Breakthrough Silicon Valley, Executive Director

ORGANIZATION

Born in 2002 from a partnership between Applied Materials and the San Jose Unified School District, Breakthrough Silicon Valley (BTSV) finds itself today as a strong, successful, and respected organization. BTSV sparks change across our community and beyond by launching talented students who have been historically excluded from higher education on the path to college, and inspiring high school and college students to become the next generation of leaders, advocates, and educators. BTSV’s tuition-free program provides year-round out-of-school time academic support, advising, and advocacy for a diverse group of talented students from 7th grade through their first-year in college, most of whom come from under-resourced communities and will be the first generation in their family to go to college. BTSV’s seven-year college access and success program has proven to be effective in preparing these students for college: a stunning 99% of BTSV graduates attend college immediately after high school.

Located in San Jose, California, Breakthrough Silicon Valley is an affiliate of The Breakthrough Collaborative, a leading national service organization that acts as the national voice for 25 Breakthrough sites across the country. BTSV is the proud recipient of the San Jose Chamber of Commerce 2024 Non-Profit of the Year Award. 

We are excited to build on the incredible work our outgoing Executive Director has accomplished and welcome a new visionary and dynamic leader to guide BTSV to its next levels of student-first impact.

To learn more about Breakthrough Silicon Valley, please visit www.breakthroughsv.org. 

OPPORTUNITY

BTSV is seeking a highly motivated and dynamic individual to serve as its next Executive Director, holding primary responsibility for leadership of all aspects of the organization. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director will have the opportunity to build on a strong base of success characterized by strong programmatic results and operational growth. Leading a dedicated team of 15 permanent, year-round staff members, 10 full-time AmeriCorps members, as well as up to 50 seasonal Teaching Fellows, the Executive Director will advance the organization’s existing programmatic model and guide its community relationships and philanthropic support.

RESPONSIBILITIES

While an emphasis on the Executive Director’s first year include 1) Listening, Learning, and Building Trust; 2) Fundraising and Maintaining Financial Stability; and 3) Strategic Vision and Long-Term Planning, the overall scope of responsibilities include:

• Executive Leadership: The ED is the primary leader of BTSV, responsible for maintaining the organization's overall vitality. This includes collaborating with the Board, staff, and program partners to set and achieve strategic, programmatic, community stakeholder, and fundraising goals, while ensuring operational plans are well-developed and effectively executed.
• Team Leadership and Organizational Culture: The BTSV ED is responsible for hiring, developing, managing, and supporting a high-performing team, ensuring that IDEAL (inclusion, diversity, equity, anti-racism, and liberation) are central to that work. As the primary tone setter, BTSV's new Executive Director will maintain and strengthen Breakthrough’s “spirit” as central to its organizational culture, and demonstrate care, shared accountability, and support for all staff. 
• Resource Development: In partnership with the Board of Directors and the VP of Development and Corporate Partnerships, the ED will create a long-term revenue plan to ensure the future financial sustainability and growth of the organization; this includes strengthening existing funder relationships to ensure current funding is maintained, while driving new and targeted efforts with major donors, foundations, corporations, and other funding sources. 
• Community Engagement and Brand Stewardship: The ED will serve as an active participant in and support of the organization’s programming, developing strong relationships with students, families, AmeriCorps members, and other staff and volunteers. The ED will maintain positive relationships with key stakeholders and other local community partners.
• Operational Oversight: BTSV's new Executive Director will evaluate and enhance the organization’s infrastructure, systems, and processes to support its growth. This includes improving cross-departmental communication, workflows, and information exchange, as well as strengthening equitable performance management practices.

Requirements

COMPETENCIES AND EXPERIENCES

In addition to demonstrating a deep commitment to Breakthrough Silicon Valley’s mission, and to educational equity, overall, the ideal Executive Director candidate will have a strong combination of the following:

• Visionary Leadership and Strategic Thinking: The ED should be a strategic thinker with the ability to inspire and motivate staff, donors, and partners about BTSV's core programmatic model, while articulating a compelling vision for the organization’s future.
• Experience in Education, Youth Development, and Nonprofit Leadership: The ED should have significant experience in the nonprofit sector, particularly in education, youth development, or college access/success. Direct experience in college access programs or initiatives focused on economic empowerment, particularly for first-generation or underrepresented students, is strongly preferred.
• Fundraising and Development Expertise: The ED must excel at developing and implementing effective fundraising strategies, including securing five- to six-figure philanthropic funding, with the capacity to pursue higher amounts. Experience with government grants, donor management, and leading diverse teams is essential. Familiarity with Silicon Valley's philanthropic, political, and educational sectors is preferred. Additionally, experience with federal or state funding is highly desirable, as the ED oversees the AmeriCorps grant process and its requirements.
• Cultural Responsiveness and Community Engagement: Strong listening and communication skills with diverse audiences are essential. The ED must have a deep understanding of and respect for the diverse communities served, especially first-generation students and their families. They should be culturally responsive, build strong community relationships, and maintain a visible presence to foster trust and collaboration.
• Empathy and Compassion with Strong Leadership: The ED must deeply care about students, staff, and AmeriCorps members, conveying empathy and commitment to the mission. They should be people-centered, approachable, and able to engage in meaningful dialogue with staff, families, and the community, ensuring that morale remains high and the organization’s values are upheld.
• Community and Educational Partnership Development: The ED should have a strong grasp of the regional community organizations supporting education (including STEM) and college access and success, as well as related service providers that support BTSV’s student-families and how to work in coalition with them. This includes organizations such as human service agencies, immigrants rights, and others.

Additional qualifications include:

• Prior or current executive-level experience within a nonprofit or purpose-driven organization (e.g. ED/CEO, C-level, VP-level) is required;
• Ability to speak Spanish or Vietnamese is a plus but not required;
• Bachelor’s degree required.

WORK SETTING

This is a hybrid position. The ED will typically work from BTSV’s offices, located at partner schools in San Jose, three days per week, with the flexibility to work from a home office when in-person work is not required. As BTSV is an “out-of-school time program,” occasional evening and weekend work, as well as travel to offsite programs and events in the San Jose area, are also required. Candidates must be local to the Bay Area or planning to relocate in order to be considered.

Benefits

This position offers a competitive salary range of $185,000-$215,000. Additionally, BTSV offers the following:

Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage. Retirement Benefits include a 3% company match. Paid time off includes 15 days of PTO plus 11 holidays and two “shut-down” weeks. PTO increases after Year-2 to 20 days and to 25 days after Year-5. 

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. More details can be provided upon request.

TO APPLY

Please submit a resume online at https://apply.workable.com/j/9C6D1DE5FE/.

Breakthrough Silicon Valley is an equal opportunity employer and an organization that values diversity. Recruiting staff to create an inclusive organization is a priority, and we encourage applicants from all backgrounds. Candidates are evaluated solely on their qualifications to perform the work required.