President/CEO
: Job Details :

BackgroundThe Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1918 and has served as the largest and longest running chamber in the tri-county (Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Benito) area. Serving more than 650 members, with continuous members dating as far back as 1922, the Chamber has been the leading voice for business and economic prosperity. The Chamber's mission is to build a strong local economy by promoting sound government and an informed membership and community. The Chamber is governed by a Board of Directors that provides financial oversight and sets strategic direction. The CEO is responsible for running the organization, as set forth in the strategic plan, and reports directly to the Chair of the Board.

Position SummaryThe CEO will have full P&L responsibility for all Chamber activities. The strategic objective is to increase topline growth and profit within a framework of operational excellence and member satisfaction. The CEO will maximize financial returns and communicate openly and regularly with Board and the staff regarding performance expectations. This position will work with the Board to determine business strategies, priorities, and directions. Effective communication with all levels of the organization is expected along with the ability to instill guiding values among all staff.

Reporting RelationshipsThis position reports directly to the Board of Directors and takes direction from the Chair of the Board. The CEO leads a team of direct reports including Marketing & Member Services, Membership Development, and Social Media professionals. The position maintains ultimate responsibility for serving the approximately 650 members.

Educational & Specific Qualifications

• An undergraduate degree in business, marketing, or a related field preferred.
• A minimum of 10 years' experience within a service organization or related field and at least 3 years of management experience.
• Experience with sales and marketing; communicating member, community, and business value.
• Experience with event planning and managing internal staff and outside vendors.
• Strong financial acumen and the ability to manage budgets and financial performance effectively.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to inspire and motivate teams.
• Knowledge of government interworking and ability to advocate on behalf of businesses.
• Ironclad integrity; must be impeccably honest and trustworthy.
• Must be entrepreneurial with the ambition and passion to realize the potential of the business.
• Innovative and forward-thinking mindset, with a focus on continuous improvement.
• Strong work ethic; a “roll up your sleeves,” hands-on approach to people and the business.
• Team builder, creates focused, results-driven teams; able to inspire and motivate others by exhibiting a genuine passion for the Chamber and surrounding community.
• Consensus builder; strong yet diplomatic personality to unite, inspire and engage varying and diverse cultures to work well together for a common goal.
• Exceptional in strategic thinking, able to apply logic to a wide range of complex business, regulatory, intellectual and practical problems and develop and execute creative, timely solutions.

Duties/Responsibilities

Strategic General Management

• Maintain full P&L responsibility; through strategic leadership and effective tactical management, plan, organize, and direct the staff, programs, and activities of the organization to achieve strategic objectives.
• Work with Board to develop and communicate a clear vision and strategy for growth.
• Provide strong leadership and clear communication to the staff; foster a culture of excellence and innovation.
• Lead a business-wide process of continuous improvement, growth, and profitability.
• Evaluate market conditions and competition to inform strategic decisions.
• Keep SVCC values, vision, goals, and challenges in the forefront for all key community partners.
• Evaluate the organization's strengths and weaknesses, take appropriate action to help ensure long-term health and productivity resulting in a high-performance culture.
• Recruit, mentor and retain professional staff to support and achieve the organization's goals including effectively planning staff resource requirements and succession planning.
• Manage outside vendors to supplement and/or enhance existing staff resources.
• Establish key performance indicators, metrics, and measurement tools to monitor progress business-wide and with staff.
• Implement systems that reflect accurate and timely data for optimal decision-making.
• Manage Board relations.
• Manage Government relations.
• Identify potential risks and develop strategies to mitigate them, ensuring long-term stability.
• Function as a spokesperson for the business community.

Financial Leadership

• Review and manage all Chamber financials including monthly financials and performance reporting.
• Create and oversee an annual operating budget to ensure alignment with the annual strategic plan and focus on organizational cost targets to maximize profitability and sustainability.
• Manage profitability of operations. Analyze and control costs through regular reviews of budgets and reports.
• Conduct financial analysis with respect to business development and processes and capital investment.
• Ensure capital is spent effectively and generates attractive returns.

Relationship Management

• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with members, Board, local government, suppliers, community associations, and other key community partners.
• Build a highly engaged, motivated and high performing team; demonstrate a commitment to planning, regularly reviewing and rewarding/recognizing individual performance against clear expectations.
• Model positive communication business-wide; address any conflict constructively and decisively.
• Foster and retain professional relationships with members, community organizations, service providers, as well as outside public and governmental agencies.
• Develop understanding of members' unique business needs.

Sales & Operational Guidance

• Position SVCC for growth including expanded geographies; address business channels; analyze target businesses, pricing, and margins throughout multiple revenue streams.
• Establish short- and long-term departmental goals and business initiatives that contribute to new growth.
• Create and execute comprehensive sales and marketing plans to drive growth and increase SVCC brand awareness.
• Lead the sales team in developing and executing strategies to meet and exceed revenue targets.
• Identify and prioritize key accounts and new sales opportunities; visit key customers at their headquarters and at community events.
• Define and articulate membership benefits for members that invest at $2,500 and above.
• Manage recruitment, retention, and cultivation of businesses that are prospects for or already Chamber members at the $5,000 and above levels.
• Stay informed about changes in government regulations and employment law; ensure that daily operations and practices adhere to all relevant compliance requirements.

Physical DemandsThe physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand and walk. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities that are required by this position include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision and the ability to adjust focus. The employee must be able to regularly travel short distances and occasionally travel long distances on behalf of the Chamber.

Work EnvironmentThe work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable those individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet.

CompensationThe base salary for this role will be negotiated. Eligible for an annual bonus based on personal and Chamber performance.

HOW TO APPLY:Please email your cover letter and resume to Board Chair Jennifer Williams at ...@gmail.com.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: From $121,087.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday
• Weekends as needed

Ability to Relocate:

• Salinas, CA 93901: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person