Association Manager
Lincoln, NE
Full Time
Experienced
NOW HIRING • STATEWIDE LEADERSHIP ROLE
Association Manager
Community Action of Nebraska (CAN)Behind every Nebraskan who gets heating assistance in the middle of Winter, finds a path back to work, or has a safe place for their kids to learn and grow in their earliest years, there is a Community Action Agency behind the scenes. There are nine of them across this state. They are strongest when they move together.
That's where you come in!
CAN is looking for an Association Manager to be the operational and strategic backbone of Nebraska’s Community Action Network and the champion of an exceptional service experience for its member agencies. This is the role that keeps nine agencies connected, resourced, supported, and pulling in the same direction, while respecting what makes each of them local. You will be the person agency leaders look to when strategizing training and support needs for their teams, and the voice stakeholders hear when they want to understand what Community Action is doing for Nebraska.
The honest details
Why this one mattersMost leadership roles affect one organization. This one ripples across nine, and through them, across the families and communities those agencies serve every day. The role gives you the opportunity to directly serve CAN’s mission of “Strengthening the Community Action Network to address poverty in Nebraska”. If you want your work to reach further than the walls of a single office, this is where that happens.
Association Manager
Community Action of Nebraska (CAN)Behind every Nebraskan who gets heating assistance in the middle of Winter, finds a path back to work, or has a safe place for their kids to learn and grow in their earliest years, there is a Community Action Agency behind the scenes. There are nine of them across this state. They are strongest when they move together.
That's where you come in!
CAN is looking for an Association Manager to be the operational and strategic backbone of Nebraska’s Community Action Network and the champion of an exceptional service experience for its member agencies. This is the role that keeps nine agencies connected, resourced, supported, and pulling in the same direction, while respecting what makes each of them local. You will be the person agency leaders look to when strategizing training and support needs for their teams, and the voice stakeholders hear when they want to understand what Community Action is doing for Nebraska.
What you will actually do
Reporting directly to the CAN Board of Directors, you will coordinate training and other support for Nebraska's Community Action Network while managing the day-to-day business of the Association. No two weeks look the same, but the work clusters into a few areas:- Run the engine. You keep operations, communication, and reporting systems running well, and you improve the ones that need improving.
- Elevate the agency experience. You lead the approach to exceptional customer service by building strong relationships with the nine agencies, anticipating needs, providing technical guidance, and connecting people, resources, and ideas across the network. You develop and improve service strategies that create consistency, strengthen engagement, and ensure innovation and best practices are shared throughout the association
- Lead the people. You hire, onboard, coach, evaluate, and stand behind association staff, interns, and fellows.
- Watch the money. You oversee budgeting, grant expenditures, and reporting, and you know when a number looks off before anyone else does.
- Grow the resources. You pursue funding aligned with the Board’s direction and help build the partnerships that keep the work sustainable.
- Tell the story. You write the board memo, the grant narrative, and the talking points, and you adjust your voice for each room.
- Support the Board. You prepare materials and recommendations for the Board and maintain a clear connection between governance and operations.
Who we are looking for
You do not need to have done this exact job before. You do need to recognize yourself in most of this:- You have at least three years of progressive leadership or management experience, and at least three years in community action, nonprofit, community development, or human services work. Community Action experience is a real plus.
- You have managed people through the full cycle: recruiting, hiring, onboarding, coaching, and honest performance conversations.
- You can interpret a financial statement and understand what it is telling you about organizational health.
- You write well and speak well, and you can hold the attention of a large, diverse room as comfortably as a one-on-one.
- You earn credibility with people who range from frontline staff to elected officials, and you keep your judgment steady when priorities compete and personalities clash.
- You work independently, are well organized, and carry several projects at once.
- You hold confidence and exercise discretion in sensitive matters as a matter of habit, not policy.
- You hold a bachelor’s degree in public administration, nonprofit management, human services, communications, business administration, or a related field, or you bring equivalent professional experience.
The honest details
- Status. This is a full-time, exempt position.
- Reporting. You report to the CAN Board of Directors through close coordination with the Board President.
- Travel. Regular statewide travel with occasional overnight stays. A valid driver’s license and reliable transportation are required.
- Pace. Frequent interaction with diverse groups, competing priorities, tight deadlines, and the independence to manage it all without supervision.
Why this one matters
Equal Opportunity Employer
Every organization we represent is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, national origin, marital status, veteran status, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, sex, age, or any other status protected by applicable federal or state law.
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