Read the full position profile here.

Ballinger | Leafblad is honored to partner with the Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM) on the search for its next Executive Director.

Founded in 1971, AuSM is Minnesota’s First Autism Resource™. It offers counseling, camps, education, and advocacy. For the first time in nearly a decade, it is hiring a new Executive Director. This leader will be AuSM’s lead fundraiser and public voice. They will build financial stability, strengthen systems, and protect a neurodiversity-affirming culture.

This is a hybrid role based in St. Paul, with at least two days a week on-site. The job includes evening and weekend events and statewide travel. Candidates must live in Minnesota or be willing to relocate.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of senior-level management experience, including leading people, budgets, and operations, nonprofit governance, strategic planning, and working with a board of directors
• Bachelor’s degree in business, public administration, or a related field
• A proven track record in fundraising, including diversifying revenue and cultivating major donor, corporate, and foundation relationships
• Strong financial literacy, with the ability to manage complex operating budgets, ensure regulatory compliance, and use financial information to make decisions
• Exceptional ability to build and maintain trust-based partnerships with a diverse range of stakeholders
• Deep understanding of the disability justice landscape and a commitment to neurodiversity-affirming leadership, accessibility, and inclusion
• A real connection to and knowledge of the autism or broader disability community. This leader cannot be new to the community, though the path to that connection can vary.
• Proven capacity for project management, overseeing multiple priorities, and implementing process improvements
• Exceptional public speaking, communication, and relationship-building skills
• Enterprise-wide leadership experience (CEO, Executive Director, President) preferred
• Experience in autism or disability organizations, including leading autistic, neurodivergent, or disabled staff, a plus
• Established relationships with potential supporters and partners across Minnesota, a plus
• Experience with Medicaid-reimbursed services or other earned-revenue programs, a plus
• Experience in public policy, advocacy, or coalition work, a plus
• Experience in marketing, communications, or storytelling for fundraising, a plus
• Experience building processes and infrastructure in a growing or changing organization, a plus
• Proficiency with Salesforce or other CRM platforms, a plus
• Master’s degree or comparable experience, a plus

Inclusion & Accessibility

AuSM values lived experience as a credential. It welcomes applicants whose careers include non-linear paths, employment gaps, or unconventional professional backgrounds. To request accommodations for the interview process, contact jen@ballingerleafblad.com.

Compensation: The salary range is $125,000–$140,000. More details in the position profile.

Applications due by December 10, 2026. Review of materials begins immediately. We encourage early application.

Read the full position profile here.

Questions may be directed to Jen Hanlon Ash at jen@ballingerleafblad.com.