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New Orleans Executive Director, Playworks
Position: New Orleans Executive Director
Functional Area:
Organization: Playworks
Location: New Orleans, LA
Metro Region:
Overview:
Playworks is a national nonprofit that provides safe, healthy play and physical activity to low-income schools, helping create a positive environment for learning and teaching. 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.
Position:
The New Orleans Executive Director is responsible for managing all aspects of the program in New Orleans including the implementation of the Playworks comprehensive school-based programming at sixteen (16) new schools. The Executive Director is Playworks’ senior staff person in New Orleans and oversees up to twenty (20) staff people. This position will be responsible for the financial sustainability and growth of the New Orleans program by engaging various funding sources, hiring and managing a dynamic team, and delivering excellent Playworks programs for initially sixteen (16) schools in the local school district. This position requires a high level of development and program management experience and the successful candidate must bring a strong knowledge of the public school system, ability to lead and develop teams, and proven experience managing day-to-day operations of a growing direct service organization. This position reports to the National Program Director and is located in New Orleans, LA
Responsibilities:
Development and Budget Management:
• Manage New Orleans-based fundraising activities including developing foundation relationships, corporate sponsorships, and individual donor solicitation activities
• Work closely with the Deputy Director of Strategy and Development to design and implement a development plan for the New Orleans program
• Work closely with the Director of Government Programs, the AmeriCorps Manager, and staff to meet government grant requirements while ensuring program quality
• Serve as contact for local funders, host program visits and seek new relationships in the philanthropic community;
• Manage the city budget and work with the CFO to develop and monitor programmatic budgets (program and leagues); including securing contracts and accounts receivables with schools and districts
External Relations:
• Recruit, lead, and support a New Orleans Board of Directors charged with providing guidance, making contacts, and supporting fundraising for the program
• Serve as a contact for local media and build relationships to increase visibility
• Work with community volunteers and volunteer agencies to promote greater community involvement
Program Oversight
• Responsible for overseeing all aspects of Playworks’ New Orleans programming, including program planning, implementation, expansion, evaluation and overall program quality
• Provide leadership for a new team of Playworks staff including establishing organizational values, promoting collaborative environment and communicating expectations and employee recognition
• Work diligently to ensure professional development opportunities and growth for each member of their team
• Work closely with Program Managers to support growth and development in new school districts, including recruiting new schools annually
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 New Orleans 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:
• Commensurate with experience, and consistent with organizations of our size and budget
• 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=1617 Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Playworks is an Equal Opportunity Employer
