Scaling Regional Infrastructure Through Systems Innovation

Gilder Search Group; Springdale (AR); On-site; USD 85,500 - 104,500; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Professional coaching and support

Job summary

Gilder Search Group is seeking a FUSE Executive Fellow in Springdale, Arkansas, committed to enhancing local government capacity. This two-year fellowship focuses on modernizing internal operations and establishing a strategic communication framework to support growth towards one million residents.

The ideal candidate will have over 15 years of experience in organizational transformation, excellent communication skills, and a knack for managing complex projects. This role involves collaboration with multiple stakeholders and will significantly impact regional infrastructure and governance.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressively responsible experience in organizational transformation.
• Ability to synthesize complex information into clear recommendations.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Help modernize internal operations and strategic direction.
• Build a coordinated external communication framework.
• Strengthen internal systems and improve cross-departmental workflows.

Skills

Organizational transformation

Change management

Project management

Data analysis

Job description

Overview

The Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission (NWARPC) is expanding internal systems, governance capacity, and regional communications as the region grows toward one million residents by 2050. The FUSE Executive Fellow will help modernize internal operations, clarify strategic direction, and build a coordinated external communication framework that supports regional alignment and long-term infrastructure investment. This two-year fellowship will strengthen institutional capacity and advance efficient, transparent, and accountable regional governance.

Fellowship Dates: October 26, 2026 – October 20, 2028

Salary: Executive Fellows are FUSE employees and receive an annual salary of $95,000. Fellows can access health, dental, and vision insurance benefits. This amount is not representative of market-rate salaries for experienced professionals in the program but is intended as compensation for a year of public service.

About the FUSE Executive Fellowship

FUSE is a national nonprofit that increases local government capacity to work more effectively for communities. We embed private sector executives in city and county agencies to lead projects that improve public services and accelerate systems change. Since 2012, FUSE has led over 400 projects in 58 governments across 26 states, impacting a total population equivalent to 1 in 10 Americans.

When designing each fellowship project, FUSE works with government partners and community stakeholders to define a scope that achieves progress toward high-priority local needs. Projects address affordable housing, economic mobility, climate resilience, public safety, infrastructure, technology, and more.

FUSE conducts a full executive search for each project to ensure the selected candidate has at least 15 years of professional experience, the required competencies, and deep community connections.

Executive Fellows are embedded in government agencies working with senior leaders for at least one year of full-time work. Prospective responsibilities may include data analytics and research, developing operations and financial models, building change management and strategic planning processes, and/or building coalitions to support project implementation. Fellows are data-driven and results-oriented and can manage complex projects. They build relationships with stakeholders, foster alignment within and across government layers, and build partnerships between governments and communities.

Throughout the fellowships, Executive Fellows receive training, coaching, and professional support to help achieve project goals.

Project Background

Across the country, fast-growing metropolitan regions must coordinate infrastructure, land use, environmental planning, and mobility across jurisdictions. In polycentric, rapidly growing regions, coordinating planning and decision-making is challenging. As population grows and infrastructure costs rise, local governments balance community priorities with regional investments. Without strong regional systems and clear communication, growth can strain infrastructure, delay projects, and create confusion about funding, governance, and long-term priorities.

Northwest Arkansas is one of the fastest-growing regions in the United States and is projected to surpass one million residents by 2050. The region includes multiple mid-sized cities and 39 distinct local jurisdictions with independent decision-making authority. NWARPC serves as the Council of Governments and designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), coordinating transportation planning, grant administration, and regional initiatives. As regional transportation investments expand, NWARPC’s responsibilities grow in scale and complexity. The organization operates with a small staff and legacy systems designed for a smaller region.

NWARPC is developing a five-year strategic plan to examine organizational structure, revenue models, and long-term service delivery to translate regional priorities into a near-term roadmap that aligns resources, clarifies roles, sets performance benchmarks, and coordinates partners for integrated regional planning. This fellowship offers an opportunity to strengthen internal systems, improve cross-departmental workflows, modernize project and financial tracking, and build a cohesive external communication strategy to enhance public understanding and regional alignment around long-term infrastructure investments.

Project Approach

Starting Fall 2026, the Fellow will work with NWARPC leadership and staff to strengthen internal systems, modernize practices, and develop a strategic regional communication framework aligned with the Commission’s long-term vision. The first 90 days focus on discovery and relationship-building, including a comprehensive listening tour with staff, leadership, board members, municipal partners, state transportation officials, philanthropic partners, and regional stakeholders. The Fellow will review strategic planning materials, current project management and financial tracking systems, grant administration practices, board governance structures, and public communication tools; research best practices from comparable metropolitan planning organizations; and identify areas such as project management, financial tracking, grant compliance, organizational design, staffing benchmarks, and performance management. The Fellow will present refined goals, priorities, and Year One deliverables for leadership review and approval.

In Year One, the focus is on strengthening internal operational systems and designing a cohesive regional communication framework. Internally, this includes improving project management, budget tracking, grant compliance monitoring, and reporting workflows; evaluating organizational structure and staffing models; and leveraging benchmarking data for capacity planning. Externally, the Fellow will develop a strategic communication framework that clearly articulates NWARPC’s mission, value, and regional role, turning complex funding realities into accessible public narratives, clarifying distinctions between regional entities, and providing tools for staff and board members. The Fellow may design dashboards, public-facing summaries, or educational materials that explain funding constraints, project timelines, and long-term regional tradeoffs in clear language.

Throughout Year One, the Fellow will support structured engagement with board members and partner jurisdictions to strengthen shared understanding of regional priorities and governance considerations.

By the end of Year One, NWARPC is expected to operate with clearer internal workflows, improved visibility into project and financial performance, and a unified external communication approach that strengthens credibility and regional alignment. The Fellow and City leadership will define more specific goals, success measures, and the scope for Year Two based on lessons learned and early progress.

In Year Two, the Fellow will deepen implementation and embed sustainable practices within NWARPC operations. This may include refining project management systems, formalizing governance and reporting protocols, integrating performance metrics into board decision-making, and expanding public-facing communication tools. The Fellow will support alignment between internal system improvements and regional initiatives, including transportation governance, resilience planning, or new funding mechanisms to support long-term regional investments.

By the conclusion of Year Two, NWARPC should operate with modernized internal systems, strengthened governance capacity, and a publicly credible communication framework that supports informed regional decision-making and sustainable infrastructure investment across Northwest Arkansas.

Expected Deliverables

By October 2027 (end of Year One), the Fellow is expected to have supported:

• Organizational Systems Assessment and Modernization Plan – Delivered a comprehensive assessment of internal workflows, staffing benchmarks, project tracking, and financial management systems, with clear recommendations and initial implementation steps to improve efficiency, transparency, and scalability.
• Implemented Project and Financial Tracking Framework – Supported selection and initial deployment of standardized project management and budget tracking tools that improve visibility into grant compliance, reporting timelines, and cash flow management.
• Regional Strategic Communication Framework – Developed a cohesive communication strategy, including core messaging, board-ready talking points, and public-facing materials that clarify NWARPC’s role, funding realities, and long-term infrastructure priorities.
• Performance and Reporting Dashboard Prototype – Designed and piloted internal and/or public-facing dashboards that communicate project status, funding gaps, and progress toward adopted regional plans in clear, accessible formats.
• Year One Institutional Capacity Report and Year Two Roadmap – Synthesized lessons learned and progress into a set of prioritized recommendations to guide Year Two system embedding and long-term organizational growth.

By October 2028 (end of Year Two), the Fellow is expected to have supported the following high-level outcomes:

• Institutionalized Modern Regional Operations Framework – Embedded durable project management, financial tracking, and reporting systems that support NWARPC’s expanding portfolio and long-term strategic growth.
• Established a Sustainable Regional Communication and Governance Model – Positioned NWARPC with a consistent, transparent, and publicly credible approach to communicating regional priorities, funding tradeoffs, and infrastructure strategies, strengthening alignment across jurisdictions and stakeholders.

Key Stakeholders

• Executive Sponsor – Tim Conklin, Executive Director, NWARPC
• Project Supervisor – Nicole Gibbs, Assistant Director, NWARPC

Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressively responsible experience in organizational transformation and change management, from practitioner to enterprise-level leadership.
• Synthesizes complex information into clear and concise recommendations and action-oriented implementation plans.
• Develops and effectively implements both strategic and operational project management plans.
• Generates innovative, data-driven, and result-oriented solutions to complex challenges.
• Respond quickly to changing ideas, responsibilities, expectations, trends, strategies, and other processes.
• Communicates effectively verbally and in writing and excels in active listening and conversing.
• Fosters collaboration across multiple constituencies to support more effective decision-making.
• Establishes and maintains strong relationships with diverse stakeholders, both inside and outside of government, particularly community-based relationships.
• Embraces differing viewpoints and implements strategies to find common ground. Demonstrates confidence and professional diplomacy while effectively interacting with individuals at all levels of various organizations.

FUSE is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply for this position.