Executive Director - California College Summit - Culver City, CA
| Executive Director: College Summit California Organization A national non-profit founded in 1993, College Summit partners with school districts to increase their college-going and success rates by fostering a culture where going to college is the expectation of every student, not the exception. The country’s largest provider of college access services for teens in low income communities, College Summit works with nearly 50,000 students and is committed to doubling the number of students we serve to 100,000 over the next 5 years. Many, if not most, of these students will be the first in their families to attend college. College Summit collaborates with government, leading businesses, foundations and policy groups to prepare all students for the next steps in education and career. In 2008, College Summit worked with the federal government to require that every high school in the nation know how many of its students were going to college. The following year, we were honored to be a recipient of a portion of President Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize Award fund. This year, together with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Facebook, College Summit led the College Knowledge Challenge, a multi-million dollar initiative that uses the power of technology and mobile apps to help all students, parents, and educators in low-income communities navigate the college-going process. Leveraging entrepreneurship and innovation, our team members channel their skills and passion to open the doors of opportunity to more and more young people across America. For more information, visit www.collegesummit.org . Position College Summit is currently seeking a passionate and strategic Executive Director for California to oversee and deepen the region's efforts. In both Northern and Southern California, College Summit has demonstrated effectiveness, with partner high schools producing dramatic gains in school-wide college enrollment rates, while also being market-tested and durable, with results achieved in a diverse range of small and large high schools, serving a variety of student profiles. On that foundation, College Summit California is poised to scale their results to achieve increased impact. With local and national reach, the Executive Director will help drive the post-secondary dialogue in California (working both at a systems level and with individual high schools to equip them with the tools required to increase their college enrollment results) and will also be a core member of College Summit’s national leadership team. This is an excellent opportunity for a dynamic and innovative leader with a successful track record in the development of high-impact educational partnerships, fundraising, and organizational development to lead College Summit California to effectively support more schools and low-income students. This position oversees regions in both Northern and Southern California; ideally the Executive Director will be based in Southern California, and can expect to travel about 25-30% of the time to Northern California, as well as additional local travel within the Southern California region. Responsibilities Regional Leadership and Strategic Partnerships As a key external voice, drive College Summit’s mission in California by: Ensuring involvement in strategic post-secondary initiatives with current and potential high school partners, higher education institutions, and educational stakeholders. Establishing and strengthening partnerships with senior-level community partners, including business leaders, local community organizations, and government officials. Strengthen and deeply engage a visible and active local Advisory Board of community, education, civic and business leaders. In partnership with College Summit’s national team and local team, lead all strategic and growth planning for California with plans for deeper expansion. In coordination with College Summit national, inform and advance public policy initiatives locally. Fundraising Personally drive local fundraising to make continuous progress toward the achievement of College Summit’s mission and blend of fee-for-service and philanthropic support. Partner closely with the CEO/Founder, members of the National Board who have connections to California, and the National fundraising team to effectively cultivate and manage key local donors. Team Management Build and maintain a high performance team, and provide collaborative leadership and mentorship to a passionate and experienced team. Foster a culture that promotes consistently excellent service delivery. Manage the staff in both Northern and Southern California and work with them as appropriate to determine staffing requirements and conduct operational planning. Participate in key management processes such as interviewing, hiring, and training new employees; conducting regular performance reviews through the Dialogue Process; and supporting staff growth, development, and retention. Program Management Working closely with the regional team, establish and maintain fee-for-service relationships with partnering school districts and individual partner high schools. Ensure that the organization can increase the number of students served annually; and support the team’s growth as the needs of the region increase. Ensure programmatic and financial success by translating strategic plans into operational benchmarks / goals. Engage deeply in reviewing and interpreting of the California region's financial results and closely managing activities to ensure on-budget performance. National Leadership Actively participate on the national leadership team, helping to drive the operational strategy of the organization. Cultivate a strong and transparent working relationship with the national office to ensure open communication about goals and expectations as well as the measurement of financial, programmatic and impact performance. In partnership with the VP of Regional Operations and other senior leaders, develop and strengthen local infrastructure to meet regional goals; provide weekly feedback and monthly reports to the national office to ensure appropriate support. Qualifications A successful track record of significant professional achievement in an innovative and successful education, non-profit, social enterprise, or entrepreneurial business environment; demonstrated understanding of school and district culture and the overall educational environment is critical. Extensive experience in fundraising and/or sales. The ideal candidate has built a high-performing fundraising operation that increases the recurrence and predictability of contributions, as well as long-term engagement of both institutional and individual donors. Demonstrated success recruiting, retaining, and supporting the professional development of a highly diverse and talented team. A strategic and visionary leader with the ability to be resourceful, set clear priorities, and guide investment in people and systems. Exceptional relationship-building skills, with the ability to work with diverse groups, including school leaders and major funders. Strong financial management of a department or organization required; previous board management experience and experience in education and college readiness preferred. Extensive networks in, and knowledge of, the region’s educational and philanthropic communities; ideally with successful relationships with the top leadership of local educational initiatives and school systems. A results-oriented problem-solver who is entrepreneurial and driven but also flexible, highly collaborative and open to the input and thoughts of others, and who can point to his/her contributions in a fast-paced, measurement-driven, and dynamic environment. Passion for, and demonstrated commitment to, improving the life opportunities of disadvantaged youth; sensitivity to the needs of diverse racial and ethnic populations. Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred. To Apply Please submit a resume and thoughtful cover letter, outlining how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of the position and stating how you heard about this opportunity, to Donna Fleming at www.collegesummit.org/ Compensation is competitive based on background and experience and includes excellent benefits. College Summit is an equal opportunity employer. |
