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B.A.A. Chief Community Officer, Boston nonprofit hiring, Greater Boston nonprofit leadership jobs

New Search! Chief Community Officer with the B.A.A.!

October 14, 2024 No Comments

CHIEF COMMUNITY OFFICER

Pillar Search & HR Consulting is honored to continue its partnership with the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) on the search for the B.A.A.’s new Chief Community Officer. This is an outstanding opportunity for a Boston-area community builder and leader.

ABOUT BOSTON ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION

The B.A.A. is a non-profit organization with a mission to promote a healthy lifestyle through sports, especially running. The B.A.A. is committed to a world where all people can access and benefit from running and an active lifestyle. The B.A.A. advances its mission and vision by organizing mass-participatory running events such as the Boston Marathon, creating or supporting community fitness events, and sponsoring a running club that serves the greater Boston area.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Reporting to the CEO and serving on the organization’s leadership team, the Chief Community Officer will guide the B.A.A.’s community work to facilitate meaningful engagement and impact aligned with the organization’s mission and vision. They will collaborate internally and externally to lead the planning and execution of a successful, cohesive strategy; cultivating and establishing partnerships with diverse groups across all of their communities, including those who are underrepresented at B.A.A. events and the industry overall, while building trust and alignment toward a shared vision of equitable access and participation in our sport.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Lead the community function at the B.A.A. and partner with other organizational leads to ensure the community strategy is embedded appropriately in all that they do. Help all staff understand this important piece of the organization’s work and how they can contribute to it.
Create and advance an inclusive community strategy and related programming across functions, in alignment with the B.A.A.’s mission, vision, and strategic priorities; gathering input and evolving the strategy, as appropriate.
Reach community members throughout Boston, the various cities and towns on and surrounding the Boston Marathon course, and beyond, through culturally competent and authentic ways.
Establish metrics for community work, monitor implementation and evaluate results of strategy and standard operating procedures. Support the creation and delivery of community impact reporting.
Serve as a primary contact, representative, and liaison for B.A.A. community actions / strategy with internal and external stakeholders. Play a leading role in community initiatives, and support community discussions and crisis management, as appropriate.
Explore, pilot, and implement new ways to partner with community organizations and partners.
Ensure there is an effective process to gather and utilize feedback from community organizations and partners.
Support and oversee community building through sport, e.g., by including, empowering, and celebrating people around their own health and wellness.
Oversee the effective management of and outcomes associated with the B.A.A. Volunteer Program, which is composed of 10,500 volunteers annually, and one of their larger communities. Support the internal staff members managing this program.
Sponsor the Head of Public Relations, overseeing the PR strategy, program and storytelling. Proactively create a productive image for the B.A.A., its work and its vision; ensuring that community engagement work is effectively shared externally.
Collaborate with the leadership team to make decisions on behalf of the organization; bring forth and balance your functional area’s needs and agendas, as well as the rest of the organization’s. Serve as an advocate and leader for the B.A.A. as a whole.
Champion diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB), as is expected of all leadership team members. Develop and achieve measurable functional goals related to DEIB while modeling inclusive behaviors and proactively managing bias.
Manage the community function’s budget effectively in partnership with Finance.
Support the creation of an updated approach/model to staffing community events.
Oversee, coach, and develop B.A.A. staff who support community and volunteer programming and engagement, as well as community and public relations. Directly manage 3 employees in this space.
Other related duties as assigned.

WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR

There are innumerable ways to learn, grow and excel professionally. The B.A.A. knows that people gain skills through a variety of professional, personal, educational, and volunteer experiences. They, along with Pillar Search & HR Consulting, respect this when we review applications and take a broad look at the experience of each applicant. We want to get to know you and the unique strengths you will bring to the work. This said, we are most likely to be interested in your candidacy if you can demonstrate the majority of the qualifications and experiences listed below.

8 or more years of related work experience in a community (or comparable) role – with a record of achieving strategic outcomes and delivering on an organization’s mission.
10 or more years preferred in the Greater Boston area.
Comprehensive knowledge of the communities within the Greater Boston area and their various needs.
Passion for health and fitness and promoting active lifestyles through sport.
Knowledge and experience of the sport of running preferred.
Exceptional relationship management and influencing skills; able to build and maintain relationships with a diverse set of constituents. Skillful organizer who can manage and participate in generative conflict.
Strong communication skills; bilingual language abilities a plus.
Excellent planning and organizational skills, with an ability to prioritize and support team members with prioritizing effectively.
Demonstrated success in setting goals and strategic planning around diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and belonging initiatives.
History of inspiring others and leading by example. Genuine enthusiasm for meeting, motivating, and involving people in community activities.
Proficient in Microsoft 365 tools, including Outlook, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. Experience in Salesforce a plus.
Flexibility to attend night and weekend events.

WORK EXPECTATIONS AT B.A.A

The B.A.A. is a hands-on team and seek employees who are passionate about our work and service to their community. The Chief Community Officer is a 40 hours/week, exempt position. The role will require flexibility to work on some weekends and evenings in order to be present within communities and at events. Additionally, there will be longer work hours surrounding B.A.A. race events. Limited local travel required.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

The salary range is competitive and commensurate with lived and professional experience. The B.A.A. will promote your professional growth and development by providing access to:

Competitive health & dental insurance plans
Life insurance, short term, and long-term disability plans funded 100% by the B.A.A.
401(k) matching dollar-for-dollar up to 4% after one year of service, elective deferrals may begin upon hire
An annual allotment of professional development funding (up to $2,000 per calendar year)
Paid vacation based on years of service
11 paid holidays, 9 scheduled and 2 floating

HOW TO APPLY

To apply to this position, please prepare a resume and cover letter to the attention of the B.A.A. Human Resources team and submit your materials to Cindy Joyce of Pillar Search & HR Consulting at jobs@pillarsearch.com.

Please note that, due to the high volume of resumes received for this role, phone calls are not accepted, and Pillar is unable to have informational calls about the role. Only those candidates selected to move forward will be scheduled for introductory calls as part of the recruiting process.

The B.A.A. is an equal opportunity employer and does not unlawfully discriminate against employees or applicants for employment on the basis of an individual’s race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status or any other status protected by applicable law.

About Pillar Search & HR Consulting:  A woman-owned business based in Boston, Pillar Search & HR Consulting provides executive search/recruiting and human resources consulting expertise to nonprofit and mission-driven organizations, working with senior leaders and the boards of directors to hire and develop the very best talent across all functional areas of the organization. Pillar’s Founder, Cindy Joyce, is a Certified Diversity Recruiter. For more information, please visit www.pillarsearch.com.

nonprofit executive search firm, nonprofit hiring rhode island, Nonprofit recruiter Rhode Island

Search Success: Anusha Venkataraman Joins ONE Neighborhood Builders as Managing Director of Central Providence Opportunities!

March 24, 2023 No Comments

ONE Neighborhood Builders and Pillar Search and HR Consulting are excited to share that Anusha Venkataram has joined ONE Neighborhood Builders as their new Managing Director of Central Providence Opportunities: A Health Equity Zone. She brings nearly two decades of experience in community development, policy, and organizing, to state’s leading community development corporation.

PROVIDENCE, RI – ONE Neighborhood Builders (ONE|NB) named Anusha Venkataraman, the former executive director of the New York City Racial Justice Commission, as the organization’s first Managing Director of Central Providence Opportunities: A Health Equity Zone (CPO-HEZ), an initiative focused on advancing health equity and economic mobility in the 02908 and 02909 zip codes in Providence.

“Anusha is a seasoned expert in community development, policy, and organizing, and we are thrilled that she has returned to Providence. As ONE|NB looks to further strengthen our foundation as a community-centered impact organization, we knew we needed to find a leader with a track record of building community trust and getting results,” said ONE|NB President and Executive Director Jennifer Hawkins.

With a background in urban planning, Venkataraman’s work has focused on community development, public policy, civic engagement, political organizing, and the arts. Previously, she served as the Executive Director of the NYC Racial Justice Commission, where she steered a public process of reviewing the city’s charter, resulting in three successful ballot initiatives advancing racial equity.

“Across my career in grassroots organizations, nonprofits, and in city government, I have seen what is possible when community members are empowered to drive action,” said Venkataraman. “I am excited to make my return to Providence—a city I am deeply passionate about—and help lead this initiative with ONE|NB in addressing the systemic barriers to health and economic equity in Central Providence and collectively building a stronger future.”

Before leading the NYC Racial Justice Commission, Venkataraman held positions in the NYC Office of the Mayor, including Chief Service Officer and Senior Advisor to the Deputy Mayor for Housing & Economic Development, as well as in the NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development. She also worked with the community organization El Puente in Brooklyn on a neighborhood-wide health and sustainability initiative. Venkataraman started her career in Rhode Island’s nonprofit sector, including as an AmeriCorps VISTA member at the Steel Yard in Providence.

The Managing Director provides strategic leadership and capacity to Central Providence Opportunities: A Health Equity Zone, which brings together residents, more than five dozen community-based organizations, health professionals, local businesses, elected officials, and others to address root causes of health disparities and to improve neighborhood conditions.

The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) established Health Equity Zones (HEZs) in 2015 to improve community health in areas that need it most. HEZs are collaboratives of residents, community organizations, health professionals, and others who come together to address the root causes of health disparities. The HEZs work to ensure every neighborhood has a fair and just opportunity to be healthier. This work requires removing obstacles to health such as poverty, discrimination, racism, and their consequences, including insufficient access to good jobs with fair pay, quality education, affordable housing, safe environments, and healthcar

As Managing Director of CPO-HEZ, Venkataraman will oversee ONE|NB’s work with community partners and residents who have been working for nearly a year to develop a vision for Central Providence. ONE|NB and its partners will culminate this planning work on Monday when they unveil the Central Providence Roadmap, with a vision to ensure that all residents of Central Providence will live healthy, stable lives and be empowered to impact the conditions in their community.

Venkataraman earned a master’s degree in city and regional planning from Pratt Institute and a bachelor’s in international relations from Brown University.

ABOUT ONE NEIGHBORHOOD BUILDERS:

ONE Neighborhood Builders (ONE|NB) is a nonprofit community development leader in Rhode Island that is expanding its work to the broader Greater Providence area while maintaining its deep roots in its historic home of Olneyville. ONE|NB’s mission is to develop affordable housing and engage neighbors to cultivate healthy, vibrant, and safe communities. Since its founding in 1988, then as Olneyville Housing Corporation, ONE|NB has developed 466 affordable apartments; 130 for-sale homes for low- to moderate-income homebuyers; and nearly 34,000 square feet of commercial and community space—totaling more than $135 million of investments. ONE|NB is the convening entity of Central Providence Opportunities: A Health Equity Zone, which brings together residents, more than five dozen community-based organizations, health professionals, local businesses, elected officials, and others to address root causes of health disparities and to improve neighborhood conditions. As the convener, ONE|NB is the backbone organization of this collective-impact initiative to increase economic mobility for residents in Central Providence. ONE|NB also created the first free community wireless network in Rhode Island, providing high-speed broadband to nearly 3000 unique users in the Olneyville neighborhood.

ABOUT PILLAR SEARCH & HR CONSULTING:

A woman-owned business and Certified Diversity Recruiter based in Boston, Pillar Search & HR Consulting provides executive search/recruiting and human resources consulting expertise to nonprofit and mission-driven organizations, working with senior leaders and the boards of directors to hire and develop the very best talent across all functional areas of the organization. For more information about Pillar, please visit www.pillarsearch.com.

executive search boston, executive search nonprofit boston, nonprofit recruiter boston

Search Success: Chelsea Lynn Joins Fab Foundation as General Manager!

January 3, 2023 No Comments

Fab Foundation and Pillar Search & HR Consulting are proud to announce the appointment of Chelsea Lynn to the position of General Manager. Chelsea joined Fab Foundation on January 4, 2023.

As General Manager, Chelsea will oversee the daily operations and administration of the organization, coordinate with the K-12 Education team, the Academany teams, and the International Operations teams to ensure the steady functioning of the organization across all portfolios. She will help design better and more efficient workflows and operational strategies for the organization.

Prior to joining Fab Foundation, Chelsea was the Local Health Liaison Team Manager with Partners in Health, working to implement the Community Tracing Collaborative contact tracing program during the COVID-19 pandemic in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Earlier in her career, Chelsea was a Procurement Specialist in Washington, DC and New Delhi, India with XLA, a firm that
provides technical and administrative solutions to the federal government.

Chelsea earned her Master’s in Women Peace, and Security from the London School of Economics, a Master’s in Intelligence and International Security from King’s College of London, and her undergraduate degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from American University. Chelsea currently resides in Brooklyn, NY.

About Fab Foundation: The mission of the Fab Foundation is to provide access to the tools, the knowledge, and the financial means to educate, innovate, and invent using technology and digital fabrication to allow anyone to make (almost) anything. They create opportunity. Learn more about Fab Foundation at https://fabfoundation.org.

About Pillar Search & HR Consulting: A woman-owned business based in Boston, Pillar Search & HR Consulting provides executive search/recruiting and human resources consulting expertise to nonprofit and mission-driven organizations, working with senior leaders and the boards of directors to hire and develop the very best talent across all functional areas of the organization. For more information, please visit www.pillarsearch.com.

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Search Success: Rodney Williams Joins Fab Foundation as Program Manager!

January 3, 2023 No Comments

Fab Foundation and Pillar Search & HR Consulting are proud to announce the appointment of Rodney Williams to the position of Program Manager. Rodney joined Fab Foundation on January 4, 2023.

As Program Manager, Rodney will manage and implement educational outreach projects with corporate and private partners. Rodney will primarily be responsible for US-based projects and select international projects. In this role, he will develop key stakeholder relationships for the various partnerships formed for the relevant outreach projects and manage the overall day to day operation of the program(s). Rodney will work closely with project personnel, such as instructors, lab managers, teachers and others to implement outreach projects.

Prior to joining Fab Foundation, Rodney was the Director of Marketing and Communications with The Ancona School and began his tenure with the school as the Technology Integration Coordinator. Earlier in his career, Rodney was the Technology Specialist with the William K. New Sullivan Elementary School.

Rodney earned his Ed.D. in Educational Psychology and Technology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology, his Master of Science in Applied Technology from DePaul University, and his undergraduate degree in Youth Development from DePaul University. Rodney resides in Chicago, IL.

COVID business best practices, executive search nonprofit, Talent Acquisition in the New Normal

Talent Acquisition in the New Normal: 10 Ways to Position Your Organization for Success

July 9, 2020 No Comments

It seems counterintuitive. How can you recruit if you have no open positions? What if you are in an industry or organization that is experiencing layoffs, furloughs, or a hiring freeze? The truth is a downturn can be an ideal time to time to assess and enhance your organization’s hiring efforts. After all, finding top talent is not a finite task, but rather an ongoing effort that requires time, energy and effort, even during a downturn.

I have been in recruiting and human resources since the mid-90’s, and have been through a few downturns, such as the dotcom bubble bursting, post-9/11, and the financial crisis of the late 2000’s. While I was working in the investment industry during those, and now work with nonprofit and mission-driven organizations, the same principles hold true regardless of industry or sector.

Here are ten ways you can enhance recruiting now:

Build a pipeline. When hiring is moving fast and furiously, it can be quite a challenge to find the time to look around and figure who at your competitors and other organizations you would LOVE to hire. Now is the time to do that. Who are the stars that you should proactively reach out to the next time a role is open?
- Look on LinkedIn. Check in with those you know and connect with those you do not
- Think of amazing speakers and attendees you have met at conferences and/or industry-related events, or those who write articles/white papers that have impressed you
- Former employees who were top performers. They may be open to a return for the right opportunity
Research ways to build diverse candidate pools. It is easy to post in the same places, but those same places will likely produce the same candidates. There are tons of organizations specific to people of color and women, those who are differently abled, LGBTQ, veterans, etc. In addition, there are job boards that are focused on diversity within certain areas of expertise, such as fundraising, IT, or marketing. Find the ones that work for the jobs your organization hires for so that you have that list at the ready when a job opens.
Be focused with postings when a position does open. Just a few short months ago, it was a candidate’s market. Job postings may have only produced a handful of candidates. That has changed – big time – and while at first you will feel like you have your choice of candidates, you may realize that in this “new normal” you are spending an inordinate amount of time sifting through resumes and fielding endless calls from candidates, which will significantly extend your time to fill metrics. Rather than using the big, broad job boards, focus on the ones specific to your industry and the role, use LinkedIn to proactively reach out to candidates, and tap into your network.
Revisit finalists from other searches. I am going to let you in on a little secret: at the end of each search, I make a list of the top candidates. I did this when I was recruiting in-house, and I do it now that I am an external search consultant. While we all hope that the person hired will stay in the role forever, things change. People get promoted, move, decide that it is not the right role for them, or perhaps your organization expands and decides that they need more people in that same role. Why reinvent the wheel when you already know great candidates? If you loved the finalists in your search, keep them in mind and reach back out if you are hiring for that role or a similar one in the future.
Reach out to the ones that got away. Whether the candidate you made an offer to opted to accept a role elsewhere or received a counteroffer from their existing employer, it is never easy to lose out on your dream candidate. Stay in touch. You never know when the time will be right for them to make a move to your organization, and anyone that makes it that far in the search most likely got to know your hiring team and the organization and at the very least could be a great source of candidate referrals.
Train your interviewers. When hiring moves at lightning speed, it is easy to let training go by the wayside. It should always be a priority, as you want to ensure that all interviewers are trained to avoid potentially unlawful and discriminatory interview questions, as well as how to avoid unconscious bias. Training also helps interviewers understand how to use the interview times wisely, how to create a positive experience for the candidate, and how to assess each candidate’s strengths and opportunities.
Look at your careers/jobs page. Okay, I get it. There may not be a job posted right now, so it may seem like a pointless exercise. However, eventually candidates will look at the page. Be sure that the message of your careers page is on brand, explains how candidates should apply, shares information on things that will appeal to potential candidates such as training and advancement opportunities, what benefits you offer, what onboarding looks like, and what differentiates your organization as an employer. If you have no current openings, invite those interested in applying to submit a resume for future opportunities. This can help build out your pipeline for the future. Ask recent hires what they think about the career page, and what information would have been helpful to them.
Streamline your process. Have you ever started the hiring process and find that you are adding more and more steps and interviewers as you go? That may cost you top candidates, as they will feel that the process is confusing or excessively long. Take the time now to look at how many interview rounds there will be, how many interviewers are needed, and who is involved in each step, making sure that each interviewer is essential and not just a “nice to have”. At the start of each search, recommit to those steps and be transparent with candidates about the recruiting process during your first interview.
Review job descriptions. In the heat of the moment, it is easy to glance at your existing job descriptions in a rush to post. Look at the duties and responsibilities. Jobs evolve with time, technology, and changes to your organizational structure; make sure that the job description is relevant to the current role. In addition, take the particularly important step of reviewing job descriptions to ensure that you are not using biased language, as this could be discouraging diverse candidates from applying.
Succession planning. If succession planning is something your organization does, or if you need to get started, now is the time to pay attention to it. When there is an economic crisis due to an extraordinary event, such as COVID-19, it is called a Black Swan. Black Swans often cause people to assess their life and work, and whether this is what they genuinely want to do. It happened to me – as the recession of the late 2000’s started to improve, I realized that I wanted to do something different and left the investment industry to work in the nonprofit sector. Others I know opted to retire, start their own business, stay home with children, or go back to school full-time. Having a succession plan in place will ensure continuity of leadership and productivity.

While the above tips are focused on your employees, many can also be applied to your board positions!

Remember, this too shall pass. If you do a thorough assessment of your talent acquisition efforts and take the steps to enhance it now, your organization will be in a much better position when hiring picks up again.

A woman-owned company based in Boston, Pillar Search & HR Consulting provides executive search and human resources consulting expertise to nonprofit and mission-driven organizations, working with senior leaders and boards of directors to hire and develop the very best talent across all functional areas of the organization. For more information, please contact Cindy Joyce at cindy@pillarsearch.com.