Reaching Higher NH is seeking its next exceptional Executive Director

Reaching Higher is a purposeful, mission-driven organization with a Board and staff team who are deeply committed to our work. As our Executive Director, you must believe in the fundamental value of public education in advancing our society, protecting our democracy, and building the economic vitality of our state. 

As our leader, you are: 

  • an exceptional listener and collaborator; 
  • a keen strategist – both in policy and fundraising; 
  • a clear and thoughtful communicator;
  • a bridge-builder—someone who thrives in identifying and advancing the shared interests and goals of diverse and often underserved constituencies; 
  • an innovator—someone with creative problem-solving skills and a love of identifying and pursuing new opportunities; and,
  • a team-builder—someone who thrives in supporting the advancement of others and the collective good.

Finally, you’ll be a great fit if you love being a part of a community of learners, enjoy working hard, but with purpose and vision, and bring sincere dedication, humility, and humor to the challenges you encounter along the way.

Application and Hiring Timeline

Qualified applicants are strongly encouraged to apply in a timely manner. Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis. This full-time position will begin as soon as we find our next exceptional leader.

Core Responsibilities

The Executive Director (ED) will be responsible for the overall leadership, management, and strategic direction of Reaching Higher NH. Our next leader will have demonstrated expertise in most of the following core areas – and work with our board and staff team to build or bring on the additional capacities needed to meet the rest. 

Strategic Leadership:

  • Provide leadership in setting Reaching Higher’s overarching strategic direction in close collaboration with the staff team and Board of Directors and always with an eye toward long-term growth, sustainability, and impact.
  • Continually demonstrate creativity and business acumen in identifying new opportunities (policy, development, contracts, grants, etc.) aligned with our vision, mission, and overall strategic direction.
  • Serve as a motivating, collaborative leader, respecting and elevating the talents and contributions of the full staff team and honoring and advancing our core organizational values of inclusivity, equity, collaboration, mutual accountability, exceptional professionalism, transparency, purposeful strategic action, and learning.

Organizational Operations: 

  • Manage all administrative matters for the organization ensuring that operational needs are handled in a timely, professional, and precise manner at all times. 
  • Provide overall leadership and management to ensure all organizational initiatives move forward efficiently and in sync across the full staff team. This includes planning and guiding team meetings and 1:1s.
  • Foster and support collaboration and independent initiative, as appropriate and needed. 

Program Strategy and Implementation: 

  • Provide overall leadership in prioritizing initiatives and identifying program and policy direction(s) and appropriate strategies to deliver and/or support initiatives of the highest quality and strategic impact.

Financial Management: 

  • Provide leadership and oversight in the setting, and subsequent management of, the organization’s annual budget and related financial plans and strategies, ensuring fulfillment of financial goals, fiduciary responsibility, and transparency.
  • Build and oversee detailed and accurate grant and contract budgets and expenditure reports.
  • Effectively manage balance sheet, cash flow projections, and all other financial measures to ensure the financial strength of the organization. 
  • Maintain necessary internal controls as well as reporting and adherence processes to ensure compliance with applicable laws.

Fundraising and Development: 

  • Work in close collaboration with the Board of Directors to implement and continually advance the overall development strategy of the organization. This includes identifying and capitalizing on specific fundraising strategies with major donors. 
  • Lead in the articulation and implementation of local and national funder strategies. This includes managing all relationships with funders, both current and prospective. 
  • Manage all grant reporting. This includes the drafting of compelling proposals, tracking deliverables and outputs, and drafting interim and final reports.

Human Resource Management: 

  • Ensuring Reaching Higher continues to attract and retain exceptional, high-performing team members with the knowledge, skills, and passion essential to advancing the vision and mission of the organization.
  • Build the bench strength of the staff team ensuring successors for leadership positions, as applicable. 
  • Manage all aspects of organizational hiring, from identifying and articulating capacity needs, posting and recruiting for open positions, interviewing, evaluating, and hiring candidates, and ensuring new hires are successfully on-ramped and positioned for success. 
  • Maintain annual team member self-evaluations, supporting staff in professional goal-setting and aligned growth.
  • Honor and advance Reaching Higher’s essential respect for all team members, maintaining our culture of openness, fairness, continual learning, and trust.

Outreach and Communications

  • Continually present Reaching Higher NH’s mission and work in a strong, positive, and relevant way to our partners, stakeholders, and the broader public. 
  • Set and oversee organizational strategies for strengthening partnerships and related collaboration as well as statewide and national organizational recognition. 
  • Represent Reaching Higher professionally at local, state, and national events through speaking opportunities, media engagement, attendance at key community events, and
committee service.
  • Oversee all communications content, policy reports, and publications ensuring consistency, effectiveness and adherence to our vision, mission, and organizational positioning.
  • Listen, communicate, motivate, and build trust with diverse groups in dispersed 
geographic areas across NH.

Board of Directors: 

  • Lead in the convening and organizing of Board and Board committee meetings and annual retreats, ensuring timely scheduling, relevant and strategic agendas, and ongoing focus and productivity. 
  • Continually develop the capabilities, knowledge, and contributions of Board members.
  • Work collaboratively and productively with Board members and Board committees.
  • Communicate information in a timely manner to ensure full and informed consent about matters of corporate governance and finance and key organizational initiatives and priorities.
  • Maintain exceptional relations between the Board and full staff team.
  • Help identify new Board candidates.

Qualifications 

  • A minimum of a bachelor’s degree. 
  • A minimum of ten years of professional experience. 
  • Demonstrated management experience in an established organization. 
  • Proven fundraising and grant-writing experience.
  • Exceptional writing skills.
  • Strong familiarity with NH education policy issues and players.
  • Firm knowledge of the NH legislative process.
  • Proven understanding of nonprofit governance.
  • Strong experience planning and facilitating meetings, events, and projects. 
  • Demonstrated experience in stakeholder engagement, with a clear track record of building bridges between a diversity of constituencies and interest groups. 
  • Excellent presentation and public-speaking skills.

Other Requirements

Availability for some evenings and weekends is important. Must have a vehicle and valid driver’s license.

Relationships

The Executive Director reports to the Co-Chairs of the Reaching Higher Board of Directors, and works closely with the Board and staff to provide the vision for, and fulfill the mission of, the organization.

Salary and Exempt Status

This full-time, exempt position has an annual salary between $75,000 – $85,000 depending on experience, and excellent benefits.

Application Process


To apply, please send each of the following to search@reachinghighernh.org ​in a timely manner— interviews will be held on a rolling basis​: resume, cover letter, and three writing samples. Incomplete applications will not be considered. ​No phone calls, please.


Reaching Higher NH is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.   

Reaching Higher NH (RHNH) is a nonpartisan 501c3 public education policy and community engagement resource for New Hampshire parents, students, educators, and elected officials. Our mission is to provide all New Hampshire children with the opportunity to prepare for college, for immediate careers, and for the challenges and opportunities of life in 21st century NH, by serving as a public education policy and community engagement resource for New Hampshire families, educators, and elected officials. ​We believe that strong public schools are the foundation of thriving communities and community engagement in public education is essential to the wellbeing of our students – and all of us. ​Founded in 2015, RHNH is NH’s leading resource for K-12 policy and deep community engagement in our schools.