Description
On this detail, about supporting education entrepreneurs and by providing thought leadership.
POSITION DESCRIPTION
POSITION: Partner
ORGANIZATION: NewSchools Venture Fund
REPORTS TO: Chief Executive Officer
LOCATION: Washington, D.C.
BACKGROUND
NewSchools Venture Fund™ is a venture philanthropy firm working to transform public education
for underserved children by supporting education entrepreneurs and by providing thought leadership
across traditional education boundaries. Founded in 1998, NewSchools has raised about $125
million for investment in both nonprofit and for-profit organizations. Our current investment
strategy focuses on increasing the supply of high-quality public schools for underserved students,
enabling traditional and charter school systems to become performance-driven in their practices and
enhancing the pipeline of talented people into and across the public school system. We focus much
of our investment activity in key urban markets in order to build a critical mass of entrepreneurial
organizations to help accelerate the transformation of the public education system. NewSchools
works with a bi-partisan network of education, nonprofit, policy, and business leaders to accelerate
the process of education reform.
NewSchools is a small organization of 25 people with offices in two cities: San Francisco (where we
are headquartered) and Boston. Please visit our website at www.newschools.org to learn more about
NewSchools Venture Fund.
POSITION OVERVIEW
The Partner will be a key member of the NewSchools management team, leading NewSchools’
expanding work in Washington, DC. As in the other cities in which we work, NewSchools’
successful efforts in DC will result in increasing the number of high-performing public schools, by
funding new charter management organizations and by developing a robust network of service and
support organizations that can help address the key academic and operational challenges that both
charter and district schools face. To do so, the DC-based Partner will work with local stakeholders,
national and local foundations, and other education, policy, and business leaders to identify, invest in,
and provide support to high-quality entrepreneurial organizations that are opening new schools,
increasing the supply of high-quality teachers and leaders, mobilizing parents, educating lawmakers,
launching new early childhood education initiatives, and more.
In order to work closely with a varied set of partners, navigate the local ecosystem, and make wise
investment decisions, the new Partner must be entrepreneurial, a fast learner, a strategic thinker,
politically astute, and capable of developing relationships with a diverse set of stakeholders.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
Key responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, the following:
Venture Investing
• Lead the development of market-based strategies and related investment plans. Based on such
strategies, identify, develop and assess new investment opportunities and present
recommendations to the Partner team and Investment Committee
Management Assistance/Venture Governance
• Post-investment, serve as a member of the board of select ventures. Develop strong
relationships with venture executives, fellow board members, and key opinion leaders to help
create the conditions for ventures to scale with quality
• Help develop and provide oversight on management assistance projects designed to help
ventures address key challenges
Deleted: -
Cross-Sector Leadership
• Work with key local leaders, including the DCPS Chancellor, the State Superintendent, the
Deputy Mayor for Education, and the Chair and staff of the DC Public Charter School Board, as
well as local philanthropic, business, and education leaders, to facilitate collaboration and identify
strategies to increase the number of high-performing charter and district schools
NewSchools Network
• Support NewSchools’ national network strategy. Help design and execute events/meetings to
accelerate NewSchools’ overall strategy and build the field of education entrepreneurs, including
the annual NewSchools Summit, national and regional gatherings of our portfolio ventures and
other select organizations, and focused, topic-driven gatherings
• Own key relationships with venture executives, funders, policy makers, district officials, business
leaders, etc.
Organizational Leadership
• Participate with CEO and Partner team in leading and managing the organization
• Work with Partner team to refine and communicate NewSchools’ strategy
• Develop, coach and mentor junior team members
SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS
• Demonstrated commitment to public education reform
• Operating experience as a member of an entrepreneurial organization’s executive team, with
strong preference given to experience in an education organization
• Demonstrated commitment to working with diverse communities
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and execute tactically
• Management experience as a supervisor of other staff; proven ability to coach and develop talent
• Excellent qualitative and quantitative analytical skills
• Strong financial analysis skills and facility with financial statements
• Excellent written and oral communication skills; persuasive strategic communication skills
• Ability to lead convenings and meetings, deliver presentations, give speeches, and represent
NewSchools to external audiences
• Excellent project management skills – ability to manage large, long-term, complex projects
• Previous extensive governance experience as a member of boards of directors in the education
space
• Experience working in a start-up, entrepreneurial, and/or fast-paced environment
• Familiarity with, and capacity to establish productive relationships across the Washington, DC
educational, philanthropic and political landscape
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize use of time and limited resources toward meeting ambitious,
measurable goals
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
• Advanced degree or equivalent experience
• Minimum 10 years experience in related field; executive-level management and operational
experience required
• Board experience required
• Entrepreneurial experience and cross-sector experience preferred
WORKING STYLE AND PERSONAL QUALITIES
• Self-directed, self-starter able to manage multiple priorities
• Management and operating style suited to working in a home-office setting with limited support
staff, where teamwork and resourcefulness are highly valued
• Willingness to travel at moderate levels
COMPENSATION
A competitive compensation package including base salary, performance bonus, and complete benefits is available.
APPLICATION GUIDELINES
NewSchools Venture Fund is soliciting nominations and expressions of interest immediately; applications will be accepted
through Friday, October 10, 2008
Applications should include a letter of interest and current resume. In your cover letter, please indicate how you heard of this
opportunity. Nominations for the position, applications, or questions about the position and/or the search process should
be directed to the executive recruiting team which is managing the search:
Monisha Lozier
Traci Dove
Cobbe Place Consulting
[email protected]
NewSchools Venture Fund is an equal opportunity employer. People of diverse background are encouraged to apply.
doc_514421245.pdf
On this detail, about supporting education entrepreneurs and by providing thought leadership.
POSITION DESCRIPTION
POSITION: Partner
ORGANIZATION: NewSchools Venture Fund
REPORTS TO: Chief Executive Officer
LOCATION: Washington, D.C.
BACKGROUND
NewSchools Venture Fund™ is a venture philanthropy firm working to transform public education
for underserved children by supporting education entrepreneurs and by providing thought leadership
across traditional education boundaries. Founded in 1998, NewSchools has raised about $125
million for investment in both nonprofit and for-profit organizations. Our current investment
strategy focuses on increasing the supply of high-quality public schools for underserved students,
enabling traditional and charter school systems to become performance-driven in their practices and
enhancing the pipeline of talented people into and across the public school system. We focus much
of our investment activity in key urban markets in order to build a critical mass of entrepreneurial
organizations to help accelerate the transformation of the public education system. NewSchools
works with a bi-partisan network of education, nonprofit, policy, and business leaders to accelerate
the process of education reform.
NewSchools is a small organization of 25 people with offices in two cities: San Francisco (where we
are headquartered) and Boston. Please visit our website at www.newschools.org to learn more about
NewSchools Venture Fund.
POSITION OVERVIEW
The Partner will be a key member of the NewSchools management team, leading NewSchools’
expanding work in Washington, DC. As in the other cities in which we work, NewSchools’
successful efforts in DC will result in increasing the number of high-performing public schools, by
funding new charter management organizations and by developing a robust network of service and
support organizations that can help address the key academic and operational challenges that both
charter and district schools face. To do so, the DC-based Partner will work with local stakeholders,
national and local foundations, and other education, policy, and business leaders to identify, invest in,
and provide support to high-quality entrepreneurial organizations that are opening new schools,
increasing the supply of high-quality teachers and leaders, mobilizing parents, educating lawmakers,
launching new early childhood education initiatives, and more.
In order to work closely with a varied set of partners, navigate the local ecosystem, and make wise
investment decisions, the new Partner must be entrepreneurial, a fast learner, a strategic thinker,
politically astute, and capable of developing relationships with a diverse set of stakeholders.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
Key responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, the following:
Venture Investing
• Lead the development of market-based strategies and related investment plans. Based on such
strategies, identify, develop and assess new investment opportunities and present
recommendations to the Partner team and Investment Committee
Management Assistance/Venture Governance
• Post-investment, serve as a member of the board of select ventures. Develop strong
relationships with venture executives, fellow board members, and key opinion leaders to help
create the conditions for ventures to scale with quality
• Help develop and provide oversight on management assistance projects designed to help
ventures address key challenges
Deleted: -
Cross-Sector Leadership
• Work with key local leaders, including the DCPS Chancellor, the State Superintendent, the
Deputy Mayor for Education, and the Chair and staff of the DC Public Charter School Board, as
well as local philanthropic, business, and education leaders, to facilitate collaboration and identify
strategies to increase the number of high-performing charter and district schools
NewSchools Network
• Support NewSchools’ national network strategy. Help design and execute events/meetings to
accelerate NewSchools’ overall strategy and build the field of education entrepreneurs, including
the annual NewSchools Summit, national and regional gatherings of our portfolio ventures and
other select organizations, and focused, topic-driven gatherings
• Own key relationships with venture executives, funders, policy makers, district officials, business
leaders, etc.
Organizational Leadership
• Participate with CEO and Partner team in leading and managing the organization
• Work with Partner team to refine and communicate NewSchools’ strategy
• Develop, coach and mentor junior team members
SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS
• Demonstrated commitment to public education reform
• Operating experience as a member of an entrepreneurial organization’s executive team, with
strong preference given to experience in an education organization
• Demonstrated commitment to working with diverse communities
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and execute tactically
• Management experience as a supervisor of other staff; proven ability to coach and develop talent
• Excellent qualitative and quantitative analytical skills
• Strong financial analysis skills and facility with financial statements
• Excellent written and oral communication skills; persuasive strategic communication skills
• Ability to lead convenings and meetings, deliver presentations, give speeches, and represent
NewSchools to external audiences
• Excellent project management skills – ability to manage large, long-term, complex projects
• Previous extensive governance experience as a member of boards of directors in the education
space
• Experience working in a start-up, entrepreneurial, and/or fast-paced environment
• Familiarity with, and capacity to establish productive relationships across the Washington, DC
educational, philanthropic and political landscape
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize use of time and limited resources toward meeting ambitious,
measurable goals
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
• Advanced degree or equivalent experience
• Minimum 10 years experience in related field; executive-level management and operational
experience required
• Board experience required
• Entrepreneurial experience and cross-sector experience preferred
WORKING STYLE AND PERSONAL QUALITIES
• Self-directed, self-starter able to manage multiple priorities
• Management and operating style suited to working in a home-office setting with limited support
staff, where teamwork and resourcefulness are highly valued
• Willingness to travel at moderate levels
COMPENSATION
A competitive compensation package including base salary, performance bonus, and complete benefits is available.
APPLICATION GUIDELINES
NewSchools Venture Fund is soliciting nominations and expressions of interest immediately; applications will be accepted
through Friday, October 10, 2008
Applications should include a letter of interest and current resume. In your cover letter, please indicate how you heard of this
opportunity. Nominations for the position, applications, or questions about the position and/or the search process should
be directed to the executive recruiting team which is managing the search:
Monisha Lozier
Traci Dove
Cobbe Place Consulting
[email protected]
NewSchools Venture Fund is an equal opportunity employer. People of diverse background are encouraged to apply.
doc_514421245.pdf