CEO for Legal Marketing Association

Smithbucklin, a 650-person, employee-owned professional services company with more than 70 years of success serving the association market, is looking for a CEO to serve our client, the Legal Marketing Association.
Our Work Environment Smithbucklin empowers associations and communities that enrich society and move industries, fields, and professions forward.
Working together, we help organizations reimagine solutions to nurture growth, advance missions, and increase reach and impact.
With expert capabilities propelled by talent, versatility, and creativity, we help associations achieve their greatest potential.
Our mission is to achieve the missions of the client organizations we serve and provide uncompromised stewardship for their long-term prosperity.
The work environment is collaborative, with teams organized through a matrix of skill levels and expertise.
The company is 100% employee owned.
For more than 38 years, LMA has been the “Authority for Legal Marketing” serving the needs of legal marketing professionals at all stages of their careers and from firms of all sizes.
Comprised of in-house legal marketers and service providers, LMA offers education, networking, advocacy, and mentorship to its community of 4,000 legal marketers in 33 countries, including across eight regions and 40 local groups in the US, Europe and Canada.
Smithbucklin has been LMA’s management partner since 2009.
This role would expect you to… Serve as an ex-officio member of the client organization’s Board of Directors and Headquarters (HQ) liaison to various committees.
Study, learn, retain, and apply subject matter knowledge related to the organization.
Become adept at the issues, environment, vocabulary, and personas of membership.
Contribute to strategic and entrepreneurial thinking and future-focused planning, and prioritization efforts of the Board of Directors.
Ensure annual profitability to enable ongoing investment in member value and for the long-term sustainability of the organization.
Advise the Board of Directors on governance-related leading practices related to Bylaws, volunteer recruitment, organizational structure, policies, norms, and behaviors.
Drive action-planning and execution of programs, services, product development, and other initiatives that translate strategic thinking into action and outcomes.
Work alongside the leadership to drive and/or support the creation and nurturing of external partnerships (e.
g.
companies, associations, governmental organizations) that elevate and broaden the reach of the organization’s brand and mission, and/or contribute to the organization’s financial health.
Work with the Board of Directors and other stakeholders to develop and nurture a culture of engaged volunteers, applying best practices to recruitment, engagement, and recognition.
Serve as an internal advocate for the LMA among members and staff and as a highly visible ambassador to membership at key LMA and industry events.
Communicate effectively with leadership and all stakeholders on matters related to the organization; serve as the primary driver of communications (either directly, or through others).
Serve as the business leader of the organization, accountable for driving strategic conversations related to the financial model, and assuming overall accountability for the organization’s financial health and stability.
Drive the annual process for the development of the organization’s budget, including the identification, selection, and engagement of resources or solutions within the parameters of the approved budget (i.
e.
, operational planning).
Collaborate with peer associations to ensure LMA remains visible and relevant across the full spectrum of the legal industry.
Support the Annual Conference team as the primary annual showcase for LMA.
Lead the cross-functional HQ team and fulfill duties such as… Design the optimal staff (or other resources) team to execute operations and advance strategic priorities, within the parameters of the approved budget.
Create and nurture an environment for staff to be effective and engaged, including role clarity, expectations, performance management, and overall morale.
Implement quality assurance regarding the creation, organization, and retention of documents and materials of the organization.
Deliver service excellence by HQ staff to volunteers, members, collaborators, funders, and other stakeholders.
Serve as a servant-leader by helping staff develop knowledge, competencies, and skills to perform their roles successfully.
Communicate expectations; surface and resolve conflict; and reward and recognize successes across the staff team.
Assume accountability for all staff functions, actions, and outcomes.
Perform obligations of a Smithbucklin Executive Director, such as… Participate within and contribute to the Smithbucklin Executive Director community and maximize all learning, development, and sharing opportunities.
Uphold all Smithbucklin shared values.
Actively support and advance commitments and initiatives related to people care, including commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), performance management, career development/pathing, employee relations, etc.
Develop and maintain the confidence of the client organization – individually and with Smithbucklin as a valued management partner.
Embrace Smithbucklin’s culture of continuous improvement, leveraging all available resources (AXP, Learning Center, feedback mechanisms, supervisory and leadership coaching and development, etc.
).
Maximize Smithbucklin’s service model, depth of expertise, and resources to serve your organization.
This role might be a great fit if you….
Have at least 5-10 years of executive-level management experience.
Have served in a leadership role of a volunteer-governed organization.
Wish to join an industry-leading, widely admired growing company that values diversity, equity, inclusion, and its people as its number one resource.
Have a passion for servant-leadership; can lead both “in front” and also “from behind.
” Have experience and passion for driving positive outcomes for community-based &/or community advocacy organization(s).
Possess executive-level communication skills (verbal and written) with expertise in synthesizing the input of many voices into cohesive themes and messages.
Are energized by opportunities to develop new revenue streams via efforts including but not limited to grant writing, fundraising, and new product development.
Are a driver/enabler of strategy and growth.
Can effectively navigate challenging situations and/or personalities that lead to positive outcomes and mitigate organizational risk.
Accept accountabilities that come with a leadership position.
Invite constructive performance feedback and work in a positive manner to apply the learnings.
Can balance and derive gratification from both administrative/operational activities as well as strategic ones (in other words, easily shift gears and respect the importance of both types of work).
Where Do You Fit? 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.