Executive Director

Patriots' Hall of Dripping Springs; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 130,000 - 145,000; Full time

Job summary

Patriots' Hall of Dripping Springs is seeking an Executive Director to lead the organization through its next scale phase, reporting to the Board and guiding fundraising, programs, marketing, operations, and facilities for a 10-acre campus and a 1,200-member community.

This hands-on leader will dedicate 35–40% of time to fundraising, build external partnerships, steward donors, and ensure financial sustainability while guiding staff across functions.

Qualifications

• Nonprofit leadership experience of 5+ years.
• Proven fundraising track record, including multi-year outcomes.
• Experience managing budgets and financial statements.
• Strong communication and public speaking skills.
• In-person role; 4 days/week in the office in Dripping Springs, TX.

Responsibilities

• Serve as primary leader and spokesperson for the organization.
• Develop and execute an annual strategic plan, budget, and goals.
• Guide long-term strategy for programming, fundraising, and community impact.
• Oversee fundraising strategy including major gifts, grants, events (35–40% time).
• Oversee marketing, branding, communications, and partnerships.
• Manage finances, contracts, HR, risk, and insurance.
• Lead staff recruitment and development.
• Represent organization publicly at events and with partners.

Skills

Leadership experience

Fundraising experience

Donor relations

Strategic planning

Financial management

Public speaking

Nonprofit management

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

G Suite

Slack

Zoom

Job description

Dripping Springs, TX|Full-Time, Exempt|In-Person

This is a rare chance to lead an organization at its inflection point — not building from scratch, but scaling something that’s already working, with a fully built 10-acre campus, an engaged 1,200-member community, and a board ready to invest in what’s next.

Salary range: $130,000 - $145,000

About Patriots' Hall

Mission: Patriots' Hall empowers veterans, active-duty service members, and their families through connection — for continued service to each other and to the community.

Vision: Our 10-acre campus in Dripping Springs is uniquely designed to empower veterans of all ages and their families by cultivating new friendships, reigniting purpose, and discovering new ways for continued service. Grounded in belonging, transition support, and wellness, we envision Patriots' Hall as a template for like-minded communities across the nation.

Opened in October 2024, Patriots' Hall has moved from launch to scale. Our opportunity now is to build the systems and capacity to sustain that growth — and to serve a Central Texas veteran population of 70,000+.

Position Summary

The Executive Director is the organization's chief executive and public face, reporting to the Board of Directors and leading a small, high-growth team through Patriots' Hall's next phase of scale. The ED translates board vision into strategy and execution across fundraising, programs, marketing, operations, finance, and facilities for a 10-acre, 3-building campus. This is a hands-on leadership role at a lean organization: the ED sets direction and also steps in wherever needed, with at least 35–40% of their time dedicated to fundraising.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary leader and spokesperson for the organization, translating the board's vision and mission into execution.
• In partnership with the Board of Directors, develop and execute an annual strategic plan, budget, and goals aligned with organizational priorities established annually by the Board of Directors.
• Guide long-term strategy, programming, and community impact; strengthen Patriots' Hall's role supporting veterans, active military, and families.
• Oversee financial sustainability and annual planning; foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and service.

Board Relations & Governance

• Partner with the Board of Directors to set goals, policies, and priorities; provide timely reports, data, and recommendations for board decision-making.
• Support and inform the board and committees; support recruitment, orientation, and ongoing engagement of new members.
• Lead fundraising strategy across major gifts, individual giving, grants, corporate sponsorships, and events — a minimum of 35–40% of the ED's time.
• Build and steward relationships with donors, sponsors, and partners across Austin's philanthropic and veteran/military communities; expand donor pipelines and manage fundraising operations.
• Partner with the Director of Development & Communications, who owns day-to-day fundraising and donor-relations execution, while the ED leads strategy and holds key external relationships.
• Engage the Board in fundraising activity and cultivate community partnerships with chambers and civic organizations.

Marketing, Branding & Communications

• Guide overall marketing and branding strategy to grow visibility and support — social media, email marketing, PR, website, and direct mail.
• Develop and oversee fractional resources to execute the marketing strategy and expand reach with prospective members, the broader community, and sponsors/donors.
• Serve as primary spokesperson for press releases and media outreach.
• Oversee the design, delivery, and evaluation of all programs, ensuring alignment with the mission and our programming pillars: Transition Support, Belonging, and Wellness.
• Direct grantmaking strategy and execution; collaborate with partners to expand and deepen program delivery.
• Build and maintain partnerships with veteran-serving organizations, community groups, and agencies.

External Events & Earned Income

• Execute the external event rental strategy for earned income to fund programming, including both mission-oriented and non-mission-oriented rentals of the property and buildings — a growing part of the revenue strategy.

Finance & Operations

• Develop and manage the annual budget with the Board Finance Committee; ensure strong fiscal controls, compliance, and reporting.
• Own the bookkeeping liaison relationship, bank and cash management, accounts payable/receivable, grant and fund tracking, monthly financial reporting, annual audit, and Form 990, working closely with Ops/Admin and the external bookkeeping team.
• Oversee contracts, policies, HR/payroll, risk management, and insurance.

Facilities

• Oversee all aspects of managing the 10-acre, 3-building campus (plus garden and other outdoor features) in partnership with the facilities/maintenance committee and facilities coordinator.
• Own escalation and resolution of facility issues; support major project development (e.g., pavilion).

Staff Management & Development

• Recruit, supervise, and evaluate staff; ensure professional development; delegate effectively while maintaining accountability.
• Own recruiting and hiring, performance reviews, payroll and benefits oversight, and policies/handbook.

Community & External Relations

• Represent the organization publicly at events, conferences, and in the media; act as liaison to veterans, families, civic leaders, and local/state/national partners.
• Build collaborative networks that expand Patriots' Hall's reach and impact across Central Texas; advocate for policies supporting the veteran and military community; strengthen collaborations with cultural organizations.

Qualifications

Required

• Demonstrated leadership experience in a nonprofit, mission-driven, civic, community-based, or related organization (at least 5 years, ideally 10).
• Five to seven years of experience in a managerial role supervising other staff.
• Proven ability to build relationships with donors, sponsors, community partners, board members, volunteers, and diverse stakeholders.
• Proven development/fundraising experience — at least 5 years of demonstrated experience and outcomes (including raising over $1M in a fiscal year).
• Experience working in high-growth or start-up environments (ideally in the nonprofit sector), with a proven ability to grow and scale organizations.
• Ability to manage and make progress on multiple projects simultaneously.
• Strong communication, public speaking, writing, relationship-building, and storytelling skills.
• Strong command and understanding of financial statements, including experience developing and overseeing organizational budgets.
• Ability to manage budgets, operations, priorities, people, and projects with integrity and accountability.
• Proficiency with G Suite, Slack, and Zoom for daily tasks and communications.
• Comfort with using AI tools and proven ability to learn and embrace technology for optimal operations and efficiency.
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution or equivalent professional experience.
• This is an in-person role — all programs and events are place-based on campus, requiring 4 days a week in the office, plus some evenings and weekends.

Strongly Preferred

• Experience serving veteran/military audiences in a former role.
• Veteran or military-connected.
• Proficiency with data management software (e.g., BetterUnite, Bloomerang, similar CRM tools).
• Certification in nonprofit management or fund development (CFRE).

Culture & Fit

We're a small, lean organization, and we're looking for someone who reflects the following in how they work — please speak to these in your cover letter:

• Welcoming and accepting of all; serving veterans and families comes first.
• If something needs to be done, we do it — regardless of job title.
• Be curious, kind, and proactive.
• Show up with heart, professionalism, and a willingness to serve wherever needed.

Patriots' Hall of Dripping Springs is an equal opportunity employer.