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Durham Executive Director, Playworks
Position: Durham Executive Director
Functional Area:
Organization: Playworks
Location: Durham, NC
Metro Region:
Overview:
With over 300 professionals, Playworks is a fast growing national nonprofit that provides safe, healthy play and physical activity to low-income schools, helping create a positive environment for improved learning and teaching and reduced bullying and teasing. Our organization is in a rapid growth mode expanding from 250 schools to over 500 schools. Playworks maximizes the value of recess, making play a part of every day ultimately transforming the learning environment for hundreds of schools across the country. We put trained adults on the playground to introduce classic games that are disappearing from schoolyards, like kickball and four-square, as well as new games designed to build leadership and foster teamwork. When Playworks partners with a school, kids are more physically active and they return to class focused and ready learn so the whole school day goes better. Playworks’ track record of success across the country has attracted multi-million dollar investments from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, AmeriCorps and private philanthropists.
Playworks was recently featured on ABC’s Nightline. Follow this link to see the story: http://tinyurl.com/playworksnightline
Position:
Playworks is in the midst of substantial national expansion, and we’re looking for a dynamic, entrepreneurial and talented leader to launch our organization in the Durham area. The Durham Executive Director will be responsible for the financial sustainability and growth of the program by developing local funding sources, increasing the number of school partnerships and leading the team that delivers excellent Playworks programs for schools throughout the local districts. This position requires demonstrated success in fundraising, board development and staff leadership. Successful candidates must bring a strong knowledge of the public school system, ability to lead/develop teams and proven experience managing the day-to-day operations of a growing direct service organization. This position reports to a National Program Director and is located in Durham, NC.
Responsibilities:
External Relations and Development
- Lead all efforts to expand programming in new school districts and continually recruit new school partnerships
- Manage Durham based fundraising activities including developing foundations relationships, corporate sponsorships and individual donor solicitation strategies
- Build and support a Durham Board of Directors charged with providing guidance, actively supporting fundraising goals, and increasing networks for Playworks throughout Durham
- Serve as external face of Playworks in the community, within schools, in philanthropic circles and in the media to increase visibility and brand awareness
- Work with community volunteers and volunteer agencies to promote greater community involvement
- Work closely with a National Development Director to design and implement a development plan for the Durham region
Program Oversight and Operations
- Oversee all aspects of Playworks’ Durham programming, including program planning, implementation, expansion, evaluation and overall program quality
- Work closely with national leadership team and with City Executive Directors throughout the country to gather, share and implement best practices and promote learning amongst Playworks cities
- Provide leadership for a new team of Playworks staff; establish organizational values, promote a fun, collaborative environment while communicating expectations and employee recognition
- Ensure a wide array of professional development opportunities for each team member and effective performance evaluation systems that promote growth and achievement of individual and organizational goals
- Manage the city budget and work with the National Program Director to develop and monitor programmatic budgets (program and leagues); including securing contracts and accounts receivables with schools and districts
Expansion and City Launch Responsibilities
- Collaborate with National Expansion Director to develop and implement a strategy for solidifying Playworks partnering schools for the 2011-12 school year
- Work closely with the national leadership team to support the successful launch of programming and operations
Qualifications:
- 5+ years of experience as a successful leader in the nonprofit sector, government, private sector or education with proven visionary management and strategic planning capability
- Strong experience managing a highly capable team using outcomes measurement and goal-setting
- Commitment to the mission, vision and values of Playworks
- Experience creating and maintaining high-level relationships within the philanthropic community, school districts, government and private sector
- Knowledge of the cultural landscape of Durham and surrounding communities and an ability to build collaborations with a variety of existing and new community contacts
- Entrepreneurial self-starter and creative thinker with experience producing results in a rapidly growing, deadline-driven, fast-paced, dynamic environment
- Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred
Compensation and Benefits:
- Competitive Non-Profit salary with potential bonus
- Employer-paid health coverage
- Access to employee-funded pre-tax health and child care spending accounts
- Paid vacation, sick and holiday leave
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 David Gallagher at http://jobs.cgcareers.org/application.aspx?id=1716
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
