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New Search Announcement! Associate Director of Business Development for Year Up, A Best Nonprofit to Work For!

March 17, 2016 No Comments

Pillar Search is pleased to announce the search for Year Up’s Associate Director of Business Development in San Jose, CA

ORGANIZATION DESCRIPTION:

Year Up is an award-winning national 501(c)3 organization striving to close the Opportunity Divide by providing urban young adults ages 18-24 with the skills, experience, and support that will empower them to reach their potential through professional careers and higher education. Through a one-year intensive training program, these young adults complete a unique combination of rigorous, hands-on technical and professional skills training, college credit, and corporate internships. With an annual operating budget of $90 million, Year Up served over 2,700 students in 2015 nationwide.

Year Up takes three approaches to closing the Opportunity Divide. Their core sites are based on their founding program model – direct service programming where facilities, staff, infrastructure, academics, and all other aspects of the program are managed by Year Up staff. The Professional Training Corps (PTC) is a community college based model that provides an opportunity for students to engage in meaningful workforce training. In this model, students are dual-enrolled in the community college and Year Up; technical skills are taught by college faculty, while Year Up staff provide professional skills and other wrap-around services. Lastly, their Employer Based Solutions are created in collaboration with employer partners; custom solutions are developed to meet critical business needs and solve for skills gap challenges in the marketplace.

Consistently voted one of the Best Nonprofits to Work For by the Nonprofit Times, Year Up is a rewarding place to work. Their staff is passionate, supportive, mission-driven, and committed to positive change and continuous learning. They set high standards for both themselves and their students, and live by a set of core values that reflect an unshakable belief in the talent and full potential of young adults. The work they do is life-changing, and they know that their team is the greatest asset in achieving their mission.

OVERVIEW:

Reporting to the Regional Director of Partner Relations – West, the Associate Director of Business Development – Bay Area, CA is a key member of Year Up Bay Area’s Corporate Engagement team – the epitome of hard business skills in a mission-driven setting. S/he will connect top corporations in need of entry level talent with professionally trained, high-potential urban young adults. The Corporate Engagement team, responsible for generating approximately 60% of our annual budget and connecting alumni with post-program career and education pathways, is seeking an additional member to reach tangible targets in developing and following leads, closing sales, and connecting grads with professional jobs.

To be successful in this role, you will desire to leverage your demonstrated for-profit revenue generation and career placement experience in a mission-driven social enterprise. As an ideal candidate, you are someone who understands sales and thrives in environments that require you to build and maintain relationships. You have a knack for networking and can speak passionately about Year Up’s mission and the students we serve.

In keeping with Year Up’s values, the Associate Director of Business Development will also have the opportunity to interact with students as a mentor, group facilitator, and advocate, participating in building a positive educational environment.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Revenue Generation and Outcomes Business Development:
Lead business development and acquisition by building new corporate partnerships for internship seats and alumni hiring to top companies in the Bay Area while maximizing all opportunities and making recommendations on the various solutions, partnerships, and volunteer opportunities Year Up offers
Develop and implement Business Development strategy that generates internship revenue through the acquisition of new corporate partnerships and leads to increased alumni hires through partnerships with staffing agencies and hiring managers
Engage with C-level executives and decision makers at all organizations, from Fortune 500s to start-ups and small local businesses in a variety of settings from one-one-one meetings to large events
Develop and leverage a database of qualified leads through referrals, telephone canvassing, face to face meetings, cold calling, direct mail, email, and networking responding to territory assignments
Create and conduct effective presentations and proposals that identify Year Up’s innovative model and past successes for solving entry level talent needs at partner corporations through internships and alumni hires
Ensure alignment between graduate skill-set and hiring partnership development, as well as between internship partnership, role development, and intern skill-set
Maintain accurate and comprehensive records (in Salesforce.com) of activities such as sales calls, presentations, closed sales, and follow-up
In conjunction with the Director, develop annual business plan detailing activities to follow during the year, which will focus the candidate on meeting or exceeding sales quota
Relationships Management (External):
Build and drive our strategy to engage multiple special interest groups within partner segment to deepen partnerships and grow pipeline
Plan and implement corporate partner events aimed at deepening engagement, including convening corporate champions across industry verticals
Embrace the mantra of “high expectations, high support” in interactions with corporate partners and interns
Staff and Students Relationships Management (Internal):
Facilitate collaboration across functional teams, specifically, development, academics, and career services
Work closely with program leadership to ensure students strategically align with corporate partners needs
Create greater understanding of the internship program to all Year Up staff members
Site Team/Learning Community Member
Serve as an advisor/mentor for a small number of current students
Join and sometimes facilitate weekly group sessions with students
Participate in staff meetings and trainings

QUALIFICATIONS:

Minimum of 4-5 years of experience preferred
New business sales and account management experience strongly preferred
Bachelor’s degree typical/preferred
Successful achievement of a minimum of $1m in sales targets
Demonstrated successful track record in a direct sales capacity
Demonstrated ability to generate leads and close business
Documented strengths in meaningful relationship building, management and growth
Strong networking skills and the ability to move comfortably and credibly in the community
Strong communication and collaboration skills to ensure alignment across several teams
Strong organizational and time management skills with exceptional attention to detail
A professional and resourceful style with the ability to work independently and as a team player, to take initiative and manage multiple tasks and projects at a time
Ability to thrive in a fluid, dynamic organization with a minimal amount of direction
Ability to plan, introduce and lead a process that enables high quality growth
Ability to lead, willingness to be led, and comfort with situational leadership
Proficiency with Microsoft Office required; Salesforce.com experience preferred
A passion for working with urban young adults, an unshakable belief in their potential and a strong commitment to the mission of Year Up
Understanding of the Opportunity Divide and its drivers
Commitment to diversity and inclusion

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:

Salary: Competitive and commensurate with education and experience
Benefits: Competitive package including 100% healthcare coverage, dental, and 401(k) match
Vacation: Three weeks paid vacation in first year of employment; four weeks after initial year
Professional development: Funds available to support staff in achieving career objectives

TO APPLY:

Please submit a thoughtful cover letter and resume to Cindy Joyce of Pillar Search at cindy@pillarsearch.com. Note that applications without a cover letter and salary expectations will not be considered. We respectfully request no phone calls.

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Announcing the Search for the President of Yestermorrow Design/Build School in Waitsfield, VT

November 18, 2015 No Comments

Pillar Search is pleased to announce the search for Yestermorrow Design/Build School in Vermont.

With personalized service and proven results, Pillar is your partner in executive search and human resources consulting. With over 20 years of experience, Pillar provides national retained search services for exceptional non-profits and foundations and early-stage or rapid growth for-profit firms. All share the characteristic of desiring top talent who want an occupassion, not just an occupation. In addition, Pillar offers human resources consulting services, which was born of clients requesting help on projects beyond executive search, and includes human resources audits, creating a handbook, assessing organizational design, training, team building, and employee communications. A woman-owned business, Pillar is based in Boston, MA, and works on both a local and national level.

To contact Pillar, please click here.

President

Overview:

Yestermorrow Design/Build School is a 501(c)3 non-profit educational organization located in the Mad River Valley of Vermont offering workshops, certificate programs and semester programs for adult students from around the country.

Yestermorrow’s mission is to inspire people to create a better, more sustainable world by providing hands-on education that integrates design and craft as a creative, interactive process. The intensive and experiential curriculum includes a wide variety of topics related to sustainable design, green building, architectural craft, and furniture making.

This is an exciting opportunity for a strong leader with a deep familiarity with and passion for architecture, design/build, sustainable and energy-conscious construction methods and experiential education. Positive, dynamic, and high energy, the President will be able to look at the big picture and identify future opportunities while managing the day-to-day activities and operations of Yestermorrow Design/Build School.

As an employer, Yestermorrow offers a supportive, collegial, entrepreneurial and inclusive working environment that fosters creativity of students, faculty and staff.

For more information about Yestermorrow, please visit www.yestermorrow.org.

Location:

Yestermorrow is located in Waitsfield, VT, which has been named “Best Town” and “Best Ski Town” by Outside Magazine. According to the New York Times, “”Well known as a winter skiing destination — it is home to the sprawling Sugarbush resort and ‘ski it if you can’ Mad River Glen — the valley reveals itself in warmer weather, when history, culture and a hyperlocal food scene come to the fore.”

Situated between the Sugarbush and Mad River Glen mountain resorts, Waitsfield is welcoming, easy going and breathtaking. For more information on Mad River Valley, please visit http://www.madrivervalley.com/.

The Opportunity:

The President is responsible for the fiscal, programmatic and functional health of the organization, in addition to serving as the primary advocate for its mission and steward of its reputation. As a school known for innovation, the President will foster a culture of thinking outside the box and creative experimentation to help Yestermorrow continue to be a place of cutting-edge design education.

The President will report to the Board of Directors through its Executive Committee.

Specifically, the President is responsible for all aspects of the school’s operations, including:

Spearhead all fundraising activities for the school, including diversifying fundraising efforts to include major gifts, corporate and foundation giving, events, and planned giving
Supervise the ongoing, phased implementation of the new comprehensive master plan for the school’s campus, including the construction of new shop and studio spaces, residences and other site improvements.
Provide strong leadership and management to staff and faculty
Raise regional, national, and international visibility
Expand programs and outreach while maintaining the high quality of current programs
Develop, implement, and oversee a strategic plan for Yestermorrow

Please note that this is a year-round position.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities:

Leadership, Management and Mentoring:

Inspire and motivate staff, the board, faculty, donors and others to advance and achieve Yestermorrow’s mission.
Hire, manage and leads Yestermorrow’s diverse administrative staff of seven (7) including individual staff managers for curriculum, enrollment, operations, facilities, development and communications, and semester programs.
Serve as the public face and chief spokesperson for Yestermorrow, and advocate for its mission and goals within the greater community served by the school.
Liaise with Board of Directors and work closely with all committees and working groups to ensure that board and committee meetings run smoothly and board efforts are coordinated and effectively targeted.
Develop a consensus-based strategic vision of the next phase of Yestermorrow’s growth, and build enduring support and relationships among diverse audiences and communities around it.
Manage with an inclusive and flexible style, combined with appropriate decisiveness, emphasis on accountability and ability to delegate.
Clearly define goals with each staff member and develop results-focused performance metrics to ensure that goals and expectations are clearly communicated and that each employee is given opportunities to grow and be challenged in their roles.
Regularly communicate with school’s faculty and incorporate their vision, interests and concerns into organizational planning.
Create and implement effective operating systems to achieve the goal of organizational excellence.

Development, Fundraising, Community Relations and Outreach:

Implement and complete an estimated $3 million capital campaign. This important fundraising effort will support the expansion of Yestermorrow’s campus, including new studio space, dormitories, and the restoration of existing buildings. The President will work closely with the Board of Directors, Development Manager, staff and faculty to carry out a broad-based fundraising plan targeting individuals, corporations, foundations and government agencies to support this initiative.
Establish fundraising priorities to reach new audiences by directing marketing and outreach strategy (including alumni, parents, and “friends of Yestermorrow”).
Develop and lead the fundraising efforts and identify ways to diversifying fundraising to include, in addition to annual giving, a major donor effort, special events, planned giving, grant research and writing, annual appeals, and endowment stewardship.
Initiate, develop and support strategic initiatives, partnerships, alliances and collaborations with relevant institutions.
Travel will be required to present to diverse audiences about Yestermorrow’s programs and impacts.

Administration & Finance:

Facilitate and manage Yestermorrow’s financial and administrative work, including overseeing the preparation, monitoring and reporting of annual budgets and work plans.

Qualifications, Skills & Abilities:

The President will be a strategic thinker, a decisive manager, a proven team builder, a compelling communicator, and an effective and enthusiastic fundraiser.

He/she must be capable of managing a complex organization during a time of significant growth and change. He/she must have demonstrated experience as an Executive Director, President or equivalent, managing comparable staff and budgets, contracts, fiscal reporting, fundraising, outreach and marketing, and organizational development, as well as liaising with the board.

The position demands an entrepreneurial spirit – someone with a talent for articulating new opportunities, and a track record of implementing them.

The successful candidate will have the following:

Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree. Advanced degree is strongly preferred.

At least 10 years of progressively responsible experience with private non-profit or public sector organizations.
Experience professionally, or passion personally, for design.
Proven experience in leadership roles, including the management of comparably sized staff and budget.
Strong fundraising experience is essential, including experience across the spectrum of development.
Experience either running a capital campaign or having participated in a significant manner in the successful completion of a capital campaign.
A track record with the outreach, community building, and public relations side of running a mission-driven institution.
Experience managing an institution during a time of major growth.
Excellent speaking, writing and presentation skills.
Computer literacy, Internet savvy, and comfort communicating in a variety of digital and other media.
Occasional travel and evening and weekend work is required.

The salary for this opportunity is competitive and commensurate with experience.

For Immediate Consideration:

This search is being managed by Pillar Search. To apply, please send your cover letter and resume, including salary requirements, to Cindy Joyce at cindy@pillarsearch.com.

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Landing a Job With Your Professional “Crush”

September 23, 2015 No Comments

We’ve all seen them: The job posting that grabs your attention and you cannot get it out of your mind because it is your dream job. Be it working for a cause you adore, as part of a celebrity nonprofit whose founder you admire, on a fantastic product team, or with an artist who you are a huge fan of, the dream job does not have to be merely a dream. Before zipping off your resume, take a deep breath and follow some of these tips to ensure that you showcase your killer talents and skills in the best light. Drumroll, please:

Look at the job description very closely. If it is truly a match, pass go, collect $200, and apply immediately! If not, think before you apply. I have done searches for a celebrity-related organizations, rock star status money managers, and arts organizations that receive literally hundreds of unsolicited resumes each week because people are so excited to work there, but for the most part they are not a match in terms of experience fit. Sending a resume to a job that you are not qualified for will not get the results you want. Wait for a job that fits your skills, as the competition for these “sexy” positions will be fierce.
Research the role and the company or organization. Go beyond their website. Who do they partner with? Are they on social media? Do they do a signature event? Check out similar organizations as well. If it is a non-profit, look at Guidestar. If it is a for-profit, check out their annual report. See what press is available about them so that when you craft the cover letter, and hopefully when you have an interview, you can demonstrate that you walk the walk and talk the talk.
Write a thoughtful cover letter that highlights your skills and what makes you the ideal candidate. In the cover letter, do not tell the designer that you love her shoes. Do not tell the movie star that you loved their latest movie. They have fans. They need an Executive Director, PR pro, Personal Assistant, or whatever role they have open. Their focus will be on the person who is best equipped to fill that need, not on the one who is most star-struck.
If it is a mission-based organization (i.e., nonprofit or foundation), you can and should share if you are a believer in their cause and how their mission resonates with you, but be sure to temper it. Human Resources and Executive Recruiting firms will see right through if it is not sincere. I know someone who worked in the marketing area of a Major League Baseball team’s charitable foundation and she applied despite the fact that she despised baseball. She shared with me that she adored their mission and the work they did with children’s health and education and said she was willing to “put up” with the baseball to get the job working on a cause she loved. That kind of passion shines through.
Do not use social media to announce that you are interviewing with a company or organization. It happened during a search and let’s just say that it was not viewed kindly. Organizations with celebrity and/or brand name affiliation will expect discretion.
Most importantly, be yourself. Yes, this may be a dream job, and you are probably chomping at the bit to get it, but be real. Be you. I have seen finalists in incredibly competitive searches who meet with the top person or board hiring committee and do incredibly well by relaxing, letting their guard down, and showing their true and talented self.

Best of luck in your job search!

Cindy Joyce, Founder, Pillar Search