Chief Executive Officer

Organization Overview

Launched as a nonprofit organization in 2020 to help schools and districts deliver engaging and effective instruction during the forced school closures of the pandemic, NSSI has continued to partner with schools and districts to support vibrant, accelerated learning through a distinctive five-week summer program.

NSSI programming offers districts an entirely new way to build teacher capacity and boost academic gains. Its revolutionary mentor model engages some of the country’s best educators to equip and inspire teachers to deliver discourse-rich math and literature lessons that are rigorous, culturally responsive, and deeply engaging. The program then deploys these outstanding mentor teachers in supporting partner educators nationwide. Through intensive pre-service training and dynamic weekly professional development sessions focused on the content teachers are about to deliver, NSSI’s summer program focuses on instructional practices proven to accelerate learning, giving teachers and school leaders the support and practice needed to take their craft to the next level.

Teachers get better faster by observing the best. We believe that by giving teachers daily exposure to excellent curriculum, observing excellent mentor teachers, and providing targeted professional development, teachers across the country will improve rapidly.

In 2023, NSSI will be serving more than 76,000 students, up from 48,000 in 2023. With a goal of serving 250,000 students by the summer of 2028, it is poised for continued growth based on the strength of its results. Students have achieved double-digit achievement gains, on average, across all partner sites, and stakeholder satisfaction has been remarkably high.

The Opportunity

The National Summer School Initiative (NSSI) works with schools and districts to deliver exceptional summer learning experiences that are unusually effective in addressing learning gaps and preparing students to thrive in the next grade. NSSI offers a powerful combination of exceptional curriculum and aligned professional development that accelerates learning and builds teacher capacity.

The National Summer School Initiative (NSSI) seeks an energetic, collaborative and entrepreneurial leader to extend its transformational offerings to public school districts nationwide as our new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The new CEO will support the organization in setting and executing the strategic plan, including the vision, goals, and priorities for NSSI, ensuring the continued growth and expansion of the organization’s growing network of school and district clients that are determined to address learning loss and ensure that their students are on track to college and career.

Role and Responsibilities

Reporting to the Board of Trustees, the Chief Executive Officer will manage the work of the Chief of Partnerships, the Chief of Program, the Chief Operating Officer, and the Senior Director of Operations to ensure that NSSI achieves its ambitious goals for impact and reach. The Chief Executive Officer will spearhead the organization’s growth and long-term success, including the development of a long-term organizational structure that enables the greatest impact. The CEO:

Mission and Vision

• Stewards the organization’s mission and defines, evolves, and details its vision for attaining that mission in response to changes in the external competitive, regulatory, political, and cultural environment.
• Communicates, in writing, public speaking, and social media, NSSI’s mission, vision, organizational values, commitments, and specific ways to all stakeholders, including the Board of Trustees, staff, client schools and districts; participating teachers, school leaders, and parents; funders; media; and opinion leaders. Inspires stakeholders to achieve the mission.

Strategic Planning and Organizational Sustainability

• Develops and maintains a strategic plan that defines NSSI’s goals for impact and reach, including student academic growth and students served; renders the organization self-sustaining from earned revenue; and establishes NSSI as the premier provider of academic summer schooling nationally.
• Refines NSSI’s value proposition—its unique promise of value that it delivers to clients—in response to client needs and evolving market conditions.
• Implements clear key performance indicators (KPIs) and accountability measures to drive and track the organization’s progress toward the goals of the strategic plan.

General and Financial Management

• In conjunction with the leadership team’s members, sets the organization’s annual goals and ensures their attainment.
• Hires, develops, and manages the leadership team that runs the business.
• Reviews and approves long-term and annual financial plans and determines how resources are allocated to achieve annual goals and client outcomes.
• Tracks the organization's performance against the annual financial plan and ensures that it is realized.
• In partnership with the Chief Operating Officer, ensures that financial management is transparent and accountable, ensuring that the organization adheres to the highest ethical standards in all matters.

Organizational Culture

• Creates a culture of audacity where all staff are inspired, equipped, and committed to making a singular contribution to American public education and students flourishing.
• Fosters an inclusive, positive, transparent, and ethical organizational culture of internal collaboration and teamwork, accountability, excellence in client service and continuous improvement.
• Ensures clarity of roles and responsibilities and decision rights.
• Ensures that all staff have opportunities for ongoing professional growth and increasing responsibility.

Partnership Development and Marketing

• With the Chief of Partnerships, identifies and strengthens existing major partnerships and engages new schools.
• With the Chief of Partnerships, shapes and builds the organization’s brand as the premier provider of academic summer learning and enhances the brand’s recognition.

Fundraising

• With the Chief of Partnerships and the Board of Trustees, develops and executes the organization’s fundraising strategy.
• Stewarts NSSI’s existing funders and secures additional investments from funders who see the promise of summer learning to address pandemic learning loss, accelerate instruction, and build teacher capacity to deliver effective Tier I instruction throughout the year.

Board of Trustees

• Supports and reports to the Board of Trustees.
• Provides quarterly detailed written reports to the Board, including updates on the execution of NSSI’s annual financial plan and KPIs.

Qualifications

A successful candidate is a compelling self-starter and thought leader who brings the following skills, traits, and experiences:

• Demonstrated capacity to engage individuals and organizations, with a preference for 15-20 years of experience as a senior leader in the education reform sector, with an impressive record of meeting or exceeding KPI’s
• Knowledge of and deep curiosity about the American K-12 education system and initiatives proven to accelerate learning, and to anticipate and address future trends and challenges
• Proven track record of effective leadership and management, with experience leading and scaling high performing teams to achieve organizational goals and objectives
• Experience leading an organization through rapid growth and scale, including developing processes and strategies toward long-term sustainable growth; experience in high growth start-ups a plus
• Experience serving as a chief spokesperson, with a track record of nurturing relationships with key stakeholders and championing the mission of NSSI
• Strong strategic thinking, with the ability to connect with diverse audiences and the power to persuade, inspire, and foster trust
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex research, ideas, and findings in a clear and compelling manner to various audiences
• Financial acumen and intellectual agility
• Strong project management skills, including the ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines simultaneously
• A management style that models strategic thinking, adaptability, and persistence and reliably develops individual and team strengths
• High energy, optimism, and a sense of humor
• Demonstrated commitment to fostering diversity, equity, and belonging in the workplace

Compensation

The Chief Executive Officer role is a remote, full-time opportunity, with a competitive salary range starting at $235,000. As an employee, the Chief Executive Officer will be eligible to join NSSI’s retirement plan and receive stipends to offset remote work expenses and support healthcare benefits.

Non-Discrimination Statement

NSSI is an equal employment opportunity employer committed to maintaining a non-discriminatory work environment. We do not discriminate against any employee, volunteer, vendor, contractor, or applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, arrest record, conviction record, or any other personal characteristic protected by applicable law. This policy covers all programs, services, policies, and procedures, including procurement of services, recruiting, hiring, training, promotion, and administering all personnel actions, such as compensation, benefits, transfers, layoffs, or terminations.

To Apply

To apply, please send an email to applications@danielsconsulting.org, attaching your resume and a cover letter explaining your interest and unique qualifications. We are accepting applications for this role through July 31, 2024.