The Association for association professionals in Chicagoland
Posted: 09-Apr-26
Location: North Carolina
Type: Full Time
Salary: $115,000 - $130,000
Categories:
Salary Details:
The Opportunity
Note in the Pocket seeks a mission?driven Executive Director who will steward and sustain the organization’s longstanding commitment to providing clothing with dignity and love, while providing strong operational and cultural leadership to support continued impact and sustainability. This role offers a compelling opportunity to lead with purpose and impact. The Executive Director will champion a mission rooted in dignity and love, ensuring children and families have the clothing they need to build confidence, self?worth, and the ability to thrive in school and beyond.
About Note in the Pocket
Note in the Pocket’s mission is to provide quality clothing to homeless and impoverished children and families with dignity and love. In the United States, two out of five children face clothing insecurity, yet there is no federal or statewide funding dedicated to this need, and few organizations address it at scale. Note in the Pocket is meeting a growing and critical gap by partnering with local agencies, school districts, teachers, and social workers to identify students without adequate clothing and provide them with clothing and shoes. Partners consistently share how access to new clothing improves students’ confidence, sense of self?worth, and overall well?being.
In 2025, Note in the Pocket clothed more than 11,000 children and adults and processed nearly 500,000 pounds of donated clothing. The organization engaged more than 9,900 volunteers who contributed over 41,000 hours of service, reflecting a strong and deeply committed community of support. With a goal to clothe 12,700 children and families in 2026, Note in the Pocket continues to expand its reach and deepen its impact.
This is an opportunity for a compassionate and capable leader who believes deeply in dignity?centered service and wants to lead an organization where mission, relationships, and community impact are at the heart of the work. The next Executive Director will honor what makes Note in the Pocket special while providing the leadership needed to sustain and strengthen its impact.
Want to learn more about Note in the Pocket? Visit their website at https://noteinthepocket.org/
What will you do as Note in the Pocket’s next Executive Director?
As Note in the Pocket’s chief executive, the Executive Director sets organizational direction and ensures the people, systems, and resources are aligned to deliver impact at scale. In close partnership with the Board of Directors, this leader drives strategy, strengthens long-term sustainability, and models a values-based culture rooted in dignity and love. The Executive Director also serves as Note in the Pocket’s primary external leader—building visibility, influence, and investment across the community.
Lead Strategy, Vision, and Organizational Growth
- Set and communicate a clear vision and strategic direction that advances Note in the Pocket’s impact, reach, and community presence.
- Partner with the Board of Directors to develop, implement, and monitor strategic goals, translating strategy into annual priorities and measurable outcomes.
- Strengthen and steward the Note in the Pocket brand and statewide narrative, aligning messaging and communications to support program growth, fundraising, partnership development, and geographic expansion across North Carolina—while ensuring operational capacity, systems, and infrastructure are ready to scale.
Serve as Chief Ambassador, Advocate, and Fundraiser
- Serve as the organization’s chief ambassador and primary spokesperson, telling the Note in the Pocket story in compelling, dignity-centered ways that inspire community engagement and investment with donors, partners, media, and the broader community.
- Lead a comprehensive development strategy and high-performing donor pipeline, including the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of individual and corporate supporters.
- Grow a balanced revenue portfolio through grants, sponsorships, contracts, and philanthropic investments aligned with mission, strategy, and organizational capacity.
- Represent Note in the Pocket at key fundraising and community events, translating visibility into relationships, investment, and measurable impact.
Ensure Financial and Operational Excellence
- Establish disciplined operations and clear decision-making structure that strengthens role clarity, accountability, and execution across the organization.
- Develop metrics and monitor performance across programs, volunteer/warehouse operations, and fundraising; use data to set priorities, manage performance, and report progress to the Board.
- Provide strong financial stewardship, including annual budgeting, forecasting, cash-flow management, and internal controls, while advancing scalable systems and processes that improve efficiency and effectiveness.
Build and Support a High?Performing Team and Board Partnership
- Lead a values-driven, mission-centered culture grounded in trust, respect, and shared accountability.
- Strengthen organizational effectiveness through clear roles, decision-making authority, and accountability; empower the team to lead day-to-day execution while the Executive Director stays focused on strategy, relationships, and sustainability.
- Implement consistent people leadership practices, including goal setting, coaching, performance feedback, and professional development, to build alignment, retention, and high performance.
- Partner with the Board through timely, transparent reporting and a clear governance cadence that enables effective oversight and strategic decision-making.
Key Experiences, Attributes, and Skillsets
The ideal candidate will bring a blend of lived experience, executive leadership capability, and deep commitment to Note in the Pocket’s mission.
Leadership Experience and Background
- 7+ years of progressively responsible nonprofit leadership experience, with executive oversight of mission delivery and the operational/logistical functions required to deliver services at scale.
- 3+ years of experience working with (or on behalf of) children, families, or communities experiencing economic hardship and/or marginalization, using approaches rooted in dignity, equity, and lived experience.
- Demonstrated success partnering with a Board of Directors through strong governance practices, clear roles and decision rights, transparent reporting, and shared accountability for strategic priorities and outcomes.
Fundraising, Relationship?Building, and External Leadership
- Executive presence and credibility serving as an organization’s ambassador with donors, partners, public officials, and community stakeholders.
- Proven ability to build, cultivate, and steward trusted relationships across diverse audiences.
- Ability to identify opportunities, secure strategic partnerships, and expand impact in alignment with mission and organizational capacity.
People?Centered Leadership and Communication
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to build trust, reinforce shared values, and create clarity across the organization through consistent expectations, priorities, and decision-making.
- Track record of developing and retaining talent through coaching, feedback, and professional development.
- Ability to strengthen a healthy, high-performing culture through active listening, navigating difficult conversations, and leading through change with empathy, transparency, and fairness.
Strategic, Financial, and Operational Acumen
- Strong financial stewardship, including building and managing budgets, forecasting cash flow, and using financial reporting to guide decisions, manage risk, and sustain growth.
- Demonstrated success growing revenue through a diversified strategy (philanthropy, partnerships, grants, and/or contracts), including setting targets, building pipelines, and tracking performance to results.
- Operationally minded leader with demonstrated experience clarifying roles and decision-making authority, establishing goals and KPIs, and strengthening systems and processes.
Personal Attributes and Values Alignment
- Deep alignment with Note in the Pocket’s mission and values, with a demonstrated commitment to dignity-centered service and the belief that clothing is foundational to confidence, belonging, and opportunity.
- Ability to lead in the context of a strong, founder-like leadership legacy with humility and confidence. Honor the legacy that has made Note in the Pocket successful while establishing clear leadership, decision-making, and accountability for the next chapter.
- Integrity, sound judgment, and a learning mindset, with the executive presence to lead and build trust across staff, volunteers, partners, and the Board.
Think you are the next Executive Director for Note in the Pocket?
To apply, click on the link to the Executive Director position profile at https://jobs.armstrongmcguire.com/. You will see instructions for uploading your compelling cover letter, resume, and salary requirements. Please provide all requested information to be considered. In case of any technical problems, contact talent@armstrongmcguire.com. No phone calls, please, and no applications will be accepted by email or directly from third-party posting sites.
The review of candidates will begin on April 15, 2026, and continue until the position is filled.
The anticipated salary range is $115,000–$130,000, commensurate with experience and qualifications. Note in the Pocket offers medical, dental, group life insurance, long-term disability, and provides an HRA along with paid time off, sick/wellness days, 10 paid holidays, and a cultural/spiritual day off.
Note in the Pocket actively seeks a diverse pool of candidates. Note in the Pocket is committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, disability, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or age.
