Operations / Administration Chief Executive Officer
Job Description
WHAT IS DCSC?
Denver voters approved the Denver College Success Corporation in November 2018. Voters approved a dedicated funding stream for college access and success programs through a sales tax increase that will generate nearly $12M annually and sunset in December 2030.
Currently, 74% of jobs in Denver will require a postsecondary degree or certificate. However, less than half of current Denver residents 25 years and older have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Obstacles preventing Denver residents from obtaining a postsecondary degree include:
- A widespread belief that college is not financially possible, and
- A failure to complete degree program because of financial, social and academic pressures.
Failure to complete a degree is especially harmful because students are saddled with debt, but then have no postsecondary credential in Denver’s competitive job market. Additionally, students who complete their degree with excessive debt have difficulty meeting the cost of living in Denver.
The Denver College Success Corporation is a city-funded non-profit organization that uses a pay-for-performance model with an income based sliding scale award. It will leverage taxpayer dollars with privately raised funds. Specifically these funds will be available to existing non-profit organizations devoted to providing high school graduates with educational opportunities at accredited Colorado technical schools, community colleges, and universities. These organizations will be motivated to assure success for their selected students in the pursuit of post high school educational opportunities because their efforts will also be partially reimbursed.
The first distribution of funds collected by the city will be made to 20 non-profits who provide scholarships to qualified students in the second quarter of this year. Those public funds will amplify the private funds that each nonprofit has collected to increase the number of students who can receive scholarships, and/or to increase the amount of the scholarship the students receive from the nonprofit.
The Board of Directors of DCSC is now looking for the organization’s first leader to build the organization for optimal impact in our community.
SCOPE AND RESPONSIBLITIES
The Chief Executive Officer is a flexible and adaptable leader who is responsible for managing the administration of DCSC funds. The Chief Executive Officer serves as the public face of the DCSC and works both independently and as a team player to productively engage with others including the DCSC board, DCSC staff, the organizations served by DCSC, city employees, city council members, and citizens. The Chief Executive Officer ensures that the operations of DCSC comply with the provisions of the statute authorizing the distribution of these funds while maintaining a clear focus on delivering value to the citizens of Denver.
The incoming CEO will manage the organization’s initial operating budget of $600,000 and oversee distribution of funds to qualified scholarship-providing organizations twice each year.
QUALIFICATIONS
The Board of Directors seeks an entrepreneurial leader who is excited to build and bring to life this unique community service organization. Qualified candidates will have specific experience in these areas:
Commitment to our Work – Passion for DCSC’s mission and role in supporting the successful attendance at and graduation from post-secondary education providers for qualified Denver students.
Leadership – Experience in building buy-in for strategic vision among various stakeholders, in implementing agreed strategic plans, and in aligning operations with strategic goals.
Operations Management – Senior-level management/administrative experience in nonprofit, government, or private sector organizations. Some experience in collecting, analyzing, and using data to inform further research and program efforts highly preferred.
Financial Management – Strong financial acumen and experience in administering complex budgets.
Entrepreneurial – Experience in and passion for building and/or operating start-up organizations.
Communications & Relationship Building – Outstanding collaboration, presentation, relationship building, and communication skills across multiple platforms and with diverse audiences.
Public Policy & Government Relations – Some experience in working with municipal governments and implementing public policy preferred; willingness to learn the details of applicable statutes and to work with policymakers required.
Staff Management & Development – Experience in building a strong team of professionals with a collaborative, inclusive culture committed to excellence and customer support.
Board Management & Development – Experience in reporting to, working with, or serving on a volunteer governing board.
Other requirements:
- Undergraduate degree required; graduate degree preferred.
- Facility in English required; other language competency preferred.
Qualified candidates must be flexible and comfortable working in an environment that will continue to evolve on a daily basis. Success in this role requires the ability to partner well with the board in refining the key policies and procedures of DCSC and with the scholarship-providing organizations. The Chief Executive Officer must bring a proven ability to ensure complete financial integrity and accuracy to maintain the trust of Denver citizens coupled with world-class communication skills to carry the message of DCSC to many different stakeholders. Above all, candidates interested in this role must be eager, focused, committed, data driven decision-makers, detail-oriented, adaptable, and dynamic.
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
The Board of Directors has established a competitive salary range for this position that also aligns with DCSC’s operating budget which is limited to 5% of the total revenue collected annually. The initial CEO salary range is $130,000-$160,000, depending on skills and experience.
The incoming CEO will have the opportunity to work with the Board to define an effective set of benefits for all staff including the CEO.
