Neighborhood House Charter School, Executive Director

Neighborhood House Charter School (NHCS) is a public charter school for grades K1-12 in Dorchester, Massachusetts. One of the Commonwealth’s first charter schools, NHCS was founded in 1995 by parents and community members seeking a high-quality educational option for children from their community. Today, with over 800 scholars across three schools and two campuses, NHCS combines rich and structured learning with extensive social/emotional programming to help all students succeed in school and in life.

In conjunction with these efforts, NHCS seeks to graduate scholars who are prepared to succeed in and lead for a more equitable and rapidly changing future. NHCS’s program integrates rich and structured learning with comprehensive social/emotional support to develop in scholars: 1) academic content knowledge and core skills like critical thinking and communication, 2) social/emotional resiliency, and 3) a sense of civic duty and a moral compass.

To learn more about the organization, please visit https://www.thenhcs.org/about-us/.

OPPORTUNITY

NHCS stands at a crucial juncture as it seeks its next Executive Director to guide the school’s educational outcomes and navigate the next phase of the school’s positive community impact. The Executive Director will guide the NHCS community through an inclusive and collaborative process, steering the development and execution of a clear and focused strategic plan for 2024 and beyond. In addition to this overarching objective, the Executive Director will play a key role in driving fundraising initiatives and ensuring operational and cultural alignment across NHCS's three schools.

NHCS is in the midst of an intensive anti-racist and liberatory design journey. This work has led to the adoption of Design Principles that are core to the culture of the organization and community: Joyful Rigor, Sense of Self/Sense of Purpose, Good Trouble, Greater than the Sum of our Parts, and Rooted in Love. The Executive Director must be a strong advocate for NHCS's anti-racist values and the belief that every child can be successful, no matter their background, in order to maintain and accelerate the momentum in these areas.

NHCS has experienced tremendous growth since opening its high school in 2016. Combined with the impact of COVID-19 on schools nationwide and the imperative to find a new high school facility, the next Executive Director will inherit an organization in the midst of this dynamic change and opportunity.

As NHCS charts its course forward, the Executive Director will play a pivotal role in steering the organization through this period of change and ensuring its continued positive impact on the community.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Continue to develop and execute on the design journey and strategic plan

• Continue to enrich, support and develop a clear and actionable strategic plan in partnership with the Board and senior leadership team.
• Clearly define, communicate, and develop accountability measures related to the school’s DEI & anti-racist vision and mission.
• Identify areas of strategic and programmatic focus and assess existing initiatives to ensure alignment with strategic outcomes.
• Ensure scholars’ academic and post-graduate success through strong partnership development across industries and educational opportunities.
• Lead organizational change initiatives, bringing along staff across all levels of the organization.

Achieve significant fundraising opportunities and drive financial leadership

• Establish mechanisms and opportunities with the Board of Trustees and Director of Development to fundraise for operating and upcoming capital needs.
• Partner with the Finance Director to develop sustainable budgets and long-term financing strategies that align with and support the strategic priorities of the school.
• Manage the school’s budget to uphold the strong financial position of the school, maintain full compliance with all fiscal requirements, and further ongoing efforts to improve effective financial management practices.

Lead and engage across the organization with a clear cascade of desired outcomes

• Lead organizational change initiatives, with mechanisms to empower and engage staff across all levels of the organization.
• Clearly define and communicate roles and responsibilities across the leadership team to strengthen accountability, transparency, and understanding.
• In partnership with the leadership team, foster a shared sense of purpose, community, and equity across three schools and two campuses.
• Strengthen internal communications systems and practices across the leadership team to ensure alignment across all levels and roles at NHCS.
• Partner with leadership to ensure systems, processes, facilities, and technology can meet compliance requirements, gain new efficiencies, to be sustainable in the future, and support ongoing demands across multiple buildings.
• In support of ongoing school redesign journey, ensure policies and processes align with NHCS’s stated anti-racist mission.

Deeply engage in external stakeholder engagement

• Partner with families, caregivers, and community members as close collaborators, engaging them directly in supporting the overall mission and vision of the organization.
• Serve as the primary spokesperson, managing communications with external entities, including the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, governmental leaders, Boston Public Schools, the Massachusetts Public Charter School Association, the Boston Charter Alliance, funding organizations, donors, community partners, and the media.
• Collaborate with the Board of Trustees to ensure alignment with the school's mission, charter, strategic vision, and accountability plan.
• Prepare for, and lead NHCS through, next year’s charter renewal process.

Develop, hire, and retain top talent aligned to the core values of NHCS

• Attract, hire, and retain staff at all levels of the organization who are aligned with NHCS’s core vision and mission.
• Provide oversight to strengthen the onboarding process for new teachers and staff.
• Prioritize retention efforts, particularly for staff of color and underrepresented populations.
• Demonstrate cultural competence; engage in continual self-assessment around issues of difference and coach others on equity, anti-racism, and liberatory principles.

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS

• Proven leadership experience in urban education or a related field.
• Evidence of philosophical alignment with the NHCS’s inclusive approach to education and commitment to helping every child be successful within the NHCS setting.
• Strong understanding of and adept skill at successfully employing change management strategies during periods of organizational growth.
• Experience developing and executing a strategic plan.
• Exceptional team leader, capable of inspiring and motivating a high-performing diverse team and building internal and external coalitions.
• Demonstrated success in cultivating and securing philanthropic support from individuals, foundations and corporations.
• Inspirational communication and interpersonal skills.
• Proven experience representing an organization to myriad audiences, serving as an effective spokesperson to build coalitions, raise funds, and increase awareness.
• Demonstrated success in hiring and developing talented staff, building teams, and ensuring collaboration across teams.
• Successful track record with financial and budget management of comparable scale in high compliance environments.
• Master's degree in Education or related field (preferred).

Benefits

This position offers a competitive salary range of $180,000 - $215,000, and robust benefits including medical, dental, and retirement. More details can be provided upon request.

For additional questions about this position or to speak with someone about your interest, please contact Jonathan Howard at [email protected].

Neighborhood House Charter School (NHCS) is committed to being an anti-racist organization. The work of racial justice does not belong to a department or position; it is the responsibility of every member of our community - scholar, family, and educator. As an educational organization, we are committed to continual growth and learning so everyone can find a safe place to belong and walk on their own anti-racist journey in the midst of a racially diverse and vibrant community. This will ensure that we, as an organization, reflect, equip, and care for all.

We are an equal opportunity employer and it is our policy to provide equal opportunity for all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, gender or gender identity, sexual orientation, veteran status, genetic information, age, disability, marital status or any other basis protected by federal, state or local laws. We encourage you to apply even if you feel that you do not meet all the stated requirements for the position.