Executive Director

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

New York, NY

Who We Are and What We Believe:

For over twenty years, Bottom Line has been dedicated to promoting educational equity by ensuring that all individuals with the drive and potential for a quality college education can access it. Particularly for students from low-income, first-generation backgrounds facing systemic challenges, Bottom Line's advisors serve as steadfast allies, guiding them through college selection, supporting them through their degree pursuits, and facilitating successful career launches.

On average, Bottom Line graduates achieve nearly double their family's income in their initial post-college employment, a testament to the organization's profound impact that extends beyond individuals to families and entire communities. As pioneers in college support with a focus on graduation rates, Bottom Line effectively narrows the substantial gap between first-generation, low-income students and their more affluent peers.

Established in 1997 in Massachusetts and expanding to New York City in 2011, Bottom Line has steadily grown to assist thousands of aspiring degree holders from disadvantaged backgrounds on their journey to higher education. Presently, we serve over 8,000 students across four regions, in NYC alone they serve over 2,000 students from all five boroughs. Bottom Line fills a gaping hole in the suite of college-focused programs in New York City by focusing on the successful completion of college in addition to college access, transforming students’ career prospects and, ultimately, their futures.

In partnership with donors, Bottom Line seeks to expand its impact radically: to annually support 20,000 students in their educational journeys by 2030. To realize this ambitious vision, Bottom Line will deepen investment in Chicago, New York, Massachusetts, Ohio, Detroit and will also seek to expand to new regions.

What You Will Do:

The Executive Director role is an exciting opportunity for a leader interested in having a transformative impact on Bottom Line’s reach in New York City. Reporting directly to the Chief Regional Officer and partnering closely with the local Advisory Board, the Executive Director will have the relationship-building, fundraising, team leadership, and strategic thinking skills necessary to fuel Bottom Line’s growth in NYC, supporting 2K+ (and growing) students as they gain access to and through college and launch their careers. The Executive Director will have high emotional intelligence, cultural competence, and a collaborative and relational mindset that allows them to effectively lead a high-performing regional team and be equally comfortable serving as the local face of Bottom Line and engaging with a wide variety of stakeholders, including students, staff, donors, and the external community.

As the lead fundraiser for the region, the Executive Director will have the skills and more importantly, motivation needed to engage a wide range of donors in order to achieve ambitious revenue goals growing the region from $5M to $8M. The Executive Director will also serve as a member of Bottom Line’s Senior Leadership Team, which sets overall organizational strategy, representing the needs of the NYC region and developing and driving the strategy to implement work regionally.

Leadership & Management

• In partnership with National, establish the strategic plan that supports the mission and vision of Bottom Line NYC and lead the overall strategic and operational excellence across Bottom Line NYC’s staff, programs, and execution in service of the mission.
• Oversee the evaluation of programming results to ensure that decisions are made in a data-driven manner. //Ensure BL’s programmatic approach is implemented in region and the regions achieves critical programmatic KPIs
• Lead and motivate a team of staff who have a wide array of diverse experiences and skills, establish and maintain a vibrant and meaningful work culture at Bottom Line NYC.
• Balance local and national perspectives; initiate and guide the regional team to encourage collaboration with the National team, ensuring alignment in achieving both annual and long-term strategic objectives for the organization.
• Advocate for and bolster the organization’s foundational principles, policies, and dedication to racial equity, actively steering the organization towards a more anti-racist and multicultural stance.
• Foster a cultural ethos consistent with the organization’s Foundations and Core Values to foster staff engagement and drive the attainment of ambitious objectives.

Fundraising & Relationship Building

• Lead fundraising initiatives and serve as the chief advocate for Bottom Line, NYC, developing and executing a fundraising strategy to achieve both immediate and long-term regional goals.
• Work closely with the Regional Advisory Board, utilizing their expertise to build relationships and secure funding throughout the NYC area.
• Foster relationships and secure substantial, multi-year contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporate entities.
• Identify new opportunities and establish as well as maintain partnerships with donors, thought leaders, and key community influencers, including K-12 schools, colleges, and grassroots organizations.
• Amplify Bottom Line’s prominence as a leading voice within the sphere of college and career accessibility, persistence, and triumph.

Expected Travel:

10-15%

Who Should Apply:

If you meet the qualifications below, you should apply.

The ED must be a visionary and dynamic self-starter who shares Bottom Line’s commitment to changing the lives of students and their families. The ED must value diversity and demonstrate comfort and competence working with and leading a diverse team. They must be a passionate, authentic, ethical, and mission-driven leader. The Executive Director will also be a person who possesses:

• Bachelor’s degree and legal work authorization.
• Proven success in leading and managing high-performing organizations, business units, or teams, especially during periods of growth
• Strong ability to set strategic direction for cross-functional priorities and manage teams (ideally through layers) to drive towards outcomes
• 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
• Proven fundraising experience within a relevant scale/context ideally with experience securing funds across a variety of funding streams (e.g., individuals, corporate, foundations etc.)
• Demonstrated experience in building, nurturing, and managing relationships with a wide swath of stakeholders (e.g., staff, donors, corporate partners, high schools, and higher education institutions etc.)
• Strong alignment with Bottom Line’s mission, vision, and core values.
• Dedication to empowering underserved students by guiding them in selecting appropriate college options and providing support throughout their journey to a successful career launch.

All employees are expected to demonstrate continued growth within our seven core competencies. Competencies provide Bottom Line with a way to define, in behavioral terms, what it is that people need to do to produce the results that the organization desires, in a way that is in keeping with its culture. Bottom Line defines competency as a cluster of related knowledge, skills, and attitudes that affect a major part of one’s job that correlates with performance on the job, that can be measured against well-accepted standards, and that can be improved via training and development.

• Relationships: Identifies opportunities and takes action to build and maintain meaningful and collaborative connections with various stakeholders.
• Results: Produces quality outcomes; compiles and analyzes data to drive future plans; uses creative solutions.
• Communication: Effectively articulates information in a clear, concise, and timely manner to a wide range of stakeholders.
• Inclusiveness: Creates and maintains an environment that respects and values the identities and cultures of all colleagues and students we serve.
• Talent Development: Actively contributes to the hiring, development, retention, and promotion of a highly effective team.
• Agility: Demonstrates adaptability and openness to shifting priorities, needs of stakeholders, and organizational changes.
• Planning: Effectively and efficiently uses resources (people, time, materials, technology) in order to create, meet, and assess both strategic and task-oriented goals.

How to Apply/Application Deadline:

All applications must be submitted via Bottom Line’s Career Page.

Please share your resume and cover letter.

Start Date:

January 2025

Compensation:

$175,000- $220,000

Benefits:

Learn about our benefits here.