Executive Director

Executive Director

Resilience

Location: Chicago, IL
Reports To: Board of Directors
Salary: $150,000–$165,000

 

Mission

 

To end rape culture and empower sexual assault survivors through advocacy, education, and healing.

 

About Resilience

 

Founded in 1974, Resilience is the only stand-alone rape crisis center in the state of Illinois. The nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization has been on the front lines of supporting survivors of sexual violence for more than five decades.

 

Formerly known as Rape Victim Advocates (RVA), the organization rebranded as Resilience in 2018 to reflect a broader vision of healing, empowerment, and systemic change.

 

Resilience was founded by Dr. Natalie A. Stephens, an OB/GYN at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, along with 10 medical and nursing students and other staff. They had witnessed too many victims leaving emergency rooms in an emotionally worsened state and set out to provide survivors with the support necessary to begin healing. Decades later, Resilience remains true to these founding principles.

 

Resilience provides services at no cost to survivors seeking treatment for sexual violence at participating hospitals. Its advocacy efforts extend beyond individual services: the experience and knowledge gained through direct service informs and strengthens Resilience’s work to advance institutional and systemic change.

 

Resilience is dedicated to the healing and empowerment of sexual assault survivors through nonjudgmental crisis intervention counseling, individual and group counseling, and medical and legal advocacy throughout the greater Chicago metropolitan area. The organization also provides public education and institutional advocacy to improve the treatment of survivors and advance positive change in policies, systems, and public attitudes toward sexual violence.

 

There are currently 17 full-time staff, with an additional six roles vacant, and 17 part-time staff, with a minimum of four positions vacant, across community-based offices and its downtown office.

 

Resilience’s Medical Advocacy Program is powered by approximately 150 dedicated volunteers providing 24/7 crisis support across 12 Chicago-area emergency departments. The program attracts both new cohorts and long-tenured Advocates representing a diverse range of professional and community backgrounds. Beyond frontline care, volunteers strengthen the program through training, mentoring, education, and donor engagement.

 

Last fiscal year, Resilience served more than 1,500 survivors and their loved ones and reached tens of thousands of additional people through public education and professional training.

 

Current programs include:

 

• Trauma therapy

• Medical and legal advocacy

• Crisis intervention

• Education and prevention

• Professional training through the Resilience Training Institute (RTI)

• Community and institutional advocacy

• Bilingual services

 

Resilience educators work with a broad range of audiences, including schools and youth development programs, civic and community organizations, faith communities, media, social workers, health professionals, law enforcement, and other community leaders.

 

Participants in prevention education workshops learn to identify elements of rape culture, recognize and reduce risk factors, and become agents of change within their own communities.

 

Resilience has an operating budget of approximately $3 million, with 72% coming through public dollars distributed through the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault (ICASA), a network of community-based sexual assault crisis centers working together to end sexual violence.

 

State and federal allocations, including federal Victims of Crime Act grants and state budget allocations, provide a financial foundation for Resilience.

 

The organization is governed by a 13-member Board of Directors composed of civic and business leaders, including survivors of gender-based violence.

 

The Opportunity

 

Resilience enters its next chapter with a strong mission, committed staff and Board members, significant community need, and meaningful opportunities for growth.

 

The next Executive Director will build on these strengths while addressing areas that require greater stability, alignment, and infrastructure. Reducing reliance on government funding and building a more diversified and sustainable revenue model is a Board priority.

 

Resilience is also exploring new earned and contributed revenue opportunities, including a potential learning management system. The next Executive Director will create the conditions for sustainable growth by growing the base of philanthropic support, clarifying priorities, building capacity, and aligning the Board and staff around a shared direction.

 

Resilience understands gender-based violence not only as an individual experience, but also as a manifestation of broader societal inequities and systems of oppression. Addressing its root causes requires an integrated approach connecting survivor services with education, advocacy, prevention, and systemic change.

 

The Executive Director will bring together staff, Board members, volunteers, survivors, funders, and community partners to establish greater clarity and shared understanding around Resilience’s strategic direction, core values, public voice, and role within the broader movement for social change.

 

Building trust and alignment across these constituencies, while ensuring that historically marginalized voices are meaningfully represented in decision-making, will be essential.

 

The Position

 

The Executive Director, reporting to the Board of Directors, is responsible for strategic leadership, financial sustainability, and overall management of Resilience.

 

The Executive Director will develop and execute strategic directions and policies; strengthen revenue and private philanthropy; oversee programs and services; and ensure the agency’s overall well-being and sustainability.

 

Securing the resources necessary to sustain and expand operations is a primary responsibility, as is ensuring compliance with Board-adopted policies and applicable regulations and laws.

 

Although responsibilities may be delegated, ultimate accountability rests with the Executive Director.

As chief executive, the Executive Director will cultivate a culture grounded in equity, inclusion, belonging, accountability, and respect, fostering an environment in which diverse perspectives and lived experiences are actively sought and incorporated into decision-making.

 

Key Responsibilities

 

Leadership

 

• In partnership with the Board, provide vision and direction for Resilience’s programs, policies, partnerships, and capacity.

• Be visionary, mission-driven, business-focused, and experienced in guiding organizations through growth and change while maintaining stability and long-term financial viability.

 

Financial Leadership & Fund Development

 

• Demonstrate success building a broad base of financial support and securing major gifts from individuals, foundations, corporations, and public sources.

• Lead efforts to diversify revenue, strengthen donor relationships and stewardship, increase private philanthropy, and develop a sustainable culture of fundraising.

• Provide strong fiscal leadership, including financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, fund accounting, data analysis, and reporting.

• Partner with the Board to strengthen its engagement as ambassadors, fundraisers, and relationship-builders.

• Develop a comprehensive revenue diversification strategy that reduces reliance on government funding.

• Strengthen financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, cash management, and long-term sustainability.

• Provide the Board with clear, timely information about financial performance, risks, opportunities, and tradeoffs.

• Expand individual, foundation, corporate, and other private sources of support.

• Deepen relationships with existing donors and engage Board members as ambassadors, relationship-builders, and fundraisers.

• Use survivor-centered storytelling thoughtfully, effectively, and ethically.

• Evaluate promising earned-revenue opportunities, including a potential learning management system.

• Work toward approximately $1 million in private revenue over the next three to five years.

 

Marketing, Public Relations & Outreach

 

• Serve as the face and voice of Resilience, effectively representing its mission, values, and goals.

• Build visibility, develop community partnerships, serve as a thought leader in the gender-based violence field, and represent Resilience effectively with media, policymakers, funders, health care providers, community leaders, and advocates.

• Strengthen strategic alliances with sister organizations, build coalitions for legislative advocacy, deepen community relationships, and expand Resilience’s visibility across Chicago, Illinois, and nationally.

• Represent Resilience through education, advocacy, public speaking, media engagement, convenings, and participation in conversations at the local, state, regional, and national levels.

 

Inclusive Management & Culture

 

• Understand nonprofit structure, governance, and operations and have experience working with or reporting to a Board of Directors.

• Build a strong, cohesive team and create an environment where staff feel valued, supported, heard, and accountable.

• Hire, develop, and retain diverse talent; address conflict constructively; incorporate diverse perspectives; and create accountability for shared values.

• Strengthen alignment, clarity of roles, communication, and trust between the Board and staff.

• Establish clear priorities and strengthen communication, decision-making, and accountability throughout the organization.

 

Operational Expertise

 

• Demonstrate a record of sound personnel, fiscal, technology, facilities, and business management.

• Understand how strong operations and infrastructure support high-quality, equitable, and accessible services.

• Assess staffing, structure, systems, processes, and management practices and determine what is needed to support sustainable growth.

• Make thoughtful investments in people and infrastructure while ensuring growth remains aligned with financial and staff capacity, mission, and measurable impact.

 

Programming & Impact

 

• Ensure high-quality, trauma-informed, survivor-centered programs and services.

• Expand program reach and impact while increasing public understanding of the root causes of sexual and gender-based violence.

 

Candidate Profile

 

Resilience seeks a highly competent, mission-driven executive with a strong record of fundraising, financial management, community partnership, and organizational leadership.

 

The ideal candidate will have demonstrated success growing private philanthropic and earned revenue and will bring exceptional interpersonal and relationship-building skills.

 

The successful candidate will balance creative thinking with management acumen to move an organization to a new level of effectiveness. The ability to understand financial statements and use financial information to plan, monitor, and evaluate performance is required, as is experience with budget preparation, fund accounting, data analysis, and reporting.

 

Business and personnel management experience and sound senior-level financial leadership are essential.

The Executive Director will be the public face of Resilience and must possess excellent communication skills, personal credibility, and the ability to build effective relationships at all levels. Experience representing an organization externally and speaking with media is highly valued.

 

The successful candidate will bring a strong commitment to equity, inclusion, anti-oppression, and racial justice and understand how these principles intersect with survivor services, prevention, organizational culture, and community advocacy.

 

The ideal candidate will be a collaborative, innovative leader with demonstrated experience developing and implementing strategic and business plans, building consensus around major initiatives, and working closely with a Board of Directors.

 

The successful candidate will:

 

• Drive a culture of philanthropy and growth in private funds.

• Ensure organizational stability ahead of growth strategies.

• Lead with humility, integrity, and emotional intelligence.

• Build consensus while making timely and difficult decisions.

• Navigate complex and sensitive issues with courage and compassion.

• Develop and retain a talented and diverse team.

• Foster accountability and continuous learning.

• Adapt priorities as community and program needs evolve.

• Develop and execute long-range plans.

• Communicate clearly, consistently, and sensitively.

 

The Executive Director will have a management style focused on coaching and developing others. They will be calm under pressure, open to new and established ideas, and intentional about soliciting and incorporating team input.

 

The successful candidate will be adaptable, trustworthy, welcoming, humble, and comfortable working in a therapeutic and trauma-informed environment.

 

Above all, the Executive Director will be motivated by the best interests of survivors and Resilience and will bring the emotional intelligence, financial discipline, and inclusive leadership required to move the agency forward with clarity, courage, and minimal disruption.

 

Qualifications

 

• Demonstrated nonprofit leadership experience.

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university required.

• Graduate degree, such as an MBA, MSW, or master’s degree in counseling or a related field, preferred.

• Minimum of 10 years of senior-level management experience preferred.

 

Salary & Benefits

 

The salary range for this position is $150,000–$165,000.

 

Comprehensive benefits include:

 

• Healthcare

• Vision

• Dental

• Life insurance

• Disability insurance

 

Application Process

 

Applications and nominations are being received by Noetic Search.

 

To ensure confidential tracking of the search process, applications will not be accepted via email. Candidates should submit a current resume and cover letter through the search application process.

 

The search is being conducted by:

 

Rhyan Zweifler
Founder and President, Noetic Search

Bridget Verdun
Executive Search Consultant

 

Resilience is committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in all that it does, seeking education and opportunities to challenge current practices and build a culture of anti-racism. Candidates from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.