IMPORTANT: Please follow the application instructions below. DO NOT SUBMIT APPLICATIONS VIA iMENTOR'S WEBSITE.


How to Apply

This search is being managed by Koya Leadership Partners .Interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter detailing their interest in the mission and qualifications for the position to: https://koyapartners.com/search/imentor-chief-external-officer/


SUMMARY

Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, iMentor is a national college success organization that partners with public high schools and matches every student in the school with a college-educated mentor. Mentors commit a minimum of three years to a single student before extending their relationship through post-secondary completion. iMentor’s mentoring relationships provide the personalized and proactive support necessary to empower first-generation college students to graduate high school, succeed in college, and achieve their ambitions. iMentor’s program model provides district high schools with a way to comprehensively reimagine their counseling function. iMentor students are 29% more likely to enroll in college and are graduating college at double the rates of their peers.


Since inception, iMentor has created and supported 30,000 mentoring relationships. Over the next five years, iMentor plans to create an additional 30,000 mentoring relationships in 33 communities across the country. One of the nation’s most innovative and fastest growing college success organizations, iMentor has been recognized through support from many of the leading education funders in the country, including the Ballmer Group, the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, the Robin Hood Foundation, the Bezos Family Foundation, and the Kresge Foundation. As a team, we are collaborative, fun, bring passion and joy to our work, and deeply believe in human potential.  We are proud to have been recently named one of the Best Nonprofits to Work for by The Nonprofit Times. 


iMentor’s Five-Year Vision

iMentor has raised a significant round of strategic capital to launch an ambitious five-year plan, spanning 2018-2023. By 2023, the organization will grow to serve an additional 30,000 young people and expand from serving 19 communities to 33. Over the course of the plan, iMentor’s work will be oriented around three primary strategic priorities. 


  1. Continue to close the college completion gap for iMentor students by 1) increasing the impact of iMentor’s program through program development and innovation and 2) demonstrating the program’s impact in diverse communities across the country by opening new regions and expanding its franchise model. 
  2. Expand iMentor’s influence beyond the direct reach of its program by 1) mobilizing the organization’s mentor community around issues of equity and education and 2) leveraging student voice and iMentor data to contribute to issues alongside the broader field. 
  3. Position iMentor for organizational excellence at national scale by 1) investing in iMentor’s organizational maturation and 2) developing strategies that ensure even greater financial sustainability. 
  4. Read more about iMentor’s work and values at: imentor.org.


CANDIDATE PROFILE

iMentor is seeking an experienced, dynamic, and forward-thinking Chief External Officer (CXO) to lead a high-performing team toward ambitious development and communication goals. The CXO will set the development and communication strategies for the organization, work collaboratively with the leadership team to execute against those strategies, and lead and inspire a high-performing team. Reporting to the CEO, the CXO is a member of iMentor’s leadership team and will be based in the New York office.


Success for the CXO includes: 

  • Significantly growing iMentor’s annual revenue by developing and executing fundraising strategies to ensure iMentor is able grow, innovate, and meet the demand for its program in communities across the country. 
  • Developing a communication strategy that effectively utilizes iMentor’s platform as an organization in support of issues of equity in education and for first-generation college students. 
  • Facilitating the learning and dialogue required among external stakeholders to build an even bigger and more responsive community in support of iMentor’s work. 
  • Success will be achieved through responsibilities including, but not limited to:


Design and Lead Development Strategy

  • Lead the organization to meet annual fundraising targets, which grow from $22M to $30M over the next five years.  
  • Develop new fundraising strategies and refine existing strategies to create the most effective and efficient revenue model possible for iMentor. 
  • Actively serve as a key steward and liaison for major donors and board members. Collaborate with CEO to grow iMentor’s board. 
  • Support iMentor’s expansion to new regions. 
  • Translate long-term development plans into annual, quarterly and monthly plans in order to deliver on development goals, with a particular focus on identifying and opening new opportunities.
  • Collaborate with iMentor regions to ensure they have the strategies, support and coaching necessary to meet ambitious goals in diverse communities across the country.
  • Lead the maturation of iMentor’s national and regional fundraising model, with an emphasis on building the infrastructure and set of supports that will help regions achieve local sustainability.
  • Oversee and evolve development systems, operations, and performance management. 
  • Collaborate with iMentor leadership to create annual budgets and long-term financial strategy. 


Design and Lead Communication Strategy

  • Develop the systems and strategies to identify and elevate powerful stories from the iMentor community that can help educate and inspire external stakeholders and people who are new to iMentor’s work. 
  • Develop and oversee the execution of a national strategy for iMentor’s branding, public relations, social media, and related external communications at a national level. 
  • Ensure iMentor regions have the strategies, expertise, and support necessary to grow their impact and their presence in their region. 
  • Collaborate with leaders to turn iMentor’s programmatic and research insights into compelling communications tailored to diverse audiences throughout the country. 
  • Represent iMentor as a public face in key external engagements and events


QUALIFICATIONS

  • As the incoming Chief External Officer, you will possess many, though perhaps not all, of the following characteristics and qualifications:
  • Passion and commitment to the mission and vision of iMentor
  • At least 10 years of professional experience with a focus on relationship-management and revenue generation; experience in either the private or nonprofit sector is valued, while cross-sector experience would be ideal  
  • Experience managing significant major donors, foundations, and corporate partnerships 
  • Demonstrated success in thinking creatively and strategically about revenue diversification and ability to effectively develop and implement plans in support of revenue growth  
  • Ability to lead and inspire a high-performing and diverse team to meet ambitious goals while also serving as a key organizational leader as part of the senior leadership team
  • Strong writing skills; excellent attention to detail
  • Ability to build and improve systems and tools for development operations, including databases, reporting, and donor research tools
  • Collaborative, decisive, motivating, and engaging style 
  • High standards of excellence combined with a supportive and growth-oriented management style
  • Culturally competent regarding diversity, equity and inclusion. Able to have difficult and effective conversations about race and equity while meeting someone where they are
  • Aligned in thought and action with iMentor's values


COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

iMentor offers a competitive salary and benefits, commensurate with experience and skills.


iMentor celebrates the diversity of our communities and we seek to build a team that reflects that diversity. We welcome and encourage all qualified applicants who share that same vision, as we want to engage all those who can contribute to our work and this mission. iMentor encourages individuals of all ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds to apply for this position and we do not discriminate on any basis prohibited by applicable law. 


CONTACT

iMentor has partnered with Koya Leadership Partners to lead this search. Please submit a compelling cover letter and resume, addressed to Kelli Doss, Chief Talent and Equity Officer,  here (https://koyapartners.com/search/imentor-chief-external-officer/).


ABOUT KOYA LEADERSHIP PARTNERS

Koya Leadership Partners is a national retained executive search and human capital consulting firm that works exclusively with mission-driven organizations, institutions of higher education and social enterprises. We deliver measurable results, finding exceptionally talented people who truly fit the unique culture of our client organizations and ensuring that organizations have the resources and strategies to support them. For more information, visit www.koyapartners.com.

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