Ceo Jobs

About The Organization

Achievement First is a community of K-12 schools on a mission to deliver equal access to excellent education for our scholars. We believe that every child — regardless of race, zip code, or economic status — deserves the opportunity to attend a great school. At AF, our students unlock their potential and develop the skills they need to graduate from college, succeed in a competitive world, and become the next generation of leaders.

In 1999, AF opened its first school in New Haven, Connecticut, serving 84 students. Since then, our charter network has grown to 41 schools with 15,000 scholars across New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. The majority of our families are Black or Latinx, and 95% of our students receive free or reduced-price lunch. From our inception through to the present, we have empowered and emboldened our students to make their own life choices through a breadth and depth of experiences in the classroom.

While academic success is at the core of our purpose — 76% of the Class of 2022 matriculated to a four-year college pathway and our high school students take an average of six AP courses — we are also dedicated to helping our children pursue their dreams and passions, however unconventional. Whatever direction our students choose to take their lives, we strive to empower them with the intellectual, social, and emotional intelligence they need to succeed brilliantly.

Over the course of twenty-four years, our network has embraced this vision. At the same time, across our three regions, our 41 schools are each their own learning community deeply embedded within the area they serve. The common factor amongst all our schools is a shared set of communally-authored values. Alongside their individual traditions, each school community comes together to enact our core beliefs: leading for racial equity, striving for excellence, embracing challenge, caring for the whole person, choosing joy, and going further together.

As we look forward to advancing our mission in the future, we recognize these values both define who we are and who we must be. We work to ensure these values shine through our network every day. We enter the future of public education with the courage and conviction that if we hold true to our beliefs, we can and will deliver continued excellence and equity in our schools. We're excited to educate new generations of change agents who have a sense of unlimited possibility — a world of leaders who are Achievement First.

About The Position

As the foremost executive at Achievement First, the Chief Executive Officer will be an exceptional operator who will direct the next chapter of the organization's vision, strategy, and implementation. They will build upon AF's twenty-four year legacy to shape the enterprise into a longstanding bastion of academic excellence. Through championing our values and attracting top talent, the CEO will lead an executive team that delivers excellent scholastic outcomes, a vibrant school and staff culture, engaged families and communities, and an impactful network support office. They will also champion fundraising efforts and partner closely with the Achievement First Inc. board and six local boards.

This is a unique opportunity for a dynamic and transformational leader to helm a multifaceted, multiregional school network committed to achieving top academic outcomes and fostering a culture of empowerment, equity, and inclusion.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Strategic Planning & Vision Setting

• Set clear, ambitious academic, growth, operational, financial, people, and culture goals and create adaptable management structures to achieve them
• Develop and implement a long-term strategic vision for the network focused on achieving exceptional student outcomes in a supportive environment
• Strongly champion and drive accountability for the organization's vision, goals, plans, and results

Organizational & Team Leadership

• Lead a team of executives, network, and school staff to academic, operational, and financial success
• Define roles and responsibilities of network support teams to ensure consistency and quality across the network
• Communicate efficiently and transparently with a range of stakeholders
• Advance AF's long-term financial plan to become predominantly sustainable on public funding
• Serve as an inspirational leader for staff, students, and families, promoting a culture of integrity, performance, collaboration, and learning
• Implement accountability systems to measure progress toward performance goals
• Oversee and scale all aspects of the organization's operations, infrastructure, and sustainability
• Build an organizational culture that values and promotes innovation in service of great learning

Community Engagement & Fundraising

• Cultivate meaningful partnerships and relationships with key community leaders, government officials, school districts, parents, and local organizations to cultivate broad AF support
• Spearhead fundraising efforts in partnership with AF's leadership team
• Establish fruitful working relationships with Achievement First Inc.'s Board of Directors and six Achievement First Regional Boards
• Serve as AF's primary spokesperson

Talent Management & Development

• Supervise talent management strategy to recruit and retain high-potential employees at all levels
• Promote a distributed leadership model to ensure synergy, ownership, and innovation
• Attract, develop, and maintain a high-performing, diverse, and collaborative executive team

CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS:

• Experience with recruiting, managing, developing, and retaining a diverse and talented team that complements and compensates for the CEO's strengths and areas for growth
• Passion for AF's mission, vision, and core values
• Outstanding written and oral communication, interpersonal, and relationship-building skills, particularly addressing lines of difference with various stakeholders
• Embodiment of warmth, empathy, confidence, self-awareness, excellence, fairness, and integrity
• Demonstrated success running a large organization — preferably a complex school system — operating in multiple regions with sizeable budgets
• Expertise in instituting systems and processes that enable scaling with quality
• Expertise in setting and meeting ambitious fundraising goals
• Proven track record of successful oversight of complex project development and management
• Proven experience operating mission-oriented organizations committed to racial equity
• Comprehensive understanding of schooling, advocacy, politics, and policy
• Ability to lead in the vision, strategy, and policy domain while implementing a multiyear business plan and engaging with various constituents
• Experience partnering effectively with boards of directors

Location: Greater New York City / Tri-State Area

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

The salary range for this position is $390K - $450K and is commensurate with experience. Competitive benefits include health and dental insurance, 401K contribution, paid holidays, vacation, sick, and personal time.

TO APPLY

Please do not use this application form. Achievement First partnered with On-Ramps to spearhead our search efforts. Please apply via this link.

On-Ramps is deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We believe social change happens when people with a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and identities come together with a common purpose. We're partnering with the team at Achievement First to build a diverse team. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply.

On-Ramps is committed to the inclusion of all qualified individuals in the hiring process, including but not limited to those with disabilities. If you require reasonable accommodation(s) to participate in the application or interview process, please contact [email protected].

Achievement First is an equal opportunity employer and an organization that values diversity. People from all diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. Spanish language proficiency is a plus. You can learn more about diversity at Achievement First here: http://achievementfirst.org/about-us/diversity/