Job Description
REPORTS TO: Executive Director
ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION
Founded in 2006, exalt’s mission is to transform the lives of court-involved youth by equipping them withthe skills and experience they need to become self-sufficient members of society. We fulfill this mission by providing a cohesive, cohort-based educational internship program with four components: 1) a proprietary curriculum-based classroom component; 2) paid internships in youths’ fields of interest; 3) post-internship education and career development services; and 4) an alumni network that provides ongoing access to resources. exalt partners with criminal justice agencies, nonprofits, corporations, foundations, and schools to serve youth ages 15-19.
exalt is the first organization designed specifically for youth involved in the criminal justice system in which youth participate by choice, versus compliance. Last year, the organization served over 500 students in its core program and over 500 youth in its alumni network - 70% young men and 30% young women. Over 90% of participants in exalt’s program are Black (Caribbean, African, and African American) or Latino. exalt recently implemented an ambitious three-year strategic plan to nearly triple its original size. At 15 years young, exalt is growing quickly.
exalt empowers youth to see a future filled with hope and provides a roadmap to get there. For more information on this extraordinary organization, please visit https://exaltyouth.org/.
ABOUT THE POSITION
The board and Executive Director of exalt are looking for a mission-focused, seasoned, strategic and process-minded leader to serve as CPO to oversee daily program operations and help the organization to responsibly scale. exalt seeks an individual with experience leading a management team, scaling an organization, and developing a performance culture among a group of diverse, talented individuals. To that end, the CPO must exhibit the cultural competence to function within an organization in service to young people of color. The Chief Program Officer will serve as a critical member of the executive management team. In collaboration with the CEO, the CPO will articulate and implement the strategic vision and leadership of the agency; oversee a significant portfolio of programs and related services; evaluate the effectiveness of programs to provide ongoing feedback; help to promote and diversify funding through effective resource stewardship at an agency with a healthy mix of government funding and private philanthropic support; raise the agency’s profile through external communications; provide mentoring, guidance, supervision, and professional development to all leadership staff; and enhance the structure of the organization by staying abreast of developments in youth workforce, juvenile justice reform, and education.
The CPO will oversee a program portfolio that includes: 1) youth education, court advocacy, and internship training; 2) youth education and literacy; 3) youth workforce training; 4) Alumni Programs 5) replication of exalt’s model. The CPO will also engage the Board of Directors frequently under the direction of the CEO. Responsibilities: Leadership, Staff Management and Organizational Strategy. In coordination with the Chief Executive Officer and executive team, play a key role in the overall development, strategic planning, service delivery, and management of the organization across multiple programs and departments.
The CPO reports to exalt’s Executive Director and is a member of an Executive Team that includes the Chief Operating Officer, Chief Strategy Officer and Director of Finance. The CPO directly supervises a growing number of staff (currently 25 program staff) program directors, managers and coordinators; working closely with senior program staff to build their skills and confidence so that they can mentor, encourage, and motivate all staff. Provide assistance and guidance on how to troubleshoot program and staff performance challenges.
Strategy:
Develop a team-based environment to motivate and inspire staff to work collaboratively toward vision and goal, by clearly communicating exalt’s vision, implementing yearly staff development plans and mentoring. Establish annual program, departmental and staff goals and objectives and track results against these goals as well as accountability protocols. Participate in the budget development process and maintain a high level of fiscal responsibility. Support fund development efforts through the promotion and execution of exalt’s annual fundraising event, report writing and partnering with the CEO to steward funding relationships. Coordinate with the Chief Strategy Officer on replicating exalt’s model and pilot projects, including systems to evaluate pilots. Serve as liaison to key government agencies, represent the CEO, on relevant committees and task forces, as well as at speaking engagements, conference panels and trainings. Monitor emerging needs among key stakeholders such as youth, government, philanthropy, and employers. Program Oversight and Evaluation: Oversee the coordination, integration, and delivery of all programs, contracts and related services, promoting collaborative relationships between program areas and ensuring that the expectations of funders, partners, constituents, youth, and other stakeholders are consistently met. Respond to government and foundation requests for proposals and applications in partnership with development and senior staff; coordinate planning and activities necessary for development of model program designs in response to RFPs and RFAs. Work closely with the finance department to budget and monitor programmatic operations to ensure sound fiscal and system management. Ensure the delivery of qualitative and quantitative goals and outcomes of programs and services.
Provide leadership and input for strategic plan development and implementation. Develop and lead an organizational performance assessment process that collects and manages appropriate data and evaluates progress against programmatic, operational, and financial goals. Remain current on developments in the field by participating in educational opportunities, reading professional publications, maintaining personal networks and participating in professional organizations.
Human Resources and Team Development:
Provide a strong day-to-day leadership presence and support a culture of equity and inclusion.
Promote a culture of high performance and continuous improvement that values learning and a commitment to quality. Mentor and develop staff using a supportive and collaborative approach: establish and monitor staff performance and development goals, assign accountabilities, set objectives, conduct annual performance appraisals, and administer salary adjustments. Mentor directors, managers and coordinators on how to proactively engage in planning to improve program management. Deploy resources efficiently and effectively toward organizational goals, working with staff to balance workload and effort, and provide regular feedback so that key staff can continuously improve their supervision and mentoring skills. Create and support a high performing culture in the program department aligned with exalt’s core values: humanize, validate, motivate and inspire and professionalism. Coordinate and analyze the appropriate data to inform the programmatic and operational decision-making process. Use the existing Salesforce CRM platform to increase exalt’sefficiency, transparency and collaborative efforts among teams. Determine staffing plans to achieve program goals and objectives and participate in hiring decisions for new program staff. Deepen existing and create new performance and outcome measures for outreach and recruitment, completion rates, internships, retention, college, training, enrollment, completion, court resolutions, and other measures that are core to exalt’s mission. Develop an assessment protocol to determine the feasibility and sustainability of programs as well as lead to more effective and efficient service delivery. Analyze and assess programs based on data collected and implement corrective measures.
Operations and Technology:
· Prepare and submit an annual operational plan and budget to the Executive Director for review and approval, manage effectively within this budget, and report accurately on progress made and challenges encountered.
· Oversee program functions and workflows to ensure efficient and consistent youth services as the organization scales.
· Manage facilities and security to ensure a safe, warm, and high-functioning environment for staff and students.
· In partnership with COO, analyze the current technology infrastructure and scope out the next level of information technology systems that support the growth of specific programs and the organization overall, particularly given the advancement of technology and digital divide.
· Work with the Director of Finance to plan, coordinate, and execute the annual budget process.
· Ensure the continued financial viability of exalt’s programs through sound fiscal management. Oversee financial and programmatic reporting for government contracts and foundation grants.
REQUIREMENTS
This is an outstanding opportunity for a highly motivated professional to assume a pivotal role in the evolution of a fast-growing, highly respected organization. We are seeking an individual of exceptional abilities with a respected track record. To be considered for this exciting position, candidates should possess the following:
· Bachelor's degree required, advanced degree a plus.
· Minimum five-to-seven years of experience in management roles.
· Excellent management and communication skills.
· Experience working with boards.
· Experience with youth development.
· Highly detail oriented.
· Ability to assimilate a high volume of information across disciplines and departments.
· Ability to creatively solve problem-solve and make and implement decisions quickly and soundly.
· Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment and exemplify leadership and composure under pressure, while maintaining high morale.
· Ability to work with a wide range of people representing various backgrounds, levels of training, and career stages.
· Ability to multitask, offering support to the Executive Director and other members of the Executive Team.
LOCATION: New York, NY
COMPENSATION:
exalt offers an attractive compensation package, including a competitive salary of $135,000–$155,000, commensurate with experience.
exalt is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status, or any other protected class under Federal, State and Local law. People of color strongly encouraged to apply.