What is an Interim Executive Director (IED)?

An Interim Executive Leader (IEL) has the chief responsibility of stepping into the Chief Executive position to offer strong, effective, but temporary leadership to an organization after its Executive Director has departed. The Interim Executive is given the task of ensuring that the organization remains stable and keeps moving in the right direction during the executive search process and until the next Executive Director is successfully hired.

IEL Duties & Responsibilities

An IEL’s duties and responsibilities typically include assessing and managing finances, overseeing program operations, tending to fund raising goals, addressing immediate or potential resource issues, supporting managers, and meeting the pressing needs of the board. However, the IEL also addresses many additional needs typical of an agency going through an executive transition. The Interim Director attends to the fears and anxieties of the staff, funders, and agency supporters while working closely with the board to facilitate a successful transition. Also, it is quite typical for an IED to improve agency systems and generate a new excitement for the agency’s future.

According to research and applied practice, those groups that use an Interim Executive Director emerge from their executive transition as:

• A stronger organization

• A more financially sound organization

• More optimistic about the future impact of their agency services.

There are also several factors that make interim management a powerful resource when your agency is going through an executive transition:

Speed. Your Interim Leader can be in place in a fraction of the time it would take to hire an Executive Director that is a good fit with your organization. Rapid placement is absolutely essential when time constraints are of paramount concern.

Assurance. Interim executive management assures your funders, staff, constituents and board members that your agency has an experienced, trained and skilled professional at the helm during this period of transition.

Experience. The Support Center’s Interim Executive Leaders are more than qualified for the positions they undertake. They all have extensive past experience with similar responsibilities and challenges as the ones they face as Interim Directors. This enables them to be productive from the outset, have an immediate positive impact on your organization, minimize the risk of things going wrong, and ultimately ensure the success of your organization’s transition.

Objectivity. Unencumbered by any previous involvement in company processes or staff relationships, Interim Directors provide a fresh and candid perspective to the board and are free to concentrate on what's best for the agency.

Accountability. Rather than taking on a purely advisory role (as a management consultant would), Interim Directors are responsible and accountable for managing your organization until it is time to hand it off to your newly hired Executive Director.

Commitment. Interim Directors are committed to an interim career. This is never just something they are doing until a suitable permanent position is found. They enjoy the challenge of the different assignments, take great pride in maintaining the highest standards, and realize that they are only ever as good as their last job.

Time. Instead of rushing through the job search and making the costly mistake of hastily hiring an ED who is bad fit for your agency, with an Interim Executive Director in place, your organization can slow down and do a thorough job search knowing that an experienced and highly capable professional is leading the organization.

Staff Development. Employment of an Interim Leader allows your organization and your staff in particular, a time to grieve before your next permanent Executive Director comes aboard. It also offers your employees a unique opportunity to step up as leaders during this transition process.

IEL Referral Service

The Support Center maintains a diverse pool of talented IELs, the majority of whom are former EDs with extensive tenures. Our IELs have been vetted and trained in the roles and responsibilities of interim leadership. We can provide your agency with a highly qualified Interim Executive Director who is prepared to effectively handle whatever special challenges your agency may face during its executive transition period. You can be sure that our IEDs are well equipped to meet your temporary leadership needs.

When you choose to pursue an IEL Referral through the Support Center, we work with you to conduct a mini-assessment, evaluate your organization’s leadership needs, and determine the requisite skills and experience needed in your Interim Executive Leader. We then provide you with resumes of several qualified candidates from our talent pool and coach your organization through the selection process. Once your organization has selected an interim leader, we remain in contact with you and with the Interim Executive to ensure that your organization is completely satisfied.

Typical IEL Tenure: 3-8 months, though the period may be slightly shorter or longer depending on the specific needs of your organization.

Typical IEL Schedule: 3 days per week, primarily handling administrative duties and thus allowing the staff the opportunity to step up, disengage their feelings from the previous director, and get ready for the new Executive Director.

Typical IEL Salary: Salary of the previous ED, paid as an independent consultant.

One time placement Fee of $3,500 + $500 per month for Interim Executive Director Support and peer learning

Interim Executive Training