Executive Director - Rio Grande Valley

Mission Statement

AVANCE creates pathways to economic mobility for predominately Latino families through high quality, culturally responsive, two-generation programming that ensures school-readiness for young children and opportunities for parents to build social and economic capital. Our targeted program services reflect the cultural, racial/ethnic, and linguistic background of our families and provide specific strategies based on the unique needs of these families and children, ensuring that racial equity is embedded in our systemic approach.

Job Overview

Reporting to the AVANCE National CEO, the RGV Executive Director will have overall strategic and operational responsibility for AVANCE’s staff, programs, expansion, and execution of AVANCE, Inc.’s mission in the Rio Grande Valley.

Job Responsibilities

Leadership & Management:

• Work in close partnership with local advisory board and communicate regularly with the AVANCE National CEO to ensure that the progress and direction of local programs, operations, and expansion efforts align with AVANCE’s mission and strategic plans
• Collaborate with the AVANCE National CEO to establish annual goals, recommend timelines and resources needed to achieve the strategic goals
• Ensure local programmatic excellence to include rigorous program evaluation, quality oversight and management of finance, administration, fundraising, and communications;
• Actively engage and energize local volunteers, advisory board members, event committees, alumni, partnering organizations, and funders
• Develop, maintain, and support a strong local advisory board; seek and build advisory board involvement with strategic direction for both ongoing local operations as well as for the national rollout
• Oversee preparation of agendas for local advisory board meetings as well as subcommittees
• Lead, coach, develop, and retain local high-performance senior management team
• Establish and utilize effective systems to track scaling progress, and regularly evaluate program components, to measure successes that can be effectively communicated to the local advisory board, funders, and other constituents
  
  

Staff Leadership

• Provide oversight to a growing and diverse staff, upholding the values and beliefs of the organization
• Employ and direct staff in accordance with the policies and procedures set forth in AVANCE’s Personnel Policies and Procedures
• Support staff development and assist staff in relating their specialized skills to the benefit of the agency, and maintain a work environment that attracts, retains, and motivates staff of top-quality talent and diversity
• Create a healthy work environment that fosters innovation, leadership development and a culture of accountability
  
  

Fundraising & Communications

• Engage with local funders and partners to expand local revenue to support existing program operations and regional expansion
• Deepen and refine all aspects of communications—from web presence to external relations with the goal of creating a stronger brand
• Use external presence and relationships to garner new opportunities
• Participate in local activities that will bring awareness and notoriety to the organization
  
  

Operations & Financial Leadership

• Ensure fiscal integrity to include development of realistic and achievable strategic and annual operating plans and annual budget, monthly financial statements that accurately reflect the financial condition of the organization, and submission of budgets and financials to the Board of Directors for review and approval
• Engage in activities that reduce risk and liability to the organization
• Communicate any risk or potential liability to the National office
• Understand and fully implement AVANCEs policies and procedures
• Assure compliance with federal and state laws, regulations, terms and conditions of all contracts and grants.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
  
  

Qualifications

The RGV Executive Director will be thoroughly committed to AVANCE’S mission. All candidates should have proven leadership, coaching and relationship management experience. Concrete demonstrable experience and other qualifications include:

• Advanced degree, ideally a master's in business, education, or related field
• A minimum of 5 years of senior management experience
• A track record of effectively leading and regionally and/or nationally scaling a performance- and outcomes-based organization and staff
• Ability to point to specific examples of having developed and operationalized strategies that have taken an organization to the next stage of growth
• Unwavering commitment to quality programs and data-driven program evaluation
• Excellence in organizational management with the ability to coach staff, manage, and develop high-performance teams, set, and achieve strategic objectives, and manage a budget
• Past success working with a board of directors or an advisory board with the ability to cultivate existing board member relationships
• Strong marketing, public relations, and fundraising experience with the ability to engage a wide range of stakeholders and cultures
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; a persuasive and passionate communicator with excellent interpersonal and multidisciplinary project skills
• Action-oriented, entrepreneurial, adaptable, and innovative approach to business planning
• Ability to work effectively in collaboration with diverse groups of people
• Passion, idealism, integrity, positive attitude, mission-driven, and self-directed
  

Travel

• Ability to travel to various sites: Dependable transportation is required daily with a valid driver’s license, a clean driving record (subject to annual MVR (Motor Vehicle Report) check and policy), current auto liability insurance and be bondable by AVANCE, Inc.
• Travel required up to 50% of the time for work-related site visits, meetings, and functions.
  
  

Working Conditions

Mental and Physical Demands

Maintain emotional control under stress; work with interruptions and deadlines; walking, standing, stooping, bending, pulling, and pushing, use hands to finger, handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; occasional: lifting/carrying, pulling/pushing 10-30 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Environmental Factors

Occasional exposure to biological hazards (communicable diseases, bacteria, insects, mold, fungi, etc.). Occasional expose to weather related conditions when working in outside environment/neighborhoods and events.