We are seeking an Executive Director to pursue and extend our vision of excellence in New Mexico and to maximize Teach For America’s impact inside the organization and outside in our communities. You as the Executive Director will inspire and motivate your team while creating a culture of excellence, urgency, and core values alignment – balancing our short-term work and long-term efforts.
To realize the vision of growing and deepening our impact, you will maximize our operating budget of nearly 1.7 million dollars; achieve a fundraising goal of 1.4 million dollars; set the vision and direction for a corps of about 40, an alumni base of over 200, and a staff of 8; serve as a model cultural leader within the organization and outside of it; and play a critical role in the education movement across the region. New Mexico is a region with unique dynamics, and it calls upon you as the Executive Director to work deeply in partnership with community, private sector, education, and political leaders at all times.
Teach For America’s Executive Directors are part of the national senior leadership team at Teach For America and are at the forefront of improving the state of education in this country, impacting the future of thousands of children. You would report directly to the Senior Vice President of Regional Engagement and will partner with a dedicated local board to work within Teach For America’s evolving operating model.
As the Executive Director of Teach For America-New Mexico, you will:
- Serve as a savvy social capitalist by leading in a way that quickly and authentically builds trust, credibility, and attracts followers; leveraging local and state connections, as well as general educational savviness, to increase opportunities in and across New Mexico; anticipating and navigating complex and charged social and political local networks; operating with a high level of political diplomacy and neutrality; and working across the aisles for the benefit of the children in New Mexico.
- Chart the course for the region by creating a clear, compelling, community-based vision that is grounded in the landscape’s opportunities, needs, and problems and investing stakeholders in this vision.
- Influence others to achieve outcomes in service of this vision by seeking, listening to, and discerning diverse perspectives; acquiring firsthand community experience to deepen insights and approaches (particularly with respect to native communities); navigating and leveraging structures and relationships to gain support; and demonstrating knowledge of political and policy landscapes.
- Provide cultural leadership to the New Mexico region by strengthening a connection to the native/indigenous communities; leading as an authentic partner to those who identify as being of and within these communities and demonstrating deep respect for those who have been doing this work for generations in their communities and schools; building and maintaining a culture that is grounded in our core values in partnership with staff, corps members, and alumni; exemplifying our core values in all actions with all internal and external constituents; and creating an environment that fosters diversity and inclusiveness.
- Lead fundraising efforts and engage and cultivate stakeholders by deepening our political capital and fundraising capacity (achieving a fundraising goal of 1.4 million dollars); focusing on significantly growing and diversifying a sustainable funding base that will include gifts from individuals, corporations, foundations, and districts; and assuming responsibility for an operating budget of nearly 1.7 million dollars.
- Provide executive management to New Mexico by attracting, hiring, and developing a team of diverse and talented staff members; ensuring that the proper infrastructure exists to maximize performance of all people and resources; managing a team to reach ambitious goals; and executing the fundamentals of not-for-profit management (board management, fundraising, and fiscal management, etc.).
- Make decisions and demonstrate judgment as the leader of the New Mexico region by exercising good judgment when facing new challenges and viewing situations through multiple lenses; leading with integrity in ambiguous and/or paradoxical situations; constructing decision-making processes to engage multiple perspectives; and enacting a suitable, timely course of action when making decisions.
- Cultivate new relationships while retaining and continuing to deepen existing relationships with public officials and organizations that are statewide in nature and working with all sides to maximize our scale and impact.
- Develop, manage, and partner with the regional advisory boardwho will help maximize TFA-New Mexico’s impact, narrative, and sustainability.
- Significant leadership experience (minimum of 5-10 years) managing a high-performing team toward ambitious outcomes with financial accountability in a complex, mission-driven organization
- Connections to native/indigenous communities preferred
- Demonstrated achievement in and excitement about fundraising or ensuring financial sustainability of an organization, including an ability to mobilize people and create champions to support organizational mission
- Experience building and/or working in partnership with a Board of Directors, in addition to possessing a strong understanding of the roles of the Executive Director and the board and a successful record of supporting the board and leveraging talents and contributions
- Outstanding interpersonal skills and an ability and desire to develop and maintain deep relationships with variety of diverse constituents
- Understanding of the complexity of the local political climate that impacts TFA-New Mexico
- Experience navigating the political process as it pertains to elected officials, legislators, school district officials, and school board members.
- Excellent strategic thinking skills to understand and lead in a complex environment
- Strong, proactive communicator and exceptional, humble listener
Personal Characteristics
- Strong alignment with, passion for, and commitment to the mission and values of TFA
- Sense of urgency around accomplishing goals and objectives
- Clarity of vision and the ability to invest others within the organization and in the broader New Mexico community in that vision
- Extraordinary cultural leadership and credibility and executive management skills rooted in excellence and a deep love for others
- Ally and champion for native communities with a commitment to build coalitions
- Strong sense of self-awareness and understanding of one’s strengths and areas for development
- Commitment to exploring issues of race, class, and privilege
- Ability to deal with ambiguity and conflict
- Excellent judgment and sound decision-making skills
- Willingness and ability to learn about the New Mexico education landscape/native communities and establish oneself as a key partner in the local movement to fight educational inequity
- Ability to work some evenings and weekends
- Ability to travel within the region daily and ability to travel to in-person meetings in various U.S. cities quarterly