Students Rising Above, Chief Executive Officer

at  Edgility Consulting

ORGANIZATION

Students Rising Above (SRA) is a Bay Area based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that envisions a world in which every person can achieve economic and social equity. SRA lives this vision by empowering students facing systemic barriers to define and find success through education, career, and in life. Every day, we work to fuel traditionally underrepresented students with drive and potential to achieve their life goals by connecting them to the tools, resources, and supportive community they need to excel and thrive on their college-to-career journey.
Comprised of a tightly organized team of trained experts, an engaged student community, corporate partners, and the commitment of both individual donors and foundations, SRA has created an all-encompassing program that offers thousands of students: Academic Advising; Career Guidance; Professional Development; Social-emotional supports; and Healthcare navigation.
By providing comprehensive guidance and support whenever and wherever it’s needed, SRA accomplishes its mission through a series of proven initiatives that have a direct and profound impact, affecting lives for generations. Founded 25 years ago, SRA now serves all nine counties within the region.
To learn more about SRA’s values, programs, and community, visit www.studentsrisingabove.org.

THE SPAN OF RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SRA CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER INCLUDE:

• Fundraising Transformation: To achieve SRA’s broader reach and impact, the CEO will lead efforts to reimagine and catalyze the organization’s development strategy with a focus on revenue diversification and sustainability. The CEO will continue strengthening existing funder relationships to ensure current grant funding is maintained, while driving new and targeted efforts with major donors, foundations, corporations, and other funding sources. Through inspiring and compelling fundraising campaigns, the CEO will seek to optimize the revenue potential of SRA’s existing programs, and find innovative, new opportunities to increase financial sustainability.
• Executive Leadership: Partnering with SRA’s Board of Directors and staff leadership, the CEO will be expected to bring SRA’s vision to life for long term impact. This includes collaborating with the Board, staff, and program partners to establish aggressive goals, objectives, supporting business and operational plans to realize this vision. In parallel, the CEO will maintain and strengthen SRA’s culture of caring and support for all staff, while also ensuring accountability for work productivity, results, and impact. The CEO will leverage data analytics and insights to inform decision-making across the organization.
• Board Collaboration: Building on its rich history, setting a clear vision for the organization’s future is essential. Partnering with and supporting SRA’s Board of Directors, the CEO will work closely and openly with the Board and its committees to ensure ongoing communication and information exchange related to organizational health, governance, risks, concerns, and opportunities. This includes but is not limited to providing Board members with accurate and adequate information to make holistic, data-informed decisions in a timely manner.
• Financial Management and Acumen: With a focus on transparency and accountability, the CEO is expected to elevate SRA’s financial acumen to ensure the organization’s fiscal health and sustainability. This includes ensuring that SRA secures the adequate revenue to carry out its work tied to strategic investments and spending. Overall, the CEO will be responsible for monitoring SRA’s financial performance, driving effective financial controls, and protecting the organization’s assets and integrity in support of the organization’s strategic goals.
• Stakeholder Engagement, Public Influence, and Brand Stewardship: As the organization’s top thought leader and brand ambassador, the CEO will champion SRA’s external relations and brand presence. This includes building partnerships, accelerating the organizations’ visibility and reputation within policy and advocacy spaces where appropriate, representing the organization in public forums, fundraising events, and through media outlets.
• Team Leadership and Organizational Culture: The SRA CEO is responsible for hiring, developing, managing, and supporting a high-performing team, ensuring that equity and diversity are central to that work. Our new leader will model inclusivity, transparency, collaboration, and empowerment of others throughout the entire organization. As the primary tone setter, SRA’s CEO will maintain and strengthen SRA’s culture of caring and support for all staff, while also implementing a model of shared accountability leading to increased productivity, measurable results, and greater impact.
• Operational Oversight: SRA’s CEO will be energized to evaluate and evolve the necessary organizational infrastructure, systems, and processes to catalyze SRA to its next levels of sophistication and growth. This includes ensuring that structures and systems are in place for enhanced cross-departmental communication and workflows and information exchange, along with strengthening equitable organizational employment processes, performance management, compensation and benefits so that they are in compliance to applicable laws and regulations, community expectations, and high ethical standards.
• Technology Advancement: SRA’s CEO will champion the adoption of innovative technologies to enhance the organization’s operations, outreach, and impact. Internally, the CEO will ensure that the organization’s technological infrastructure is secure, reliable, and scalable. Externally, the leader will stay abreast of emerging technological solutions to assess their potential to advance the organization’s mission.

THE NEXT SRA CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER WILL BE AN ACCOMPLISHED NONPROFIT C-LEVEL EXECUTIVE WITH DEMONSTRATED EXPERIENCE SUCCESSFULLY MANAGING A MULTI-FACETED AND LAYERED ORGANIZATION. TO FULFILL THE ABOVE RESPONSIBILITIES, THE IDEAL SRA CEO CANDIDATE WILL POSSESS THE FOLLOWING QUALIFICATIONS:

• Passion for the organization’s mission and a commitment to social impact.
• Minimum of bachelor’s degree in business, nonprofit management, or a related field.
• Proven track record of success in fundraising, strategic planning, and organizational leadership.
• Previous experience in a CEO or executive role within the nonprofit arena or within a mission-driven organization is preferable.
• Deep understanding of the nonprofit sector and its unique challenges and opportunities.
• Demonstrated ability to leverage technology to drive innovation and growth.
• Strong strategic thinking skills with an ability to articulate a clear, compelling vision, using data to inform decisions, including external research and internal innovation.
• Demonstrated ability to manage large and complex operating budgets.