Executive Advisor, Strategy & Growth

Organization: Surmount New York
Position Type: Volunteer, Unpaid
Location: Remote, United States
Commitment: Approximately 5–8 hours per month, minimum six-month commitment
Reports to: Executive Director
Team: Executive Team

About Surmount New York

Surmount New York is a volunteer-led nonprofit organization working to connect New Yorkers with essential resources and programs that help individuals and families overcome challenges, build resilience, and strengthen their communities.

As Surmount continues to develop its programs, leadership structure, partnerships, and fundraising capacity, we are seeking an experienced leader who can bring an additional strategic perspective to our Executive Team.

Role Overview

The Executive Advisor, Strategy & Growth is a senior volunteer leadership role designed for an experienced professional who wants to help guide the continued development of a growing nonprofit organization.

Serving as a member of Surmount New York's Executive Team, the Executive Advisor will work closely with the Executive Director, Chief of Staff, Executive Operations Manager, and Executive Administrator to strengthen organizational strategy, leadership practices, accountability, fundraising, and organizational structure.

This is not primarily an administrative or task-based volunteer position. We are looking for someone who brings significant leadership experience, asks thoughtful and challenging questions, identifies organizational gaps and opportunities, and can help turn strategic conversations into practical next steps.

The Executive Advisor will also have opportunities to take ownership of selected strategic initiatives and work directly with organizational leaders when additional guidance or leadership is needed.

Key Responsibilities

Executive Team Advising

• Participate in Surmount New York's weekly virtual Executive Team meeting, generally held on Wednesdays during afternoon or evening hours.
• Provide experienced, objective perspective on organizational decisions, priorities, challenges, and opportunities.
• Help the Executive Team strengthen meeting structure, decision-making, follow-through, and accountability.
• Identify potential organizational risks, leadership gaps, and areas requiring greater clarity or structure.
• Ask strategic questions that help the Executive Team move beyond day-to-day tasks and consider the organization's longer-term development.

Executive Director Advising

• Meet periodically one-on-one with the Executive Director to provide leadership guidance, coaching, and an outside perspective.
• Serve as a trusted thought partner as the Executive Director navigates organizational growth, leadership challenges, delegation, fundraising, and organizational development.
• Provide constructive feedback while helping translate organizational goals into realistic priorities and action.

Strategy & Organizational Development

• Advise on organizational structure, leadership roles, accountability systems, and management practices.
• Help strengthen alignment between the Executive Team, Directors, and other organizational leaders.
• Support the development of clearer expectations, decision-making processes, and accountability across the organization.
• Facilitate Executive Team discussions or planning sessions when appropriate.
• Lead or co-lead selected strategic initiatives at the request of the Executive Director.
• Work directly with Directors or organizational leaders on specific challenges or initiatives when delegated by the Executive Director.

Growth & Fundraising Strategy

• Provide strategic guidance on nonprofit growth, fundraising, partnerships, donor development, and organizational sustainability.
• Help leadership assess fundraising opportunities and establish realistic development priorities.
• Advise on strengthening Surmount's overall approach to resource development and long-term sustainability.
• Where appropriate, help leadership strengthen relationships, strategies, systems, or materials that support organizational growth.

Examples of Strategic Projects

Depending on organizational needs and the Advisor's expertise, projects may include:

• Reviewing and recommending improvements to Surmount's organizational structure.
• Developing or strengthening leadership accountability systems.
• Improving the structure and effectiveness of Executive Team meetings.
• Supporting the development of a fundraising or organizational growth strategy.
• Facilitating a strategic planning session.
• Helping clarify Director and executive leadership responsibilities.
• Working with a Director to address a specific organizational challenge.
• Reviewing a major organizational initiative and providing recommendations before implementation.

The Executive Advisor will not be expected to take on every project or function listed above. Specific initiatives will be agreed upon based on organizational priorities, available time, and the Advisor's areas of expertise.

Ideal Candidate

We are particularly interested in experienced professionals who have led organizations, departments, significant teams, or complex initiatives and understand the challenges of building effective organizations.

Strong candidates may have experience as an Executive Director, senior nonprofit leader, executive, business leader, consultant, development leader, organizational strategist, or similar senior leadership professional.

We are looking for someone who:

• Has substantial professional leadership experience, ideally with experience managing teams, organizations, or major initiatives.
• Has experience with nonprofit growth, fundraising, development, partnerships, or organizational sustainability.
• Can move comfortably between high-level strategy and practical implementation.
• Is comfortable advising an Executive Director and other organizational leaders.
• Can provide constructive feedback, respectfully challenge assumptions, and ask difficult questions when necessary.
• Understands accountability, delegation, organizational structure, and leadership development.
• Can help a growing organization establish stronger systems without unnecessarily overcomplicating them.
• Is comfortable working in a developing, volunteer-led nonprofit environment where systems and structures are continuing to evolve.
• Demonstrates sound judgment, professionalism, discretion, and reliability.
• Is willing to occasionally take ownership of a defined strategic initiative rather than solely providing recommendations.

Previous nonprofit executive leadership experience is strongly valued but is not required if the candidate brings significant transferable senior leadership and organizational growth experience.

Time Commitment

Approximately 5–8 hours per month.

The Executive Advisor should generally be available for Surmount's weekly virtual Executive Team meeting on Wednesdays. Meeting times may vary and can be planned with consideration for the Advisor's professional schedule.

Additional time may include periodic one-on-one meetings with the Executive Director, preparation for Executive Team discussions, and work on agreed-upon strategic initiatives.

This position is fully remote and open to volunteers located anywhere in the United States.

Role Authority & Boundaries

The Executive Advisor serves as a strategic advisor and member of the Executive Team but does not automatically have supervisory authority over Surmount staff or volunteers.

The Executive Director may delegate authority to the Executive Advisor for specific projects or situations, including facilitating Executive Team meetings, leading strategic initiatives, or working directly with a Director or team leader.

The role is intended to strengthen existing leadership rather than replace the responsibilities of the Executive Director, Chief of Staff, Executive Operations Manager, Directors, or other organizational leaders.

What Success Looks Like

Within the first six months, we hope the Executive Advisor will help Surmount achieve:

• More focused, aligned, and productive Executive Team meetings.
• Stronger accountability and follow-through across organizational leadership.
• Greater clarity in organizational structure, leadership responsibilities, and decision-making.
• More strategic thinking around organizational growth and fundraising.
• Stronger leadership capacity as Surmount continues developing as an organization.

Why Serve With Surmount?

This opportunity is well suited for an experienced leader who wants to use their professional knowledge to help build the infrastructure of an emerging nonprofit organization.

Rather than serving solely in an advisory capacity from a distance, the Executive Advisor will have the opportunity to participate directly in leadership conversations, mentor an emerging nonprofit Executive Director, help solve real organizational challenges, and see recommendations move from strategy into implementation.

Please note: This is a volunteer position. There is no financial compensation or stipend associated with this role.

Pay: $1.00 per year

Benefits:

• Flexible schedule

Application Question(s):

• Why do you want to serve in this volunteer role?

Work Location: Remote