Senior Director, Chicago

About Braven

Braven is a national nonprofit that prepares promising college students to secure a strong first opportunity after college graduation through a career‑accelerating program. We work with higher education and employer partners to offer a life‑changing experience that begins with a semester‑long course for college students, followed by support that lasts through graduation. Together, our ambition is to help rebuild the middle class and revitalize the American Dream.

Senior Director, Chicago

Chicago Region

In‑Person in Chicago, IL

Exempt

Full‑time

ASAP

In order to achieve its ambition of serving 80,000‑100,000 Fellows over the next decade, Braven is hiring a Senior Director, Chicago, who is responsible for the programmatic success at the Higher Education Partner (HEP). They are responsible for ensuring that students who complete the Accelerator at the HEP secure a strong first job or enroll in graduate school within 6 months of graduation, and maintain a positive, strong presence at the HEP and in Chicago.

As a member of the Chicago regional team & the leader of the Higher Education Partnership (a specific program site), you will lead a team of 1‑3 full‑time employees and a team of part‑time interns. The Senior Director of the HEP Partnership will also be responsible for working collaboratively with all of our central and regional teams, including our volunteer recruitment team and the team that manages the delivery of our course.

Together, you and the Executive Director (ED) will build and maintain a strong, positive presence at the HEP site and in Chicago. This role is on the Chicago team and reports directly to the Executive Director of Chicago / Chief Regional Success & Innovation Officer.

Deliver Site Outcomes (40%)

• Oversee and ensure strong local program implementation at the HEP, including the pre‑course, course, and post‑course experience, to meet programmatic goals
• Drive and be responsible for the quality of regionally owned program elements, including (but not limited to) local programming, learning lab implementation, data collection for job campaign, etc
• For the elements of the program that are delivered by the center, serve as a check for the HEP satisfaction and fit with local student needs and campus culture; provide feedback to the central teams in a spirit of partnership and continuous improvement
• Assess data continuously and ensure students are on track to graduate and secure strong jobs.
• Partner with Braven's Product team to develop supports and interventions to achieve student job outcomes
• Participate in the organization‑wide efforts to drive program model strategy and decisions, recommending changes as needed to Braven's program model to achieve transformational and sustainable impact
• Observe, provide feedback, and collaborate in weekly in‑person and virtual Braven Accelerator course, virtual and in‑person career events, student recruitment events, and other key moments throughout the year
• Take initiative to deeply understand Braven's program, outcomes, and indicators of success by collaborating with other site teams, shadowing the Braven Accelerator, becoming a Leadership Coach, and using different strategies that build context, trust, and understanding

Effectively Manage Stakeholders (40%)

• Develop and steward strong and formalized partnerships with the HEP leadership and faculty, employers, and community‑based organizations that result in additional resources for our students and improvements to our program model
• Cultivate and manage relationships with key HEP stakeholders that foster collaboration and a healthy partnership
• Lead and co‑lead meetings with the HEP stakeholders to build Braven into the career ecosystem and ensure that Braven is upholding partnership goals and agreements.
• Act as the "mayor" of the local HEP, deeply understanding the ecosystem, owning local relationships (faculty, professor of record, etc.), and the campaign manager running local campaigns on campus
• Build a collaborative team culture of individuals committed to achieving excellence, meeting site goals, and…