Operations / Administration President and CEO
Job Description
PENCIL’S MISSION, VISION, AND CORE COMMITTMENTS:
PENCIL links community resources to Metro Nashville Public Schools to help young people achieve academic success and prepare for life.
PENCIL exists to create a world where Metro Nashville Public School (MNPS) students and teachers have equitable access to resources and opportunities, empowering students to succeed now and in the future. We do this by creating a community that respects the unique perspectives and experiences of all stakeholders through proactive listening, continuous learning, and tireless advocacy for every student.
Our work is guided by the needs of MNPS, is student centric, and is achieved through intentional partnerships and tangible engagements.
As the PENCIL team, we will:
- Be collaborative and inclusive —By encouraging conversations that amplify and uplift the voices of all students and communities, especially those marginalized by inequitable systems.
- Act with transparency and integrity —By striving to continually educate ourselves, intentionally recruit and retain diverse staff and stakeholders, and encourage everyone to share their authentic perspectives and experiences to our work.
- Demonstrate kindness and gratitude— By valuing the unique experiences that each student, staff, and community member bring to our work.
POSITION SUMMARY:
The President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is responsible for the successful leadership and management of PENCIL under the direct supervision of the Board of Directors. The CEO assumes operational leadership of the staff, implementation of programs, and the financial health of PENCIL. A skilled strategist and vision caster, the CEO will deliver results as outlined in the organization’s strategic plan.
The CEO is a consummate relationship-builder and sustainer, seeking the input of key stakeholders and diverse voices on major initiatives and decisions, while remaining anchored in PENCIL’s mission and vision. In particular, the CEO will have a strong relationship with the Director of Metro Nashville Public Schools, whose district priorities shape the services that PENCIL and PENCIL Partners provide.
As the organization’s most high-profile spokesperson, the CEO will ensure PENCIL is represented in relevant community and business gatherings, associations, and professional groups and will serve as an ambassador for PENCIL and the students and teachers it serves. Demonstrating a strong knowledge of nonprofit fund development, the CEO will work with staff and board to recruit and steward investments to fulfill PENCIL’s mission. Through daily example, the CEO will live PENCIL’s core values of collaboration, inclusivity, transparency, integrity, kindness, and gratitude.
The CEO guides a 60-person governing Board of Directors, which meets quarterly to act on proposals and work done by seven committees. PENCIL’s Executive Committee serves as the management team for the Board of Directors and meets seven times during the year in order to provide more active management of the organization. The CEO directly supervises an Executive Team of four Chiefs and provides mentorship and guidance to them in Technology, Programs & Partnerships, Administration & Finance, and Philanthropy. The CEO oversees all operations of a $2.2M budget with 18 full-time staff, 2 part-time staff, and approximately 2,500+ volunteers annually.
PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS:
Strategic Leadership & Vision
- Manage strategic planning and evolve the organization to continually fulfill the mission as district needs and external circumstances shift.
- Demonstrate creativity, problem solving, active listening, and community building while being a brand ambassador in all aspects of PENCIL’s work.
- Inspire staff to bring their full selves to work and nurture a healthy workplace culture that values diverse voices and perspectives.
- Lead, coach, develop, and retain a high-performing senior management team while supporting the supervision and success of all other team members.
- Ensure effective systems are in place to monitor and evaluate programmatic outcomes so these can be effectively communicated to the board, funders, and other constituents.
Philanthropy & Financial Management
- Play a robust role in fundraising and in 1:1 donor visits; personally manage a portfolio of high-level investors.
- Demonstrate a knowledge of and experience with fundraising best practices.
- Ensure the fiscal integrity of PENCIL by monitoring the annual operating budget and ensuring PENCIL operates within budget guidelines, is fiscally responsible, and remains in line with the strategic direction articulated by the board.
- Possess a strong understanding of and experience in implementing nonprofit financial management best practices; demonstrate this by presenting financial statements to a variety of audiences with a focus on telling the story behind the numbers.
Programmatic & Technology Oversight
- Ensure ongoing program excellence, rigorous program evaluation and consistent quality of finance and administration, fundraising, communications, and systems; recommend timelines and resources needed to achieve strategic goals.
- Provide oversight and guidance around the use of technology systems to capture meaningful data points; help move PENCIL forward with data analysis that can impact programmatic evolution.
- Document all activities in the designated customer relationship management tool in a timely, accurate, and complete manner to assure a full picture of all relationships, ensuring that data is kept current at all times.
Board & Community Relations
- Develop, maintain, and support a strong Board of Directors; build board involvement with strategic direction for ongoing operations as well as for new rollouts; intentionally create a strong board community.
- Enhance PENCIL’s image by being active and visible in the community and by working closely with other professional, civic, and private organizations.
- Other key duties include ensuring compliance with Board directives and applicable funding and governmental requirements.
- Performs other functions as assigned by the Board of Directors.
CANDIDATE PROFILE:
The CEO will possess a demonstrated ability to make decisions in an emotionally intelligent manner, act with urgency when required, and lead with courage and consistency. The CEO will reinforce a team culture that is humane by modeling the behavior she/he wishes to see in others; being visible and accessible; and by encouraging experimentation while learning from failure. By ensuring that team and external stakeholders feel connected to PENCIL’s mission, seen for their strengths, and valued for their individual contributions, the CEO will actively maintain a collaborative, positive culture that effectively harnesses resources for Metro Nashville students and teachers.
Required Attributes
- Holds a master’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Has spent a minimum of ten years on a senior management team.
- Can demonstrate the ability to manage sensitive information in a professional and confidential manner.
Preferred Attributes
The candidate will display a positive attitude, be mission-driven and self-directed, and possess strong self-management skills that include:
- Excellent interpersonal communications
- Public speaking and active listening
- Strategic thinking and organizational planning
- Mediation and change management
- Efficient time management in the face of competing priorities
- Confident use of technology
The candidate will be an effective leader of others by drawing on skills that include:
- Organizational Management: Develop high-performance teams and achieve strategic objectives
- Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Ability to work effectively in collaboration with diverse groups of people
- Board Management: Motivate and sustain high engagement of a large and diverse Board
- Fundraising: Secure sustainable resources
- Demonstrably strong written and verbal communication skills
- Community Relations, Marketing, and Branding
- Financial Management
- Commitment to quality programs and data-driven program evaluation
- Risk Management, Ethics/Compliance
The candidate will possess contextual knowledge of:
- School System Operations and Leadership
- K-12 Education Issues and Trends
- Community Collaborations Issues and Trends
- Nonprofit Functions and Operations
ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS & PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
- Moderate physical activity performing somewhat strenuous daily activities of a primarily administrative nature.
- Manual dexterity sufficient to reach/handle items, works with the fingers, and perceives attributes of objects and materials.
- The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
- The employee is required to stand, walk, climb, and balance.
WORK SCHEDULE & HOURS:
This position works 40-50 hours each week, typically Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., with evening and weekend hours for special events as needed to build community relationships and represent PENCIL in a variety of settings. However, schedule flexibility is available on an as-needed basis.
DISCLAIMERS:
This job profile is not intended to be all inclusive of tasks required, it is to provide a general description of essential job responsibilities.
PENCIL is committed to developing a diverse staff that reflects the community we serve. Research shows that candidates from underrepresented communities often do not submit a resume if they do not feel highly qualified in all areas. Therefore, we extend an invitation to all candidates to apply, especially those from historically underrepresented communities, including but not limited to, those identifying as Black/African American, Indigenous/Native, Hispanic/Latinx, Asian American/Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern/North African and other people of color; LGBTQ+ candidates; and candidates with disabilities.
PENCIL is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.
