Chief Executive Officer, MENTOR

Mission: To drive equity and close the mentoring gap through quality mentoring relationships for young people. MENTOR activates a diverse cross-sector movement that prioritizes relationships and fuels opportunity for young people everywhere they are – from schools to workplaces and beyond. 

 

 

The new CEO will lead the nation’s preeminent youth mentoring organization that has tripled in size over the past eight years, increasing the number of structured mentoring relationships to over 4.5 million nationwide. With a belief in the power of mentoring to transform the lives of young people, the CEO will have a deep commitment to overcoming the inequitable mentoring gap. As a dynamic, visionary, entrepreneurial, and inspirational leader for the national movement, they will grow the affiliate network, build partnerships, and leverage critical support to increase the quality and quantity of mentoring relationships across the country. The new CEO will maintain these core values and aspirations while building upon MENTOR’s tradition for innovation and impact.  

 

 

For over 30 years, MENTOR has served as the unifying champion for expanding the quality and quantity of youth mentoring relationships in the United States. MENTOR helps catalyze and lead the national effective mentoring conversation, resulting in year-over-year increases in public and private investments that support the expansion of impactful mentoring for youth. MENTOR has facilitated millions of structured youth mentoring relationships over the years. Additionally, MENTOR works across the globe to strengthen mentoring collaboratives internationally, consulting with organizations like MENTOR Canada to share its model and best practices. To reach these milestones, MENTOR’s budget has more than doubled and staff has tripled in size since 2014.

 

MENTOR’s work is grounded in four core pillars: 

 

1)      Prioritizing Quality

2)      Advancing Local Field Leadership

3)      Expanding the Movement, and 

4)      Influencing Systems

 

MENTOR’s Strategic Plan is outlined in the following link: https://www.mentoring.org/resource/strategic-pillars/

 

MENTOR scales impact, efficiencies, and innovation and ensures responsiveness by developing and supporting a network of 24 Affiliates. MENTOR Affiliates are independent, nonpartisan, public-private organizations that galvanize local or statewide mentoring movements. With support from MENTOR National, MENTOR Affiliates serve a unique role at the grassroots level as a clearinghouse for training, resources, public awareness, and advocacy alongside other organizations in their communities. 

 

With its headquarters in Boston, MENTOR National has a staff of 40 and an annual operating budget of $15 million. 

 

For further information about MENTOR, please visit https://www.mentoring.org/.

 

 

·       Organizational Leadership/General Management, Administration, and Finance – Lead with an inspirational strategic vision that fully embraces the mission while working with the Executive Leadership Team to ensure sound management. Lead the Executive Leadership Team to refine overall organization strategy and goals, ensuring MENTOR’s vision is realized through innovation, clear prioritization, and high-impact operational execution. Serve as the lead culture carrier, modeling and supporting MENTOR’s core values, with an intentional focus on the organization’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and racial justice. Advance a “One MENTOR” approach to ensure the Affiliates and national teams work collaboratively to advance a shared vision of quality mentoring for young people through shared leadership and joint decision making. 

 

·       Resource and Strategic Development – Grow and broaden a sound and diversified funding base from individual donors, foundations, corporations, and the government. Partner with the Board and work closely with the Chief Advancement Officer to identify, plan, and execute new and innovative ways to raise money. Cultivate and seize opportunities from new funders so that development activities meet the requirements of an expanding organization. Ensure fiscal sustainability and create a plan for the development of an annual campaign.

·       Public Role – Advance the mentoring movement. Represent MENTOR and the movement in the media, at conferences, in high-level working groups, and in national, state, and local coalitions. Effectively present MENTOR’s work to the general public, partners, funders, and policymakers. Work closely with the External Affairs Team to use media strategically to promote the work of MENTOR, attracting resources while building the brand and highlighting the critical need for mentoring across all sectors.

 

·       Strategy – Oversee, support, manage, implement, and assess the strategic plan. Incorporate the strategic plan into the organization’s operating and business plans and ensure that the strategic plan is implemented in a timely and cost-effective manner.

 

·       People and Culture, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging – Build and lead a culture with a common vision, sense of purpose, and shared values and objectives. Ensure cultural sensitivity and an unequivocal dedication to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Support and equip the Executive Leadership Team to foster cohesiveness around mission of addressing the mentoring gap. 

 

·       Board Relations – Establish a strong working partnership with the Board of Directors. Gain their confidence as a strong and trusted peer and forge relationships that will bring forth their best ideas and efforts in support of MENTOR’s activities and fundraising efforts. Serve as a liaison to the national Board of Directors on departmental goals and progress, co-leading and supporting relevant Board committees with team leaders. Maintain a regular communications system for informing Board members of the organization’s activities. Help attract new Board members.    

 

·       Growth of Affiliates – Build upon MENTOR’s strong momentum of success, growing the Affiliate network and expanding support, including funding opportunities. Unite the organization and Affiliate teams to develop shared goals, strategies, and innovations. Enhance MENTOR’s reputation as the gold standard for mentoring expertise. Work closely with the Chief Impact Officer and Executive Leadership Team to develop a vision for excellence and growth. Enhance visibility and recognition.

·       Relationship Building – Engage stakeholders and build partnerships and strategic alliances to promote MENTOR’s mission and work. Develop goals, deliverables, and action plans for current and prospective partners and ensure all programmatic deliverables and commitments to clients, partners, funders, and other partners are met.

·       Research – Ensure that leading-edge research, field-based evidence, community insights, and Affiliate input drive the design and implementation of all of MENTOR’s programs and products.

 

 

The Chief Executive Officer will have or be:

 

·       A caring individual and superb role model for youth, with a deep-rooted belief in the power of relationships and the amazing potential of all young people to realize their dreams.

 ·       A strong leader and catalyst able to articulate a vision and motivate and engage others. An individual with a naturally consultative and inclusive management style experienced in working with a wide range of culturally diverse groups, with a deep commitment to equity at all levels. Able to harness diverse perspectives towards impactful and sustainable programs, partnerships, and products.

 

·       A strong fundraiser with a track record of attracting diverse financial resources by building effective relationships and networks with potential donors at all levels.

 

·       An effective and persuasive communicator in writing and verbally, including excellent public-speaking skills for formal and extemporaneous presentations. Able to inspire and compel others to action through powerful storytelling. Demonstrated ability to identify and capitalize on public relations opportunities as they arise. Someone who is comfortable taking the initiative on thought leadership through various media (social channels, etc.).

 

·       A positive go-getter with impeccable ethics and a demonstrated ability to respect, listen, and work well with internal and external constituencies.

  

·       Skilled at fostering meaningful partnerships, leveraging support and complementary strengths.

 

·       Proven managerial, problem-solving, and strategic-planning skills and commensurate fiscal responsibilities as an executive of a complex organization, preferably with an affiliate/chapter structure.

 

·       Successful as a steward for responsible organizational growth and sustainability in a lean, highly collaborative entrepreneurial enterprise.

·       Experience working effectively and in partnership with a board of directors.

 

·       A humble executive with the ability to showcase and amplify the leadership and contributions of others such as local Affiliate leaders.

 

 

 

This full-time, exempt position is hybrid. Preference will be given to candidates living in or able to relocate to Metro/Greater Boston.

 

MENTOR offers a competitive salary for all positions. The exact salary that will be offered will be determined based on a consideration of the successful candidate’s skills, experience, and geography and aligned with MENTOR’s compensation policies. Salary for this role is $240,000 subject to negotiation based on experience. The package comes with comprehensive benefits that includes health, dental, 403(b), pre-tax transit, generous vacation, and life and short- and long-term disability insurance. The summary of the benefits can be found here.

 

 

 

Applications, including cover letters and resumes, and nominations should be sent to the attention of Paul Spivey at MENTOR@PhillipsOppenheim.com.