Executive Director

Louisville, KY

Full Time

Russell: A Place of Promise (RPOP)

Executive

Location: Louisville, KY
Reporting To: Board of Directors
Compensation: $120,000 - $166,000
Application Deadline: October 19

About RPOP: Russell: A Place of Promise (RPOP) is building a future where investment in Louisville’s historic Russell neighborhood creates wealth and opportunity for the Black residents, families, businesses, and institutions that have long called it home, without displacing them in the process. RPOP invests in both people and place, connecting and organizing resources that expand pathways to homeownership, strengthen Black-owned businesses, support resident leadership, and create opportunities for community ownership and long-term wealth building. At the heart of the work is a simple belief: Russell residents should not only benefit from the neighborhood’s future, they should have a meaningful role in shaping and owning it.

Today, RPOP is an independent 501(c)(3) and Community Land Trust putting that vision into practice through affordable homeownership, community-led real estate development, and investments that strengthen neighborhood ownership and opportunity. Across its work, RPOP is building toward a Russell where development preserves the neighborhood’s cultural legacy and creates Black wealth that can endure for generations.

About the Opportunity: Reporting to the Board of Directors, the inaugural Executive Director will lead RPOP into its next chapter, translating its resident-led vision into action while building the resources, relationships, and organizational foundation needed to create lasting Black wealth and community ownership in Russell.

KEY PRIORITIES DURING YOUR FIRST YEAR

WHAT YOU WILL DO:

	Drive the Vision, Strategic Direction & Impact - 25% Lead the implementation and evolution of RPOP’s 2025–2028 Strategic Plan, driving measurable progress, adapting to the changing needs and conditions of Russell, and shaping RPOP’s vision and strategic direction beyond 2028. Advance RPOP’s two major community development projects toward key milestones, including affordable homeownership and mixed-use community development, while ensuring both reflect resident vision, build Black wealth, and protect against displacement. Deepen RPOP’s identity and practice as a community land trust, strengthening the strategies, systems, and partnerships needed to develop and steward permanently affordable housing and community assets. Center resident leadership and power in RPOP’s direction, creating meaningful opportunities for Russell residents to shape organizational strategy, development, programming, and decisions affecting their neighborhood.
	Lead Fund Development, Partnerships & Narrative Stewardship- 50% Develop and lead a fund development strategy that expands and diversifies revenue beyond grants, building a broader funding base to support the organization’s long-term sustainability and growth. Cultivate and steward trusted relationships with funders and donors, deepening existing relationships while building new ones. Build strong relationships with Russell residents, community leaders and organizations, city and government leaders, policymakers, developers, and other partners connected to Russell and its future. Deepen and expand RPOP’s storytelling, elevating the history, culture, leadership, and stories of Russell residents and bringing its vision for Black wealth building, community ownership, and investment without displacement to broader audiences.
	Build the Team & Organizational Capacity - 15% Assess organizational and staffing needs and build RPOP’s first permanent staff team, developing a thoughtful talent plan and recruiting, managing, and developing people with the skills and experiences needed for RPOP’s next chapter. Cultivate an organizational culture rooted in care that honors RPOP’s history and institutional knowledge while creating the conditions for its next generation of leadership to grow and thrive. Lead and manage RPOP’s network of consultants and contractors, ensuring their expertise is well-coordinated and aligned with organizational priorities as the permanent team takes shape. Strengthen RPOP’s financial and operational systems, ensuring the organization is prepared for audits and meets its compliance, reporting, and financial management responsibilities as a growing 501(c)(3).
	Strengthen Resident-Led Governance & Board Leadership - 10% Partner with the Board to strengthen its effectiveness as RPOP’s governing body, providing the information, resources, and support needed for strong governance, informed decision-making, and continued Board development. Support the Board’s continued growth while centering resident leadership, partnering with Board leaders on recruitment, onboarding, and engagement to ensure RPOP’s governance remains rooted in the Russell community.

WHO YOU ARE:

Rooted in Russell. You see Black residents as assets, leaders, and owners of their community’s future. You listen to residents, honor Russell’s history and legacy, and work with the community rather than for it. You are committed to resident leadership, Black wealth, community ownership, and investment without displacement.
Experienced Fundraiser & Resource Builder. You are a strong, relational fundraiser who can cultivate and steward relationships with foundations, individual donors, government funders, and other partners. You can translate RPOP’s vision into a compelling case for investment, diversify its funding base, and mobilize the resources needed to bring ambitious community investments to life.
Familiarity with Housing, Real Estate and/or Community Development. You bring familiarity with housing, real estate, and/or community development, including an understanding of how these issues intersect with wealth, displacement, and community ownership. You understand how development and investment can create opportunities and pathways to build lasting wealth for Black residents and families in Russell.
Financially Savvy & Operationally Grounded Leader. You can build and manage budgets, understand financial statements, and ensure RPOP meets its fiduciary, compliance, and reporting responsibilities. You ask the right questions, establish sound financial practices, and know when to bring in and partner with financial experts.
Relational Leader & Relationship Builder. You lead through relationships, taking time to listen, build trust, and understand people. You connect authentically with people across backgrounds, experiences, and positions of power, from Russell residents and community leaders to Board members, funders, partners, and public officials. You show up consistently, communicate openly, and follow through on your commitments.
Narrative Stewardship & Storytelling. You understand storytelling as a form of power and thoughtfully steward the stories, relationships, and trust placed in RPOP. You center and amplify the voices, experiences, histories, and leadership of Russell residents to deepen understanding of the neighborhood and advance RPOP’s vision for Black wealth, community ownership, and investment without displacement.
Strategic Leader Who Turns Vision into Action. You can see what’s possible and build a clear, practical roadmap to get there, translating big ideas into priorities and action. You do what you say you will do and take responsibility for decisions, actions, and results. You make thoughtful tradeoffs, adapt as conditions change, and know when to set direction and when to roll up your sleeves.
People First. You put people at the center of your decisions and consider how your work affects those you serve and work alongside. You create the conditions for others to grow, contribute, and thrive, investing in people’s development and building the skills and capacity of the team to carry the work forward.
Better Together. You believe we accomplish more through genuine relationships, partnership, and shared responsibility. You believe the people closest to the issues should have meaningful power in shaping solutions and create ways of working that center resident voice, collaboration, and shared decision-making.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT: This is an in-person position, located in Louisville, KY.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS: The full salary range is $120,000 - $166,000. RPOP anticipates the starting salary will be between $120,000–$140,000, depending on experience and qualifications, with room for future salary growth within the full range. RPOP also offers a retirement benefit and is developing a taxable benefits stipend, with additional details to be shared as they are finalized.

About Our Selection Process: Before you decide to apply, please review our Frequently Asked Questions (here). Our process includes three rounds, each offering opportunities for us to get to know one another:

Round 1: Application submission (here) and a one-way video interview (take your interview) due by October 19. This stage includes four interview questions, which candidates complete on their own time.
Round 2: A live, 60-minute interview via Zoom with the hiring committee.
Round 3: Final interviews with the two finalists, scheduled for December 2 and 3rd in Louisville, KY.

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Don’t meet every single qualification? We know that great candidates don’t always check every box. If you’re excited about this role and deeply aligned with RPOP’s mission, but your experience doesn’t perfectly match everything listed above, we encourage you to apply. We value lived experience, transferable skills, and the many ways people develop the knowledge and leadership needed to do this work.

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Compensation is $120,000-$166,000, plus benefits. Does this meet your salary requirements?*

Please confirm that you've reviewed the Executive Director's Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) with insights regarding the timeline, selection process, important org context, etc.

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The tentative start date is January 2027. Please include conflicts or reservations with the timeline, if any, below. **

No cover letter required. Instead, we’ve included one question below. Please keep your response to 800 words or fewer.

Describe the career and lived experiences that have best prepared you for the role of Executive Director at RPOP.

Tip: Think of this as your opportunity to tell us the story your resume can’t. Share the experiences that have most prepared you to lead RPOP at this moment, the impact you’ve had alongside others, and how those experiences have shaped your approach to leadership.*

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