About iMentor

iMentor builds mentoring relationships that empower students in low-income communities to graduate high school, succeed in college, and achieve their ambitions.Students work with their mentors one-on-one, in-person and online, to develop strong personal relationships, nurture a college aspiration, navigate the college application process, and build critical skills that lead to college success. In New York City, Chicago, and the Bay Area, iMentor partners with public schools to ensure every student in the schools receives a mentor.iMentor also provides its curriculum, technology, and best practices to help nonprofits run effective programs in the iMentor model.

Since 1999, iMentor has connected more than 25,000 students with mentors and this year, iMentor is serving nearly 9,000 students across the country.iMentor has been recognized through funding 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, New Profit Inc., and the Kresge Foundation.

iMentor is one of the nation’s most innovative and quickly growing college success organizations. As a team, we are mission-focused, results-oriented, passionate and fun, and were named one of the Best Nonprofits to Work For by Opportunity Knocks and The Nonprofit Times.

Position Overview

iMentor is seeking a meticulous and analytical visionary with demonstrated success building strong relationships and partnerships to join the Executive Office. Reporting to the Chief of Staff, the Director of Strategic Initiatives (DSI) will plan a structured roadmap for the successful implementation of our next strategic plan, take a lead role in the management of national pilots and often-external special projects, and support EO-led initiatives such as iMentor Board management and the stewardship of iMentor’s leadership teams.

The Executive Office at iMentor – composed of the CEO, Chief of Staff, Director of Strategic Initiatives, and Special Assistant to the Executive Office – shapes the overall strategic vision at iMentor, both externally and internally. Externally, the Executive Office focuses on external representation and communication, high-level fundraising including iMentor’s strategic plan capital campaign, and Board management and cultivation, and strategic partnerships. Internally, the EO stewards iMentor’s leadership teams, leads on internal communications and strategic plan implementation, and is a key collaborator on iMentor’s culture and organizational health, and critical organizational priorities.

The ideal DSI candidate will be an inspirational and facilitative leader with at least five years of strong project management experience. Candidates should have demonstrated flexibility and adaptability in order to create and launch projects where process and outcomes are in flux. The DSI will be a strong collaborator who is able to build strong relationships internally and partnerships externally while leading high-level work across teams with a focus on results, relationship, and process.

Responsibilities

Strategic Plan Implementation, Assessment, and Communication

· Build and implement a project management framework for the implementation and ongoing assessment of the 2019-2023 Strategic Plan and its 28 Strategic Initiatives, including department-specific milestones, structures, and tools.

· Create cross-department collaboration tools around the strategic plan with the Chief of Staff.

· Highlight and monitor progress towards strategic plan goals, collect and synthesize data, and provide organizational context to inform next steps.

· Plan and facilitate strategic plan benchmark check-ins with national leadership to support leadership toward progress in strategic initiative goals and collaborate with COO and their verticals during annual operation planning process to translate the strategic plan into annual goals.

· Co-create and codify internal communication process around strategic plan implementation and lead the execution of this plan.

· Liaise, plan, and work closely with iMentor’s Organizational Learning & Impact team to design and implement custom tools for teams to record, monitor, and report on SP milestones to influence process and strategy

National Partnership Leadership & Assessment

· Strategize, generate leads, and represent iMentor in initial meetings to explore national partnership opportunities.

· Assess the potential value of the partnerships to iMentor and engage with iMentor teams to lead the internal coordination and planning.

· Collaborate across the Executive Office to steward ongoing strategic partnerships with roles defined based on the specific project and EO capacity at that time; depending on the specific project, serve as either the lead or as part of a team to external partners throughout the engagement.

· Provide project leadership or collaboration to ad hoc external projects and partners as directed by the Chief of Staff.

Support Organizational Leadership & Growth

· Support the functions of the Executive Office including management of the iMentor Board of Directors and co-leading internal communications.

· Work alongside the Regional Office to support new site development efforts.

· Support the Chief of Staff in prioritizing the workstreams and management of the Executive Office. This includes regular meetings with the CEO and members of the Executive Office.

· Support seasonal and ad hoc initiatives as the role of the Executive Office evolves at iMentor over time.

Qualifications

· Seven to ten years of professional experience with at least three years of project management experience and demonstrated success stewarding external partnerships and building networks with colleagues.

· Proven project leader with strong collaboration instincts and a keen eye for the details; managing others to success; able to move tasks and projects across complex departmental structures.

· Strong interpersonal, and public speaking communication skills; confident communicator to large groups of professionals.

· Strong research, writing and editing skills; can turn complex data and outcomes into synthesized documents attuned to varied audiences.

· Demonstrated success in roles that require the use of qualitative and quantitative analysis to better inform decisions and the flow of work.

· Entrepreneurial, resourceful and persistent; flexible and adaptive to changing priorities with a positive “can do” attitude.

· High emotional intelligence and humility; able to recognize and respond to the needs of others appropriately and with minimal supervision; able to give actionable feedback and manage up effectively.

· Able to listen, process, and reconcile needs and demands, build consensus, and say no when necessary.

· Evidence of effective collaboration across a complex organization or multiple regions

· Ability to demonstrate a high level of tact, discretion and diplomacy while dealing with confidential and sensitive information.

· Demonstrated ability to manage and persist through ambiguity and competing priorities

· Aligned in thought and action with iMentor's values (http://www.imentor.org/values).

· Views differences between individuals (race, gender, age, cultural heritage, physical ability, education and lifestyle) as an asset and demonstrates an appreciation of the diversity within iMentor.

· Bachelor’s degree required.

· Employment is contingent upon the completion of a satisfactory fingerprinting and criminal background check.

Compensation & Benefits

· Salary commensurate with experience

· Up to 100% employer funded comprehensive medical and dental coverage

· 18 days paid annual vacation and 13 paid holidays + most iMentor functions closed between Christmas and New Year’s Day

· 401K match up to 4%

· Significant opportunities for professional development and growth

How to Apply

Visit www.imentor.org/jobs to submit a resume and detailed cover letter describing your interest in and qualifications for the position.Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, so it is in candidates’ best interest to apply as soon as possible. No phone, email, mail, or fax inquiries will receive a response.

iMentor is an Equal Opportunity Employer