Teach For America - South Carolina is in the midst of an unprecedented organizational transformation period to catapult its level of impact and measurable outcomes to record setting heights. The first step in this process is identifying and securing talent to lead the organization forward. The Chief of Staff will deliver on innovative thinking and business-changing recommendations that will inform the core of our impact work. S/he must begin work with a high level of appreciation for the mission of the Teach for America and an ability to quickly understand the literature relevant to our priority outcome areas. The Chief of Staff must be a culture leader responsible for hiring top talent and managing both internal employees and external consultants to deliver the outcomes of the department. S/he should maintain a relentless focus on impact that balances big picture ideas with detailed logistics of activating at scale impact.
The ideal candidate will be an effective strategic thinker, problem solver, planner, and driver of change who operates with a sense of urgency and personal responsibility. S/he will be as comfortable at 30,000 feet as s/he is on the ground. Excellent communication skills are critical. The Chief of Staff must communicate in a transparent and honest fashion that promotes inclusiveness, cooperation, and teamwork. In addition, s/he will be diplomatic, of the highest integrity, and possess sound judgment, as well as a sense of humor and humility.
- Act as a thought partner with the Executive Director and provide leadership in the implementation of the new 2020 Vision;
- Expand incoming corps membership to 100 members per year and retain 500 alumni leaders in the South Carolina Region.
- Establish new markets for corps member placements and resource development through district and corporate partnerships in Greenville and Columbia, SC
- Develop a Strategic Plan: Work with the regional leadership team to analyze the current development, program, financial and accounting, and technology infrastructure and recommend changes as necessary to support the growth and the goals established in the strategic plan.
- Craft a strategic plan for building leadership and culture for staff, corps members and alumni with respect to Teach for America’s Talent philosophy & diversity, equity, and inclusiveness & align our talent recruitment, development and career trajectories to this strategy in partnership with all senior leaders in the region - including budget, personnel and system needs.
- Significantly contribute to making TFA-SC a truly great place to work: Ensure our strategies & performance put the region on the path to exceed breakthrough results for Great Places to Work.
- Meet with and advise the Executive Director and functional team leaders on a regular basis to ensure team strategies are aligned with and in support of our new Diversity statement. Topics may include hiring practices, culturally responsive management, recruitment & retention of staff members of color or from low income backgrounds etc.
- Work closely with the Executive Director and Managing Director, Development to assure that the annual budgeting process is conducted in the most effective and efficient way, and ensuring the Executive Director has all the information he needs related to budgeting, program fund allocation, fundraising, and resource allocation;
- Work with the Managing Director, Development to analyze past regional performance, current and future regional funding needs, and regional landscape to set ambitious, yet feasible, donation and donor retention goals.
- Participate in and support Teach For America South Carolina's team-wide responsibilities and events.
- 8+ years of work experience required.
- National and Local Nonprofit Experience
- Previous experience in education
- Deep understanding of Youth Development and Educational Principles
- Understanding current education norms and ability to anticipate future trends in assessment and curriculum
- A proven ability to build and leverage relationships across multiple layers
- Deeply committed to Teach For America’s core values, mission, theory of action
- Demonstrated ability to directly or laterally manage others to strong outcomes is required
- Prior experience working with senior leadership within an organization or company, and a natural orientation towards being proactive, solutions-focused and helpful
Work Demands
- Willingness to work some weekends and evenings to attend or facilitate external or TFA-SC corps member or regional events.
- Ability to travel by car to in-person meetings in various South Carolina cities regularly
- Must be willing to work from a Teach For America - South Carolina Office
Skills
- A strategic thinker. When you face a large problem, your first instinct is to break it down into smaller, manageable pieces. You can ruthlessly prioritize on what is most important and avoid distractions, which will be critical as you develop a comprehensive program strategy.
- An excellent communicator. You can create and deliver compelling formal and informal communications about our organization, mission, and goals, and have a mature presence. You are skilled in your ability to convey complex ideas through brief, simple materials. You demonstrate experience and credibility when presenting materials to external audiences.
- A self-driven “do-er.” You get stuff done. You exhibit a strong action-orientation, while also epitomizing a learning orientation and modeling self-driven leadership. You have exceptional communication and project management skills and follow-through with the highest integrity. You’re known as reliable and efficient and demonstrate personal responsibility for achieving your goals
- Demonstrated ability to lead, and a belief that others must lead, through a culturally relevant lens and in a way that empowers and supports, staff, corps members, alumni, students and communities.
- Ability to build and maintain strong, successful relationships with leaders across an organization and operate with cultural competence, integrity, maturity and confidence
- Possesses the highest standards of discretion, ethics, integrity, respect and humility
- Exceptional problem-solver.
- Ability to manage multiple high-stakes responsibilities & relationships with a high degree of personal accountability
- Has exemplary verbal and written communication skills, including an ability to communicate ideas to others clearly, simply, and compellingly
- Excellent ability to build, manage and navigate cross-organizational relationships to build consensus and achieve results
- Strong self-awareness and ability to independently self-reflect
- Expertise in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint required