Executive Director, City Year Greater Philadelphia

Posted by on May 21, 2012

City Year Greater Philadelphia

POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT
Executive Director

Organization’s Mission and Goals
City Year is an education-focused, nonprofit organization that partners with public schools to help keep students in school and on track to graduate. In communities across the United States and through two international affiliates, City Year’s innovative public-private partnership brings together diverse teams of young AmeriCorps members who commit to a year of full-time service in schools. Corps members support students by focusing on attendance, behavior and course performance through in-class tutoring, mentoring and after school programs. This year, more than 2,000 City Year corps members are serving in schools and communities nationwide.

City Year was founded in 1988 with the ideal that young people are an untapped resource to help solve this country’s pressing problems and in the process become more engaged citizens. Since then, City Year has established programs in 23 U.S. cities, including Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Columbia, SC, Columbus, Denver, Detroit, Little Rock/North Little Rock, Los Angeles, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Miami, Milwaukee, New Hampshire, New York, Orlando, Greater Philadelphia, Rhode Island, Sacramento, San Antonio, San José/Silicon Valley, Seattle/King County, and Washington, D.C., and international affiliates in Johannesburg, South Africa and London, England. City Year is a proud member of AmeriCorps.

City Year Service
As one of the fastest growing nonprofit organizations in the country, City Year is laser-focused on reducing the dropout crisis in America. Corps members provide a continuum of care working in third through ninth grade in America’s highest-need schools. Over the next decade, City Year will focus its growth in the communities with the lowest graduation rates by scaling its impact in the 23 U.S. cities where City Year corps members already serve as well as expanding into carefully selected new markets. By tapping into the thousands of young people who are eager to serve, City Year can provide the extra people power in the classroom to help implement the right interventions for the right students at the right times.

City Year corps members accelerate whole school reform by helping schools implement research-based best practices by strengthening tiered students supports, improving coordination of teaching and learning, increasing teacher effectiveness by allowing more time for differentiated instruction, and expanding and optimizing learning time with before- and after-school tutoring.  As near-peers, corps members are uniquely able to help improve student attendance, behavior and coursework – which research confirms are indicators of a student’s likelihood of graduating from high school. This school-based service is at the heart of City Year’s approach to helping students and schools succeed.

Position Overview
The Executive Director (ED) serves as the primary leader, strategist, external champion, builder, and internal manager of a City Year site. The ED holds responsibility, accountability, and authority for the site’s strategy, performance and success in achieving its potential for impact, sustainability, and scale. The ED is the chief “resource magnet” for a site, translating strategy into action and results through developing and executing on a multi-year strategic plan, and an annual operating plan and budget to manage the overall performance and growth of the site.

The ED represents the organization within the local community by establishing and maintaining relationships with major local internal and external stakeholders, including the staff team, site board members, corps members, service partners, the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the Pennsylvania State Commission on National & Community Service, alumni, and private sector funders and sponsors.

The ED is the primary champion of City Year’s impact locally, leading City Year’s efforts to keep students in school and on track, while also ensuring the growth and sustainability of the City Year site.

In Philadelphia, the top priorities will likely include;
•    Managing the changing landscape at the School District of Philadelphia,
•    Increasing fundraising results, and
•    Growing the impact and brand recognition of City Year Greater Philadelphia.

Responsibilities
The ED is responsible for leading site staff to ensure performance in all major areas, including;

•    Service Performance, Implementation and Delivery: In partnership with senior program staff, ensure high quality program commitment to the nationally developed service delivery model implemented by Corps Members across 19 Philadelphia elementary, middle and high schools.

•    Staff Management: Support the growth and professional development of three management team members, and 41 indirect reports as they manage 230 Corps Members in service implementation and secure needed resources. Establish effective succession plan for key roles to assure ready candidates and smooth transitions.

•    Board Management & Development: Recruit, develop and manage a dynamic, engaged, and productive site board executing a multi-year site strategic plan.

•    Public Policy: Engage local and national elected officials – mayor, city council, governor, state legislators and members of U.S. Congress to support funding and policies for City Year and national service movement.

•    Government Relations: Maintain relationship with AmeriCorps state commission; prepare effective AmeriCorps grant applications and progress reports, and meet compliance requirements associated therein.

•    Fundraising/Development: Lead site staff and board (27 members) to raise funds to meet annual revenue goals (FY13: projected at $9M in public and private sector support). Identify, cultivate, solicit, and manage strategic relationships with funders; build a sustainable revenue model based on philanthropic, government, and earned income sources.

•    Corps Recruitment: Ensure site recruits, selects, and admits corps within the regional framework, meeting quality, quantity, and inclusivity goals.

•    Program: Ensure site delivers a transformative civic leadership development and training program for corps.

•    Financial Management: Manage fiscally-sound budgeting, forecasting, expense management, and cash flow for a site budget of upwards of $9 million.

•    Alumni Engagement: Involve corps alumni to advance City Year goals and continue their lifetime of service.

•    Communications: Ensure the site achieves goals for marketing, publications, media, and brand management.

In addition, the ED also integrates the site’s strategy and priorities with those of City Year, Inc. and participates within the City Year global network to advance the mission by managing working relationships with staff at City Year headquarters and helping to lead and set organizational strategy through network-wide project teams.

Qualifications
•    A minimum of 8 –10 years of professional experience with a solid track record of building an organization.
•    Outstanding leadership and management skills overseeing a complex enterprise at a high level of responsibility.
•    Ability and experience working in an entrepreneurial and dynamic organization.
•    Ability and interest to lead a site within a larger global network; familiar with the challenges of coordinating local organizational priorities with global/national ones.
•    High level of organizational and political sophistication, especially as relates to connecting programs to funding, creatively generating other resources, and building collaborative and strategic partnerships.
•    Proven skills and experience in fundraising and/or sales; a “closer”; ability to meet revenue goals.
•    Outstanding relationship management skills; ability to build relationships with senior level stakeholders.
•    Ability to relate with and inspire 17 – 24 year olds and mobilize large or small groups into action.
•    All of the following skills and/or competencies are extremely helpful:
o    City Year knowledge/exposure.
o    Significant non-profit, volunteer, or multi-sector experience and an established Philadelphia area network.
o    Content knowledge of youth development, education, and/or community or national service.

Education: Candidate must possess a minimum of an undergraduate degree with an advanced degree (e.g. M.B.A.) in a related field preferred.
Compensation and Benefits
Compensation commensurate with experience. Excellent benefits including health insurance, vacation, holidays, parental leave, 401K, flexible spending account and more.

To Apply
Interested qualified applicants should submit a cover letter, references, & resume to:

Clint Westbrook
ARAMARK, Chair of Search Committee
[email protected]

City Year is committed to a diverse workforce.

Individuals from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.