Executive Director at Start Small Think Big

Axis Talent Partners

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Job Summary

About Start Small Think Big

Start Small Think Big (SSTB) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing equity and inclusion in entrepreneurship by connecting small businesses with the resources and community they need to thrive.

We focus on partnering with BIPOC entrepreneurs, women, LGBTQIA+ entrepreneurs, immigrants, veterans, entrepreneurs with disabilities, low-income entrepreneurs, and formerly incarcerated entrepreneurs. We stand for access and opportunity and get behind the belief that with a skilled partner entrepreneurs and their businesses can thrive personally and professionally. We create powerful connections with entrepreneurs and legal, financial, and marketing experts that provide assistance while building meaningful collaborations. At Start Small Think Big, we are reimagining success while entrepreneurs reclaim growth on their terms.

Start Small Think Big entrepreneurs, partners, and volunteers are united in their determination to make a difference — one far greater than they could alone. In the past five years alone, we’ve engaged 7,000+ skill-based volunteers who have provided over $50 million in pro bono services to 5,000+ small business owners. In the first year of working with Start Small Think Big, entrepreneurs see their business revenue increase by 60% or more.

As an organization that is passionately committed to conscious curiosity; empathy; cultural humility; inclusivity; and people-first, we continue to be engaged in an intentional process to identify, understand, and address bias at all levels and advance equity from the inside out.

Job Responsibilities

About the Opportunity

Building upon over a decade of leadership and innovation by our founder, the incoming Executive Director (ED) will have the opportunity to partner with our emphatically mission-driven team and board to steward the organization into its next chapter. The ED will build off of a recent period of rapid growth to drive the next strategic planning process, ensuring that our mission, vision, values, and goals rally the team around a shared vision for impact and growth.

Our ideal candidate brings a deep connection to the small business community and a passion for our mission, as well as a successful track record as an organizational leader, growth catalyst, and fundraiser. This person will also demonstrate a history of advancing equity, inclusion, and anti-racist practice, both internally and externally, in the organizations they have served.

Qualifications

Areas of Leadership

Executive & Organizational Leadership:

In partnership with staff, the board of directors, and an external strategic planning consulting team, spearhead a strategic planning process that includes updated mission, vision, values, and organizational goals. Manage the organization’s recent growth by driving the evolution of infrastructure and systems, with an eye toward organizational development and sustainable growth. Assess and evaluate organizational practices to align teams around goals and objectives outlined in strategic planning.

• Key Qualifications

• • Prior experience as a non-profit ED or CEO, or as a senior executive leader in a non-profit organization
  • Track record of leading through significant growth, evolution, and/or scaling
  • Adept at financial visioning/strategy
  • Demonstrable history of centering equity in all decision making
  • Experience assessing, evaluating, and updating organizational structures and models with an eye toward sustainable growth and deeper impact
  • Belief in, and commitment to, SSTB’s mission, as demonstrated by a track record in mission-driven leadership and/or promoting entrepreneurship as a tool for advancing equity
  • Experience working with / serving communities of color, directly and/or as part of an organization that focuses on providing such services
  • DEI focus and experience, including demonstrably advancing equity and inclusion within organizations
  • Successful track record leading strategic visioning and setting programmatic objectives for sustainable growth and expansion

• Nice to have

• • Fluency in languages beyond English (for example, Spanish)

People-Centered Leadership:

Lead, inspire and coach a strong, cohesive team by increasing inter-team collaboration, and building upon a shared sense of community. Build and maintain relationships both internally with staff and externally with board and partners, including funders, corporations, and partners that will help Start Small Think Big live out its mission. Assess and evaluate organizational structure to align around goals and objectives outlined in strategic planning.

• Key Qualifications

• • Outstanding relationship-building skills with an ability to build cohesion and collaboration across functions and levels, particularly in a hybrid, geographically distributed environment
  • Track record building strong teams and culture
  • Proven ability to break down silos and promote cross-functional communication

External Partnerships & Fundraising:

Ensure financial sustainability and growth of Start Small Think Big through strategic fundraising, partnership development, and strong financial management. Cultivate/engage with a robust array of partners and donors to actively increase and continue to diversify SSTB’s revenue streams.

• Key Qualifications

• • Significant, proven experience securing multi-year, 6-7 figure grants/donations from diverse sources (e.g., private/corporate foundations, corporations)
  • Experience identifying, prioritizing, and pursuing partnerships and funding opportunities that align with strategic organizational goals
  • Proven ability to set up an organization for financial resilience and sustainability

Additional Information

Benefits

How to Apply

Location: Tri-State (NY-NJ-PA); Hybrid in-person/remote.

Start Small Think Big provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

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Start Small Think Big 

Details

• Date Posted: March 9, 2023
• Type: Full-Time
• Job Function: Executive Leadership
• Service Area: Other
• Salary Range: $185,000-$220,000