WEBSITE
www.NRTC.coop

REPORTING RELATIONSHIP
Reports to the NRTC Board

NRTC provides products and services developed specifically to meet the needs of rural member utilities and their customers, such as high-speed Internet access via WiMAX and satellite, full service Internet access and support, advanced metering infrastructure, SmartSCADA, wireless technologies, power quality products, long distance programs, mobile phone service, IP backbone services, direct broadcast satellite service (DBS) with DIRECTV and programming for Internet protocol television (IPTV).

NRTC’s Reach
Today, NRTC members serve millions of customers in areas of the country that have been historically unserved or underserved by traditional utilities and other for-profit businesses. NRTC offers its members an array of technology solutions developed to meet the needs of rural utilities and their customers.

NRTC is driven by its members' commitment to provide their communities with innovative solutions and a vision for continued viability. The organization helps ensure its members' success by aggregating individual buying power, negotiating national contracts, and supporting business solutions which expand their service offerings.  NRTC continually evaluates new technologies and improvements to existing technologies which can best deliver the benefits of the digital age to rural America cost-effectively.

NRTC: A Record of Rural Innovations
NRTC focuses on ensuring that rural Americans receive the benefits of the digital age—through communications technologies that improve its members’ business operations and that bring new services to their rural consumers.

• Extending broadband Internet access to unserved and underserved regions.
• Finding innovative technologies that enable “smart grid” solutions to improve the operations of electric cooperatives.
• Bringing mobile voice data services and next-generation video programming to rural America.
• Bridging the digital divide with mobile voice data and next generation video programming for rural America.

Specifically, the successful candidate will be responsible for the following:

• Strategic Direction: In conjunction with the Board of Director, refines and implements the strategic plan of NRTC.
• Serving the Members:Proactively reaches out to the membership to better understand evolving needs and offer value-added services to meet the needs.
• Provide Leadership:Builds and develops the internal organization for sustained growth. Engage and mobilize all parts of the organization in pursuit of the common mission, vision and strategic objectives for NRTC.
• Performance and Growth Strategies:Establishes the vision, strategy and pace for future performance defining, “Who is NRTC.”Continues to develop and refine both short- and long-term strategies to meet the needs of the membership and the financial objectives of NRTC by creating on-going value for the member organizations.
• Manage With Measurement Bias:Manages with a strong measurement bias, including the ability to translate operational management activities into measurable outcomes; evaluates and maintains a continuous focus on ROI for all NRTC investments, products, services and partnerships.
• Achieve Financial Results: Develops appropriate quarterly, annual and longer-term financial objectives and leads NRTC in consistently achieving these objectives.
• Lead Executive and Organization Development:Develops, motivates and retains highly talented individuals on the executive team and deploys them in a manner that will optimize achievement of short- and long-term strategic objectives. Builds and leads a strong leadership team, evaluating and making changes as appropriate.
• Maintain a Strong Relationship with the Board of Directors:Keeps the members of the Board fully informed on all aspects of the financial health, development and progress of NRTC. S/he engages the Board in the analysis of strategic objectives and seeks and utilizes the expertise of individual board members to address business issues facing NRTC.

• Ensure a smooth leadership transition.
• Execute on established near- and long-term goals and objectives and meet operating projections.
• Develop enthusiastic membership, industry and employee acceptance.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE / QUALIFICATIONS
NRTC’s new President and CEO will have a unique combination of personal and professional qualities.S/he will be a dynamic leader with strength in organizational planning and development and a track record of developing performance-based cultures, building and developing strong organizations (from top to bottom) and instilling a professional atmosphere built on trust and accountability. The successful candidate will be able to provide value and leadership across all major disciplines.

Core competencies will include, but not be limited to, the following:

• Verifiable success as a CEO or GM within a related technology, utility or telecommunications company. Vertical market knowledge and expertise is a plus.
• Prior experience and knowledge working in an organization with multiple products and services offerings to a diverse and changing customer/membership base.
• Recognized as a strategic thinker who also is customer-facing with a record of analyzing and negotiating pivotal customer, partner and investments.
• Strong bottom line bias:operationally savvy, keen financial planning sense, can run a tight ship. Strong business acumen and the ability to think strategically while considering new perspectives.
• A history of making well-considered and sound judgments at critical junctures – with demonstrable impacts on the success of the organization s/he was leading.
• The ability to align diverse interest groups on issues and opportunities that benefit the overall target market; politically savvy.
• A stellar communicator, motivator and advocate with genuine interest and knowledge of issues and opportunities.
• A consensus builder with a personal style that engenders confidence.
• Understanding of the electric utilities and telco rural cooperatives is a strong plus.

LEADERSHIP CHARACTERISTICS

Acting with Honor and Character
Is a person of high character; is consistent and acts in line with a clear and visible set of values and beliefs; deals and talks straight; walks his/her talk; is direct and truthful but at the same time can keep confidences.

Making Complex Decisions
Can solve even the toughest and most complex of problems; great at gleaning meaning from whatever data is available; is a quick study of the new and different; adds personal wisdom and experience to come to the best conclusion and solution, given the situation; uses multiple problem-solving tools and techniques.

Getting Work Done Through Others
Manages people well; gets the most and best out of the people he/she has; sets and communicates guiding goals; measures accomplishments, holds people accountable, and gives useful feedback; delegates and develops; keeps people informed; provides coaching for today and for the future.

Communicating Effectively
Writes and presents effectively; adjusts to fit the audience and the message; strongly gets a message across.

Inspiring Others
Is skilled at getting individuals, teams, and an entire organization to perform at a higher level and to embrace change; negotiates skillfully to achieve a fair outcome or promote a common cause; communicates a compelling vision and is committed to what needs to be done; inspires others; builds motivated, high-performing teams; understands what motivates different people.

Understanding the Business
Knows the business and the mission-critical technical and functional skills needed to do the job; understands various types of business propositions and understands how businesses operate in general; learns new methods and technologies easily.

Focusing on Action and Outcomes
Attacks everything with drive and energy with an eye on the bottom line; not afraid to initiate action before all the facts are known; drives to finish everything he/she starts.