Smithbucklin, a 650-person, employee-owned professional services company with more than 70 years of success serving the association market, is looking for an Executive Director to serve our association management client organization the North American Wholesale Lumber Association (NAWLA). This position will be located in our Chicago, IL office.

• An association management professional who can passionately engage in the wholesale lumber industry – advancing the supply chain and staying on top of emerging industry issues and challenges to ensure that NAWLA is exceeding its members needs
• Fully immersed and invested as an organization leader—focusing on NAWLA’s growth and treating NAWLA like a business owner and entrepreneur
• Proactive and innovative in driving progress and change, enabling the organization to be flexible and nimble in an industry undergoing constant change
• A relationship builder, capable of leveraging the collective power of staff, volunteers, and industry stakeholders
• Capable of and excited to be an advocate for NAWLA in the industry with the gravitas to be an influencer and change agent
• Capable of assembling and leading a best in class support staff that executes and elevates all services provided to NAWLA and its members
• Promoting and maintaining member involvement in the advancement of NAWLA

• A minimum of 10 years of experience in a leadership and/or management role(s)
• Experience as senior-level executive, COO, Chief of Staff or the top P&L leader of an organization
• Experience in a volunteer-led organization and/or association management experience ideal
• Experience with trade associations that represent some aspect of the supply chain (wholesalers, manufacturers, and distributors) a plus
• Capable of shaping vision as well as creating and implementing an ambitious strategic plan
• A business-minded person, with profit and loss and budgetary experience
• Demonstrated passion for the mission of his/her organization, his/her professional community and cultivating a continuous learning culture with the client team
• Knowledge and a measurable track record of expanding an organization’s membership and core assets while elevating the profile of an organization through outreach, marketing and public relations
• Is recognized as a collaborator and someone who effectively builds and enhances relationships in a matrixed team environment
• Skills to cultivate and maintain engagement with member organizations, sponsor partners and volunteers
• An inspirational leader, with a history of leading a staff and managing their professional growth and development
• Effective presentation and public speaking skills are required
• Proficiency with basic computer software, including the Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
• An undergraduate degree is required; an advanced degree is preferred

• Build upon the NAWLA’s commitment to the industry, its focus on helping member companies to grow, and for convening the leaders and partners across the industry to advance thought leadership, innovation and to build relationships
• Identify and build a valuable and financially sustainable portfolio of services and resources that will attract an expanded set of membership segments and provide overall value creation for the industry
• Provide high-value, targeted educational content through a variety of platforms to drive member growth and increase engagement

Where Do You Fit?

Whether you are just beginning your career or are a mid- or senior-level professional, working at Smithbucklin will offer you countless opportunities to develop transferrable skills, acquire meaningful knowledge and gain rich experiences at an accelerated pace. By working collaboratively with smart, ambitious, multi-talented, genuine and hardworking colleagues, you will build meaningful, deep and enduring relationships that will serve you well throughout your career, regardless of your chosen path. In addition, as a 100 percent employee-owned company, Smithbucklin offers all of our people – regardless of position or compensation – an equal chance to experience the fulfillment and reap the benefits of ownership. As owners, our employees control the destiny of Smithbucklin and are unified in the goal of building a great, enduring company.

Equal Employment Opportunity

At Smithbucklin, Equal Employment Opportunity is our commitment and goal. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, gender, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, marital status or any other protected status designated by federal, state or local law. Applicants are encouraged to confidentially self-identify when applying. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a reference and background investigation based on position.

Smithbucklin will not sponsor applicants for work visas and as a precondition of employment, you must be authorized to work in the United States permanently.