Executive Director, National Skilled Trades Foundation

Lowe's Companies, Inc.; Mooresville (NC); On-site; USD 140,000 - 220,000; Full time

Job summary

Lowe’s Foundation in Mooresville, North Carolina seeks an Executive Director to lead the foundation, shape national skilled-trades strategy, manage governance and grantmaking, and collaborate across Lowe’s leadership. You will drive strategic priorities, allocate resources responsibly, and partner with external organizations to scale workforce solutions.

The role requires visionary leadership, extensive nonprofit experience, and a track record of driving measurable outcomes through strategic

Qualifications

• 12 years of general experience in philanthropy, foundation/nonprofit leadership, social impact, workforce development, or related fields.
• 7 years of experience leading people and cross-functional teams.
• Experience advising and partnering with Boards of Directors, executive leadership and other senior stakeholders.
• Experience managing significant budgets, philanthropic portfolios or investment allocations and translating financial information into strategic decisions.
• Demonstrated ability to represent an organization credibly with Boards, C-suite leaders, corporate partners, nonprofit executives and external audiences.
• Exceptional written, verbal and public-speaking skills, with the ability to translate complex strategy and impact into compelling narratives for diverse audiences.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Lowe’s Foundation and provide strategic and operational stewardship of the organization, advancing its mission and ensuring alignment with the priorities established by the Lowe’s Foundation Board of Directors.
• Develop, execute and continuously evolve the Foundation’s national skilled-trades strategy, ensuring philanthropic investments, programs and partnerships advance long-term workforce-development goals and measurable impact.
• Lead execution of the Board-approved strategic plan, establishing short- and long-term priorities, organizational objectives and operating plans to deliver the Foundation’s mission and strategic goals.
• Serve as the primary management liaison to the Lowe’s Foundation Board of Directors, leading Board meeting routines and providing timely, accurate and decision-ready information to support effective governance, informed decision-making and fulfillment of fiduciary responsibilities.
• Ensure sound Foundation governance, regulatory compliance and risk management in partnership with the Board, Legal, Finance, Audit and other appropriate functions, including oversight of policies, controls, grantmaking compliance and third-party risk.
• Provide executive oversight of the Foundation’s financial strategy, annual budget and resource allocation, ensuring responsible stewardship of Foundation assets and deployment of philanthropic capital against Board-approved priorities and high-impact opportunities.
• Lead the Foundation’s grantmaking strategy and signature skilled-trades initiatives, including program design, partner selection, due diligence, grant administration, grantee engagement and ongoing evaluation.
• Evaluate and evolve the Foundation’s philanthropic portfolio, using research, data and outcomes to scale proven approaches, strengthen nonprofit capacity, address gaps within the skilled-trades ecosystem and evolve or sunset investments based on impact and strategic relevance.
• Provide strategic leadership for the Building Futures Skilled Trades Coalition, connecting Foundation strategy, philanthropic investments, grantees and workforce-development expertise to coalition priorities, member engagement and opportunities for collective action.
• Build and steward senior-level external relationships and cross-sector partnerships with corporations, employers, nonprofits, education and workforce organizations, industry associations, funders and other stakeholders to expand the Foundation’s reach and scale effective workforce solutions.
• Serve as a senior external voice and thought leader for the Lowe’s Foundation, representing the organization at industry forums, conferences, advisory bodies and other strategic platforms and positioning the Foundation as a national convener and catalyst in skilled-trades workforce development.
• Lead the Foundation’s impact measurement and learning strategy, establishing clear outcomes, performance measures and Board- and executive-level reporting to demonstrate impact, inform investment decisions and continuously strengthen Foundation strategy.
• Partner across Lowe’s, including Corporate Communications, Marketing, Events, Legal, Government Affairs and other functions, to advance Foundation priorities, strengthen reputation and storytelling, and execute strategic external engagement, events and partnership opportunities.
• Build, lead and develop a high-performing Foundation team and operating model, establishing clear accountability, developing talent and future leaders, and ensuring the capabilities, resources, processes and external partners required to execute the Foundation’s evolving strategy.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Governance

Fundraising

Budget management

External partnerships

Program leadership

Board liaison

Impact measurement

Communication

Policy/regulatory compliance

Job description

Lowe’s Foundation in Mooresville, North Carolina seeks an Executive Director to lead the foundation, shape national skilled-trades strategy, manage governance and grantmaking, and collaborate across Lowe’s leadership. You will drive strategic priorities, allocate resources responsibly, and partner with external organizations to scale workforce solutions.

The role requires visionary leadership, extensive nonprofit experience, and a track record of driving measurable outcomes through strategic