Executive Director

Doyon Foundation was incorporated in 1989 as the private foundation for Doyon, Limited. Our mission is to provide educational, career and cultural opportunities to enhance the identity and quality of life for Doyon shareholders and descendants. Our work is focused in three main areas: scholarships, workforce development, and language revitalization. Our vision is to empower current and future generations by supporting education and career pathways, and to honor culture and language. 

COMPREHENSIVE BENEFITS PACKAGE: 

Doyon Foundation offers a highly competitive benefits package that makes up a significant portion of an employee's total compensation. Eligible employees may participate in the following benefits (these details are for informational purposes only and are subject to any policy or plan changes):

Time Off and Holidays

• • Paid Holidays
  • Paid Time Off (PTO)

Health Coverage

• • Medical Insurance (Doyon Foundation pays part, and also helps with the employee's part)
  • Dental & Vision Insurance (Premium paid by Doyon Foundation)
  • Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) for Health Care and Dependent Care

Financial Security

• • Basic Life insurance & Supplemental Life Insurance
  • Short and Long-Term Disability coverage (Premium paid by Doyon Foundation)
  • 401(k) Plan & Employer match
  • Profit sharing

Support Programs

• • Employee Assistance Program
  • Tuition Assistance
  • Access to UAF eCampus with a 10% discount on tuition

Job Summary: The Executive Director (ED) of the Doyon Foundation is the Chief Executive Officer for the Foundation and reports to and serves at the direction of the Board of Directors through the Board Chair/President. The ED oversees the daily operation of the Foundation and is responsible for the implementation of the Foundation’s strategic plan as adopted annually by the Board of Directors, as well as for leading and managing all departments/functions of the organization.

Essential Functions:

Executive Leadership

• Actively engage and participate with the management team in the strategic planning process, business development and partnership development efforts, general business review and problem solving, and policy and program development.
• Represent the Foundation in community-related activities as spokesperson.

Corporate Administration

• Direct and evaluate day-to-day operations of the Foundation.
• Implement Board-approved strategic initiatives and organizational priorities.
• Establish systems, policies, and procedures that promote organizational effectiveness.
• Lead communications and outreach efforts to shareholders and stakeholders.
• Coordinate planning and logistics for Board and committee meetings.

Financial Management

• Provide responsible leadership on matters regarding budgetary performance.
• Ensure timely preparation and presentation of accurate financial statements, budgets, forecasts, and other financial reports for the Board of Directors.
• Coordinate the annual financial audit and single audit (as applicable) with external auditors.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local tax laws, regulations, and filing requirements.
• Ensure compliance with applicable grant management and reporting requirements.
• Assure protection of Foundation’s assets; oversee and review financial manager’s performance, including quarterly review of portfolio performance.

Supervision

• Provide direction, vision, support, and oversight to all departments.
• Provide employees with professional and personal growth opportunities with an emphasis on development.
• Coordinate and conduct annual performance reviews amongst managers.

Resource Development

• Develop and implement fundraising strategies.
• Cultivate relationships with donors, foundations, and corporate sponsors.
• Pursue grants and partnership opportunities.
• Support endowment growth and long-term financial sustainability.

Board Relations

• Serve as principal liaison between staff and the Board of Directors.
• Ensure timely delivery of board materials.
• Support implementation of board policies and directives.
• Assist with strategic planning and board development activities.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

Knowledge

• Knowledge of Alaska Native Cultures and Languages within the Doyon region.

Skills

• Strong written and oral communication skills, particularly the ability to communicate as a leader.
• Strong financial management skills, including budget preparation, analysis, decision making and reporting as well as grants and contract management.

Abilities

• Ability to work with all constituent organizations, communities in and outside the region, and shareholders to help perpetuate Doyon region languages and culture.
• Ability to lead, manage, and cultivate relationships and build partnerships with diverse groups.
• Solid organizational leadership abilities, including strategic planning, change management, staff management, networking, and program development.
• Ability to fundraise through a variety of methods.
• Ability to adhere to safety rules and other reasonable regulations pertaining to the position.
• Ability to promote a safe and healthy workplace.

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Commitment to Excellence – Identifies priorities and takes action to achieve a standard of excellence beyond job expectations.
• Corporate Values- Understands, embraces, and integrates Doyon Limited values into everyday duties and responsibilities.
• Customer Service – Identifies and responds to current and future client needs by providing excellent service to internal and external clients.
• Safety and Security – Promotes a safe work environment for co-workers and customers.
• Teamwork – Resourceful team player that builds, strengthens, and maintains collaborative relationships with others inside or outside the organization.

JOB SPECIFIC COMPETENCIES

• Analytical Skills - Visualizes, articulates, and solves problems and concepts. Makes appropriate decisions based on available and researched information.
• Decision Making - Makes choices or reaches conclusions by establishing objectives, gathering relevant information, identifying alternatives, setting criteria for the decision, and selecting the best option.
• Employee Development - Effective in the recruitment, selection, development, and retention of employees.
• Financial Management - Applies critical financial concepts and practices to establish and maintain realistic budgets, fund development, and review financial manager’s performance.
• Leadership - Maintains a productive climate and confidently motivates, mobilizes, and coaches employees to meet high performance standards and goals.
• Planning and Organizing - Systematically develops plans, prioritizes, organizes, and manages resources to accomplish strategic goals within a specific time period.
• Problem Solving - Anticipates and identifies problems, distinguishes between symptoms and causes, and determines alternative solutions involving varied levels of complexity, ambiguity and risk.
• Process Improvement – Manages, leads, enables, and promotes the process of change and transition while supporting staff and building capacity.
• Strategic Implementation/Thinking - Formulates effective strategies consistent with the foundations strategies, examines policy issues and strategic planning with a long-term perspective, determines objectives, sets priorities, and anticipates potential threats or opportunities.

Required

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Minimum five years of progressive management experience, including at least three years in a senior leadership role with responsibility for personnel, budgets, and organizational operations.
• Ability to work effectively with a Board of Directors and diverse stakeholder groups.
• Proficiency with standard business software, including Microsoft Office Suite.

Preferred

• Experience working with or serving Alaska Native, Tribal, Indigenous, or culturally focused organizations.
• Experience supporting or collaborating with a board of directors, including board meeting preparation, governance support, and policy implementation.
• Experience overseeing scholarship, educational, workforce development, cultural preservation, language revitalization, or community-based programs.
• Experience managing endowment funds, investment portfolios, donor-restricted funds, or other long-term charitable assets.
• Experience developing and executing strategic plans and organizational performance measures.
• Experience cultivating donor, corporate, foundation, and community partnerships to advance organizational objectives.
• Experience serving as a public spokesperson and representing an organization with government agencies, community organizations, educational institutions, donors, and stakeholders.
• Experience supervising multidisciplinary teams and developing organizational leadership capacity.
• Experience securing, administering, and reporting on federal, state, tribal, foundation, or corporate grants.
• Experience developing and implementing communication, outreach, and stakeholder engagement strategies.
• Knowledge of Alaska Native cultures, communities, and issues affecting education, language revitalization, and workforce development.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT: The majority of the work is performed in a professional office setting with a wide variety of people with differing functions, personalities, and abilities. Occasional rural and urban travel will be required, contingent upon public health guidance.

PHYSICAL AND COGNITIVE DEMANDS: The work is generally sedentary, requiring sufficient arm, wrist, hand and finger dexterity to operate a keyboard and other office equipment, routine walking, standing, bending, reaching with hands and arms and lifting/carrying items weighing less than twenty pounds. The work requires near vision to write and read printed materials and computer screens, and hearing and speaking to exchange information on the telephone and in person. Additionally, the position requires the ability to communicate by oral and written means in an appropriate business manner, and have cognitive skills to understand instructions, readily recall facts and details, handle conflict, and make effective decisions under pressure.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION: It is Doyon Foundation’s business philosophy and practice to provide reasonable accommodations, according to applicable local, state, and federal laws, to all qualified individuals with physical or mental impairments.

PREFERENCE STATEMENT: Doyon Foundation grants preference to qualified Doyon Shareholders first, and second to qualified shareholders of other Alaska Native corporations that grant a similar preference in all phases of employment and training, which include, but are not limited to hiring, promotion, layoff, transfer, and training.

EEO STATEMENT: Apart from Doyon Foundation’s preference policy, Doyon Foundation does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, age, gender or any other classifications protected by law. Doyon Foundation believes it is important to provide equal terms and conditions of employment to all employees for all employment practices, including but not limited to hiring, placement, promotion, evaluation, termination, layoff, recall, transfers, and leaves of absence, compensation, and training
 

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee(s) incumbent in this position. Employee(s) will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments.

A review of this position has excluded marginal functions of the position that are incidental to the performance of fundamental job duties. All duties and responsibilities are essential job functions and requirements and are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. To perform this job successfully, the incumbent(s) will possess the skills, aptitudes and abilities to perform each duty proficiently. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health or safety of themselves or others. The requirements listed in this document are the minimum levels of knowledge, skills or abilities.