Interim Executive Director, Virginia Space Flight Academy

Science Systems and Applications, Inc (SSAI) is seeking a dynamic Interim Executive Director to oversee all activities of the Virginia Space Flight Academy. This position is located at NASA Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

The Interim Executive Director (ED) of the Virginia Space Flight Academy (VASFA) will serve as the nonprofit's chief executive, strategic leader, and spokesperson. This is a 6-month, renewable, part-time position with the opportunity to grow to a full-time position with benefits.

VASFA's mission is to inspire and prepare the next generation of STEM professionals through immersive, hands-on innovative educational experiences. With a focus on expanding access to high-quality aerospace and STEM learning, the Interim ED is responsible for ensuring the long-term operational, financial, educational and partnership health of the organization.

VASFA is experiencing dynamic growth and seeks a new interim ED to evaluate, build, and ensure future operational and financial processes, evaluate existing and new high-impact public and private partnerships, and effectively position VASFA to help build the future aerospace workforce for Virginia. As the primary ambassador of the organization, the interim ED cultivates and maintains relationships with stakeholders across government, education, industry and donors to expand VASFA's impact in Virginia and the United States.

Key Responsibilities:

• Leadership and Board Engagement: Champion VASFA's mission, vision, and strategic direction, building processes, policies and capacity to support VASFA's ambitious mission; Cultivate a culture of excellence, collaboration, innovation and entrepreneurial enterprise; Engage and collaborate with the Board of Directors, providing timely information, strategic recommendations and financial updates; Assist in the identification, recruitment, and orientation of new board members and staff the BOD.
• Financial Management & Sustainability: Oversee all financial operations, including budgeting, forecasting, and compliance; Ensure accurate financial reporting and filings; Implement and utilize nonprofit-specific financial platforms and cost-center reporting for greater transparency and optimization; Monitor progress toward key financial goals and make data-driven adjustments to achieve enhanced sustainability; Evaluate, and make recommendations, to grow and sustain VASFA financially; Institute and use internal process to track time to projects to evaluate ROI and inform resource and staff deployment; Devise and recommend new education opportunities, offerings, and partners.
• Fundraising & Development: Lead a robust fundraising strategy to cultivate and steward individual donors, corporate sponsors, and foundations/grants; Utilize donor management platforms and create partner and donor programs and partnership opportunities.
• Human Resources & Staff Development: Hire, supervise, support, and develop a growing team of full-time, part-time, and seasonal team members; Foster a high-performing and innovative STEM learning environment; Ensure compliance with employment laws and nonprofit best practices; Foster relationships with Virginia's K-12 and postsecondary leaders to create a pipeline of talented team members to work at VASFA.
• Communications & Public Relations: Serve as the primary spokesperson and ambassador of VASFA with the media, public forums, donors, and stakeholder meetings; Oversee all communication and marketing strategies, including digital, print, and press outreach; Protect and promote VASFA's impact, brand, and unique value proposition to increase awareness and support.
• Strategic Planning & Operations: Lead organizational planning, policy development, and goal setting aligned with long-term vision; Ensure compliance with nonprofit governance, create and utilize operational policies and procedures; Continually improve internal operations and procedures for best-in-class residential camps.
• Partnerships & STEM Education Initiatives: Expand impactful partnerships with NASA, Virginia Spaceport Authority, K-12, higher education, and various aerospace and STEM entities; Create a long-term facility plan to support VASFA's continued growth and expansion in Virginia; Participate in and initiate critical conversations in Virginia to align and create seamless opportunities for children and youth to earn academic credit at VASFA, by partnering with related K-12 and postsecondary programs across Virginia; Provide strategic oversight and leadership for all offerings, including Space Adventure Camp, STEM Academy modules, grant-funded programming, and alumni engagement and existing partnership initiatives.
  
  

Required Qualifications:

• Experience with grant management and financial oversight, including budgeting, compliance, and forecasting.
• Strong organizational and strategic planning skills, with the ability to set and achieve measurable goals in an education, nonprofit, or business setting.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with experience serving as a public spokesperson.
• Experience hiring, leading, and developing staff within a high-performing workplace.
• Experience leading people and projects in a hybrid work environment.
• Minimum of 8 years of teaching youth in STEM education, aerospace, or robotics.
• Minimum of 2 years delivering STEM instruction in innovative youth learning spaces, such as summer camp or online.
• Resident of Virginia, or willing to relocate to Virginia (relocation expenses are not covered).
• Minimum requirement of a MA degree in a related field, with a strong preference for candidates with a terminal degree.

Desired Qualifications:

• Track record of building or expanding strategic partnerships to support STEM education.
• Experience working with Virginia school division or Virginia STEM industry partners.
• Experience in STEM fundraising, including donor cultivation, grant writing, and corporate sponsorships.
• Experience working, guiding, and advising a nonprofit or educational Board.

Physical Requirements: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, and use hands to touch, handle or feel objects, tools or controls. The employee frequently is required to talk and hear and occasionally required to reach with hands and arms and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. Must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.