Executive Director

Genesys Works is launching our ninth site in Nashville in 2026 and is now hiring for our first Executive Director.

Genesys Works provides pathways to career success for high school students in underserved communities through skills training, meaningful work experiences, and impactful relationships. The organization envisions a future where all young adults are equipped and empowered with the knowledge and skills required to achieve career success, upward mobility, and a lifetime of economic self-sufficiency. Founded in 2002, Genesys Works is now a $40 million revenue national nonprofit with locations in eight U.S. cities.

Over the past 20+ year we have helped more than 10,000 students from under-represented communities to prepare for college and careers and to succeed in both.

Our national launch team has been partnering with Metro Nashville Public Schools and has enlisted six major employers in the city to provide paid internships for 20+ interns in our first cohort, which will begin training in May 2026 with internships starting in August.

We are seeking an experienced leader capable of growing, establishing, and maintaining, strong relationships with Corporate Partners, philanthropic and community leaders, ensuring programmatic quality and ongoing enhancement of the Genesys Works brand in the local market. The Executive Director will report to the Managing Director of Site Operations and work collaboratively with other members of the Senior Leadership Team in the National office of Genesys Works.

The Executive Director will have overall operational responsibility for successful implementation of the Genesys Works business model.

• Establish strong relationships with C-level and Senior level executives at Fortune 500 and larger local employers in Nashville in order to secure paid internships and philanthropic support.
• Lead, coach, develop and retain Genesys Works Nashville’s staff.
• Ensure ongoing programmatic excellence while executing sales and fundraising plans that drive growth.
• Build a diverse and inclusive Advisory Board representative of the community, which is highly engaged and willing to leverage and secure resources.
• Cultivate a strong and transparent working relationship with the National office, and other Site leaders, and ensure open communication of financial, programmatic and impact performance against stated milestones and goals.

• Build the capacity and capability of the Nashville Sales and Program team to enable it to grow at a persistent rate of 25-40 High School Interns per year.
• Develop and deepen relationships with senior leaders of local school district(s) and schools to align Genesys Works program with the Academies of Nashville and other career-based learning initiatives.
• Oversee fundraising to ensure you are increasing annual philanthropic support by deepening relationships with major individual, foundation, and corporate donors.
• Implement performance management and development programs to ensure employes are engaged and have a strong sense of belonging.
• Ensuring that the new Nashville site complies with core and best practice standards and processes across all functions.

The ideal candidate will have the following professional and personal qualities, skills, and characteristics:

• Bachelor’s degree and 10 years of senior management experience.
• Proven experience selling, consultatively, to C-level leaders of Fortune 500 companies or engaging C-level leaders through the solicitation of major gifts.
• Demonstrable experience creating and implementing growth plans externally and internally.
• Passion for the mission of Genesys Works and making a difference in the lives of students from underserved communities.
• Proven experience building and leading teams and managing relationships with external stakeholder relationship management experience.
• Prior experience with managing a P&L for an organization or a department with a million dollar+ budget.
• Track record of effectively improving quality outcomes across multiple facets of an organization, in addition to growth.
• Past success working with an…