COSTA MESA, Calif. (BRAIN) — — Do you consider yourself to be an "inspirational leader," a "strategic thinker" and, yes, a "visionary"?
If so, the National Bicycle Dealers Association wants you to be its next executive director.
These are some of the qualities outlined in a three-page job description that's being circulated by the NBDA and T. Malouf & Company, a Boulder, Colo., executive recruiter that is overseeing the search.
The NBDA board recently voted to relieve Fred Clements of his position. Clements, 61, who has led the nonprofit organization for nearly 26 years, will continue as executive director until his replacement is hired, and will then become a "project director" for the NBDA.
The NBDA board and Terry Malouf, founder of the executive search firm that bears her name, declined to release the job description to Bicycle Retailer, which obtained it elsewhere. The NBDA publishes Bicycle Retailer under license from Interbike.
According to the job description, "The candidate we select will be a visionary who understands the challenges and opportunities of the independent bicycle dealer, and who can effectively promote a business model to enable success. He or she will be a clear communicator and a skilled and effective consensus builder."
The new executive director will face a number of challenges, including boosting the NBDA's anemic membership numbers, restoring the organization's relevancy as consumers turn to sales channels outside of the IBD, and finding new revenue sources.
"We're looking more for a visionary that might be able to bring a fresh set of solutions to the growing challenges faced by our membership," said James Moore, president of the NBDA board. He owns Moore's Bicycle Shop in Hattiesburg, Miss.
The board has adopted a high-stakes strategy of dipping into the NBDA's $1 million reserve fund to pay for more staff and invest in programs that it believes will eventually attract more members and boost revenues.
Although the NBDA has an office in Southern California, Moore said the new executive director would not necessarily be based there. According to the job description, the new leader will receive a "very competitive" salary plus benefits. Clements earned $105,942 in 2014, according to the NBDA's most recent nonprofit filing with the Internal Revenue Service.
The successful candidate should have at least five years of management experience in a nonprofit trade or membership organization, or managing an IBD or other specialty retail business. Apart from having a love of cycling, candidates should have a "strong strategic mindset" and be an effective negotiator and skillful consensus builder.
Candidates who think they've got what it takes can send a resume and cover letter to info@tmalouf.com.
See the July 15 issue of Bicycle Retailer for an in-depth story about the NBDA board's decision to demote Clements, and a look at the challenges facing the next executive director.
