Job Description in Bylaws

[Guest Jack]

My non-profit organization is led by a "President" - a hired staff position - who is accountable to a Board of Directors. When the membership meets to conduct business, the Chairman of the Board presides. Do Robert's Rules of Order require that our Bylaws include a job description, the method of selection & the term of office for our "President." Again, this is a hired staff position, not an elected position, and our President does not preside at membership meetings.

[Richard Brown]

No. It sounds like your president is what most organisations would refer to as an executive director. It might be a good idea to have some guidelines or a policy manual concerning this position, the job description, and the hiring process, but it does not have to be in the bylaws. It's a judgment call as to where to put it. 

[Kim Goldsworthy]

1 hour ago, Guest Jack said:

Do Robert's Rules of Order require that our Bylaws include

• a job description,

• the method of selection, and

• the term of office

for our "President"?

***

Again, this is a hired staff position, not an elected position, and our President does not preside at membership meetings.

Since your "president" is not a president in the parliamentary sense, then the answer is probably "no".

Employee rules are NOT to be put into one's bylaws.

***

I would seriously recommend that you consult an expert in nonprofit organizations, to double check that the term "president" is the title which is even close to being appropriate for the job being done.

I agree with Richard, that you have an EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, not a "president". - You have a hired hand, not an elected position, holding a mis-leading title.

[Gary Novosielski]

4 hours ago, Guest Jack said:

My non-profit organization is led by a "President" - a hired staff position - who is accountable to a Board of Directors. When the membership meets to conduct business, the Chairman of the Board presides. Do Robert's Rules of Order require that our Bylaws include a job description, the method of selection & the term of office for our "President." Again, this is a hired staff position, not an elected position, and our President does not preside at membership meetings.

I can't help but wonder at the advisability of calling someone with no duty to preside a "President", and I think this will inevitably come back to bite you somehow.  Probably sooner than later.

But be that as it may, there is no requirement in RONR for a hired staff position to have a job description.

There is a strong argument that common sense requires a job description, but that is beyond the scope of this forum.