Executive Director, California
Citizen Schools
Citizen Schools, a leading national education initiative that connects adult volunteers to young people in hands-on learning projects, seeks an Executive Director to assume leadership for its operations in the state of California. The Executive Director will enter Citizen Schools at an exciting time as they build upon success in six existing sites to expand further in the Bay Area and formulate plans to expand into Southern California. Under the direction of the Executive Director of the National Network, the Executive Director for California will oversee Citizen Schools programs in California; cultivate state and local funds for California-based growth; supervise the state office team and manage relationships with key constituents at six existing campuses in Northern California. In addition, he or she will cultivate new relationships in expansion cities; build state partnerships to source staff and volunteers; champion the Citizen Schools brand and deepen Citizen Schools’ impact on local and statewide policy. All efforts will happen in coordination with Citizen Schools headquarters in Boston, MA.
The candidate should have practical leadership and fundraising experience, entrepreneurial zeal and a deep commitment to youth and community development. The candidate should also be familiar with the California non-profit, policy and after-school and/or education landscapes. This is a full time role reporting to the Executive Director of the National Network. The position is located in Redwood City with occasional travel to Boston as well as frequent instate travel.
Responsibilities:
Vision and Strategy
•Lead development and execution of an ambitious growth strategy for CA
•Articulate the ways in which Citizen Schools, with partners, can help close the achievement gap in CA
•Research, cultivate and launch new sites and secure related partners - i.e., schools, school districts, funders, community-based organizations
•Deepen local and regional philanthropic, political, corporate and educational contacts to serve as Citizen Schools champions and partners in resource cultivation
Partnership Development: Public Policy, Fundraising, and Brand Building
•Raise funds through major gifts and public funds in order to sustain growth from 6 to 15 sites over five years, in partnership with Citizen Schools’ national headquarters
•Cultivate the partnerships needed for success in program, policy, fundraising and staff and volunteer pipelines
•Engage partners and media in active dialogue about out-of-school time in CA
•Inform and advance organizational public policy initiatives
•Serve as spokesperson for Citizen Schools
Organizational and Program Leadership
•Assist the CA State Program Director in the delivery of essential support and technical assistance to the site Campus Directors
•Facilitate interaction among state-based programs to share best practices; initiatives include regional meetings/trainings and state team building events
•Serve as a thought partner to Citizen Schools’ executive team and state Executive Director peers; and collaborate with headquarters staff on key national initiatives
Qualifications:
All candidates should have demonstrated leadership skills, a passion for education and community, and effective collaboration skills. Other qualifications include:
• Seven or more years of work experience, and at least two years of management and fundraising experience, preferably in an executive role
• Entrepreneurial self-starter; capable of self-managing in a complex environment with multiple stakeholders
• Knowledge of the region and well-developed professional network
• Understanding of education sector locally and throughout the state of California
• Proven fundraising and/or sales experience
• Experience developing and advocating for public policy affecting children, youth and families
• Experience with non-profit organizations, management, program operations, and boards
• Familiarity with Citizen Schools program and/or experience in an education environment preferred
• Ability to interact at all levels of an organization and with all constituents and stakeholders
• Excellent presentation, verbal and written communication skills
• Strong organizational and logistics skills
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity
• Ability to model Citizen Schools’ core values: Pride, Joy, Respect, Courage, Teamwork, Perseverance, and Vision
• Minimum of Bachelors degree from accredited institution; relevant advanced degree preferred
Salary & Benefits:
Starting annual salary will be commensurate with experience. Full benefits include health care, 403B, three weeks vacation, and professional development.
Citizen Schools is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, cultural heritage, ancestry, political belief, age, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability or veteran status.
About Citizen Schools:
Citizen Schools is a leading national education initiative that uniquely mobilizes hundreds of staff and thousands of adult volunteers to help improve student achievement by teaching skill-building apprenticeships after school. Citizen Schools has been recognized as a national model program by the U.S. Department of Education, has been named a national winner of Fast Company Magazine’s Social Capitalist Award in 2004, 2006 and 2007, and has been chosen by the Skoll Foundation as a winner of the Skoll Social Entrepreneurship Award. Building on twelve years of powerful programming and results in Boston and greater Massachusetts, Citizen Schools is expanding across the country. They currently operate 37 campuses in 6 states (California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Texas), serving approximately 3,500 students. Learn more about Citizen Schools at www.citizenschools.org.