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Posting for Peace First

Position Details Position Title: Executive Director Function: General Management Position Type: Full-Time (Paid) Posted On: 7/16/2010 Job Description: Peace First seeks an Executive Director with a blend of experience and entrepreneurial spirit to grow their New York office. The position builds from a strong base, including five years of strong results with several local schools, a growing group of committed supporters, and a strong national team to provide resources and wisdom. At the same time, Peace First New York is in a start-up mode, demanding creativity, drive, and the ability to identify and engage a diverse group of supporters in a critical mission.  The ideal candidate will have strong fundraising and operational management skills, deep cultural competency, and a passion for growing Peace First New York into a national example of excellence.

Responsibilities:
The New York Executive Director will play the lead role in directing the Peace First program in New York. Major areas of responsibility include:
• Fundraising: Much of the ED’s work will center around building on efforts already underway to grow a local board, reach out to individuals, corporations, and foundations to raise the necessary awareness and funds to support ambitious growth.
• Advocacy/Outreach: The ED will serve as the “face” of Peace First New York, speaking, writing, and organizing in order to call attention to the needs and potential of young people and to help build the organization’s credibility as a force to assist in developing that potential.
• Relationship Building: The ED will be responsible for establishing and growing strong partnerships with schools and other potential partners in areas ranging from funding to program delivery to evaluation. 
• Operations: The ED will be responsible for the overall management of the program and ensuring consistent, high quality delivery of Peace First to a growing group of schools.
• Administration: The ED will serve as the chief administrative officer of the New York region, with responsibilities for budgeting, staffing, and managing day-to-day operations.  The ED will represent the New York region’s interests and contribute to work with national and other regional staff around program development and evaluation, communications and fundraising, and finance and administration.
 Qualifications: Qualifications:
The ideal candidate will possess most, if not all, of the following skills and experience:
• Significant experience with fundraising or growing income: At least 5 to 7 years experience soliciting donations, grants, or earned income, with tangible evidence of significantly increasing income over time. Knowledge of the New York donor base strongly preferred.
• Significant experience managing and growing social service/change programs: At least 5 to 7 years experience launching or expanding a social service or social change program.  Ideally this would be a philanthropically funded program, working in a related area (youth, schools), and one with tangible evidence of success in establishing or expanding the program’s footprint.
• Self-Starter: Previous experience working independently yet in close collaboration with remote offices to build relationships and organizational infrastructure from the ground up.  Comfortable prioritizing tasks in a resource constrained environment. A flexible problem solver, good at striking the balance between innovation and continuity, deliberation and action, independence and collaboration.
• Deep cultural competencies: Peace First schools tend to be located in urban neighborhoods wrestling with issues of poverty, violence, and isolation.  The New York Executive Director will be most effective possessing a deep understanding of the history and dynamics of these neighborhoods and schools, and a strong appreciation for both the resources and challenges that New York’s children and families bring to our schools.  The Executive Director must be a culturally competent leader: eager to learn, open to diversity, a good listener, and capable of working well with people from different backgrounds.
• Strong communicator: The Executive Director will represent Peace First in many different settings—from a funder’s office to City Hall, from the school hallway to a partnering organization’s playground to a neighborhood meeting.  He or she must be able to listen well and hone in on what is important, as well as to succinctly, articulately and compellingly present the work and mission of Peace First in diverse settings.  The Executive Director should be a clear writer and a comfortable public speaker.
• Strong management and administrative skills: The Executive Director will need to be well organized and able to prioritize and manage effectively given ambitious goals, evolving plans and uncertain resources. The ED should have experience developing and managing annual budgets in excess of $350K and be comfortable playing whatever managerial role is needed in the early phases of growing the program.
• Passion for Peace First mission and goals: The Executive Director will need to be able to persuade others convincingly of the need for and benefits of our program.
• Education: The ideal candidate will have an advanced degree in a related field (such as education or management).
 Benefits: Peace First offers a competitive salary with a generous benefits package. Salary: Commensurate with Experience Posting Expiration Date: 9/14/2010 How to Apply Application Instructions: Peace First has engaged Koya Consulting to help in this hire.  Please send a compelling cover letter and resume to Katie Bouton at executivesearch@koyaconsulting.com. 
Peace First is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, cultural heritage, ancestry, political belief, age, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability or veteran status.
About Peace First: Founded on the belief that young people have the power and responsibility to change the world, Peace First (formerly Peace Games) builds effective school climates by focusing on two major efforts within a school: teaching children the skills of cooperation, communication, conflict resolution, and civic engagement; and providing educators with the critical skills and knowledge to integrate social-emotional learning into the school’s curriculum and culture.  Combined, these efforts strengthen schools’ social and academic environments, leading to stronger schools and more successful students.  An innovative, weekly curriculum taught by young adult volunteers, and reinforced by intensive coaching for principals and a cohort of teachers engages whole school communities in transformative experiential education.  Since its founding in 1992, Peace First has worked with over 64 schools in Boston, Los Angeles, and New York.  We have promising data from our schools:  a USC study found a 60% decrease in disruptive incidences at the school, 36% decrease in physical aggression, and 81% of students reporting they can walk away from a fight.  A recent strategic planning process strengthened the core program model and set an ambitious plan in motion to triple the organization’s reach in three years.
For more information, please visit www.peacefirst.org.

About Koya Consulting: Koya Consulting is a national retained search and consulting firm that works exclusively with non-profits and social enterprises. We deliver measurable results, finding exceptionally talented people who truly fit the unique culture of our client organizations.  For more information about Koya Consulting, please visit www.koyaconsulting.com.
 Organization Information Posted By: Koya Consulting, LLC Hiring Organization: Peace First Domain: Education Budget $1M - $3M Mission Statement: About Peace First: Founded on the belief that young people have the power and responsibility to change the world, Peace First (formerly Peace Games) builds effective school climates by focusing on two major efforts within a school: teaching children the skills of cooperation, communication, conflict resolution, and civic engagement; and providing educators with the critical skills and knowledge to integrate social-emotional learning into the school’s curriculum and culture.  Combined, these efforts strengthen schools’ social and academic environments, leading to stronger schools and more successful students.  An innovative, weekly curriculum taught by young adult volunteers, and reinforced by intensive coaching for principals and a cohort of teachers engages whole school communities in transformative experiential education.  Since its founding in 1992, Peace First has worked with over 64 schools in Boston, Los Angeles, and New York.  We have promising data from our schools:  a USC study found a 60% decrease in disruptive incidences at the school, 36% decrease in physical aggression, and 81% of students reporting they can walk away from a fight.  A recent strategic planning process strengthened the core program model and set an ambitious plan in motion to triple the organization’s reach in three years. Web Site: www.peacefirst.org City: New York State: New York Postal Code: 10001 Country: United States

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