Director, Board Relations & Strategic Initiatives

Are you ready to help shape enterprise strategy, strengthen Board engagement, and move organization-wide priorities from planning to execution? Do you have experience partnering with executives, Trustees, and cross-functional teams to support governance and strategic decision-making? National 4-H Council is seeking a Director, Board Relations and Strategic Initiatives to lead Board governance and engagement efforts and coordinate enterprise initiatives that advance our mission and long-term priorities.

At National 4-H Council, we empower nearly 6 million young people each year to become confident leaders who are ready for life and work. As the nation’s largest youth development organization, we prepare young people to be Beyond Ready through hands-on learning experiences in STEM, Agriculture, Healthy Living, and Civic Engagement.

As the Director, Board Relations and Strategic Initiatives, you will partner with the Chief Strategy Officer and work with the CEO, executive leadership, Governance Committee, and Board of Trustees. You will support enterprise strategic planning; lead Board governance, engagement, meetings, and events; prepare executive briefings and reporting; and manage cross-functional initiatives from planning through execution. You will also supervise the Stakeholder Relations Support Specialist and coordinate opportunities for Trustees to engage in Cooperative Extension, fundraising, donor stewardship, and youth development thought leadership.

Join us in advancing the strategy and governance that support National 4-H Council’s work across the country. In this role, you will help guide enterprise priorities, support Board decision-making, expand Trustee engagement, and coordinate initiatives that help prepare more young people to be Beyond Ready. #4HBeyondReady

Mission

4-H, the nation’s largest youth development organization, grows confident young people empowered for life today and prepared for careers tomorrow. In collaboration with the USDA and our network of 110 public universities, we serve every county and parish in the United States in more than 3,000 local 4-H Extension offices. Our programs have a positive impact on young people: 4-H youth are 2x more likely to excel in school, 4x more likely to contribute to their communities, 2x more likely to make healthier choices, and 2x more likely to pursue STEM education or careers.

National 4-H Council (Council), 4-H’s private sector nonprofit partner, builds public-private partnerships and provides resources and leadership development opportunities that expand the reach and impact of 4-H. With the Beyond Ready Initiative, 4-H has the potential to reach 10 million young people annually to help them lead healthy, productive, and engaged lives. Young leaders will have the experience and mentorship to succeed in an evolving workforce and thrive in their communities.

Position Summary

The Director, Board Relations & Strategic Initiatives serves as a trusted partner to the Chief Strategy Officer, supporting enterprise strategic planning, Board governance, and organizational effectiveness. The position leads Board administration and governance processes while coordinating strategic initiatives that advance National 4-H Council's mission and long-term priorities. 

Working closely with executive leadership, the Governance Committee, and the Board of Trustees, the Director ensures high-quality governance practices, facilitates strategic decision-making, and manages cross-functional initiatives from planning through execution. The role combines governance expertise, strategic planning, executive communications, and project management to strengthen organizational performance and Board engagement.

Essential Functions

Strategic Planning and Enterprise Initiatives (30%)

• Partner with the Chief Strategy Officer to support development, implementation, and monitoring of the organization's strategic plan. 
• Coordinate annual and multi-year strategic planning processes across business units. 
• Track enterprise strategic priorities, milestones, and key performance indicators, preparing dashboards and progress reports for executive leadership and the Board. 
• Facilitate cross-functional strategic initiatives by coordinating project plans, timelines, accountability, and executive decision-making. 
• Support environmental scanning, competitive benchmarking, and governance research to inform strategic decisions. 
• Prepare executive briefings, issue analyses, presentations, and decision materials for senior leadership and the Board. 
• Coordinate strategy retreats and planning sessions for the Executive Team and Board. 

Enterprise Project Management (25%)

• Manage cross-functional strategic initiatives sponsored by the Chief Strategy Officer. 
• Develop enterprise project plans, governance structures, and executive reporting mechanisms. 
• Monitor organizational strategic initiatives using Asana or other project management tools. 
• Coordinate executive steering committees and strategic working groups. 
• Prepare regular reports on organizational strategic performance and initiative status. 
• Identify risks, dependencies, and resource needs affecting strategic initiatives.

Event Management and Board Relations (20%)

• Lead events planning for quarterly Board meetings and associated special events.
• Develop strategic approaches aligned with Board needs, Extension needs, donor partnerships, and executive requirements. 
• Travel to and staff all Board meetings, events, and excursions to provide on-site event management, communications, and services.
• Coordinate all logistical details including scheduling, communications, accomodations and amenities. 
• Support the development, revision and finalization of Board materials and agendas.
• Assist with Board recruitment and engagment activities.
• Ensure all events support 4-H mission and organizational goals. 

• Develop and execute standards, practices, and procedures to ensure effective and consistent operations.
• Supervise the Stakeholder Relations support specialist.

Strategic Board Engagement (15%)

• Partner with the Chief Strategy Officer and CEO to develop Board agendas that emphasize strategic discussion over operational reporting. 
• Coordinate preparation of strategic discussion materials and executive decision papers. 
• Help identify emerging issues, risks, and opportunities requiring Board attention. 
• Develop dashboards and reporting frameworks that enable the Board to monitor strategic progress. 
• Facilitate Board education on emerging trends in youth development, nonprofit governance, philanthropy, AI, and organizational strategy. 
• Coordinate annual Board strategic planning retreats. 

• Support the Executive Team in directly engaging Trustees in the mission—including visability within Cooperative Extension, fundraising efforts/donor stewardship, and thought leadership within the youth development space.
• Develop a map/calendar of Engagement efforts, in order to support Relationship Managers in creating customized experiences for Trustees.
• Define and track Trustee engagement enterprise-wide, in order to support operational objectives for the Stakeholder Relations team.

Board Governance and Trustee Effectiveness (10%)

• Serve as staff partner to the Governance Committee, supporting agenda development, annual work plans, and execution of committee priorities. 
• Coordinate the Board's annual governance calendar and ensure alignment with organizational strategic priorities. 
• Support Trustee recruitment, nominations, onboarding, orientation, and continuing education. 
• Manage Board and committee evaluations, governance assessments, and implementation of resulting improvements. 
• Maintain governance policies, Board manuals, committee charters, and bylaws. 
• Monitor governance best practices and recommend improvements to Board policies and processes. 
• Coordinate annual Board self-assessment and committee effectiveness reviews. 
• Support succession planning for Board leadership and committee chairs. 

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, public administration, business administration, or related discipline.
• 8 years’ experience in strategic planning, organizational effectiveness, board governance, executive administration, stakeholder relations or a related field.
• Experience working directly with CEOs, Boards of Directors, Trustees, senior leadership, teams, donors, or other high-level stakeholders. 

Required Qualifications 

• Knowledge of nonprofit governance best practices. 
• Demonstrated experience in facilitation and strategic planning.
• Demonstrated analytical capabilities and executive-level communication skills.
• Familiarity with governance frameworks and Board assessment processes. 
• Ability to synthesize complex information into concise executive recommendations. 
• Ability to maintain accuracy and attention to detail while managing multiple projects and competing deadlines.
• Demonstrated commitment to ethical conduct, confidentiality, and discretion when handling sensitive information.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior fundraising/development experience a plus.

Travel Requirements: Travel may be necessary up to 35% of the time (local, regional, national). Would require travel by air, car, or rail. 

Salary Range Disclosure:The salary range listed reflects the national market range for this position. Final compensation will be determined based on factors including but not limited to the selected candidate's geographic location and internal equity considerations.

ADA Requirements: The physical demands described here represent those that an Associate must meet to perform the position's essential functions. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, telephones, photocopiers, and filing cabinets. 
• This role requires travel and the ability to provide on-site attendance, requiring walking, standing, bending and sitting as necessary. 
• Basic math skills needed to calculate formulas, commissions, discounts, etc. 
• Must be able to lift up to 10 pounds. 

Disclaimer: This position description indicates, in general, the nature and levels of work, knowledge, skills, abilities, and other essential functions (as covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act) expected of an incumbent. It is not designed to include or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities required. An incumbent may be asked to perform other tasks as needed.