Ever wonder what it takes to run a carsharing organization. City Carshare is looking for a new CEO.
City CarShare Chief Executive Officer Position Description
City CarShare (CCS) is a San Francisco-based non-profit business providing its members short-term, self-service access to a variety of cars and trucks in easily accessible neighborhood-based locations. The mission of CCS is to provide car sharing throughout the Bay Area as a means to reduce automobile dependence and enhance the environmental and social integrity of the region's urban neighborhoods.
Since launching in March 2001, CCS has grown to 4,000 members sharing 85 vehicles at 42 locations in San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley. CCS provides its members usage of cars and trucks in 15-minute intervals. Members may reserve vehicles up to 3-months or one minute in advance online or by phone, walk to the nearest car, unlock the door with an electronic key, and drive away. Members are billed monthly for usage based on miles and hours driven. Gas, maintenance, and insurance are included in the combined hourly and mileage usage fees. An automated reservations, fleet management, and billing system was developed by CCS to support its largely self-service operations.
The organization plans to aggressively grow membership, fleet and vehicle locations in the next three years while becoming 100 percent financially self-reliant. Current operating funds come primarily from membership and usage fees, and, to a lesser extent, public grants and private donations.
THE POSITION
City CarShare seeks a proven executive with strong operations and management experience to lead its next phase of development and growth. The successful candidate will combine a mixture of practical business and operations experience, strategic thinking, entrepreneurial spirit, political savvy, and humor. The CEO will identify opportunities for membership and revenue growth, improve operations, evaluate and implement technology investments, build strategic public and private-sector partnerships, augment revenues with public and private grants and manage the day-to-day operations of the organization. The new CEO will be charged with ensuring that CCS succeeds as an efficient, financially self-reliant, high-quality, customer-oriented business. The CEO reports directly to the organization's Board of Directors and will manage a staff that currently includes ten full-time and five part-time employees as well as 25 volunteers.
Qualities and Qualifications
The successful candidate will possess the following skills and attributes:
Is a proven achiever with practical business experience who can articulate a strategic vision to grow the business, build a successful business model, and execute on this model.
An experienced manager who has demonstrated excellence in running an operations-intensive technology based business with profit and loss responsibility and managing at least 10 employees.
A visionary leader who believes strongly in the mission of CCS and will inspire staff, the Board and public partners to work together towards short-term and long-term goals.
The ability to articulate a clear vision and business strategy for the organization in a rapid growth environment with multiple priorities.
Experience managing an operations-intensive business preferably with high-tech customer support.
Possess the ability to motivate and manage staff, lead teams, and achieve organization goals through mentoring and empowerment.
Experience and comfort with financial management.
A passion for CCS' mission and able to evangelize it to the community.
Must possess the entrepreneurial ingenuity to leverage limited staff and financial resources and a large pool of volunteer talent.
Knowledge of consumer marketing, customer acquisition and retention.
General background in Internet and information technology with a demonstrated ability to select and productively deploy information technology projects.
A strong public presence and comfort speaking in multiple forums, including the media.
Possess an understanding and appreciation for the non-profit and government worlds, with public sector experience aplus.
Knowledge of urban planning and experience in a transportation operations or policy a plus.
BA/BS required; MBA or equivalent degree is strongly preferred.
Specific Duties and Responsibilities:
Strategic Leadership
Identify opportunities for growth and increased revenue.
Streamline internal business procedures to support growth and efficiencies.
Evaluate technology development and investment options.
Refine and execute the 5-year business plan with measurable goals, clear strategies and practical steps for achieving these goals.
Build strategic partnerships with government agencies, transit providers and businesses.
Advance the organization's mission by ensuring that CCS becomes financially self-reliant.
Management
Manage staff and support the Board to achieve the organization's goals.
Manage day-to-day operations providing 24/7 service delivery.
On-going review of the organizational structure and refinement of staff work plans and deliverables to improve performance.
Provide succinct information and analysis to the Board to inform its key policy decisions.
Finance
Work with the Finance Director to:
Develop the annual budget reflecting strategic priorities for Board approval.
Refine and execute a long-range financial plan for Board approval.
Ensure appropriate compliance, sound financial management, and accountability.
Manage grants from government and private foundations.
Raise additional contributed income from government agencies, foundations, individuals and other potential supporters of car sharing to cover operating deficits and support expansion, advocacy and special projects.
Provide a monthly report to the Board on the financial status of the organization.
Marketing, Sales & Outreach
Represent CCS in public, cultivating strong media relations and political goodwill.
Build partnerships with business, community and government leaders.
Work with the Marketing Director to:
Develop a strategic marketing plan to increase membership base and market penetration.
Refine product and service delivery to increase customer satisfaction.
MEASURES OF SUCCESS
Within their first twelve months the Chief Executive Officer will have accomplished the following:
Developed a clear and concise business plan for CCS, which everyone has confidence that it can be successfully executed.
Secured our membership target and opened new high revenue generating pods.
Determined a path and moved forward on technology investment and upgrades.
Moved the organization closer to self-sustainability and is on track
for meeting the goal of financial independence in 2008 through effective and strategic growth.
Successfully implemented a clear management structure and more defined job responsibilities for staff.
Provided a clear marketing vision for the organization as it moves forward and developed a comprehensive marketing plan.
Managed the organization well both in terms of financial and human capital.
Be viewed by Board, staff and constituents as being an effective leader.
Please submit nominations and résumés to:
Patrice Motley, Principal
PR Motley & Associates, Executive Search,
2646 Post Street, Ste. 3
San Francisco, CA 94115
415-923-1183 direct 415-699-7716 cell
patrice@motleyassociates.com
