Community Relations Jobs in Raleigh, NC (NOW HIRING)

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Associate Executive Directorof Membershipprovides visionary leadership and strategic direction for youth and community programs, ensuring excellence, innovation, and alignment with the YMCA's mission. This role manages multiple program areas and staff teams, fostering a culture of relational engagement, professional growth, and accountability. The Associate Executive Director serves as a key branch leader, collaborating with the Branch Executive Director and leadership team to drive operational success, oversee budgets, ensure compliance, and strengthen volunteer and staff development. In addition, this position playsa central rolein philanthropy and community relations by leading fundraising efforts, cultivating new partnerships, and actively engaging with the Advisory Board and community stakeholders to expand the YMCA's reach and impact.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Departmental Leadership & Strategic Oversight

• Provide visionary leadership for youth and community programs, ensuring alignment with YMCA mission, strategic priorities, and evolving community needs.
• Plan and direct program operations in collaboration with staff teams, ensuring high-quality, inclusive experiences across all areas of service.
• Maintain consistent daily presence in programs to support quality, safety, and staff oversight, following association-specific expectations for direct service coverage and onsite visitation.
• Maintain a visible and engaged presence across programs, facilities, and campus to support staff, participants, and families.

Staff Development & Team Culture

• Recruit, hire, train, and mentor staff and volunteers across departments, fostering a culture of relational engagement, innovation, and professional growth.
• Inspire and coach staff through regular feedback, performance evaluations, and development strategies that promote excellence and teamwork.
• Ensure all staff certifications, documentation, and compliance records are current, organized, and aligned with YMCA and regulatory standards.

Community Engagement & Strategic Partnerships

• Build and sustain high-impact partnerships with schools, nonprofits, and community stakeholders to expand program reach and deepen engagement.
• Lead volunteer development efforts to strengthen program support and community involvement.
• Activelyparticipatein the Branch Advisory Board and represent the YMCA in community relations and stakeholder engagement.

Fiscal Management & Philanthropic Leadership

• Develop and manage departmental budgetsin accordance withassociation guidelines, ensuring responsible stewardship and financial sustainability.
• Lead all aspects of the YMCA Annual Campaign in partnership with the Branch Executive Director and leadership team, including staff team development, volunteer recruitment, and fundraising goal achievement.
• Cultivate andleveragerelationships to generate new philanthropic support for the branch and the YMCA of the Triangle.

Organizational Collaboration & Compliance

• Serve as a key member of the branch leadership team, contributing to operations,special events, and strategic initiatives across departments.
• Participate in Association IQ teams and committees to support innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Ensure compliance with state and local health codes, licensing requirements, and inspection standards, providing reports as needed.
• Model exceptional relationship-building skills andmaintainclear, consistent communication within areas of responsibility.

Additional Responsibilities

• Take on other duties as assigned to support the YMCA's mission and evolving priorities.
• Completion of all required annualtrainingsrelated to safety, compliance, and child protection as assigned.

PROGRAM SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead and support the daily operations of Healthy Living, Membership Engagement, and Aquatics departments by providing leadership, development, vision-setting, and continual quality improvement.
• Maintain comprehensive knowledge of program offerings, pricing, business policies, and registration systems;identify, evaluate, andassistin the implementation of process improvements.
• Supervise all member and program participant reception, information services, and registration processes with professionalism and accuracy, consistently modeling the voice of the YMCA.
• Recruit, hire, train, and develop diverse staff and volunteer teams to support membership operations andengagement;onboard and coach them for long-term success.
• Collaborate across departments via the Membership Engagement Team (MET) to support implementation of the membership framework and branch strategies.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Degree in related fieldrequiredand 5+years of related experience.
• Experienced inand passionate about creating and fostering communities and relationship building through programs.
• Demonstrated experience in program and personnel development.
• Ability to direct total operations through supervision of staff, development and monitoring of branch budget, property and facility management, marketing and public relations, programdevelopmentand volunteer development.
• Exceptional oral, publicspeaking,and written communication skills.
• Possessa high levelof organization, ability to prioritize andpossessthe capacity to respond and handle multiple tasks appropriately in a dynamic andfast-pacedwork environment.
• Requires a positive attitude,high levelof initiative and professionalism, andenjoyworking in and creatinga strong teamenvironment.
• Demonstrate initiative, effectively prioritize, andpossessstrong organizational,analytical,and project management skills.
• Capacity toassistin the management of facilities, equipment, and programs.
• Ability to relate effectively to diverse groups of people from all social and economic segments of the community.
• Multilingualdesired but notrequired.

WORK ENVIRONMENT & PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here represent those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• Primarily office and program settings with frequent interaction in gyms, classrooms, and outdoor spaces
• Moderate noiselevels;may be louder during youth or community activities.
• Regular use ofcomputer,phone, and other office technology.
• Frequent standing, walking, bending, and reaching; occasional lifting or moving up to 40lbs.
• Some work performed outdoors in varying weather conditions.
• Flexible schedulerequired- may include early mornings, evenings, weekends, and occasional travel between branches or sites.
• Must be able to provide valid identification for employment eligibility verification.
• Mustpossessa valid driver's license and have access to reliable transportation.
• A clean driving record isrequiredto meet YMCA insurance standards.
• Travel between branch and/or site locations, and to off-site meetings and events isrequired.
• Mustresidein the YMCA of the Triangle service area (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill and surrounding areas).
• This position is 100% in person, with the flexibility to work at various branches and program locations across the YMCA of the Triangle as needed.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.

Salary & Benefits

This is a full-time exempt position with a salary starting at $68,900, commensurate with experience and qualifications. The YMCA of the Triangle offers a generous benefits package including medical, dental and vision insurance; paid time off; an annual YMCA membership; and participation in the YMCA Retirement Fund, including a 12% employer contribution once eligibility requirements are met.