Chief Revenue Officer

Chalkbeat, the nation’s leading  nonprofit news organization covering public education in America, is seeking a Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) to join our executive leadership team and lead all aspects of Chalkbeat’s revenue performance as we plan for rapid growth.  The CRO will provide leadership in the strategy, performance, and alignment of all areas within Chalkbeat related to revenue generation including philanthropy and earned revenue, while identifying and delivering new revenue opportunities as we expand our geographic and topic-area footprints.

We’re looking for a seasoned C-suite fundraising executive to work closely with our leadership team and Board of Directors to develop growth strategies across all revenue streams, with a focus on philanthropic giving. The successful candidate has built a robust and accurate revenue pipeline, led sustainable growth of an organization by increasing revenue year after year, and possesses a mentality of constant experimentation and learning.   

The key responsibilities for this role include:

• Providing leadership in the planning and execution of a high end gifts program including major gift strategy and execution, principal gifts, and planned gifts. The Chief Revenue Officer will serve as the CEO’s closest confidante and partner in managing the highest value relationships for the organization.
• Inspiring new levels of philanthropy across all revenue streams.  The CRO will push Chalkbeat to achieve new philanthropic heights and principally focus on 6 and 7-figure gifts
• Coach and mentor direct reports and the broader Chalkbeat team.  This includes developing professional development plans for the Department, supporting the skill-building of editorial staff who may be leveraged in fundraising opportunities, and ensuring that the Board is embracing best practices 
• Leading the Development Committee of the Board of Trustees and partnering with the CEO on all governance-related matters
• Partnering with the Chief Financial Officer to ensure accurate financial projections and budget management
• Creating world-class donor programs to attract transformational gifts from individuals and families
• Creating a world-class program to attract leadership gifts from corporations
• Leading the effective stewardship of all Chalkbeat donor relations and the cultivation of new potential partners
• Inspiring a new generation of volunteer leaders to serve Chalkbeat in meaningful ways
• Re-imagining events at Chalkbeat in a post COVID-19 world
• Building a cohesive short, medium, and long-term revenue strategy that encompasses a thorough understanding of revenue projections
• Helping to maximize reach and efficiency by adding new, scalable partnerships in a strategic way
• Creating accountability based on revenue growth metrics and KPIs
• Building and stewarding a culture of philanthropy at all levels of the organization
  
  

Key competencies include:

• Experience in revenue ownership with a successful track record of business expansion and growth
• The ability to manage through change.  The only constant at Chalkbeat is change, and our CRO will need to embrace healthy tension, build a compelling case for business changes, and lead with confidence and a great sense of humor. 
• Strong executive presence and the ability to lead change and take others with you
• Effective strength-based leadership of a successful development team, that encompasses the growth and development of team members
• The ability to leverage existing relationships into new ones
• Mastery of building and maintaining excellent relationships with C-level executives of key target donor organizations and partners
• Ability to align all revenue-generating activities and share information in the effort to build strategic partnerships
• Monitoring the revenue pipeline and leads, and adjusting as necessary to create sustainable growth
• Ensuring close alignment with Chalkbeat’s CFO with respect to the revenue model including diversifying revenue streams, and in developing and implementing integrated financial and revenue systems.
• Constant evaluation of the marketplace and analyzing of opportunities, providing competitive analysis, strategies, and tactics

Bonus points if you’ve got:

• A passion for education or nonprofit journalism, and a connection to our mission
• Experience with CRMs like Salesforce 
• Experience with HRIS software and policies

This is a full-time executive position with benefits. Chalkbeat offers a competitive salary, commensurate with experience, and a generous benefits package, including a paid winter recess from December 26-31.

About Chalkbeat:

Chalkbeat is the nonprofit news organization committed to covering one of America’s most important stories: the effort to improve schools for all children, especially those who have historically lacked access to a quality education. We are mission-driven journalists who believe that an independent local press is vital to ensuring that education improves. Currently in seven locations and growing, we seek to provide deep local coverage of education policy and practice that informs decisions and actions, leading to better schools. Read more about our mission and values.