Executive Director

NECAT (Positively Partners)

Job Description

Who We Are

Established in 2013, New England Culinary Arts Training (NECAT) has emerged as a transformative force in workforce development. By empowering adults facing employment barriers through comprehensive culinary training, fostering social-emotional growth, and ensuring career readiness, NECAT paves the way for long-term success and financial stability. With a decade of impactful programs, NECAT has positively impacted over 1300 students, shaping their lives and contributing to the communities it serves.

In 2022, NECAT achieved remarkable milestones:

182 student enrolled in NECAT programs
77% of students graduating
56% of graduates employed and an additional 25% actively seeking employment

NECAT's impact goes beyond numbers.Graduates receive comprehensive support, including resume updating, ServSafe Manager training, and personalized guidance from the Career Services team. A dedicated advisor helps with goal-setting and accessing essential wrap-around services. Collaborating with partners such as Mass Hire, Hope House, St Francis House, and the City of Boston. NECAT assists students in finding affordable housing programs, transportation options, and public benefit assistance, thus addressing essential life needs.

NECAT is based in a “world class” culinary center and recently launched new programs in partnership with the Suffolk County House of Corrections and a specialized Spanish language program in East Boston.

With an annual budget of $2.2 million, NECAT historically received funding from private foundations, government grants, and quasi-governmental sources. Looking ahead, NECAT aims to diversify funding, cultivating individual donors, forging corporate partnerships, and exploring new business ventures.

For more information on our work, please visit www.Ne-Cat.org

About the Opportunity

NECAT seeks a visionary leader with a track record of generating diverse financial support for ambitious, innovative programming. As Executive Director, you will oversee NECAT's mission and vision as defined by the Board of Directors, ensuring that the necessary resources are in place to accomplish our goals. Your role will extend beyond financial stewardship to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable culture. Successful candidates will have demonstrated success leading through change and building consensus and buy in among internal and external stakeholders.

The Executive Director reports to NECAT’s Founder, Board Chair and President and oversees a team of 11 full time staff, including the Deputy Director and Development Director, and 2 part time staff members.

Key Responsibilities

Organizational mission and strategy:

Lead the mission and vision of NECAT, in concert with the Board of Directors so that NECAT participants receive high-quality job training, career readiness, ServSafe Manager training and access to wrap around services;
Assist in the development of the new strategic plan, based on data-driven analytics, projections and financials;
Enhance NECAT’s public image by being active and visible in the community and working closely with other professional workforce development, community and civic organizations;
Serve as NECAT’s primary spokesperson to the general public, media and the organization’s constituents while conveying our mission, established brand, and commitment to our community;
Cultivate relationships with community organizations, employers and job training associations in greater Boston to strategically enhance NECAT’s mission.

Financial Performance and Viability:

Manage NECAT’s budget and ensure that it is a financially viable, sustainable organization with the resources to meet current and projected program growth;
Submit quarterly financial statements in coordination with NECAT’s Finance function to the Board’s Finance Committee, which accurately reflect the financial condition of the organization; oversee submissions of annual audits and tax filings;
Ensure that NECAT is in compliance with relevant licensing regulations and with standard accounting policies as established by city and state grantors;
Oversee employment and administrative policies and day-to day operations of NECAT;
Manage all legal matters with outside counsel.

Fund Development:

Participate in developing and cultivating corporate, individual and foundation sponsors;
Conceptualize special events designed to raise funds, encourage new contributors and promote NECAT’s mission as worthy of financial support;
Develop and/or support business ventures in concert with NECAT’s mission to provide dependable revenue streams;
Coordinate legislative strategy for line item inclusion in the State Budget.

Organizational Operations:

Build a high performing team and play an active role in attracting, retaining and developing a best-in-class staff that is culturally representative of and invested in the participants it serves;
Ensure outcomes-based performance of all staff by clearly articulating performance goals and measurements for success.

Board Governance:

Inform the Board regularly of internal organizational matters, including relevant staffing, funding and program successes, challenges and priorities;
Participate in Board Governance and other Committee initiatives including new member recruitment, onboarding and committee support as necessary.

Qualifications & Experience

There are innumerable ways to learn, grow, and excel professionally. We 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.

5-8 years working at a senior level with management responsibilities at a social impact or nonprofit organization
Experience working with a Board of Directors.
Demonstrated financial management skills, including budget preparation, analysis, decision-making and reporting; and a history of successfully generating new revenue streams and improving financial results
High level strategic thinking and planning skills—ability to envision and convey the organization’s strategic future to the staff, board, donors and volunteers and outside stakeholders
Ability to provide motivational staff leadership that drives our organization to excel, and fosters a culture of growth
Unwavering commitment to quality programs and outcomes-based organizational strategies to move NECAT forward
Excellent written and oral communications and presentation skills
Ability to remain personally impartial in situations of conflict, remaining focused on the best interest of the organizational culture and mission.
Experience working with populations who have a history of housing instability, trauma, and Substance use Disorder,
Knowledge of healthy and appropriate boundaries when working with vulnerable populations
Experience in workforce development, preferred

Salary & Benefits

This is a full-time, exempt position located at our training facility in the Boston area. The annual salary of $170,000, includes the opportunity for a discretionary annual bonus.

In addition to the base salary, we offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes, but is not limited to:

Paid time off
Medical insurance, NECAT presently pays 80% of the individual premium
Fourteen (14) paid holidays per calendar year
Annual closure the week between Christmas and New Year
4-day work week
Self-Funded 403 (b) Retirement Plan
NECAT offers free parking, plus breakfast and lunch daily (the added perks of working at a Culinary Program!)

To learn more about benefits, please click here.

How To Apply

Interested candidates are encouraged to promptly submit their application through our online portal. All applicants will receive a response to their application within two weeks of submission. Please email mcoleman@positivelypartners.org with questions or for support submitting your application.

Phone interviews will commence in September with select candidates, followed by a second interview with a member of the Positively Partners team, followed by a video interview with NECAT’s hiring committee. Finalists will have a final interview day onsite at the NECAT Culinary Center with additional NECAT staff representatives, and other members of the Board of Directors. The final interview day is followed by a holistic reference check process. The expected start date is December 2023.

NECAT does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.