Details
Posted: 12-Jan-22
Location: Culver City, California
Type: Full Time
Salary: Starting at $180,000
Categories:
Development/Fund Raising
Salary Details:
The annual base salary for this role will be based on a range, starting at $180,000 and commensurate with the successful candidate’s skills and experience. The compensation also includes a competitive benefits package.
About Independent School Alliance
Working in partnership with families and schools, the Independent School Alliance helps students of color access an independent school education and supports and guides the family after a student is enrolled in a school. The Independent School Alliance (“The Alliance”) is a leading access organization in independent school admissions counseling and placement for students in grades K-12. The Alliance recruits, educates, counsels, and advocates on behalf of families of color seeking to gain access to independent elementary and secondary schools of Greater Los Angeles.
For more than 35 years, the Independent School Alliance has assisted thousands of young people and their families achieve their dream of quality education despite racial, cultural, and socioeconomic disparities. We stand firmly in the purpose of our mission that education is the antidote for the injuries of the world. Our member schools educate the leaders of our city, state, and nation. Alliance students go on to attend some of the most prestigious colleges and universities in the country. Through our collective work and shared goals with community partners nationwide, we endeavor to make the Independent School community reflect the diversity and cultural richness of the world outside its doors.
Through our initiatives, we fortify Alliance students with exposure to leadership and social-emotional development opportunities in order to make our school communities places that educate the next generation of leaders to be better human beings. We recognize our role as leaders, builders, connectors, and caregivers in the independent school community. We are equipped with the skills and experience to address and challenge the responses, practices, and policies in our schools and the broader community required to achieve equity.
To make lasting systemic change, we, as a society, must invest our energy in deep, personal, individual work; and that energy must be amplified beyond the individual and interpersonal to institutional and structural levels of the system. With that aim, the Independent School Alliance will continue the work of diversifying independent schools in the Greater Los Angeles area for 35 more years and beyond.
The Alliance’s $1 million+ annual operating budget is supported by individual charitable contributions as well as the philanthropic initiatives helmed by our Board of Directors and Advisory Council. Educational equity and access are our moral imperative.
For more information on Independent School Alliance, please visit our website.
The Opportunity
The Independent School Alliance (“the Alliance”), working for over 35 years to advance educational equity and access, is seeking a bold, mission-driven leader to serve as its next Executive Director. The Alliance not only creates pathways to success for underrepresented and underserved students, but also enhances the independent school community through increased diversity and cultural richness. As the Alliance looks towards its next 35 years of impact, this is a unique opportunity for an innovative leader to shape the vision and strategy for organizational growth and impact and seize new opportunities to better serve the community.
Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director will have oversight of a $1M+ annual budget and a small but mighty team of passionate and dedicated professionals. This individual will be responsible for the oversight of all programs and fund development efforts, as well as the fiscal health and structural soundness of the organization. The Executive Director will also serve as the primary spokesperson for the Alliance with families, community members, funders, and partner schools.
The Executive Director will have the chance to partner with leading independent schools in the region to advance the vital work of educational equity while centering the families and students that the Alliance serves. This is an exciting opportunity to be at the helm of an organization dedicated to empowering children of exceptional talent and potential from racially underrepresented and economically underserved communities in order to transform independent schools and society.
Compensation
The annual base salary for this role will be based on a range, starting at $180,000 and commensurate with the successful candidate’s skills and experience. The compensation also includes a competitive benefits package.
Contact
Koya Partners, the executive search firm that specializes in mission-driven search, has been exclusively retained for this engagement. Michelle R.S. Bonoan and Jennifer Smith are leading this search. To make recommendations or to express your interest in this role, please visit here or email mbonoan@koyapartners.com and jsmith@koypartners.com. All nominations, inquiries, and discussions will be considered strictly confidential.
Independent School Alliance is an equal opportunity employer. Independent School Alliance seeks diversity in its community and affords equal employment and advancement opportunities to all qualified individuals without regard to race, creed, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, ancestry, gender, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, marital status, citizenship status, medical condition, or any other legally protected status.
About Koya Partners
Koya Partners, a part of the Diversified Search Group, is a leading executive search and strategic advising firm dedicated to connecting exceptionally talented people with mission-driven clients. Our founding philosophy—The Right Person in the Right Place Can Change the World—guides our work as we partner with nonprofits & NGOs, institutions of higher education, responsible businesses, and social enterprises in local communities and around the world.
For more information about Koya Partners, visit www.koyapartners.com.
Candidate Profile
The Executive Director of Independent School Alliance will possess the following attributes and competencies:
Passion for the Mission
The Executive Director will have a passion for the mission of the Alliance and for the work and impact of independent schools. Possessing a genuine commitment to the students and families that the Alliance serves, this leader will be culturally competent and able to move with ease in underrepresented and under-resourced communities. The Executive Director will bring a knowledge of or a keen interest for the independent school landscape to the role including familiarity with admissions processes. Driven by the Alliance’s legacy of expanding educational access, the Executive Director will be a powerful advocate for equity and inclusiveness in education.
Visionary, Creative & Innovative Leader
The Executive Director will be a bold, ambitious and entrepreneurial leader who will have the drive and passion to build on Alliance’s 35-year history and lead the organization into its next evolution. This creative thinker will work with the Board to articulate a clear vision and purpose for the Alliance that seizes new opportunities for impact. Experienced in the design and execution of organizational strategy, this individual will set short- and long-term organizational priorities that align to the Alliance’s mission. An inspiring presence, the Executive Director will clearly articulate Alliance’s value proposition to its partners and will galvanize people around a shared vision for educational equity and access.
Nonprofit Management, Operations Excellence & Business Acumen
The Executive Director will be a strong and experienced organizational manager, with a high degree of business acumen and a thorough understanding of best-in-class nonprofit management practices. Able to hit the ground running, this leader will adeptly enhance the Alliance’s internal processes and systems, and will continue to build organizational infrastructure in furtherance of the Alliance’s mission. This individual will put systems in place to ensure the organization’s seamless coordination with partner schools and support of prospective students and families.
The Executive Director will establish clarity of roles, responsibilities, priorities, and goals for staff. This individual will be outcomes-focused and will demonstrate the ability to build, nurture, and retain a strong team of diverse professionals, creating an inclusive culture of accountability, trust, and high expectations for performance. The Executive Director will be dedicated to the growth and learning of staff and will provide opportunities for professional development.
Service Orientation
The Executive Director will excel at providing meaningful support to all member schools and Alliance’s families and students. This individual will prioritize consistent communication, transparency, and accountability to ensure that the Alliance is a trusted partner to both schools and families. Highly visible on the campuses of partner schools, the Executive Director will take the time to build trusted partnerships with school leaders and communities. An excellent listener, hospitable and warm, the Executive Director will ensure that all stakeholders feel seen and heard.
Relationship Builder & Manager with High EQ
A natural relationship builder and manager, the Executive Director will have the ability to build bridges and develop meaningful relationships with families, students, school partners, the Board, and community members. This individual will have the emotional agility to switch between environments rapidly and create a deep sense of trust with a diverse range of stakeholders. Possessing credibility and gravitas, the Executive Director will reestablish and reconfirm the Alliance’s value proposition as a true partner organization. This individual will have the flexibility needed to work in partnership with independent schools representing a diversity of missions and visions.
Revenue Generation and Fund Development
The Executive Director will bring to the role a measurable track record of success and genuine enthusiasm for development. This charismatic fundraiser will excel at developing, growing, and cultivating relationships that result in increased revenue generation. The Executive Director will have the ability to assess the Alliance’s current business model and develop innovative strategies for diversifying its revenue streams to achieve long-term sustainability.