Executive Director

Massachusetts Advocates for Children (MAC) is a fifty-three-year-old, mission-driven advocacy nonprofit dedicated to removing barriers to educational and life opportunities for children and youth. Based in Boston, we employ a racial equity perspective to improve educational options for all children, while also helping one child and family at a time.   

Executive Director Kevin Murray transitioned out of his role in April, 2022, and The Honorable Jay Blitzman is currently serving as Interim Executive Director. MAC has budgeted for the addition of a Deputy Director to enable the next Executive Director to focus on strategic and programmatic opportunities. The new Executive Director of MAC will have the opportunity to lead an experienced and committed staff and join a well-established organization that is nationally recognized and respected as an advocate for system change.

Essential duties and responsibilities

  • Strategic Plan Implementation

    The Executive Director will implement the organization’s recently completed strategic plan that includes driving the implementation of MAC’s Racial Equity Initiative and ensuring that MAC is accountable to children, youth, and families in its advocacy work. 

  • Expand Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Initiatives

    The next Executive Director will bring a strong equity lens and will lead diversity, equity and inclusion work with staff, programs and communities.  Internally, they will strategically build and develop staff and board centered on DEI principles. Externally, they will address the widening inequities experienced by BIPOC children in a post-Covid environment.  

  • Support and Strengthen Organizational Culture

    The next Executive Director will lead and inspire a positive organizational culture in which staff enjoy an equitable, trusting and respectful climate.  They will promote healthy work-life boundaries for a hard-working staff.  They will continue to evaluate and navigate shifting needs of a hybrid workforce in a post-Covid world.  

  • Bolster Organizational Structure

    Many of MAC’s key positions are held by talented and long-tenured staff; however, some turnover of key operational positions during Covid has required the examination of organizational structure. MAC ‘s Interim Director has helped strengthen MAC’s infrastructure and the next Executive Director has the opportunity to further evaluate the current organizational structure to support a sustainable future.  

Additional longer-term priorities for the next Executive Director include:

  • In concert with the Board of Directors, refine MAC’s vision, strategy and scope of work; and assess how and where to develop future programs.

  • Cultivate and manage key collaborations to increase MAC’s community presence; increase state-wide visibility; and increase key relationships, especially with communities of color.

  • Increase fundraising; encourage the board’s increased role in fundraising; align fundraising efforts with organizational strategy; further develop relationships with donors and volunteers.

Qualifications and skills

This position requires a bold visionary leader with a strong connection to the work that MAC does as well as a passion for working with the communities that MAC serves.  The successful candidate will be a forward-looking, strategic and innovative thinker. They will show a demonstrated commitment to advocating for the rights of children and young adults with disabilities, addressing issues of racial inequity, and working for social justice. 

A Bachelor’s degree is required and experience working with legal professionals is highly desired.  

Massachusetts Advocates for Children’s ideal candidate will demonstrate the following skills and attributes:

  • Strong equity lens and demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and experience spearheading that work; cultural competency; lived experience with communities of color is strongly preferred

  • Nonprofit management acumen, including fundraising, financial management, team leadership

  • Collaborative relationship builder with internal team and external partners

  • Excellent operations management skills and experience with strengthening organizational infrastructure

  • Excellent communication skills with a variety of audiences; effective and passionate spokesperson for the work that MAC does

  • Experience fostering an internal culture that values all staff and encourages growth

  • Strategic thinking and the understanding of how to operationalize strategy

  • Familiarity with Massachusetts local and state government with an understanding of special education law and policy is preferred

Salary and benefits

  • This position is full-time in MAC’s hybrid Boston office, with easy access to a variety of public transit options 

  • Salary commensurate with experience within the framework of the organization’s annual operating budget, and in the approximate range of $120,000 - 140,000  

  • Flexible, family-friendly culture and generous benefits including health insurance, and paid vacation 

To apply

  • This executive search is being conducted by TSNE in partnership with Massachusetts Advocates for Children.  Interested candidates should submit materials via the application link provided in this posting. Electronic submissions sent through this link are preferred.  All submissions will be acknowledged and are confidential within the search committee

  • Candidates should include a resume and a cover letter that includes salary requirements and describes how their qualifications and experience match the needs and mission of Massachusetts Advocates for Children. All submissions of candidacy will be accepted until the position is filled

Massachusetts Advocates for Children is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability status, or any other applicable characteristics protected by law.