Open Positions

Entrepreneurship Program Director

Organization Profile

The Gray Matter Experience (TGME) is a non-profit and entrepreneurial experience program for Black high school students. Our mission is to unlock the self-determining power of Black youth and strengthen their ties to the community through real world experience in entrepreneurship. We believe that by allowing students to serve on the front lines of community growth and ownership, it will increase their self-worth and strengthen their ties to the communities in which they live.

This is an opportunity to join the founding team in our efforts to support Black students in their entrepreneurial pursuits. As a leader in our organization, you will assist the CEO in creating programmatic structure, hiring programming team members, and contributing to the growth & development of countless student entrepreneurs.

Position Overview

The Gray Matter Experience is seeking a passionate and experienced leader to join our team as the Entrepreneurship Program Director. This person will oversee the development of entrepreneurship programming with an emphasis on high school students, and will play a critical role in ensuring that TGME’s programming addresses the academic, social, and emotional needs of youth through an array of educational and enrichment activities.

The ideal candidate will have strong experience in program strategy, program design and community building with an extensive understanding of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial processes. We see this position as an integral part of our mission to uplift students from under-resourced communities and help close the education, knowledge and resource gap.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Programmatic Strategy & Design

Creating new and maintaining current initiatives to support the strategic direction of the organization, as it pertains to progressive entrepreneurial curriculum, fundraising/budgeting, and other long-term goals & objectives.

Oversee the Program Department and its overall success and alignment with long-term strategy and direction, including but not limited to curriculum development & implementation, program design, program experience & logistics, student success & development, and evaluation & measurement
Ensure that program activities operate within the policies and procedures and approved budget of the organization
Occasionally visit program sites to observe, support, and evaluate instruction and implementation

Partnerships & Community

Translating new and existing initiatives to the team and key stakeholders (i.e. corporate & educational partners, students, grant writer, marketing audience, Board of Directors & Associate Board).

Communicate with members and other stakeholders to gain community support for the programs and to solicit input to improve the program
Represent the organization at conferences and other public events; leading activities, speaking engagements and trainings
Serve as a critical partner in stakeholder engagement, including organizing, holding and supporting events and communicating with families and community members.
Cultivate existing relationships with vendors, community groups, companies and schools with the goal of ensuring sufficient resources and access to services
Collaborate with grant writers, staff, community partners, etc. to provide understanding surrounding our program offerings to ensure we are all operating with the same goals.

Program Staffing and Personnel

The Program Director has the support of both the organizational staff and the Program Instructors, but is ultimately responsible for maintaining the following:

In consultation with the CEO, recruit, interview and select well-qualified program staff
With CEO and senior management, establish and implement a performance management process for all program staff
Ensure all program staff members receive orientation and appropriate training
Supervise program staff by providing direction, input and feedback
Work with Program Staff to develop and grow an effective volunteer management process
Meet with Program staff on a weekly basis to ensure smooth running of the programs

Impact & Measurement

The Program Director will analyze all programming initiatives and work with organizational staff to improve the overall program quality, experience and execution.

Support existing program evaluation framework and monitor program activities regularly to assess the strengths of the program and identify areas for improvement
Conduct an annual evaluation on overall program efficiency & efficacy according to the program evaluation framework, to help inform future program offerings & strategies
Report evaluation findings to the Founder/CEO, management & funders, and recommend changes to enhance the program, as appropriate
Develop forms and records to document program activities*
*This part of the role will be managed by the Director until Program Team is fully staffed

How We Define Success in this Role

Your creative ideas are aligned with our organization and your effort ensures initiatives are seen through to completion.

You create a process to seamlessly integrate new programs & initiatives without last minute, hair on fire, organizational detrimental chaos which negatively impacts the student experience

You connect the program content and approach to the students in a way that excites them and keeps them engaged

Your strategy and leadership of the Program Department leads to one or more of the following:
- Sponsorships secured
- Fundraising opportunities
- Revenue generated
- New & continued partnerships
- Increase in program demand

REQUIREMENTS

Exceptional interpersonal skills, including the ability to work with a diverse group of stakeholders (e.g. community partners, families, school admin, and donors).

Ability to work both in a team environment and independently with minimal supervision, be flexible, and manage multiple priorities
Ability to work with a small team to manage multiple projects for different stakeholders while managing your daily responsibilities in a fast-paced, startup environment
Organizational, communication and problem-solving skills - must be organized and able to manage a variety of tasks
Demonstrated success developing and evaluating program models, and selecting and successfully operationalizing innovative programs
Excellent verbal and written communication skills with exceptional attention to detail
Strength in hiring, recruiting, managing, developing, coaching, and retaining individuals and teams, empowering them to elevate their levels of responsibility and performance
Experience with data collection and using software management reporting tools (i.e. Airtable, Google Suites, MailChimp, Slack, Asana, etc.)
Experience developing and implementing youth programming that considers the impact of race, gender, socio-economic status, and other identities on academic and educational experiences for youth

Before you apply...

ask yourself these questions. If you find yourself answering yes to all of them, we want you to apply!

Have you witnessed disparities leading to the lack of resources and support for underrepresented communities? Are you committed to finding solutions to positively impact these disparities through the creation of businesses, resources and support?

Have you held a leadership role within Education, State or Local Gov, Entrepreneurial Service Organizations, Nonprofits or Tech Startups?

Do you understand how to navigate entrepreneurial ecosystems and can you convey this through program design to improve growth and scalability of student companies?

Would you consider yourself a self-reflective person who has a positive disposition with a focus on continuous growth and improvement for self and others?

Are you comfortable taking a leadership role and adapting as things change to keep momentum moving forward? Can you quickly assess problems and solve them?

APPLY HERE

We look forward to adding you to our team! We know your work with us will be both impactful for the organization and for your personal development.

Email the Gray Matter Team with questions about this role.