New York Executive Director

Are you ready to directly impact the lives of first-generation college students and champion economic mobility for all?

America Needs You (ANY) fights for economic mobility for ambitious, first-generation college students. We do this by providing transformative mentorship and intensive career development. ANY operates in New York, New Jersey, Illinois, and California. Visit www.americaneedsyou.org to learn more information.

The ANY Fellows Program is an intensive two-year program for high-achieving, low-income, first-generation college students. The program has four components: intensive career development, one-on-one mentorship, robust networks, and holistic support. Founded in 2009 and headquartered in New York City, ANY expanded to New Jersey in 2012, Illinois in 2015, and California in 2016, growing from serving 50 students to nearly 600 students annually. In 2021, ANY launched FirstGenU, a new virtual program designed to help 10,000 first-generation college students navigate their careers. Visit https://americaneedsyou.org/firstgenu/ to learn more.

New York Executive Director

(full-time, hybrid, based in New York City, NY)

Are you ready to directly impact the lives of first-generation college students and champion economic mobility for all?

About Us

Did you know that only 11% of low-income, first-generation college students in the U.S. graduate within

six years? Those who graduate have a median household income 27% lower than their peers. While there are a multitude of college access programs for high school seniors and job assistance programs for low-wage earners, there are few programs that ensure first-generation students stay in school and build the skills necessary to prepare for long-term careers. This is where America Needs You (ANY) comes in.

ANY fights for economic mobility for ambitious, first-generation college students by providing transformative mentorship and intensive career development. Founded in 2009 and headquartered in New York City, ANY expanded to New Jersey in 2012, Illinois in 2015, and California in 2016, growing from serving 50 students to nearly 600 students annually. In 2021, ANY launched FirstGenU, a new virtual program designed to help 10,000 first-generation college students navigate their careers. Visit https://americaneedsyou.org/firstgenu/ to learn more.

Position Overview

We are seeking a New York Executive Director (ED). The New York Executive Director is the face of ANY in the community and a champion for first-generation college students, who will lead and grow the market to achieve more impact. A passionate mobilizer and results-oriented changemaker, the New York ED leads ANY’s founding site and is responsible for its performance, growth, and funding as well as its student and volunteer success. Reporting directly to the VP of Regional Excellence and partnering with the local Advisory Board, the ED is tasked with setting and articulating a compelling site strategy in alignment with ANY’s expansion and impact plan. The ED will have fundraising, relationship-building, and team management skills to ensure quality program outcomes for ANY students and Fellows. In addition to providing overall nonprofit leadership and team management, the ED works closely with the CEO, Chief Communications & Engagement Officer, and Chief Growth & Strategy Officer to achieve revenue growth goals to $5M and engage multiple stakeholders in the continued success of ANY. The ED also serves as a member of ANY’s Management Committee of senior leaders.

This inspirational leader is passionate about ANY’s mission, is highly collaborative, has a hunger for developing strong partnerships and raising critical funds, has a recognized track-record of achieving excellence, and demonstrates proven success in managing the day-to-day operations of a growing organization. The ED will have a growth mindset and execute ANY’s current program, while focusing on market opportunities.

Responsibilities:

• Fundraising: Evaluate, develop, and execute the site’s fundraising strategy to identify and prioritize funding sources that meet current funding targets, growth goals ($5M), and diversify revenue streams. Cultivate and steward funding relationships with a sustainable base of corporate, foundation, individual, and government funders.
• External Affairs: Serve as the face and primary spokesperson of ANY locally to further its prominence as a thought leader in the realm of mentorship, college persistence, and career development for first generation college students.
• Board Management: Actively build and manage a local Advisory Board, recruiting and engaging a diverse group of board members.
• Leadership and Strategy: Deliver ANY’s vision and strategic plan in the local site by engaging with executive leadership, staff, and external stakeholders to develop and evaluate local site strategy.
• Stakeholder Management and Awareness Building: Manage key relationships across stakeholder partnerships, including higher education, employer, and community partnerships. Elevate ANY’s depth of executive engagement with key partners, Raise ANY’s profile and brand awareness through thought-leadership, public speaking engagements, press pieces, and local association meetings.
• Program Growth and Partnerships: Build student and volunteer recruitment pipelines, as well as internships, in partnership with colleges, universities, and employers.
• Site Management and Performance: Oversee delivery, quality control, and evaluation of programs. Prepare annual operating budgets, manage resources and site expenses within budget guidelines and the strategic roadmap.
• Talent Management: Actively contribute to the hiring, development, retention, and promotion of a highly effective team. Lead and motivate the ANY New York team by fostering a positive, collaborative work culture consistent with ANY’s core values.

What does success look like?

• A financially healthy site that grows its budget each year and is well- regarded in the New York market.
• A program that furthers ANY’s success of getting our incredible students through graduation and into jobs! (Goals: 90% college graduation, 90% internships and employment annually.)
• Serve 300+ Fellow and Mentor Coach pairs annually.
• Engaged volunteer Mentor Coaches who love engaging with ANY and our talented students.
• College partnerships and community relationships that support the enrollment of students (5,000+ by 2025) into ANY’s national virtual program, FirstGenU.
• A highly engaged site team and Advisory Board with mission-driven and collaborative culture
• Lead, develop and grow local team.

• Strong alignment with ANY’s mission, vision, and core values.
• Bachelor’s degree and legal work authorization.
• 7-10 years of leadership experience with a verifiable track record of achieving metric-driven, successful outcomes. Proven experience leading and managing high-performing teams through periods of growth
• Proven ability to set strategic direction for cross-functional priorities, manage teams to drive towards outcomes and make data-informed decisions.
• Skilled people manager adept at identifying strengths in others and nurturing team members to develop and grow while simultaneously holding a high bar for achieving outcomes. Strong coaching skills with the ability to give effective and direct feedback and provide results-focused and motivational management.
• Demonstrated fundraising experience within a relevant scale/context ideally with experience securing funds across a variety of funding streams (e.g., individuals, corporate, foundations, government).
• Outstanding interpersonal skills and experience identifying, building, nurturing, and managing meaningful connections across wide swaths of stakeholders (e.g., staff, advisory board members, volunteers, donors, corporate partners, and higher education institutions etc.).
• Experience mobilizing and inspiring diverse audiences. Strong communication skills, including public speaking, presentation, writing, and editing. Comfortable serving as the local face of ANY with the agility of engaging a wide variety of stakeholders, including students, staff, donors, and the external community.
• Dedication to empowering underrepresented students by guiding them in selecting appropriate career options and providing support throughout their journey to a successful career launch.
• Possessing high emotional intelligence, cultural competence, and a collaborative, relational mindset to successfully lead a high-performing site. and be equally.
• Deep level of personal responsibility, accountability, and self-awareness. Commitment to personal and professional growth for themselves and those they lead.
• As ANY workshops are held on Saturdays, this position will require flexibility and willingness to work nontraditional work hours.

To Apply:

Please apply here. Please note that your application will not be considered without a cover letter. No

phone calls, please.

The salary for this position is in the range of $120,000 to $140,000.