Room to Grow is a nonprofit organization that believes one day all parents will have the resources they need to unlock their families’ potential and become champions for babies and their community. Its mission is to offer structured coaching, material goods, and community connections to support parents as they activate their natural strengths and expand their knowledge, so children thrive from the start. Room to Grow was founded in New York in 1998 and has been partnering with families in Boston since 2005, reaching over 1,300 families per year with an annual budget of $5M and a team of 45. The innovative program delivers three highly consequential types of support – parenting education, material goods, and clinical and community referrals. Room to Grow takes a two-generation, preventative, and strengths-based approach to providing comprehensive services for families. Its model ensures that parents receive knowledge, tools, and confidence to raise children who are developmentally and socially ready to learn and to meet their full potential in education, health, work, and citizenship.

As an entrepreneurial and growth-oriented organization, Room to Grow is in the midst of an exciting period of development, as it continues to expand its reach and impact in New York and Boston, and considers markets beyond. In 2020, Room to Grow adapted and digitized parts of its model to continue supporting families during COVID-19, and it will continue to leverage best practices and resources to support low-income communities as circumstances evolve.

For more information, please visit Room to Grow’s website

Room to Grow is seeking a passionate and driven individual to lead the programmatic, operational, and fundraising work of Room to Grow’s growing Boston region. Reporting to the CEO, the Executive Director, Boston (EDB) is a member of Room to Grow’s leadership team and will act as the region’s external advocate and ensure high-quality programming through a collaborative and coordinated approach with the Boston team of 12. They will advance Room to Grow’s strategic priorities including: social impact, growth and innovation, and sustainability.

Working closely with national leadership and the regional board, the Executive Director, Boston will position Room to Grow for future growth and development in the region by strengthening and expanding the organization’s visibility, fundraising, programming, and adoption of best practice management approaches. This is an ideal opportunity for a strategic and results-oriented leader to drive significant impact in a dynamic and growing non-profit setting.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Regional Leadership

• Execute Room to Grow’s growth strategy as outlined in the current strategic plan within the realities of COVID-19 in collaboration with the team and regional Board
• Partner with organizational leadership, Boston Board, and staff to pilot new initiatives, adapt strategy as needed to meet regional needs, and help develop systems and processes that will support continued growth
• Manage, support, and develop a team of 12 across the External Relations, Family Support, and Site Operations departments
• Ensure a collaborative, inclusive, and effective culture by leading regional team members through coaching and targeted development to ensure individuals are highly engaged and continuously supported in their roles and Room to Grow’s client families are respected and supported
• Assume responsibility for the financial health and stability of the local region; manage a regional budget of approximately $1.5M
• Lead on regional annual planning process and budget development in conjunction with other organizational leaders, staff, and the Boston Board Finance Working Group
• Ensure programs operate at maximum capacity with high quality and fidelity to Room to Grow’s philosophy and model and work to gradually increase Room to Grow’s service capacity in accordance with the strategic plan
• With support from the National Program Strategy Team, maintain Room to Grow aesthetic standards and upkeep of regional facilities, including warehouse and family centers, to ensure a welcoming environment for client families and volunteers
• Ensure business systems and standards spanning performance management, budgeting and financial management, tracking and managing inventory, and donor/volunteer relationship management are consistent and operate with excellence across the region

External Leadership and Revenue Generation

• Serve as the lead fundraiser for the Boston region, cultivating individual, foundation, and corporate donors; support regional external relations staff and board members in expanding the donor base to raise funds and in-kind donations to meet and/or exceed the region’s annual budget ($1.3M in 2020, growing to $1.5M in 2021)
• Serve as the external face, spokesperson, and advocate for Room to Grow Boston, ensuring the organization’s story, message, program successes, and positions are well articulated to various stakeholders
• Monitor and participate in the preparation and presentation of major funding proposals and other fundraising initiatives, and provide thought-leadership and support for major fundraising events
• Collaborate across regions, alongside the National External Relations Director, to share effective practices and identify and undertake joint opportunities for fundraising and development
• Raise Room to Grow’s profile through thought leadership in the field, as well as ongoing networking and cultivation of media contacts, community and business leaders, corporate and foundation representatives, academic leaders, client families, volunteers, and others, as relevant
• Help to develop and support a strong regional board of diverse members; seek and build board involvement with strategic direction; and ensure regional board activities align to organizational priorities
• Act as primary liaison to the Boston Regional Board, and keep board members, including its two co-chairs, apprised of the organization’s core activities and strategic work

The ideal candidate will possess the following qualifications:

• A minimum of five years of experience in leadership positions (e.g. Manager and/or Director level) within entrepreneurial organizations or teams, preferred
• Demonstrated strategic thinking and problem solving skills with an ability to execute and implement a strategic plan and achieve goals
• Track record of fundraising and/or partnership development success in nonprofit or private sector setting preferred
• Ability to innovate, collaborate, and execute strategy across organizational layers
• Previous people management experience, with the ability to recruit, develop, and retain a high performing team, set priorities, delegate responsibilities, hold teams accountable for outcomes, and provide thoughtful, learning-oriented feedback
• Ability to serve as a culture leader, building an collaborative and inclusive culture where teams can thrive and grow
• Excellent relationship building skills, with a demonstrated ability to work well with people from a wide variety of backgrounds
• Capacity to lead on issues of diversity, equity and inclusion
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to act as a compelling advocate for the work of Room to Grow
• Previous experience living and/or working in Boston a plus
• Experience in the fields of public health, social work, early childhood development, and/or poverty alleviation a plus

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Salary and benefits will be competitive and commensurate with experience.

Room to Grow is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior record of arrest or conviction, or current employment status.

On-Ramps is deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We believe social change happens when people with a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and identities come together with common purpose. We’re working with the team at Room to Grow to build a diverse team that represents the communities it partners with. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply.