AuSM is hiring a new Executive Director

Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM) is partnering with Ballinger | Leafblad on the search for its next Executive Director. AuSM seeks a mission-driven leader to build upon our legacy as Minnesota’s First Autism Resource™. This search comes at a pivotal moment as funding and policy are shifting. In response, the board is actively updating how it engages the community and pursues its mission. This is a critical role for an experienced executive who understands the intersection of disability justice, robust fundraising, and operational excellence. The next Executive Director will put the organization on a sustainable financial footing and strengthen the systems behind its work, while protecting AuSM’s unique culture and advancing its vision of a world where every individual in the autism community is empowered to live fully.

Executive Director
Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States

Read the full position profile here.

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.

AuSM is partnering with Ballinger | Leafblad on this search. Please do not contact AuSM with questions or application materials. Questions may be directed to Jen Hanlon Ash at jen@ballingerleafblad.com.

Apply Online

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