President

About the Center for Applied Linguistics

The Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) is a non-profit organization, headquartered in Washington, D.C., that enjoys an international reputation for its contributions to the fields of bilingual and dual language education, multilingualism, adult literacy English as a second/additional language, world language education, language policy, assessment, immigrant and refugee integration, digital and workplace literacies, dialect studies, Indigenous languages and the education of linguistically and culturally diverse children youth, and adults. 

CAL’s mission is to promote language learning and cultural understanding by serving as a trusted source for research, resources, and policy analysis. Through its work, CAL seeks solutions to issues involving language and culture as they relate to access and equity in education and society around the globe.

Founded in 1959 in response to issues of language diversity, interest in U.S. and international language policy, and the emergence of English as a world language, CAL was established by a grant from the Ford Foundation to the Modern Language Association to serve as a liaison between the academic world of linguistics and the practical world of language education and language-related concerns. Since its inception, CAL has played a leading role in conducting research on language use, language learning, and effective teaching methods and translating research into practical applications to help language learners succeed.

CAL has a set of core values that guides the organization’s endeavors. They reflect CAL’s strong commitment to promoting access, equity, and mutual understanding for linguistically and culturally diverse children, youth, and adults around the world. 

• Languages and cultures are important individual and societal resources.
• All languages, dialects, and cultures deserve to be respected and cultivated.
• Multilingualism is beneficial for individuals and society.
• Effective language education should be widely available.
• Accurate information should be the basis for policies and practices that involve language and culture.
• Language skills and cultural knowledge should be valued in work situations.
• Language and cultural differences should not be obstacles to personal or group success or well-being.

Among the populations that CAL serves are language educators of children and adults who are learning world languages and English as a second/additional language; immigrants and refugees in the United States and the agencies that provide services for them; schools and school districts in need of curriculum development, professional development, evaluation, and assessments; and policy makers who need information about language and culture to address the important issues of the day. 

Today, CAL has an operating budget of $11,595,152 and is comprised of highly qualified and talented researchers, and experienced educators, many of whom are recognized leaders in their fields. The Board of Trustees, composed of leaders in the field of language education, provides guidance and direction to accomplish the mission.

For more information, please visit the Center for Applied Linguistics’ website. 

The Opportunity

The Center for Applied Linguistics seeks a visionary, empowering, and passionate leader to provide overall leadership and set a strategic direction for the continued and future success of CAL guided by the Board of Trustees.

A lifelong learner with a proven dedication to the field of applied linguistics, this President & CEO will approach leadership with curiosity, innovation, and collaboration to promote equity for linguistically and culturally diverse people around the world.

Key responsibilities include:

• Provide strategic leadership for the organization, synthesizing across viewpoints and interests of stakeholders, evolving a clear vision and strategy for how CAL can continue to grow and strengthen its work against a backdrop of shifting priorities, new technologies, and other forces.
• Collaborate with the Board and staff, establishing short and long-range business and programmatic goals, strategies, and plans for implementation.   
• Work closely with CAL’s teams, Board, and other partners to articulate CAL’s unique value proposition to the market, growing and diversifying opportunities for partnerships and philanthropic support.
• Lead a highly skilled team of 57 staff, managing and empowering teams, ensuring they are provided with the necessary direction and resources to realize CAL’s strategic and operational goals.
• Continue to build staff capacity and opportunities for professional development; incubate a productive, positive, and inclusive workplace with nimble options for in-person and remote work.
• Support CAL’s short and long-term financial goals, ensuring it operates as a sustainable and financially sound organization; work closely with the team, assessing opportunities to diversify revenue streams; and ensure productive and efficient operations, evaluating the continuous improvement of and investment in systems and resources to support organizational growth.
• Present and promote the organization and its mission to local, national, and international external stakeholders, providing thought leadership and cultivating relationships with partners, funders, and influencers in the field.
• Given the mission and culture of the organization, it is required that candidates identify as having significant personal experience of language diversity in their repertoires, such as being bilingual or multilingual or having plurilingual experiences with dialects or creoles.

Candidate Profile

While no one candidate will possess every quality outlined for this position, strong candidates will bring many of the following professional skills and personal attributes:

Visionary & Strategic Mindset

• Be a strategic leader with a transformational style, eager and energized to develop and articulate an innovative vision for the next chapter of a multifaceted organization with a rich history.
• Actively and strategically seek out partnerships and build relationships to advance the mission and strategic priorities.
• Recognize and amplify the uniqueness of CAL’s position in the field of applied linguistics on a national scale, proactively seeking out opportunities to increase its visibility, reputation, and impact.
• Cultivate an organizational culture that encourages entrepreneurial and creative approaches that serve both mission-setting and finance-generating goals.

Empowering & Collaborative Leader

• Recruit, develop, and retain a highly effective, diverse, and mission-driven staff.
• Lead and empower a workforce to excel both within their program area and to meet organizational goals, with a focus on guiding team members’ growth and development.
• Create and grow a culture of high engagement and collaboration for all team members regardless of background and role.
• Build consensus, break down silos, and establish interdepartmental unity within the organization through effective and inclusive communication and cross-team cooperation.
• Be an individual of unquestioned integrity, ethics, and values. Needed characteristics of trustworthiness, high emotional and social intelligence, and low ego – skilled at bringing others along in an elegant way.

Nonprofit Business Acumen

• Be operationally savvy with a strong track record of successfully managing multifaceted organizations.
• Demonstrate experience with nonprofit operations/leadership, including sound financial planning, oversight, and accountability, with the ability to clearly communicate financial status to the staff, Board, and key stakeholders.
• Align institutional goals and values with operational practices and financial realities of a heavily grant-funded organization.
• Partner effectively with and find opportunities to further engage the Board of Trustees.

Authentic Communicator & Relationship Builder

• Motivate and inspire others to achieve impact through creativity and teamwork, leveraging individual strengths to meet organizational goals.
• Have an inspirational and empathic approach to leading a talented and passionate team, fostering a positive environment that encourages participation, collaboration, and innovation.
• Bring keen analytic, organizational, and problem-solving skills which support and enable sound decision-making. Lead with an empowering approach, giving others the agency to lead and contribute to the overall success of the organization.
• Communicate effectively and frequently, fostering a culture of transparency and bringing staff of all levels and program areas along in a way that ensures all understand and are invested in their role within the broader vision and mission of the organization.
• Develop and cultivate relationships that will advance and amplify CAL’s value proposition, reputation, and opportunities for impact in the field.

Fundraising & Development Experience

• Oversee fundraising and other revenue-generating strategies, including deepening organizational capacity for fundraising and providing mentorship and collaboration around development.
• Successfully convey the organization’s mission and objectives to a wide range of constituents, including external partners and donors, to generate support.
• Creatively diversify fundraising opportunities from a range of sources including individual donors, corporations, foundations, and others.

Passion for & Understanding of the Mission

• Be comfortable and energized by working in a linguistically, culturally, and racially diverse space.
• Exemplify a tremendous enthusiasm for and understanding of the fields of applied linguistics and/or k-12, higher education, and adult language education.
• Enjoy professional visibility and recognized expertise in fields such as world language education, ESL, and bilingual and dual language education.
• Be willing to keep oneself well-informed of national and international events, political processes and policies, and their implications for CAL and the fields in which it works.
• Be a life-long learner, driven by a curiosity and passion for linguistic research, policy, and analysis, with an understanding of how to utilize research to mobilize resources and move the space and work forward.
• Be passionate about linguistic equity and justice around the globe.
• Exemplify a strong commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility at every level of the organization.

Compensation & Benefits

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. The salary range for this role is $250,000 - $264,000 with a generous benefits package.

The application deadline is September 22nd, 2023. Applications received by that date will be given priority, but we will accept applications until the position is filled. Zoom interviews with the Koya team will take place through mid-August. Zoom and in-person interviews with the Center for Applied Linguistics Search Committee will take place through September and we anticipate extending an offer in October. The anticipated start date is the Spring of 2024.

Contact 

Koya Partners, the executive search firm that specializes in mission-driven search, has been exclusively retained for this engagement. Molly Brennan, Christopher D. Lee, Corina Benitz, and Gina Wrolstad have been exclusively retained for this search. To express interest in this role please submit your materials by filling out our Talent Profile or email the search team directly at centerforappliedlinguistics@koyapartners.com. All inquiries and discussions will be considered strictly confidential.

Koya Partners is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email NonprofitSearchOps@divsearch.com. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request accommodation for the interview process. 

The Center for Applied Linguistics is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from people of color, persons with disabilities, women, and LGBTQ+ applicants.

About Koya Partners

Koya Partners, a part of Diversified Search Group, is a leading executive search and strategic advising firm dedicated to connecting exceptionally talented people with mission-driven clients. Our founding philosophy—The Right Person in the Right Place Can Change the World—guides our work as we partner with nonprofits & NGOs, institutions of higher education, responsible businesses, and social enterprises in local communities and around the world. For more information about Koya Partners, visit https://diversifiedsearchgroup.com/koya-partners/.