Posted on July 12, 2012

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Executive Director

Organization Overview: In the Chicago Public Schools, only 18 percent of incoming ninth graders enroll in four-year universities after high school, and only eight percent are expected to graduate from college by age 25. Nationally, the rates are not much better: only one in ten students growing up in poverty is expected to graduate from college by 25, and 60 percent of minority students from low-income communities drop out of college after successfully enrolling and starting to pursue their degrees. OneGoal (previously Urban Students Empowered) works to systemically change these statistics throughout the country. We identify and train highly effective teachers to lead students attending non-selective high schools in low-income communities to enroll in and graduate from college. OneGoal leverages exceptional teachers to equip students with a system of best practices and collaborative networks of support. Our students, called Fellows, are then armed with the tools and resources they need not only to enroll in their best-fit match college, but also to graduate once they arrive on campus. To date, 98 percent of Fellows have been admitted to four-year colleges; and 85 percent of OneGoal alumni are currently persisting in college and are on track to graduate.

OneGoal was founded in 2007 and is in the midst of an aggressive expansion campaign. Currently, we work with nearly 1,000 students in 20 high schools across Chicago. By 2017, we will grow to serve more than 4,000 students in 3-5 regions around the country and operate with an annual budget of $8 million, moving us closer to the day when every student in America has the opportunity to enroll in and graduate from college.

Position Overview: OneGoal is currently seeking an exceptional leader to serve as the founding Executive Director of our first expansion site in Houston, Texas. The Executive Director will be chiefly responsible for driving programmatic success; building strategic relationships with key stakeholders; leading the development of a long-term vision for OneGoal in Houston; and growing and managing a local team. Reporting directly to the CEO and playing a key role in the development and expansion of the national organization, the Executive Director will work closely with the organization’s national team to share best practices, further the mission of this entrepreneurial, data-driven organization, and ultimately help grow a movement critical to the success of our nation.

The Executive Director - Houston, will have an unparalleled opportunity to plan strategic growth into new schools, create a regional funding base by developing partnerships with key community leaders, mobilize and support some of the strongest teachers in the city, oversee overall program effectiveness and lead the effort to make college graduation a reality for students in Texas and beyond. Our team selected Houston for expansion in large part because of the potential that exists within the region, and the strategies and tactics implemented by this leader will inform how, when and why we expand into new communities in the future.

Responsibilities: Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

Set vision for the region in order to achieve programmatic and operational success

• Chart our course to establish the OneGoal movement in Houston, maximizing impact in the short- and long-run and modifying our growth plan as necessary given internal and external changes
• Build strategic relationships with the Houston Independent School District (HISD), charter networks, and other key stakeholders to ensure our model is implemented as a lever for systemic change
• Serve as the external face of OneGoal in the Houston community with a wide range of partners to advance our program, including philanthropists, program partners and media

Engage and steward current and potential stakeholders

• Develop, engage and drive the Houston Board of Directors to maximize impact throughout region
• Grow a sustainable, diversified local funding base that will include gifts from individuals, corporations and foundations, an annual benefit dinner and possible public funding from local levels
• Ensure the ongoing engagement and stewardship of an ever-growing portfolio of influential individual, corporate and foundation donors

Hire, manage and build an excellent team

• Lead effort to source for and hire an exceptional program manager and development manager in FY13, and continue to thoughtfully and strategically grow the team in the years to follow
• Relying on professional development priorities, build an exceptionally strong, driven team while ensuring direct reports are maximizing their individual potential as team and organizational leaders
• Develop and maintain a strong organization culture that is reflective of OneGoal’s core values and our commitment to diversity and inclusiveness

Manage region towards ambitious goals

• Set annual goals that are both ambitious and realistic, and aligned with our strategic plan
• Ensure strong strategic planning and execution of the OneGoal program model, including teacher recruitment, student selection, exceptional in-school instruction, dynamic, collaborative conferences and remote, third-year support.
• Work closely with the CEO and other OneGoal leaders to share and implement best practices that promote continuous learning throughout the region and national organization

Qualifications:

• Thrives in achievement-oriented and fast-paced environment
• Operates with a high level of personal responsibility, optimism and entrepreneurialism
• Demonstrates sound judgment
• Achieves results by managing through others and across multiple layers of an organization
• Cultivates internal and external constituencies and builds long-term relationships to achieve broad, mutually–agreed upon goals
• Builds a successful team, including a pipeline of talented and diverse potential team members
• Coaches others and plays a role in their long-term development
• Demonstrates deep commitment to and belief in OneGoal mission and theory of change
• Bachelor’s degree required; teaching experience a plus; advanced degrees in business, education or public policy a plus

Application Instructions

To Apply: Please upload 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, both in Word format, to Jeff Nelson at http://jobs.cgcareers.org/application.aspx?id=1933