3 jobs found

Good Reason Houston is seeking a passionate, strategic and creative Chief Operating Officer to lead Good Reason Houston’s communication, operations and policy work. Good Reason Houston partners with school districts, community leaders, families, and educators to achieve its mission of increasing the number of students learning in high-quality schools.  This person should be obsessed with giving clarity, direction, and strategic focus in the intersection of communications, community engagement, policy, and operations in order to serve as crux of these key functions for Good Reason Houston. This person should be skilled at recognizing and capitalizing on natural connections within key business functions and excellent at mobilizing people and partnerships.  This position reports to the CEO of Good Reason Houston and sits on the leadership team. They will manage a robust team including the Director of Communications, Director of Family & Community Engagement, Director of Policy as well as operations staff members.  ABOUT GOOD REASON HOUSTON Good Reason Houston’s vision is that every child, in every neighborhood, excels in a world-class public school and thrives in the Houston of tomorrow. To grow more great schools in every neighborhood in Houston, the organization focuses on four key strategic levers:  Driving System Innovation Developing Game-changing Educators Advancing Equitable Access Engaging the Community RESPONSIBILITIES Internal and External Communications Set and pursue an elegant and effective communication strategy to position Good Reason Houston as a key leader on school quality in the Houston community while continuing to build brand awareness Determine key communication goals and systems for progress monitoring, both internally and externally Develop and manage the internal communication for Good Reason Houston’s growing team   Serve as one of the external representatives of Good Reason Houston across the greater Houston community  Operations  Steward and strengthen the Good Reason Houston organizational culture through establishing (with input) and striving for key staff culture metrics Organize team-building and planning activities, such as team meetings and team retreats Manage team and key staff to ensure smooth in-office operations Lead and organize Good Reason Houston’s upcoming office relocation Set vision and goals to support the health and management of Good Reason Houston’s human resource function, including talent and recruitment strategy and HR/benefits Design and implement a performance management system that is equipped to support each team member in achieving their best performance while enabling Good Reason Houston to move towards the realization of our vision  Board Stewardship  Manage board meeting process, including meeting content and partnership work Design and execute board retreats Support the board in executing their vital functions in achieving the Good Reason Houston vision Family & Community Engagement Build and invest in systems and organizations that directly engage families with education decision-making Lead creation of community based partnerships and coalitions to accelerate the pace of change aligned to Good Reason Houston core mission Identify and develop family and community leaders to advocate for improved school quality within individual school districts Policy & Advocacy   Support Good Reason Houston’s legislative agenda with key constituencies at the state and local level Coordinate with state changemakers to align on legislative agenda priorities and policy recommendations  Support local advocacy tactics: manage partnership and goals, strategies and communication plan  QUALIFICATIONS Requirements Bachelor’s Degree required, advanced degree highly preferred  8-10 years of professional, relevant experience Demonstrated commitment to mission-driven work  Record of results in communication strategy and externally representing an organization  Past management of a staff/board relationship highly preferred Relevant Skills  Expertise setting vision and direction for a team  Creative problem solving Executing Strong Judgment and Decision Making Developing and Building Teams Guidance, Direction, and Motivation of Teammates Oral and Written Comprehension and Expression Monitoring and Performance Assessment Problem Sensitivity and Solution Focus Data Analysis and Inference Education policy experience preferred, but not required

ABOUT THE ROLE Good Reason Houston is seeking a skilled and experienced Director of Finance who will support the increasingly complex financial functions of the growing organization. The organization partners with school districts, community leaders, families, and educators to achieve its mission of increasing the number of students learning in high-quality schools.  This person will lead the day-to-day budgeting work as well as yearly budget planning, reporting and contract management. This person should be passionate about building systems, managing complex projects and be an innovative problem solver. In addition, experience and ability to communicate financial information to a variety of audiences is key.  ABOUT GOOD REASON HOUSTON Good Reason Houston’s vision is that every child, in every neighborhood, excels in a world-class public school and thrives in the Houston of tomorrow. To grow more great schools in every neighborhood in Houston, the organization focuses on four key strategic levers:  Driving System Innovation Developing Game-changing Educators Advancing Equitable Access Engaging the Community RESPONSIBILITIES Financial Reporting & Budgeting/Planning Develop and support the annual budget building of a fast-growing, multi-million dollar organization  Cultivate strong day-to-day financial health through the creation and execution of fiscal management policies and practices, as well as training and partnership with colleagues as necessary Lead the auditing process and partnership with external auditors Manage monthly, quarterly and annual reporting and filings Select a new financial management system and lead the transition from Quickbooks to the new system Manage the Finance & Operations Associate to complete day-to-day accounting functions  Work closely with the Development team, both in the creation of financial materials for fundraising proposals, as well as ensuring all grant reports have the proper financial reporting elements Support the Board of Directors by providing information relevant to fiscal oversight and budgetary planning Contract & Partnership Management  Lead the contract management process for Good Reason Houston’s complex network of partnerships  Communicate compellingly about the impact and context surrounding key financial information to a variety of audiences (both internal and external) in a manner in which the information is both understandable and actionable Project Management  Continuously evaluate and improve upon current financial systems, with a focus on partnership and constituent management  Consult and support on financial issues for the broader team    QUALIFICATIONS Requirements Bachelor’s degree required, relevant advanced degree preferred 6-8 years of experience in finance, preferably experience with non-profit accounting Familiarity with corporate accounting and auditing  Mastery of Excel Familiarity with Quickbooks a plus Skills Finance and Budgeting Problem-solving Orientation and Solutions Focus Oral and Written Comprehension and Expression Judgment and Decision Making Critical Thinking  Coordination Deductive Reasoning Data Analysis and Inference

Manager, Talent & School Improvement Type: Full Time Min. Experience: Mid Level ABOUT GOOD REASON HOUSTON Good Reason Houston’s vision is that every child, in every neighborhood, excels in a world-class public school and thrives in the Houston of tomorrow. The organization partners with school districts, community leaders, families, and educators to achieve its mission of increasing the number of students learning in a high-performing school. To grow more great schools in every neighborhood in Houston, the organization focuses on four key strategic levers: Driving System Innovation, Developing Game-changing Educators, Advancing Equitable Access, and Engaging the Community. ABOUT THE ROLE Good Reason Houston is seeking a Manager of Talent & School Improvement who is results-oriented, passionate about educator recruitment, development, and retention, and excited about working in a start-up environment. The Manager will have the unprecedented opportunity to impact Houston’s educator workforce and ultimately influence student outcomes at a city-wide level. The role will drive partnerships with higher education, school districts, and community stakeholders to accelerate access to high quality preparation programs and elevate statewide perceptions of teaching. This position reports to the Senior Manager of Talent and School Improvement and will play a key role in ensuring that Good Reason Houston realizes its vision that every child, in every neighborhood, excels in a world-class public school and thrives in the Houston of tomorrow.   RESPONSIBILITIES This role will evolve as the needs of the team evolve and as the education landscape in the state and region shifts. Responsibilities include: 1. Accelerate city-wide teacher recruitment efforts: Build and maintain strategic relationships with higher education, alternative preparation programs, and school districts to increase the number of applicants enrolling in high quality teacher preparation programs. Provide technical assistance to partners to engage more strategically with recruits, school district partners, and community college partners. Collect and monitor teacher recruitment and attrition data across all partners. Define additional opportunities along the preparation pipeline to support teacher enrollment in high quality preparation programs, such as pre-teaching opportunities for community college students, undergrads, and high school students. Determine and coordinate outreach opportunities for teacher recruitment, including job fairs, radio, etc. 2. Champion the regional and state vision for elevating the profession of teaching through strategic business, community, and school district partnerships: Work with local businesses and community partners to execute city-wide events, discounts/offers, and sponsorships. Coordinate with the Good Reason Houston Communications Team to highlight authentic, diverse voices telling the story of teaching and teacher impact in Houston. Manage the Good Reason Houston team to prepare for and execute events. 3. Support the hiring, development, and retention of educators in Good Reason partnership schools and programs, including the ACE (Accelerating Campus Excellence) model and the launch of new school models. Work with school districts and school leaders on leader and teacher hiring. Support districts in excellent professional development. Coordinate appreciation events and culture boosts for staff.   QUALIFICATIONS We’re seeking candidates who excel in relationship-building, are results-oriented, and have strong project management skills. You should have: A track record of developing and maintaining strong relationships with and among a diverse group of stakeholders. Excellent organizational skills, with a demonstrated commitment to meeting a high bar and a history of getting things done even in the face of obstacles and ambiguity. As Good Reason Houston is in “start-up mode”, we look for candidates who can be flexible in changing environments. A data and research orientation – including a curiosity and urgency around data collection and analysis. Experience managing multiple projects and ability to manage teammates, volunteers, and stakeholders on short-term projects. Passion about the mission, vision, and goals of Good Reason Houston and how this position contributes to the organization’s success. Knowledge of teacher recruitment, development, and retention and prior experience in education are preferred but are not requirements.