EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OPPORTUNITY
Open Arms Perinatal Services is searching for our next Executive Director. The ideal candidate is a collaborative,
entrepreneurial, and reflective leader with a passion for working on behalf of families and children, helping families to
build strong foundations and babies and children to thrive. We are an organization that supports, educates, and
empowers women and their families from pregnancy to birth and into early parenting. Our doulas serve as a catalyst to
better health and well-being for some of the most vulnerable members of our community.
ABOUT OPEN ARMS PERINATAL SERVICES
Open Arms was founded in 1997 by a small group of women from the community who envisioned a future where no one
would have to give birth without support. They imagined a world that cherishes birthing women, their babies, families,
and communities. Today, that vision translates into a powerful community-based organization with a staff of 7 and a
pool of 80 to 100 volunteer and contracted doulas serving over 200 women and their families annually. Open Arms
recognizes that the earliest experiences impact brain development,
and we work with families to give our next generation the best
beginning. Multiculturalism, respect, and racial equity permeate
The word "doula" comes from the ancient
all that we do. We work in true partnership with the communities
Greek meaning "a woman who serves"
we serve, listening to their hopes and dreams for pregnant women,
and is now used to refer to a trained and
babies and new parents, and providing resources to help transform
experienced professional who provides
continuous physical, emotional and
those dreams into reality. We provide culturally relevant resources
informational support to the mother
to low-income women and families to help them establish a strong
before, during and just after birth. She
and healthy foundation in this transformational time.
may also provide emotional and practical
support during the postpartum period.
Ninety percent of the world’s wealthiest countries surpass the
United States on measures of maternal and child health and wellbeing. Most of these countries invest in maternal and child health
care, public health home visitors, paid parental leave, and
affordable or free childcare and pre-school education. The impact of the lack of this support is disproportionately felt in
the US by American babies born into poverty, whose mothers too often suffer from stress, social isolation, domestic
violence, food insecurity and unstable housing in addition to insufficient health and parenting resources. Open Arms’
services work to address and mitigate these risk factors, so that mothers and babies receive the best possible start and
avoid poor outcomes that can have negative consequences possibly lasting a lifetime.
Application Deadline: Extended to April 24, 2015
OPEN ARMS’ CURRENT PROGRAMS
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Birth Doula Services partners parents with doulas who offer support during the last trimester of pregnancy,
throughout the labor and birth, and for six to eight weeks after delivery. Doulas also provide mothers with
education, resources, emotional support and appropriate referrals. Open Arms provides screening and case
management to ensure that mother and baby are healthy and connected with other community resources.
The Outreach Doula Program is a long-term
home visiting program from early pregnancy up
to baby’s 2nd birthday. Open Arms provides
cultural and language specific services by pairing
mothers with doulas from their own community.
Outreach Doulas develop lasting relationships
with families that help bridge cultural barriers,
foster parent-child bonding, and reduce social
isolation. Open Arms currently serves the Somali
and Latina communities with Outreach Doulas.
Childbirth Education: Open Arms will soon offer
culturally relevant childbirth education classes to
communities in need, instructed by women from
and for their own community. Class content
includes the physical, emotional and
physiological course of pregnancy, labor and
delivery, as well as postpartum recovery.
New Mother Support Groups: These groups
serving low-income women provide a safe,
confidential and informative environment for
new mothers to share and bond with other new
mothers while building a supportive community through self-discovery and reflection.
Open Arms’ services and community-based approaches are working, and people are taking note. Open Arms is the first
community doula program in the nation to be accredited through HealthConnect One. The agency has won several local
awards including the Seattle Human Services Innovative Programs Award, as well as SOAR’s Community Achievement
Award. We have been invited to speak nationally and internationally, including at the White House Summit on Early
Education and in Portugal at the Transatlantic Forum on Inclusive Early Years. Our current funding partnerships with
Social Venture Partners, the Washington Women’s Foundation, Seattle Foundation and the United Way demonstrate
that Open Arms has earned the support and respect of the local philanthropic community.
However, the need for Open Arms’ services remains far greater than our current capacity to serve. Each year, even as
we grow, we must turn away approximately 40% of women and families seeking our services. Our strategic plan
addresses this problem with key priorities including:
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Securing abundant funding to meet the need for our services
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Developing and implementing a comprehensive marketing and communications plan
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Nurturing and cultivating what we are doing locally in preparation for regional and national replication, including
analyzing, reporting, and publishing our outcomes
The organization is well-positioned to take advantage of the many opportunities that lie ahead for Open Arms. We are
seeking an Executive Director who is ready to lead Open Arms into the future.
Application Deadline: Extended to April 24, 2015
ABOUT SEATTLE
Open Arms is located in Seattle, Washington, a beautiful and livable city in the Pacific Northwest. Seattle is home to a
thriving philanthropic and non-profit community, which includes an increasing public awareness of the importance of
birth and early learning to healthy development and positive long-term
outcomes.
ABOUT THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR POSITION
Open Arms seeks a compelling and experienced leader to move the
organization forward in the following arenas over the next several years:
ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
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Build organizational capacity to increase the number of women and
families served and take the agency to the next level in its
development
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Provide both support and leadership to a growing, multicultural
staff and Board of Directors
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Ensure outstanding program delivery and outcomes, as the program
grows and serves new communities
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Oversee all administrative aspects of agency operations, including
financial management, human resources, and maintaining
compliance with all state and federal regulations
FUND DEVELOPMENT AND FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY
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In collaboration with development staff, lead the agency’s effort to maintain and grow a diverse fundraising
portfolio, including individual gifts, special events, government contracts, and corporate and foundation grants.
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Cultivate, steward, and solicit major gifts from individual donors, corporations, and foundations in service of Open
Arms’ mission
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Develop and implement strategies for growing new and sustainable long-term revenue sources
COMMUNITY-BASED LEADERSHIP
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Partner with diverse communities who could benefit from the services of Open Arms, and identify the most effective
programs and service delivery models with the strongest outcomes
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Establish and leverage strategic partnerships in the communities Open Arms serves
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Work with communities to offer women the opportunity to serve and be served by women within their community,
as well as pay staff a living wage and offer family friendly benefits
ANTI-RACISM AND EQUITY
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Include proactive equity and anti-racism focus in all of Open Arms’ activities, including internal and external policies
and positions, and all communications
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Actively support Open Arms’ efforts to model racial equity and foster multicultural policies and practices; provide
leadership for Open Arms to serve as an example for other organizations in Washington State and beyond
Application Deadline: Extended to April 24, 2015
IDEAL EXPERIENCE
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A minimum of 5 years of experience at the executive leadership team level. Proven ability as an effective and
collaborative leader
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Experience in and knowledge of maternal and child heath, early learning, or other family health and human services
fields
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Previous experience working with historically marginalized persons or low-income communities, ideally in a
community-based organization or setting
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Demonstrated commitment to and experience in multicultural, racial equity, and social justice work
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Proven track record of success as a fundraiser, particularly in cultivating, stewarding, and engaging major donors
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Experience in developing, managing, and overseeing a budget of $500K or greater
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Experience in mentoring, guiding and supporting a professional staff and a volunteer Board of Directors
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An understanding of public policy and advocacy, including experience with public speaking
IDEAL QUALITIES AND COMPETENCIES
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A passion for the health and well-being of families in the years surrounding birth and early parenting
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A commitment to shared leadership, and an understanding of systems of oppression including power and privilege
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The ability to inspire and motivate diverse stakeholders, whether speaking from the podium, in personal
interactions, or in writing
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Commitment to and comfort with using a community-based approach. This includes asking for and incorporating
feedback from communities to shape programming decisions, hiring and training workers from communities served,
and drawing from the wisdom and wishes of communities in all aspects of service delivery.
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An entrepreneurial approach, and the flexibility and agility to respond to opportunities as they arise
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
This is a full-time position that requires a willingness to work some evenings and
weekends. Salary will range between $75,000-$85,000+ and will depend on
experience and skills. A competitive benefits package including medical, dental, and
paid sick leave and vacation will be offered. Approximate anticipated start date is
6/15/2015.
HOW TO APPLY
All applications will be given serious consideration, acknowledged via an e-mail receipt, and held confidentially within
the Search Committee. To apply, please submit the following by Friday, April 24, 2015:
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A résumé that summarizes your relevant professional, academic and volunteer experiences
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A cover letter that shares your professional interests and passions, and summarizes why this opportunity is a good
fit for your experience and skills
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Email your application as a single PDF (cover letter and resume combined in one document, with your name in the
title) to [email protected] No paper submissions, please.
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Questions? Please e-mail Emily Anthony, Search Consultant with questions pertaining to this opportunity.
[email protected]