Executive Director

Executive Director, STRIVE Houston

STRIVE seeks a dynamic, strategic, entrepreneurial leader who will be responsible for overseeing the launch and expansion of STRIVE Houston, located in Houston, Texas. Supported by STRIVE's National Program Team, the Executive Director will join a network of STRIVE sites delivering our dynamic programs, including our flagship Career Path program and specialized justice-impacted programs, across the nation. To be successful in this role, the ideal candidate will thrive in a fast-paced environment where the ability to manage multiple relationships and a range of small and large-scale projects at once is vital.

The mandate for the STRIVE Houston Executive Director is to establish STRIVE as a preferred partner for middle skills jobs in the region and to expand the number of job seekers served.

The successful candidate will be outcomes focused, highly motivated, growth-oriented and experienced, who can work collaboratively with leaders across the agency to meet the organization's goals. They will have substantial experience in building and executing new programs, fundraising, management, operations, and a deep understanding of cultivating and managing finances from various revenue sources.

The founding Executive Director leads program execution, community engagement, partner cultivation and facility establishment to achieve success in our Houston location. They will provide vision and leadership, fiscal responsibility and sustainability, budget oversight, and program management. They will work with STRIVE's national Development team to execute our Houston fundraising strategy, building the local funder relationships and being an active partner in fulfilling their revenue goals.

As STRIVE Houston grows, it will look to raise upwards of $2 million annually from local and national sources.

They will lead and develop a team to execute and advance our evidence-driven training model in both our career path and reentry-focused programs. They will work in close partnership with our Regional Executive Director and the National Program & Impact team to implement our programs and ensure their continuing success. At STRIVE, we operate in a fast-paced, dynamic environment. The Executive Director will have the opportunity to shape an innovative workforce development approach in Houston, as well as further build and establish the STRIVE reputation throughout the Houston workforce development and justice-aligned community.

• Develop and lead STRIVE Houston's local fundraising strategy in partnership with the national Development team.
• Serve as the "face of STRIVE" in Houston, representing STRIVE in regional meetings, conferences, panels, and media opportunities.
• With the Development team, prospect, cultivate, and generate local operating revenue through a diverse range of fundraising activities targeted at individual, institutional, and public sources.
• Oversee execution of outcomes and fulfill requirements for local grants and contracts.
• Build and staff a STRIVE Houston Advisory Board.

• Develop and lead the implementation of STRIVE program(s) in Houston with the support of STRIVE's National Program Team.
• Ensure high-quality delivery of our career pathway training to new STRIVE students and alumni.
• Develop and implement new training initiatives in response to local demand.
• Cultivate a pipeline of employers in Houston who are willing to invest in training design and implementation, and who will commit to hiring STRIVE graduates.
• Increase awareness of STRIVE's program to targeted communities.
• Expand enrollment in STRIVE's training.
• Develop strategic alliances with other local service providers, local and state education and human services agencies, community colleges, and other aligned organizations to expand STRIVE's implementation and presence.

• Build and lead a team and facilitate regular performance management, professional development, and team meetings.
• Ensure that all program goals are met or exceeded, including outcomes tracking and reporting using STRIVE's national performance management system (Apricot by Social Solutions) and other platforms.
• Serve as the primary liaison between the Houston site's and STRIVE National teams (program, finance, communications, development, and human resource teams).
• Follow local and national workforce, business, and industry trends to inform student and employer partner needs.
• Prepare, manage, and grow the annual program budget.

• Serve as the on-site lead for all local administrative & operational and collaborate with centralized HR, Technology, Operations, and Finance teams to ensure seamless operations and the availability of necessary resources for the local site.
• Work closely with the Finance team to oversee the local budget, monitor financial performance, and ensure compliance with internal policies and regulations.
• Collaborate with internal & external stakeholders to develop a comprehensive facility strategy, including researching…