Chief Executive Officer  

Communities In Schools of Central Texas strives to create community in our schools, building relationships and supporting students to learn and achieve their potential. This is possible through our organization’s sense of community, close relationships among colleagues, and an environment that supports all staff as people and professionals.

Communities In Schools of Central Texas is seeking a qualified Chief Executive Officer to be the leader of this community, setting strategy and building a culture of inclusion and collaboration that honors students and parents, staff, colleagues and collaborators.

Reporting to the agency’s Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer has primary responsibility for achieving all elements of the CIS strategic plan including the mission, vision, values, goals and strategies while overseeing all operations of the agency.

Position Description: Chief Executive Officer

Major Responsibilities—An Overview

  • Articulate CIS’s vision for the future, enabling others to see where the organization is going and how it will get there;
  • Provide professional and inspirational leadership to sustain a mission-driven organization;
  • Assume the initiative, in partnership with the Board of Directors, to define the organization’s long-term goals and strategic focus, including operationalizing the organization’s current strategic plan and utilizing adaptive strategy to assess emerging opportunities and challenges;
  • Maintain an effective understanding of the field of social work in the educational environment, including changes and trends, and act to develop the agency’s full potential;
  • Shepherd the organization during a time of significant growth and post-COVID transition; and implementing change management strategies and plans that maximize employee adoption and usage and minimize resistance;
  • Recognize the fundraising and fund development landscape with a charter to increase CIS funding through a broad array of channels;
  • Work closely with the CFO and department managers to develop an annual operating plan and budget that implements the agency’s intermediate and long-term goals;
  • Monitor and report on the achievement of long-term goals and annual plans;
  • Monitor and ensure all legal, contractual and governmental compliance of the agency to constituent requirements;
  • Propose organizational goals and objectives prior to each fiscal year; and
  • Nurture a culture that builds collaboration among employees, sets a standard for high productivity, encourages continued professional development of all employees, and recruits new talent to the organization.

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, with preferably a Master’s degree in business, non-profit, or government administration
  • At least 10 years of progressively responsible leadership experience in the field of social work, education and/or non-profits;
  • Demonstrated success in leading an organization to new levels through creative and effective funding strategies and programs;
  • Demonstrated ability to engage with and build diverse communities;
  • Demonstrated success as a manager of operations and personnel;
  • Demonstrated success in developing and managing programs;
  • Demonstrated success in outreach to external stakeholders; and
  • Excellent interpersonal organizational, analytical and communication skills.

 

Breadth of Responsibilities

Leadership & Change Management

  • Create and communicate a clear vision based on internal and external variables, and translate that vision into an action plan;
  • Flexibility to change course if circumstances change;
  • Inspire, influence, motivate and teach individuals and groups about the agency’s mission, vision, strategies, goals and plans, ensuring operational alignment;
  • Foster a diverse, equitable and inclusive culture;
  • Create a winning atmosphere where people genuinely understand and are excited about working at CIS;
  • Build a collaborative atmosphere where employees experience opportunities to grow, take risks, create, contribute and learn;
  • Conduct himself/herself in a manner which consistently earns the trust and respect of all CIS employees;
  • Encourage and reward diverse styles;
  • Demonstrate strong operating skills and execute them consistently;
  • Provide accurate budgets;
  • Openly confront issues, not rationalizing shortfalls, holding employees accountable;
  • Aggressively manage unforeseen difficulties; and
  • Create a spirit of teamwork and fun!

Relationship with the Board of Directors

  • Work in partnership with the board to accomplish the CIS strategic plan;
  • Make recommendations to the board to improve existing policies;
  • Make sound recommendations for board action;
  • Facilitate the decision-making process for the board;
  • Keep the board informed of organizational activities, progress, opportunities, and problems;
  • Provide timely reports of organizational operations; and
  • Be open and receptive to board member ideas and suggestions.

Community Inclusivity

  • Utilize knowledge of Austin and Central Texas communities and understanding of best practices in children and youth mental health services to inform organizational strategy;
  • Lead, establish and maintain effective working relationships with community stakeholders, especially those representing historically underrepresented and underserved communities; and
  • Support the CIS Board with the understanding of how to serve historically marginalized communities.

Fund Development

  • Provide overall staff leadership and board partnership in fund development planning, including fundraising grants, individual contributions, foundation and corporate giving, special events, membership campaigns, capital campaigns, and in-kind donations;
  • Establish an annual fund development plan with fundraising goals, strategies, action items, timelines, and assigned responsibilities;
  • Provide leadership in implementing the annual fund development plan to achieve the established goals;
  • Participate directly in fundraising activities including meeting with donors and prospective donors to ask for support;
  • Monitor and regularly report on fundraising accomplishments and future action items;
  • Provide direction and support board member involvement in fund development activities; and
  • Assist in identifying and soliciting donors.

Fiscal Management

  • Work with the Chief Financial Officer and department managers along with the board of directors to prepare a structurally balanced annual budget;
  • In cooperation with the CFO and management team, complete the year with a balanced budget;
  • Ensure that fiscal management complies with all legal requirements.

Program Oversight

  • Assess the needs of the organization and its clients;
  • Assist in developing annual program plans, in conjunction with the program directors;
  • Develop and implement methods for program evaluation, working closely with the program directors;
  • Grow relationships with entities contracting CIS services, such as local school districts and governmental agencies; and
  • Stay abreast of potential new sources of program revenues, grants and contracts that have developmental potential;
  • Ensure all core functions are implemented effectively.

Human Resources/Talent Acquisition

  • Positions the organization as a talent magnet to attract and keep high performing employees
  • Assist in proposing the personnel strategy for the organization;
  • Oversee adherence to and effectiveness of personnel policies;
  • Evaluate and recommend the need for staff positions;
  • Ensure organizational compliance with laws regarding employees; and
  • Recommend overall salary budgets to the Board of Directors.

Community and Volunteer Relations

  • Provide overall staff leadership in building and maintaining strong and positive relationships with community groups and organizations, governmental agencies, funders, corporate supporters, and other stakeholders in the agency’s future;
  • Serve as the organization’s primary ambassador and spokesperson, actively promoting CIS and representing it in a positive a professional manner to the community;
  • Understand and articulate the value of volunteers to the agency’s mission; and
  • Create an organizational environment in which volunteers are regularly recognized for their contributions.

Marketing

  • Provide overall staff leadership in the areas of market research, market planning, pricing, promotion, communications, and public relations;
  • Develop and maintain a positive relationship with the media; and
  • Serve as the primary spokesperson for the organization to insure the agency’s visibility and value to the community.

Technical Management

  • Demonstrate electronic document workflow skills such as document creation, file saving, file copying, making duplicates or backup copies, file downloading file naming and locating files using windows explorer.
  • Demonstrate ability to formulate appropriate questions to seek out technical support in a timely manner.
  • Strategies to retain technical information as relevant to job function, such as the ability to recall technical instructions, policies and procedures.
  • Ability to anticipate and respond to technical needs based upon work environment and changing staff needs at local offices, such as requesting more or different computer equipment, software or IT solutions.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

Please send a resume, cover letter and 3 professional references to cissearch@woollardnichols.com by May 31, 2022.

References will not be contacted unless an applicant advances to the final round of interviews.

APPLICATION DEADLINE

May 31st at 5 p.m.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Communities In Schools of Central Texas is an equal opportunity employer.