The Flint Center for Educational Excellence (the Flint Center) is seeking a dynamic and experienced Chief Program Officer (CPO) to lead our wide range of community education programs, which serve more than 2,300 students across 15 school sites. This key leadership role will involve overseeing the development, delivery, and continuous improvement of our integrated educational initiatives. This CPO will enhance program sustainability and expand our impact in the Flint community. The CPO will be instrumental in shaping the future of education in Flint by leading efforts to provide high-quality, sustainable learning opportunities that ensure all Flint kids thrive. This position offers a unique chance to make a lasting impact on the lives of Flint's children and families through innovative and integrated educational programming.
• The CPO will oversee all client-serving programs offered by the Flint Center. In addition to the following responsibilities, regular local and regional travel will be required.
Program Leadership & Development
• Provide strategic direction and oversight for the Flint Center's various educational programs, including early childhood education, K-12 afterschool programs, two-generational/family literacy initiatives, and pre-college/post-secondary programs.
• Develop and implement innovative strategies to improve program quality, effectiveness, and reach within the Flint community.
• Set measurable goals and objectives for each program area, monitor progress, and ensure alignment with the center's mission and strategic priorities.
• Initially, this role will involve developing new initiatives at the Flint Center that focus on early childhood education, two-generational/family literacy, and pre-college/workforce development as part of the Flint Center’s community education continuum.
Team Management & Development
• Supervise and mentor program directors and consultants, fostering a culture of high performance, accountability, and continuous improvement including troubleshooting programmatic issues, staying up to date on best practices in the field and identifying strategic growth opportunities and areas where the Flint Center can better serve its clients or meet community needs.
• Recruit, develop, and retain talented staff members to support the Flint Center's growing portfolio of educational programs.
• Promote collaboration and knowledge sharing across program teams to enhance overall organizational effectiveness.
• Provide leadership in strategic program planning, ensuring program needs are reflected in plans, staffing structures and capacity are assessed, and opportunities for integration are identified and operationalized.
Evaluation, Sustainability, and Business Model Expansion
• Utilize robust evaluation systems to assess program outcomes and impact across all educational initiatives.
• Utilize data-driven insights to inform program improvements, resource allocation, and strategic decision-making.
• Stay abreast of best practices and emerging trends in community education to ensure the Flint Center remains at the forefront of innovative programming.
• Lead the development and expansion of the Flint Center's early childhood and school-aged childcare business model to improve program sustainability.
• Identify and pursue opportunities for revenue generation, cost optimization, and operational efficiency across all program areas.
• Collaborate with the finance team to develop and manage program budgets, ensuring fiscal responsibility and maximizing resource utilization.
Organizational & Community Leadership
• Actively participate in the Flint Center’s Leadership Team (Directors + Executive Team) and Executive Team (C-suite), representing programs and ensuring strong alignment between programs and other organizational departments, including Operations and Strategy.
• Provide leadership and advocacy through written blogs, presentations at conferences, and community forums.
• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including community organizations, funders, and government agencies.
• Represent the Flint Center at community events, speaking engagements, interest groups, coalitions, and conferences to promote our programs and build strategic partnerships.
• Collaborate as part of the development team to secure funding and resources for program expansion and sustainability.
