About the Flint Center for Educational Excellence
The Flint Center for Educational Excellence (the Flint Center) is a place-based education reform initiative that works with schools, families, and the community at-large to build an educational ecosystem that ensures Flint kids thrive. We provide programs, policies, research, and advocacy that bring together a complex network of partners that work to support learning and education.
Founded in 2023 with support from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and the Community Foundation of Greater Flint, the Flint Center brought together existing education programs to strengthen out of school services and deepen community impact. With an operating budget of $10M and a team of 80+ diverse and dedicated staff, the Flint Center works across 16 different sites in 7 school systems to serve more than 2,300 children and their families with two-generation interventions and evidence-based best practices.
The Community Education Initiative is transforming Flint-area schools into collaborative hubs where students, parents, educators, and community members work together to ensure Flint kids thrive. Through well-implemented integrated student support services, community education supports improvements in attendance, behavior, social well-being, and academic achievement.
Thrive On and Thrive Up are two evidence-based afterschool programs designed to ensure Flint kids thrive beyond the traditional school hours. Thrive On is an elementary initiative that provides enriching activities aimed at boosting school attendance, improving academic achievement, instilling self-efficacy, and fostering family engagement. Thrive Up is the secondary school counterpart, catering to middle and high school students.
The Flint Center also provides systems level leadership across five areas impacting students in Flint and the adults who educate, develop, and care for them:
- The Flint Early Childhood Collaborative – in partnership with Educare Flint and Cummings Great Expectations
- The Network for School Excellence – to address academic outcomes through teacher preparedness
- The Community Council on Education – to align cross-sector resources in support of schools
- The Flint Parent Collaborative – to amplify the voices of parents and caregivers
- Research & Advocacy – to collect, analyze, and apply data to drive better community outcomes
For more information on the programs, staff, and vision of the Flint Center, please visit our website.
The Opportunity
The Flint Center is seeking a dynamic and experienced Chief Program Officer (CPO) to lead across our portfolio of community education programs. This key leadership role will oversee the development, delivery, and continuous improvement of our integrated educational initiatives, with particular focus on the Community Education Initiative and our afterschool programming (Thrive On and Thrive Up). The CPO will enhance program sustainability and expand our impact in the Flint community – from cradle to career. Ultimately, the CPO will be instrumental in shaping the future of education in Flint by leading efforts to provide high-quality, sustainable learning opportunities that ensure all Flint kids thrive.
In addition to bolstering existing programs, this role will work to develop new initiatives at the Flint Center that focus on the following intervention areas as part of the Flint Center’s community education continuum: early childhood education, two-generation/family literacy, and pre-college/workforce development. This position offers a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact on the lives of Flint's children and families through innovative and integrated educational programming.
Reporting directly to CEO Ja’Nel Jamerson, the CPO will collaborate closely with the Executive Team and Program Leadership to develop programmatic strategies, deploy best practices, and nurture a nascent organizational culture. Managing a team of five direct reports who oversee the work of 60 program staff, this role requires a deep appreciation for direct service work as well as the ability to maintain a 30,000 foot view of program strategy and impact.
Key responsibilities for the Chief Program Officer include:
Program Leadership
- In coordination with the CEO and Executive Team, play a key role in the overall development, strategic planning, service delivery, financial feasibility, and management of the organization.
- Oversee all client-serving programs to advance outcomes and build sustainable pathways for program excellence.
- Develop and implement innovative strategies to improve program quality, effectiveness, and reach within the Flint community.
- Set measurable goals and objectives for each program area, monitor progress, and ensure alignment with the Flint Center’s mission and strategic priorities.
- Stay up to date on best practices and emerging trends in community education to ensure the Flint Center remains at the forefront of innovative programming.
People Leadership
- Supervise and coach Program Directors and implementation partners, fostering a culture of high performance, accountability, and continuous improvement.
- Recruit, develop, and retain talented staff to support the Flint Center's growing portfolio of educational programs.
- Promote collaboration and knowledge sharing across program teams to enhance overall organizational effectiveness.
- Provide leadership in strategic program planning, ensuring program needs are reflected in plans, staffing structures and capacity.
Community Leadership
- Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including community organizations, funders, and government agencies.
- Represent the Flint Center at community events, speaking engagements, interest groups, coalitions, and conferences to promote our programs and build strategic partnerships.
- Collaborate as part of the development team to secure funding and resources for program expansion and sustainability.
- Understand and evaluate community needs and partner capacity, and work with leadership to align organization goals and objectives to address those needs through collective impact.
Evaluation & Expansion
- Utilize robust evaluation systems to assess program outcomes and impact across all educational initiatives.
- Utilize data-driven insights to inform program improvements, resource allocation, and strategic decision-making.
- Lead the development and expansion of the Flint Center's early childhood and school-aged childcare business model to diversify program revenue and fee-for-service models.
- Identify and pursue opportunities for revenue generation, cost optimization, and operational efficiency across all program areas.
- Collaborate with the finance team to develop and manage program budgets, ensuring fiscal responsibility and maximizing resource utilization.
Candidate Profile
We are open to considering many different professional backgrounds and recognize that no one individual will possess every qualification outlined. As a successful candidate for the Chief Program Officer role, you will bring many of the following professional qualifications and personal attributes to this role:
- You demonstrate passion for the mission to transform the lives of Flint children and families through innovative and integrated education programs, whether through personal background, professional experience, or volunteerism.
- You are an experienced leader, with proven success in developing and implementing strategic plans and skill in guiding teams through programmatic growth.
- You are a skilled relationship-builder and advocate, with experience representing an organization to donors, partners, and community members. You are a persuasive and engaging communicator who can connect with and inspire a wide range of audiences.
- You are a team-oriented leader and manager, with past experience fostering a supportive and cohesive culture that welcomes team members, encourages their success, and empowers them as leaders. You lead by example to create an environment oriented toward trust, continuous improvement, and excellence.
- You are comfortable working with, analyzing, and leveraging data to drive strategic decision-making.
- You are experienced with centering diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging into organizational practices and you are committed to ongoing reflection and learning in this area.
- You demonstrate sound judgment that is informed by the perspective of the communities you work with, and when you need to make and message a decision, you are able to do so in a way that creates buy-in.
The ideal candidate will be a strategic, collaborative leader with team management and program leadership experience. Leading with high levels emotional intelligence and a deep appreciation for Flint’s unique history and cultural fabric, this leader will deftly navigate a range of priorities toward a central programmatic vision that will propel the Flint Center’s impact for future generations.
Additionally, ideal candidates will bring:
- Bachelor’s degree required, Master's degree in education, education administration, youth development, non-profit administration, public administration or related field preferred.
- 15+ years progressive leadership experience in education, nonprofit program management, or a related field.
- Demonstrated success in developing and managing educational programs, particularly in urban or underserved communities.
- Deep understanding of early childhood education, K-12 education systems, and/or post-secondary pathways.
- Strong business acumen and experience in developing sustainable program models and revenue streams.
- Excellent project management skills in developing and implementing work plans with timelines, deliverables, roles, and responsibilities amongst large teams.
Compensation & Benefits
The salary range for this role is $100,000-$135,000. The Flint Center provides a comprehensive compensation and benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision coverage, 401k plan, 32 days paid time off annually, and 9.5 holidays.
Contact
Koya Partners l Diversified Search Group has been exclusively retained for this engagement, which is being led by Cassie Scarano and Ariella Pasackow. To apply, please submit a compelling cover letter and resume by filling out our Talent Profile. All inquiries are strictly confidential.
Flint Center for Educational Excellence is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of actual or perceived sex, race, color, ancestry, citizenship, ethnicity, national origin, religion, age, disability (mental or physical), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, pregnancy, breastfeeding or related medical condition, parenthood, genetic characteristic or information, military or veteran status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected under federal, state, or local law.
Koya Partners is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email [email protected]. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.
About Koya Partners
Koya Partners, a Diversified Search Group company, is the nation’s premier search firm dedicated to mission-driven leadership. Since its founding in 2004, Koya has had an exclusive focus on mission-driven clients and was founded on the belief that the right leader can transform an organization and have a deep and measurable impact on our world. Koya works with nonprofits & NGOs, responsible businesses, and social enterprises in local communities and around the world.
Diversified Search Group is consistently recognized by Forbes on its top 10 list of “America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms” and is an industry leader in recruiting transformational leaders for a changing world. The firm is deliberately different in its approach, with best-in-class teams who have decades of experience in cultivating inclusive leaders, understanding the dimensions of diversity, and building equitable teams. Learn more about Koya Partners l Diversified Search Group via the firm's website.