[DANK Haus German American Cultural Center] Executive Director

• Serve as the primary public spokesperson for the organization, initiating and fostering relationships within the German-American and wider community in Chicago and beyond.
• Represent and communicate DANK’s mission, vision, and strategic goals.
• Set organizational strategy in partnership with the Board and monitor & evaluate the organization’s overall performance and impact against that strategy.
• Make data-driven decisions to improve the organization’s effectiveness, drawing on input from all departments.
• Engage frequently with DANK’s Skyline Cycle members & the broader community, including growing & fostering new members.

• Serve as DANK Haus’s chief fundraiser and the lead driver of organizational revenue growth and new opportunities.
• Set strategy to grow and diversify revenue across DANK Haus’s core lines of business — including facility rentals and events, the Language School, and philanthropic giving — while delegating day-to-day sales and administration to department leads.
• Personally cultivate, solicit, and close major gifts, grants, sponsorships, and corporate partnerships.
• Set the strategic direction and guidance for DANK Haus’s budgeting, financial planning, and resource allocation, aligning priorities across department leads.
• Review and hold department leads accountable for their budgets and ensure the organization's overall financial sustainability, in partnership with the Board.

• Own HR strategy, organizational structure, and culture; delegate day-to-day supervision of staff and volunteers to department leads.
• Set staffing plans with the Board, and approve key hiring, compensation, and performance decisions.
• Foster a positive, inclusive, and accountable organizational culture.

• Partner with the Board on strategic priorities and policies.
• Provide regular updates on organizational health and progress, including risks and mitigation strategies.
• Support Board recruitment, development, and meetings.

• Maintain ultimate accountability for performance and legal/regulatory/ethical compliance; ensure every department has the clarity, resources, and support to execute DANK's strategic priorities.
• Set the strategic vision for Language School and Cultural Programming with Language School Director and Museum Director on strategy implementation, & financial metrics.
• Hybrid role: High degree of self-motivation and time-management skills to effectively balance independent tasks at home with team management in the office.

• Minimum of 3-5 years of senior nonprofit leadership/executive director-level experience, including revenue growth, staff management, and fundraising,
• Grant writing, corporate/government funding, and Board-level communication experience preferred.
  

• Bachelor's degree in nonprofit management, business, finance, operations, or related field, or equivalent experience required.
• Master's degree and fundraising- or project management-related certification preferred.
  

• Strong business/financial acumen, leadership, negotiation, and communication skills, with a track record of financial growth, process improvement and change management.
• Strategic thinker, self-motivated, hands-on, and comfortable leading through transition.
• Bilingual English/German preferred; able to work occasional evenings/weekends, and legally authorized to work in the U.S.

DANK Haus German American Cultural Center does not discriminate based on race, color, sexuality, national origin, sex, disability, or age.
DANK Haus is committed to diversity and encourages candidates of all backgrounds to apply.