Executive Director

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW

STRIVE is a national leader in workforce development solutions, empowering individuals to discover their best future selves through innovative, evidence-based career training and holistic, lifelong support. STRIVE partners with employers, funders and community organizations to close gaps in workforce needs and help local economies thrive. Founded in East Harlem, NY, in 1984, STRIVE has grown from its roots to now offer programs in locations across the country.

For more than 40 years, STRIVE has been a catalyst for economic change and prosperity in underserved communities. Our tuition-free skills and job readiness training, one-on-one support and lifetime personal coaching prepare students for careers in high-growth industries such as healthcare, construction and logistics. With a proven pathway to possible, 80% of STRIVE students graduate, 76% attain employment and 70% retain employment long-term.

Looking to the future, STRIVE has embarked on an ambitious ten-year growth plan to increase its impact in more locations nationwide, aiming to serve up to 10,000 individuals each year by 2033.

We meet individuals where they are, providing free programs tailored to adults 18+, including those impacted by the justice system. At STRIVE, there is always a path forward.

POSITION SUMMARY

STRIVE seeks a dynamic, strategic, entrepreneurial leader who will be responsible for overseeing the launch and expansion of STRIVE to New Jersey, beginning operations in the Greater Newark region of northern New Jersey counties of Essex, Hudson and Union.

Supported by STRIVE’s National Program Team, the Executive Director will join a network of STRIVE sites delivering our dynamic programs, including our flagship Career Path program and specialized justice-impacted programs, across the nation. To be successful in this role, the ideal candidate will thrive in a fast-paced environment where the ability to manage multiple relationships and a range of small and large-scale projects at once is vital. The mandate for the STRIVE North Jersey Executive Director is to establish STRIVE as a preferred partner for middle skills jobs in the region and to expand the number of job seekers served.

The successful candidate will be outcomes focused, highly motivated, growth-oriented and experienced, who can work collaboratively with the CEO and the Executive Team to meet the organization’s goals. They will have substantial experience in building and executing new programs, fundraising, management, operations, and a deep understanding of cultivating and managing finances from various revenue sources.

The founding Executive Director leads program execution, community engagement, partner cultivation and facility establishment to achieve success in our northern New Jersey location. They will provide vision and leadership, fiscal responsibility and sustainability, budget oversight, and program management. They will work with STRIVE’s national Development team to execute our New Jersey fundraising strategy, building the local funder relationships and being an active partner in fulfilling their revenue goals.

They will lead and develop a team to execute and advance our evidence-driven training model in both our career path and reentry-focused programs. They will work in close partnership with our Chief Program Officer and the National Program & Impact team to implement our programs and ensure their continuing success. At STRIVE, we operate in a fast-paced, dynamic environment. The Executive Director will have the opportunity to shape an innovative workforce development approach in Northern New Jersey, as well as further build and establish the STRIVE reputation throughout the New Jersey workforce development and justice-aligned community.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Program Leadership

• Develop and lead the implementation of STRIVE program(s) in New Jersey with the support of STRIVE’s National Program Team.
• Ensure high-quality delivery of our career pathway training to new STRIVE students and alumni.
• Develop and implement new training initiatives in response to local demand.
• Cultivate a pipeline of employers in Northern New Jersey who are willing to invest in training design and implementation, and who will commit to hiring STRIVE graduates.
• Increase awareness of STRIVE’s program to targeted communities.
• Expand enrollment in STRIVE’s training.
• Develop strategic alliances with other local service providers, local and state education and human services agencies, community colleges, and other aligned organizations to expand STRIVE’s implementation and presence.

Fundraising & Community Engagement

• Serve as the “face of STRIVE” in New Jersey, representing STRIVE in regional meetings, conferences, panels, and media opportunities.
• Develop and lead STRIVE New Jersey’s local fundraising strategy in partnership with the national Development team.
• With the Development team, prospect, cultivate, and generate local operating revenue through a diverse range of fundraising activities targeted at individual, institutional, and public sources.
• Oversee execution of outcomes and fulfill requirements for local grants and contracts.
• Build and staff a STRIVE New Jersey Advisory Council or similar stakeholder engagement strategy to support development and sustainability.

Team Leadership

• Build and lead a team and facilitate regular performance management, professional development, and team meetings.
• Ensure that all program goals are met or exceeded, including outcomes tracking and reporting using STRIVE’s national performance management system (Apricot by Social Solutions) and other platforms.
• Serve as the primary liaison between the northern New Jersey site’s and STRIVE National teams (program, finance, communications, development, and human resource teams).
• Follow local and national workforce, business, and industry trends to inform student and employer partner needs.
• Prepare, manage, and grow the annual program budget.

Finance & Operations

• Serve as the on-site lead for all local administrative & operational and collaborate with centralized HR, Technology, and Finance teams to ensure seamless operations and the availability of necessary resources for the local site.
• Work closely with the Finance team to oversee the local budget, monitor financial performance, and ensure compliance with internal policies and regulations.
• Collaborate with internal & external stakeholders to develop a comprehensive facility strategy, including researching potential locations, negotiating leases, and managing build-out & relocation logistics.
• Manage relationships with contractors, service providers, and vendors to ensure timely and cost-effective resolution of janitorial, facility maintenance and repair needs.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree and/or minimum of 7-10 years of relevant professional experience.
• Experience working for nonprofits, especially workforce development a plus.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain relationships with diverse stakeholders, including donors, community leaders, and employers.
• An inclusive philosophy with experience working with ethnically and socioeconomically diverse communities and a strong understanding of the social, economic and cultural landscape of New Jersey.
• An understanding of what it takes to build a supportive, collaborative work culture.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills, and ability to collaborate and effectively interact with internal and external stakeholders at all levels.
• A deep understanding of foundation, corporate, major donor, and government funding
• Excellent conversational, public speaking, presentation, and writing skills.
• Thrive in a creative, inventive, entrepreneurial and fast-paced startup environment with people who are passionate about their work and mission.
• Data-driven, results-oriented and forward-looking catalyst for social change.
• Collaborative and flexible work style; excited to work both cross-functionally with other departments and independently.
• Detail-oriented, with exceptional organizational and time management skills.
• Stand behind STRIVE’s mission, believing that individuals from all communities should have access to careers with family sustaining wages, that talent should be recognized and recruited from many diverse sources, and in the life changing power of employment.
• Ability and experience engaging multiple stakeholders and rallying them around a common purpose.

STRIVE offers a rich benefits package that includes:

• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Life insurance
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• Pre-tax Commuter Benefits Program
• 401k with employer match
• 20 days of PTO (pro-rated for part-time employees)
• Sick leave
• Up to $500 annual professional development reimbursement
• Paid holidays (including week of Christmas)
• Early closing each Friday during the Summers
• And numerous additional benefits!

Location: The role will be remote until temporary or permanent location is determined. Additionally, there will be approximately 5% travel requirements outside of New Jersey.

STRIVE is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

STRIVE prides itself on the diversity of its workforce. STRIVE is committed to equal employment opportunity to all job applicants and employees without regard to race, creed, color, national origin, sex, age, medical condition, disability, veteran or marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship status, or any other unlawful criteria.