Executive Director

BLUE KREWE, THE OPERATOR AND MANAGER OF BLUE BIKES COMMUNITY BIKESHARE IN NEW ORLEANS, IS HIRING AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION:

Blue Krewe is a community-based nonprofit that operates and manages Blue Bikes, an affordable bikeshare program uniquely designed for New Orleans. Our team is dedicated to offering the Greater New Orleans region an equitable bikeshare program that is an affordable, fun, environmentally-friendly, and convenient transportation option for all. We believe that expanding access to Blue Bikes will benefit the entire region by catalyzing economic growth, improving community health and quality of life, increasing the use of existing transit infrastructure, and enhancing our transportation network by expanding mobility options.

Blue Krewe was created in 2020 by the Greater New Orleans Foundation, which provided critical start-up funding and fiscal sponsorship, in partnership with the City of New Orleans and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana. 

The mission of Blue Krewe is to provide the Greater New Orleans region with equitable shared micromobility solutions that are rooted in and supportive of our community.

Learn more about us here: www.bluekrewe.org

ABOUT THE POSITION:

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director is the new top-level management position in the organization. This position will have overall strategic and operational responsibility for Blue Krewe’s staff, programs, expansion, development, fundraising and execution of its mission. The Executive Director will manage Blue Krewe through its next phase of growth and expansion while ensuring adequate resources and partnerships for the sustainability of the organization.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone that:

• Is passionate about bikeshare and growing its availability in the Greater New Orleans area
• Believes in the power of bikeshare as an affordable and sustainable means of transportation to better connect residents and visitors to their everyday needs, enhance quality of life and mobility, and improve community and environmental health
• Wants to lead an organization that makes equitable bikeshare a fun, affordable and convenient transportation option for everyone

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Strategic Leadership and Organizational Oversight:

• Manage and implement an expansion plan and feasibility study with complex financial and growth models
• Develop and ensure the maintenance of effective systems to continuously improve operations, track scaling progress, and effectively communicate system details to the board, funders, and other stakeholders
• Establish annual operational and financial goals and manage towards them
• Bridge local, regional and national operations to establish seamless communication methods and increase collaboration

Organizational Culture and Team Management:

• Continue to build and enhance Blue Krewe’s culture, prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion across all dimensions (e.g., recruitment/hiring, coaching/development, and programmatic implementation)
• Lead, coach, develop, and retain a high-performing management team
• Foster an environment of teamwork, fairness and equity in a unionized environment that reflects Blue Krewe’s values of community, equity, local economics, sustainability and an awesome user experience
• Ensures a healthy organizational culture is prioritized that is inclusive and safe

Fundraising, Development and Financial Management:

• Expand local revenue generating and fundraising activities to support existing operations and regional expansion
• Grow the organization’s impact, taking an organization-wide approach to increasing Blue Krewe’s brand, impact, and reach
• Create and manage the annual budgeting process, ensuring adequate resources to fund operations successfully while positioning to scale
• Develop and implement an actionable fundraising plan while managing monthly financial reporting

Systems Building:

• Leading the implementation of new systems and processes that enable Blue Krewe to scale, focusing on efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability
• Leveraging technology to streamline and maximize efficiencies in the overall operations of the organization

Relationship and Vendor Management:

• Manage effective communications and the relationship between management and local, city and state government
• Manage vendor relationship to leverage the best outcomes for the organization as it relates to price points and supply-chain demands

Position Requirements and Qualifications:

The ideal candidate will possess a healthy balance of the following qualifications:

• Demonstrated professional experience serving as a leader in a mission-driven, bikeshare, rideshare, transportation or urban mobility organization preferred
• Experience in organizational leadership, management, development, and growth required; experience in nonprofit leadership or management a plus
• Experience leading high performing teams in a unionized environment preferred
• Strong strategic thinking and analytical skills, with demonstrated success creating and implementing plans and systems in high-growth, dynamic environments
• Broad experience with the full range of business functions and systems, including strategic development and planning, budgeting, business analysis, finance, information systems, human resources, and marketing
• High level of business acumen including successful profit and loss management and the ability to balance the delivery of programs against the realities of a budget 
• Strength in coaching individuals and teams, empowering them to elevate their levels of responsibility and performance
• Outstanding communication skills and ability to translate ideas to both internal and external stakeholders
• Ability to maintain a realistic balance of multiple demands and shifting priorities in a fast‐paced organizational culture
• High level of interpersonal and communication skills, with a track record of building strong relationships with a diverse group of individuals at all levels
• Undergraduate degree in a related field preferred; advanced degree a plus
• Highly proficient in Microsoft Suites (Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) and Google Suites (Google Docs, Sheets, Gmail)
• Knowledge of web‐based meeting platforms, database management and project management systems, software and applications

Working Conditions:

The daily operations of Blue Krewe is at a warehouse in New Orleans, LA. The Executive Director maintains a presence in the warehouse with the team while balancing networking, community building and maintaining strong relationships with community stakeholders and partners.

Travel:

Currently, there is at least one conference that requires travel. With expansion, travel may increase.

Compensation and Benefits:

The salary range for this role is $115-$125K depending on experience. Benefits include an employer contribution to your selected medical, dental, vision plan, an employer sponsored telehealth plan option, paid sick and vacation time, holidays, a simple IRA with an employer match of up to 2% with immediate vesting and a performance bonus.

How to Apply:

Qualified applicants are encouraged to send a cover letter, resume and 3 professional references to jobs@bluekrewe.org with the subject line: Executive Director.

Hiring Process and Timeline:

We anticipate the following hiring process and timeline:

• Resumes will be accepted on a rolling deadline through July 31st
• All applicants will be added to an internal applicant tracker for review by the hiring team with weekly review
• Applicants selected for the initial phone interview will be contacted by a hiring team member
• Applicants successfully completing the phone interviews will advance to an in-person team interview
• Applicants successfully completing the in-person interview will advance to final round
• Final applicants will be asked to complete a performance task that will be reviewed by the hiring team
• Employment references and a background check is required for final applicants
• Target Start Date: October

Blue Krewe is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.