Executive Director | Center for Safe Alaskans | Anchorage, Alaska

The Position: Executive Director

Center for Safe Alaskans seeks its next Executive Director to carry forward a legacy of evidence-based public health work, injury prevention, and youth development across Alaska. Following the planned retirement of its longtime Executive Director, Safe Alaskans is well positioned for this transition: financially stable, trusted by partners across Alaska and beyond, and home to a committed team that is widely regarded as the organization's greatest strength. The next Executive Director will build on this strong foundation, deepening the organization's impact while diversifying its funding base and growing its partnerships.

The ideal candidate will bring leadership experience in public health, community health, or a related mission-driven field and genuine connections to Alaska. This is a role for someone who leads with curiosity, takes time to understand what is working, and builds from there.

About Center for Safe Alaskans

The core purposes of the Center for Safe Alaskans are to prevent injuries, promote wellbeing, and improve safety for all Alaskans. Founded in 1998 as the Alaska Injury Prevention Center through a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration "Safe Communities America" grant, the organization has grown into a statewide, national, and international leader in evidence-based public health programming, community engagement, and youth development.

In 2015, the Anchorage Youth Development Coalition (AYDC) became a part of the Alaska Injury Prevention Center, broadening the organization's work to include wellbeing promotion and positive youth development alongside injury prevention. The organization rebranded as the Center for Safe Alaskans to reflect this expanded purpose. AYDC is housed at Safe Alaskans with its own mission, leadership team, and strategic plan. AYDC is not a separate legal entity; it

operates as a coalition within Safe Alaskans, with its leadership team providing guidance and supporting the coalition's work. The Safe Alaskans Executive Director provides organizational oversight and decision-making authority. The next Executive Director will need to understand and steward this unique relationship, supporting AYDC's distinct mission and collaborative leadership structure while ensuring alignment with Safe Alaskans' overall strategic plan, core purpose, and values.

Safe Alaskans has an annual budget of approximately $2.0 million, a staff of nine full-time and 5 to 10 temporary employees, and a board of up to 15 directors. The organization is funded primarily through state and federal grants and contracts, supplemented by grants, donations, and other private support. Safe Alaskans is guided by five core values: Innovative, Collaborative, Inclusive and Respectful, Data-Driven, and Strength-Based, and uses a public health approach grounded in the Shared Risk and Protective Factors framework. Based in Anchorage, Safe Alaskans works locally and statewide, with partnerships and initiatives that extend nationally and internationally.

For more information on specific programs and services, please visit: https://safealaskans.org/

Services and Programs

Statewide Leadership and Partnerships

Safe Alaskans has a long history of bringing partners together to advance innovative approaches to safety, health, and wellbeing. The organization holds leadership roles in statewide initiatives, task forces, committees, and partnerships, including Healthy Alaskans 2030, often bringing an important nonprofit and community perspective to the table. This work is grounded in the Shared Risk and Protective Factors framework, recognizing the connections across health and safety outcomes and the value of working across programs, populations, and sectors. The Executive Director plays an important role in this work, representing Safe Alaskans and building and maintaining trusted relationships throughout the state. A strong connection to Alaska, an understanding of its communities, and exceptional relationship-building skills will be essential to continuing this work.

Injury Prevention

Safe Alaskans delivers statewide injury prevention and transportation safety programming across the lifespan, including child passenger, young driver, older driver, bicycle, and pedestrian safety. The organization conducts car seat checks and provides certification training throughout Alaska and distributes tens of thousands of reflective safety materials each year to help protect vulnerable road users during Alaska's long, dark winters. Safe Alaskans also develops and shares evidence-informed tools and resources and collaborates with partners across Alaska, nationally, and internationally to advance injury prevention and promote wellbeing.

Anchorage Youth Development Coalition (AYDC)

AYDC convenes community partners around youth development through monthly coalition meetings, youth grant programs, a leadership training series, and professional development opportunities for youth-serving professionals. Youth grants fund youth-led projects across Anchorage pairing young people with trained project advisors who support them in designing and carrying out work that matters to their communities. Young people help shape what gets funded and how the work happens. AYDC partners with schools and community organizations across Anchorage to embed strength-based, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive approaches in youth-serving settings. AYDC participates in local coalitions in collaboration with partners focused on strengthening the prevention landscape, influencing policy, and investing in Anchorage youth.

Data and Innovation

Safe Alaskans is also recognized for its work in public health data science, partnering with the Alaska Division of Public Health and other organizations to develop predictive models, interactive dashboards, and applied data tools. This work has contributed to new funding and positions Safe Alaskans at the intersection of research and practice.

Evaluation

Evaluation is also an important part of Safe Alaskans' work. The organization provides evaluation guidance to programs and partners and uses both qualitative and quantitative methods to measure impact, strengthen programs, and inform future strategies. The Executive Director should understand evaluation principles and methods and be able to guide this work or identify and engage appropriate evaluation expertise when needed.

Strategic Priorities

The new Executive Director will focus on the strategic plan priorities. The Board reviews, refines, and approves the plan and provides ongoing guidance as it is implemented.

Long-term Organizational Priorities

•  Advocate for Safe Alaskans' mission throughout the state, including engagement with policymakers and public health partners.
• Grow and retain board and staff to strengthen operational stability and mission impact.
• Expand the reach of Safe Alaskans' programming across Alaska.
• Build organizational financial resilience through diversified funding and strengthened reserves.
• Increase Safe Alaskans' visibility and impact through strategic communications.
• Continue to pursue innovative approaches and be prepared and responsive to new opportunities across local, statewide, and national contexts.

Twelve-to-Eighteen Month Priorities

• Build relationships and listen first. Spend time learning about the organization, its people, its partnerships, and the landscape in which it operates.
• Retain and invest in staff. Continue fostering a people-first culture where employees feel valued, supported, and empowered to do their best work. Support staff development through training, credentialing, and other professional growth opportunities.
• Learn and steward the AYDC relationship. Develop a working understanding of the shared structure and work of the Coalition.
• Diversify and strengthen funding. Continue to broaden the organization's funding base, which may include philanthropy, major gifts, corporate partnership, or earned revenue, while maintaining and strengthening existing state, federal, municipal, and partner relationships.
• Strengthen and grow the Board. Increase Board engagement and participation in strategic direction and organizational oversight.
• Maintain commitment to core values practices. Continue the organization's grounding in evidence-based programming, the public health model, and the Shared Risk and Protective Factors framework.

Key Responsibilities

The Executive Director reports to the Board of Directors and is responsible for the overall leadership and management of the Center for Safe Alaskans. Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Executive Leadership

• Provide strategic leadership for the organization and work with the board to set and advance organizational priorities.
• Oversee all programs and services, including injury prevention initiatives, positive youth development, and leadership of the Anchorage Youth Development Coalition.
• Lead, support, and develop staff, sustaining a collaborative, flexible, and people-first work environment.
• Ensure the organization's work remains grounded in data-driven practices, the public health model, and appropriate prevention frameworks, including the Shared Risk and Protective Factors approach.
• Be present: maintain a visible presence in the office and the community, available for the conversations and connections where trust and teamwork are built.

Community Outreach and Partnerships

• Lead by example as an external representative of Safe Alaskans, building and maintaining strong relationships with funders, government partners, community organizations, and coalition members.
• Support and empower staff to take leadership roles in their areas of expertise, and advocate for public policy that advances the organization's mission.
• Maintain and grow the organization's partnerships across local, state, national, and international networks.
• Actively engage with a variety of communities, lived experiences, and cultures to ensure the organization's work is responsive and effective across the populations it serves.

Financial Strategy and Fund Development

• Provide executive oversight and maintain accountability for the organization's financial management, including budgeting, financial reporting, and grant compliance.
• Maintain and expand the organization's funding and revenue sources.
• Oversee fund development and lead business planning to ensure sufficient and sustainable funding to support the organization's operations and strategic priorities.

Communications and External Relations

• Provide leadership for the strategic communications plan, strengthening Safe Alaskans' visibility and reputation, elevating the organization's work and expertise, and ensuring communications advance its mission and strategic priorities.

Qualifications of the Ideal Candidate

While no one candidate will embody all the qualifications enumerated below, the ideal candidate will possess many of the following professional and personal abilities, attributes, and experiences:

Experience

• Significant leadership experience in a nonprofit, public health, or mission-driven organization.
• Alaska experience and cultural fluency, including a working understanding of the state's communities, systems, and geography.
• Demonstrated experience building and maintaining partnerships with government agencies, funders, and community organizations.
• Experience leading and investing in staff, including the ability to build trust, share accountability, and steward a healthy workplace culture.
• A track record of working for or under a board of directors, governance body, or similar oversight structure.
• Experience with evidence-based programming, evaluation, research, and data-driven decision making, including the ability to assess data quality and interpret findings.
• Familiarity with state and federal funding structures, grant management, and compliance.

Skills and Attributes

• Values listening and learning, with respect for the organization's people, culture, history, and established strengths.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills, with the ability to manage staff with professionalism, empathy, and sound judgment.
• The ability to navigate a changing nonprofit landscape, including shifts in federal and state funding environments.
• A positive, abundance-focused mindset with the ability to maintain energy and optimism through complexity.
• Business acumen appropriate for a mature, complex organization.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• A commitment to equity, inclusion, and the practice of these values in programming, hiring, and governance.
• A connection to Safe Alaskans' mission and a commitment to long-term leadership.

Compensation and Application Process

The salary range for this position is $120,000 to $135,000 annually, commensurate with qualifications and experience. This is a full-time, in-person position based in Anchorage.

Safe Alaskans provides competitive benefits including 100% employer-paid employee health, dental, and vision coverage, and an employer contribution to a health savings account. Retirement with 3% employer contributions and up to a 3% match beginning after 12 months. Generous paid time off, nearly 30 days per year plus 12 paid holidays.

This role requires flexibility, including travel within Alaska and nationally, and evening or weekend availability when necessary. Safe Alaskans values work-life harmony for its team, and the Executive Director plays a central role in protecting that for staff while also meeting the specific demands of this position.

This position is eligible for up to 20% of routine remote work each week or while traveling for work, consistent with the schedule for most staff.

Relocation assistance is available at a negotiated amount, with a tiered repayment provision if employment ends within the first two years. The new Executive Director must live within acommutable distance of the Anchorage office within 60 days of hire.

Finalists will be required to complete a criminal background check.

To apply, email a resume and cover letter describing interest and qualifications to safealaskansED@forakergroup.org. For questions, contact Joe Kiefer, Leadership Transition Guide, at joe.kiefer@forakergroup.org. Communications will be treated in confidence. Resumes will be accepted until November 5, 2026. Resume reviews begin immediately.

Center for Safe Alaskans is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender identity, national origin, age, religion, creed, disability, veteran's status, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by law.