Executive Director

ISLA; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

ISLA invites an Executive Director to lead the organization’s strategic direction and day-to-day operations from a nonprofit leadership perspective. You will work with the board, oversee a small team, and serve as the public face of ISLA in the Islamic education ecosystem at the national level.

You will drive program strategy, fundraising, and partnerships while maintaining the organization’s values and educational mission.

Qualifications

• Experience leading remote teams and nonprofit operations.
• Senior leadership experience in a nonprofit, school, or related entity.
• Professional or personal experience with Islamic education.
• Education-related degree or substantial equivalent work experience.
• Willingness to travel 10–15%; remote role with occasional in-person engagements.

Responsibilities

• Set ISLA's strategic direction and lead organizational growth.
• Represent ISLA publicly, build partnerships, and expand the field’s network.
• Oversee remote team, finance, compliance, HR, and operations.
• Develop revenue streams through fundraising, grants, memberships, and services.
• Conduct and translate research; publish reports to position ISLA as a thought leader.

Education

Education degree or substantial equivalent experience

Job description

Salary Range: Commensurate with Experience

It is the organization that the industry turns to for research, resources, and a community of peers working toward the same goal: schools of excellence, grounded in an Islamic worldview. Through its membership network, ISLA connects schools, education-adjacent organizations, and individuals across the United States who are building the future of Islamic education together. To achieve this, ISLA conducts foundational research on Islamic schools, provides resources to address critical challenges faced by the schools, and offers virtual and in-person professional development on timely topics.

Islamic schools, and the field of Islamic education as a whole, are entering into a new phase of rapid growth, while also facing a contentious political and global climate. Joining ISLA at a pivotal moment, the Executive Director inherits a trusted legacy built over nearly three decades, supported by a dedicated board and an enthusiastic network of educators. Drawing on their background in nonprofit management, organizational development, revenue generation, and relationship building, the Executive Director will drive both the operational and financial growth of the organization. It is an exciting and especially important time in the history of Islamic schools to serve as the Executive Director of the Islamic Schools League of America, especially as the field, organization and ummah are ready for inward and outward growth.

ISLA has enlisted Forerunners to facilitate the Purposeful Placement of its next Executive Director.

Role Overview

The Executive Director serves as ISLA's primary leader, external face, and operational driver. The ED carries responsibility for both the strategic direction of the organization and the day-to-day realities of running a mission-driven nonprofit. They report to and collaborate with the board, oversee a small team, and represent ISLA across the Islamic and broader education ecosystem at the national level. They are both a public ambassador for the field and an internal operator - equally comfortable leading a research project, preparing a budget, headlining a fundraiser, and casting an organizational vision. This is a role for someone who leads from an Islamic worldview, who brings both charisma and humility to every room they enter, and who is ready to scale something meaningful for a community that deserves it.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Leadership & Organizational Growth:

• Champions a compelling vision for ISLA's future, keeping it responsive to member schools and the Ummah;
• Leads strategy across program areas, aligning resources and infrastructure to scale mission impact; and
• Productively and proactively engages the board.

2. External Representation & Relationships:

• Serves as ISLA's primary public face with Islamic schools, partners, media, and the broader field;
• Builds and sustain trust with educators, school leadership, and the communities they serve;
• Develops strategic relationships beyond the education;
• Drives membership growth and expands collaborations; and
• Demonstrates thought leadership through research, dissemination, and engagement.
• Builds and leads a comprehensive resource development strategy that incorporates fundraising, grants, membership, and services; and
• Generates new revenue streams and programs.

4. Operations & Organizational Management:

• Oversees a remote team of professionals and volunteers;
• Directly leads operational functions including fiscal and financial management, compliance, and human resources;
• Establishes and improves processes, policies, tooling, and staffing that optimize efficiency and effectiveness; and
• Bridges vision and execution.

5. Research & Learning:

• Uses data and evidence to inform decisions; champions a culture of organizational learning;
• Commissions, performs, and translates research relevant to Islamic education programs, environments, and professions; and
• Generates and publishes reports and surveys that position ISLA as a thought leader in the field.

This is a remote role with travel of 10-15%. The ED can be expected to be regularly available in evenings and on weekends. Compensation to be determined based on experience and performance-based incentives.

Candidate Profile

Candidates are not expected to have previously performed every duty of this role. We are looking for people with sufficient experience and context to start strong and grow into the rest. Relevant experience may include:

• Collaborating with, motivating, and overseeing performance of remote teams
• Leading and performing organizational operations
• Senior leadership in a nonprofit, school, or related entity
• Professional or personal experience with Islamic education
• An education-related degree and/or substantial equivalent work experience

Candidates with superior experience may have:

• Demonstrated success in multiple areas of revenue development, such as major donor cultivation, and/or grant writing
• Experience working in or closely with a school environment
• Board service or experience working closely with a volunteer board
• Experience producing or commissioning research, surveys, or reports in the education field

Skills

• Strong written and verbal communicator; can present, speak, and write for varied audiences
• Able to draw conclusions from research and data
• Proficiency with organizational systems and operational details
• Growth-minded, balancing creativity, innovation, resources, and scope to ensure sustainability

Character and Disposition

• Leads from a genuine Islamic worldview
• Brings visible, contagious passion for the ISLA mission
• Straddles humility and confidence
• Listens first, leads with deference and respect
• Takes decisive action and demonstrates initiative
• Builds and sustains trust through consistency, service orientation, and integrity
• Creative and resourceful