ORGANIZATION BACKGROUND/ CULTURE
Education Development Center (EDC) was founded in 1958 by university scholars and researchers who saw the need for an independent, free-standing institution that could bring together educators, business and community leaders, artists, and talented researchers to reform mathematics and science curricula. In the decades following, EDC expanded its work to include national and international programs that address many of the major education, health, and social challenges faced by societies across the globe.
EDC is organized in four divisions: Health and Human Development, International Development, and Learning and Teaching, with the fourth—Administration and Finance—supporting the other three. EDC employs a staff of 1,400 individuals who are well-qualified and skilled at designing, delivering, and evaluating programs. The organization currently has 250 diverse and dynamic projects that are both national and international in scope. EDC works with all states in the U.S. and in 20+ countries.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
The President and CEO will have a deep commitment to EDC’s mission and future. The President and CEO will report to the Board of Trustees, and is responsible for the organization's consistent achievement of its mission and financial objectives. S/he will bring exceptional operational skills and have a strategic vision for the future of the organization. S/he will be a key player in enhancing EDC’s image and its role as a premier nonprofit organization.
The major responsibilities for this position are as follows:
Leadership and Management
• Lead and strengthen a high-performing, efficient, and entrepreneurial organization that advances the organization’s mission and strategic goals, be creative in meeting new organizational opportunities and challenges, integrate solutions, anticipate problems, effectively resolve disruptions, self-evaluate, and continuously monitor the improvement of internal systems.
• Lead the organization’s senior management team, empowering them in their roles both as corporate officers and division /department leads. Cultivate cross-division collaboration, information sharing, and resource development.
• Manage all strategic aspects of the organization with an emphasis on results and cooperation across EDC’s divisions to fully leverage the institutional expertise residing within the organization.
• Ensure the financial viability and sustainability of the organization by leading efforts to diversify and grow the revenue base; explore opportunities for collaboration and partnership with current and new organizations, including for profit organizations.
• Demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of and appreciation for technology as a key tool to achieve scale and impact.
• Act as the primary spokesperson for EDC, ensuring that the organization communicates the success of its programs, its goals, and points of view to agencies, organizations, and the general public, as well as representing EDC in relationships with international organizations as appropriate.
• Develop an internal team of “next generation leaders” who can assist the CEO in charting the strategic direction of the organization, and are actively engaged in business development efforts, including the cultivation of strategic partnerships and direct contact with current and potential major institutional and individual funders.
• Supervise, motivate, and hold staff accountable, ensuring they have the appropriate skill sets and resources to address EDC’s mission and challenges. Foster an environment that encourages open dialogue, respect, collegiality, excellence, and trust. Promote opportunities for professional development.
Board Relations
• Work closely with the board to ensure that EDC's resources and business initiatives are aligned to take full advantage of opportunities to increase the organization's impact. Recruit new members to the Board of Trustees. Prepare and present detailed management, program, and financial reports to the board. Maintain open communication with the board by providing timely updates at Board of Trustees meetings, committee, and subcommittee meetings.
• Harness institutional knowledge for the financial and programmatic success of the organization by promoting appropriate interactions between the board and staff.
