The CIO-Clt will lead and supervise Helps Education Fund’s management team located in Charlotte (currently 5 staff). Leadership will be focused on effective delivery of HELPS tutoring to students in Charlotte-Mecklenburg as well as leading the expansion of capability and capacity to increase our programmatic impact in Charlotte. In collaboration with Helps Education Fund’s Executive Director and Advancement Manager, the CIO-Clt will also lead in refining and implementing the fundraising strategy in order to grow Helps Education Fund’s services and reach within the Charlotte area—all while staying true to the organization’s mission and commitment to high-quality programming.

Primary responsibilities for the CIO-Clt include:

Leadership, People and Process Management, and Program Delivery (~50%)

• Lead Helps Education Fund’s Charlotte team for planning, organization, and delivery of high-quality HELPS tutoring in Charlotte.
• Further refine and lead to execute systems and processes built on evidence and continuous improvement cycles.
• Across all project staff, facilitate communication and model optimal team behaviors so that everyone:
  • Clearly understands project goals, staff responsibilities, and accountabilities,
  • Knows how to meet the goals most effectively and efficiently, and
  • Maintains strong motivation and team morale.
• Support all managers and ensure their goals/benchmarks are being met, including but not limited to supervision of staff and providing training/staff development when needed.
• Introduce well-developed approaches to scale and increase program impact, including approaches that further organizational efforts to advance educational equity by applying our assets, skills, networks, and teamwork.
• In alignment with our goals to advance equity and educational outcomes, serve as a thought partner with organizational leadership to evolve our programmatic vision and our role as a civic leader.

Fundraising and Partnership Development (~40%)

• Help to improve, oversee, and implement the organization’s fundraising strategy, as related to foundations, corporate, government, individual giving, etc.
• Communicate a broad understanding and awareness of the principles articulated in Helps Education Fund’s mission, vision, and core values.
• Work with the Executive Director, Board of Directors, and other Helps Education Fund staff to build relationships with donors, grant officers, and other charitable
• Develop compelling, well-written, and organized grant proposals, and more generally, communicate the impact of our work (in writing and verbally) to potential donors, funders, and key stakeholders.
• Develop and manage a donor pipeline to include prospect identification, research, and working with executive level contacts through research and qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Build strong relationships with integral partners, such as:
  • colleges and universities to ensure goals for Federal Work Study tutor recruitment
  • corporate partners to ensure recruitment goals for corporate volunteers
  • faith-based organization to better ensure recruitment goals for community volunteers
  • foundations who fund the types of work we do
• Develop a local advisory board to expand opportunities for fundraising and partnership development.

Program Fidelity and Innovation (~10%)

• Support all staff’s adherence to program implementation standards and utilize systems-level program delivery and scaling approaches.
• Ensure data-driven decision-making and rigorous evaluation that leads to continuous improvement.
• Generate and cultivate innovation opportunities and solutions that thrive within a changing educational and community landscape.

The ideal candidate will possess experience and training to execute the responsibilities summarized in the job description and ideally demonstrate the following competencies, skills, experiences, and characteristics: 

Core Competencies

• Values: Reinforces Helps Education Fund’s values within the organization, with partners and stakeholders, and throughout the community.
• Project Management: Establishes goals, clarifies tasks and work plans, ensures execution of plans and creates structure to deliver results to achieve objectives.
• Quality Results: Holds one’s self and project staff accountable for high-quality results using a formal process to measure progress and ensure continuous improvement.
• Relationships: Initiates and fosters the development of relationships with partners, stakeholders, and influential leaders to strengthen organizational programming and more equitable education.
• Change Capacity: Facilitates change; models adaptability, creates a sense of urgency and positive tension to support change.

Skills, Experiences, and Characteristics

• Deep care for and demonstrated commitment to educational equity and other forms of social justice, as well as experience, passion and shared accomplishments working with diverse populations and stakeholders.
• Self-driven, service- and results-oriented, collaborative, and able to set priorities and work on multiple projects (at times with competing tasks and deadlines) simultaneously.
• Demonstrated effectiveness and desire to work collaboratively, as well as experience and effectiveness supervising others—including staff, interns, and volunteers.
• Demonstrated Accomplishments:
  • Managing program delivery, resulting in outstanding measurable outcomes;
  • Leading a high-performing team, such as offering support when appropriate but also holding people accountable for assigned responsibilities and outcomes;
  • Inspiring staff, partners, and stakeholders to find joy and value in our work;
  • Creating sustainable systems and processes to improve organizational results;
  • Scaling / increasing impact in ways that are cost-effective.
• Proven track record of building relationships with stakeholders successfully soliciting financial support from foundations, corporations, government sources, and individuals.
• Strong expository writing skills (e.g., strong proofreading/editing skills and an ability to produce written content that is clear, concise, compelling, well-organized, and grammatically correct).    
• Excellent interpersonal, organizational, communication, and negotiating skills to interact with a broad range of individuals in a professional and personable manner. Sense of humor is a plus and flexibility is a must! 
• Willingness to operate in compliance with organizational policies and procedures as well as in alignment with external partners’ (e.g., school district, community partner) standards.
• Willingness to learn and be flexible.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Proficiency in software or technology commonly used for this job, such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Google Docs or Sheets, Google Drive, and virtual communication tools such as Zoom or Google Meet.

Applicants are encouraged to apply by June 14, 2021. Applications will be reviewed by a hiring committee on a rolling basis with interviews scheduled for qualified applicants starting in June or July. The anticipated start date of this position is somewhat flexible, but we are aiming for it to be in July or August 2021.

To apply, email your resume and a cover letter to CIO.Hire@helpseducationfund.org. Please write in the subject line, “CIO-Clt application - Your first and last name”

In your application, please provide your salary requirement. Salary and benefits for this executive-level position are competitive and will be commensurate with experience. 

In addition, we ask that you write a response to the following question and attach it to your application email as a Word document or PDF:

It’s early January. As the person responsible for community-wide program impact, you have just learned that the public school system would like you to expand capacity to serve an additional 25% of students in summer programming and grow that number by an additional 40% for the following school year. The district can fund 50% of the desired expansion and is eager to get your plan for the next 18 months. Draft a memo in no more than 400 words explaining to the Board and the Executive Director what the organization’s best strategy is to address the situation, obtain additional funding, and realize the impact of this opportunity. Please provide any assumptions or special considerations taken into account. Although you may summarize a completely hypothetical scenario, you are welcome to integrate any past experiences from potentially similar circumstances.

References will be requested of top applicants at the final stages of the recruitment process.

Questions about the position should be sent to Dr. John Begeny, Executive Director, at john@helpseducationfund.org.