Operations / Administration Chief of Staff
Job Description
About NYC Kids RISE:
The NYC Kids RISE Save for College Program is a universal, community-driven wealth-building platform that expands access to mainstream financial products, puts real financial
assets in the hands of low-income families and communities of color, regardless of their immigration status, provides financial education for families and students, and brings schools and communities together to support all of their children’s futures. In the middle of our fourth year of operations, operating in the geographic area of School District 30 in Queens – one of the most diverse school districts in the country, more than 13,000 students (~95% of all Kindergarten, First, Second and Third Graders) have a NYC Scholarship Account with more than $5.5M accumulated to date. NYC Kids RISE is currently working with partners to expand to additional school districts this Fall with the expectation that the Save for College Program will be citywide.
Through the Program, every student enrolled in a participating NYC public (district or charter) elementary school, starting in kindergarten, automatically receives an NYC Scholarship Account invested in the NY 529 Direct Plan plan with a $100 seed deposit and up to $200 in early rewards. Their families can open and connect their own college savings account (separate from the scholarship account) and start saving their own money in the ways and amounts that make sense for them, building financial capability and stability. At the same time, communities can contribute to groups of these NYC Scholarship Accounts as both a targeted and universal platform for community-driven asset-building in every neighborhood. By combining seed scholarships, family savings, community investments, and funding streams from every level, the platform can build meaningful assets for public school students. These accounts, and the accompanying program supports, enable families, schools, local organizations, businesses, anchor institutions, financial institutions, philanthropy, and the public sector to work together to build assets in students’ accounts and strengthen social capital by supporting expectations of success across the neighborhood.
NYC Kids RISE manages the Save for College Program in partnership with the NYC Department of Education and the City of New York, with founding support from the Gray Foundation.
Read more about NYC Kids RISE and the Save for College Program in Fast Company, the Wall Street Journal and the NYCHA Journal. Read more about NYC Kids RISE theory of change here in a recent report by the Urban Institute.
Position Summary:
NYC Kids RISE is seeking an experienced, creative, and empathic thinker and doer to join our growing team as Chief of Staff. As a key member of the senior team and reporting to the Executive Director, the Chief of Staff will assume a strategic and operational role supporting the overall management of the organization, and in the development and evolution of the Save for College Program as a decentralized wealth building platform for New York City neighborhoods. The Chief of Staff’s responsibilities will include working with the Executive Director to plan and manage priorities that will both deepen the impact of the current model in District 30, and support our growth into new school districts this upcoming school year. The Chief of Staff will manage standing meetings, communication systems, and organizational practices, work with the Executive Director to prioritize work and focus of the senior team, and ensure the organization’s structures and processes are optimal for achieving its desired results. The Chief of Staff will lead and manage special projects,and organizational priorities that cut across departments and work streams, and provide ongoing thought partnership to team members.
The Chief of Staff will also play a leading role with the senior team in helping to advance the development and evolution of our organization’s culture — aspirationally rooted in connection, racial equity, accountability and community. The right candidate will be an exceptionally organized individual who is interested and has experience in economic justice, community wealth building, financial inclusion, collective impact and cross sector partnerships. They will be a systems thinker, and a strong communicator who is comfortable working in a fast-paced and generative environment. They will also be comfortable wrestling with the natural tension between a big vision, accountability for short, medium, and long term outcomes, and the importance of a collaborative process in achieving the aforementioned outcomes. The ideal candidate will be excited to tackle and contribute to mitigating the growing pains of NYC Kids RISE’s evolution from a start-up organization to an organization entering its fifth year of operations — furthering institutionalizing policies, procedures and building systems, and continuing to build and reassess organizational infrastructure that maximize organizational values and impact.
Responsibilities will include but not be limited to:
- Leadership and Project Management:
- Partner with the Executive Director to help NYC Kids RISE meet its near-term objectives and pursue its long-term mission, including supporting the management and implementation of organizational priorities, key responsibilities and projects, meetings, and follow-up tasks
- Draft and finalize talking points, presentations, newsletters, grant proposals
- Develop and manage day-to-day senior staff communication, meetings, and project planning to support the interconnectedness of workstreams
- Support advancing disciplined and effective practices to monitor progress and hold each other accountable to our goals
- Plan, coordinate, and manage “All Staff” meetings, in partnership with senior staff
- Manage large, cross-functional projects and lead special projects
- Participate and share in the organization’s work to advance racial equity and anti-oppression in its operations and practices; proactivity identify opportunities to advance the development of anti-racist practices; share and solicit ongoing feedback and conversations to advance this work.
- Systems Management:
- Constantly assess systems and ensure the organization’s management structure, processes, and communication systems reflect the state of the organization, the Save for College Program, and maximize performance, norms, and values of the organization, particularly as the organization grows
- Assist in managing internal project-management and work-stream systems
- Maintain, and support other staff and volunteers to maintain strict adherence to NYC Kids RISE’s data security and privacy policies; remain vigilant in the ways in which NYC Kids RISE can continue to protect confidential information ; identify vulnerabilities, and proactively problem solve to improve controls and practices
- Engage cross-functionally to coordinate and assist on annual planning, budgeting, performance reviews, and other organization processes
- Relationship/Partnership Development & Management:
- Build strong relationships and trust to ensure and improve effective collaboration with internal and external stakeholders by driving communication, information sharing, and alignment across communications
- Engage with outside funders, partners, and advisers to advance projects and the overall mission; support fundraising and development initiatives
- Serve as a liaison to the Board of Directors including overseeing preparations for board meetings
Qualifications:
- Experience: 7+ years of relevant professional experience, particularly in roles that require good judgement, reliability, responsiveness, and discretion; focus and awareness of the importance of both the process of how the work gets done and the outcome of the work, experience working in one of the following or similar – community economic development, financial empowerment, public policy, public policy, experience building cross sector partnerships, collective impact, previous government experience preferred but not required.
- Communication: Strong interpersonal skills, high levels of emotional intelligence and tendency to identify and amplify strengths in teammates; detail-oriented professional with demonstrated written, verbal, and presentational communication skills for various types of audiences.
- Project Management: Highly organized with proven ability to work cross-functionally, including ability to track, manage and execute work streams toward completion.
- Strategic Thinking and Problem Solving: Demonstrated ability to consider an issue, identify and anticipate needs and perspectives, propose solutions, elevate when necessary, and incorporate feedback effectively. Excellent research and presentation skills.
- Collaborative Spirit: Enjoys working as part of a team, but able to work independently; ability to have direct but empathetic conversations with leaders and staff at all levels of the organization; high degree of comfort with change and a fast-paced environment.
Due to COVID-19, the application process for this role will be conducted virtually. The entire team is currently working remotely and depending on the timing of this hire, the CoS will likely begin this position remotely as well. The office is otherwise based in Long Island City (Queens, NY), and the entire team is expected to return to the office once health conditions allow.
To apply, submit a cover letter and resume to jobs@nyckidsrise.org and list the name of the position, “Chief of Staff” in the subject of the email. Salary based on experience.
