Executive Director

BACKGROUND

The current education system locks many students out of the differentiated learning and development experiences they need and deserve, producing student outcomes that are almost entirely predictable based on demographics. Gradient Learning (GL) envisions a country where demographics (e.g. race and socioeconomic status) are not predictive of life outcomes and every child enters adulthood with the knowledge, skills, habits, and agency they need to realize their full potential.

At Gradient Learning, we believe that transformational K-12 education honors the humanity of every student and takes a whole student approach to education that guarantees all students are equitably prepared (i.e. each student is given exactly what they need).

Our organization, originally formed as TLP Education in 2019, became Gradient Learning in September 2020. Gradient Learning has been an educator-led nonprofit and a trusted partner to communities, schools and educators. Supporting over 75,000 students, 4000 educators and 300 schools across the US, Gradient Learning is on a mission to ensure that all students are equipped with what they need to reach their full potential while fostering success for all.

Gradient Learning oversees two solutions: the Summit Learning Program and Along. Please visit the website for more information.

LOOKING AHEAD

With true vision informed by years of experience in schools and communities, deep commitment to and capacity for collaboration and tireless pursuit of improved student outcomes, Andrew Goldin has led Gradient Learning since its inception. Having applied the thoughtful change management moves for which he and the organization are known, and with ongoing sensitivity and transparency, GL now seeks the influence and ideas of a new strong and inspiring leader who will guide the organization’s next chapter, leveraging its history and reputation, while also facing strategic choices regarding program optimization and growth, that capture, clarify and amplify Gradient Learning’s evolution and position the organization to continue to play an important collaboration and support role to hundreds of school partners.

THE ROLE

The next Executive Director will be a community builder who sees the role of the Gradient Learning as that of an education service provider, change-agent, advocate and true partner.  Our new ED will uphold our belief in keeping decision-making power in the hands of educators and students while creating an organizational culture that reflects Gradient’s values of equity, inclusion and belonging, and fostering a healthy, connected community. Additionally, the Executive Director will help to refine and expand our strategic vision and delivery mode for a post-pandemic context, in collaboration with district and other key partners, positioning us to have a broader and deeper impact on learners. Specific goals and responsibilities include:

Strategy:

• • ensuring that GL has an evolving, long-range strategy which achieves its mission and supports growth and sustainability;
  • guiding near-and medium-term goals and direction, including cohesion, accountability and metrics, and continuing to refine and iterate with experience and learnings, and
  • analyzing data and research, sharing related insights and key trends in order to assess impact and scale trajectory.

Organizational Leadership/Administration:

• • articulating GL’s vision and strategic direction internally, inspiring and supporting the development and pursuit of a cohesive set of goals and tactics by leadership team and staff;
  • leading and supporting the ongoing development of the Leadership Team;
  • providing leadership for the recruitment, hiring, and development of staff members;
  • collaborating with senior staff to develop intentional and transparent plans to build the capacity of all staff to take on leadership roles within the organization;
  • cultivating a strong and transparent working relationship with the Board, building the Board’s capacity and ensuring open communication about measurement and achievement of programmatic, operational, and financial objectives;
  • collaborating with the leadership team to establish and monitor sound human resource practices across the organization; and
  • ensuring high-quality implementation of all programs and evaluation of impact using qualitative and quantitative data.

Communications and Public Engagement:

• • representing Gradient Learning’s educator-centric approach, vision and organization across external stakeholders, including district superintendents, public and civic leaders, foundations and community partners;
  • sharing stories of learning – from successes and struggles – that emphasize the unique value of partnership with Gradient Learning;
  • supporting the team’s engagement with current and future school, district and community partners to build brand, interest and partnerships that maximize GL’s impact, and
  • strengthening Gradient Learning’s position as a thought/field leader by attending and presenting at local, regional and national education conferences and convenings.

Finance:

• • working with the GL team and board to prepare a mission-aligned budget that supports the effective delivery of our program, our positioning as a thought leader in the field and our plans for growth and increased impact;
  • ensuring the development and maintenance of sound financial practices;
  • supporting a financial model that reduces risk/vulnerability and supports sustainability; and
  • cultivating and sustaining strong relationships with philanthropic funders and other donors in order to secure grants in support of the organization’s mission.

THE CANDIDATE

You are a strong Executive Director candidate if you take an entrepreneurial and flexible approach to problems and challenges and possess a willingness to think creatively to advance a strategic vision. You are skilled in navigating complex systems and managing the nuances associated with aligning values and recognizing historical context while traversing the education landscape. You are practiced at leveraging networks to raise an organization’s visibility, strengthen and measure its impact; you listen well and can articulate your passion for innovative, personalized learning, teacher professional development and authentic community engagement in an inspiring way. You build teams and communities by leading through influence, elevating mission and values. You center equity and foster a kind of connectedness that produces a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. You’ve built systems and organizational infrastructure that make room for relationship and culture building, and you have a persistent, measured approach when it comes to negotiating dynamic conditions.  Additionally, you:

• • possess cultural humility and understand inclusive intelligence/excellence and cultural competence; you are able to articulate a compelling commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion as an organizational imperative, and you lead through an inclusive lens; you have experience engaging with diverse stakeholders and marginalized communities;
  • have demonstrated the ability to attract, hire, develop, and retain a diverse group of team members, and recognize and leverage their talents in a way that inspires commitment, cohesion and a collaborative, high-functioning culture in a geographically dispersed organization;
  • cultivate relationships and foster coalescence around a set of shared goals across stakeholders with diverse perspectives (including students and families, schools and districts, nonprofit and philanthropic organizations, the public sector and other community partners) in order to drive positive change;
  • drive results by investing the team in a co-created, organization-wide vision, and tying it in a meaningful way to the aspirations, realities and desired outcomes of local sites and communities with widely varying conditions and context;
  • have demonstrated success securing funding from foundations and other mission-aligned investors and building strong relationships with key strategic partners;
  • oversee relationships with various providers with an eye to protect GL and its school partners’ data security and privacy; support contract negotiations and guide general practice around vendor engagement;
  • implement effective talent management strategies throughout the organization;
  • engage the Board collaboratively and productively to solve key challenges and realize the organization’s mission and vision; and
  • have a commitment to giving and receiving low-inference, constructive feedback that reflects a growth mindset and supports continuous improvement.

REPORTING

The Executive Director will report to the Board. Direct reports include the chiefs of marketing; program; finance and operations.

LOCATION

Our work is national in scope, and our team is virtual. The location for this role is flexible within the United States.

COMPENSATION

Gradient Learning provides competitive compensation and an attractive benefits package. Salary will be determined by the board and calculated based on the successful candidate’s previous experience, starting at $315k with annual bonus opportunity

TO APPLY

We have engaged Promise54 to support the hiring process.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue through June 15, 2023.

For best consideration, please follow these instructions to submit a cover letter and resume:

• • Visit the Opportunities section on Promise54’s website and click on the APPLY NOW tab within the Gradient Learning, Executive Director position description
  • Answer a brief set of questions about you
  • Below the questions, you’ll be able to upload your resume as well as a cover letter

Finally, if you encounter any technical difficulties, please contact: admin@promise54.org.

Gradient Learning is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, military status, pregnancy, parenthood, citizenship status, creed, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. We will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.

People from all diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.

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