both individual and foundation), government officials, and the general public. The ED will be highly visible to staff, Board, volunteers, and the community. The ideal candidate will also have a solid understanding of online and digital communications and marketing channels.

For additional information, please contact SaveTheChimps@russellreynolds.com.