Executive Director (Remote)

About BootUp Professional Development

BootUp Professional Development (BootUp) is a leading national nonprofit specializing in district-wide elementary computer science initiatives that focus on creativity and problem-solving.

Since 2015, BootUp has worked with over 650 elementary schools in eighteen states, directly impacting over 275,000 students. BootUp prepares teachers to facilitate open-ended coding projects that are project-based and personally meaningful. Students are empowered with creative and interactive curricula that allow them to explore their personal interests through coding with design, music, animation, games, or stories.

BootUp is dedicated to empowering elementary teachers and students through computer science and creating equitable computer science programs in underrepresented and underserved communities. Our mission is to prepare and empower teachers to implement elementary coding and computer science programs nationwide to reach all students, creating equitable access to future-ready skills.

BootUp’s free or low-cost district support includes professional development workshops, ongoing model teaching and coaching, curricula and teacher lesson plans, and an online Instructional Coach Course to ensure the sustainability of the program. Districts that are selected for the partnership participate in professional development over a three-year period and teach computer science to students during the school day. Professional development and support are customized and scheduled to consider each district’s unique needs.

BootUp’s partnership with Amazon Future Engineer has further accelerated efforts to bring equitable computer science (CS) education to students from historically underrepresented and underserved communities nationwide. The three-year initiative will support 500,000 elementary students across 40 school districts and aims to inspire young learners to explore computer science and its essential contributions to technology and humanity.

Amazon Future Engineer and BootUp first partnered in 2020. Now, two-thirds of the way through the initial program, the sponsorship has impacted more than 100,000 students. To date, nearly 3,000 teachers have participated, and the Amazon Future Engineer and BootUp program has demonstrated nationwide success among large and small districts alike, including districts that were among the first to enroll in the program including Dallas, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and New York City.

The latest Amazon Future Engineer and BootUp Elementary CS Sponsorship provides an extensive suite of support, including teacher professional development and student curricula over three years to help districts implement sustainable computer science initiatives throughout the school day. The customized, district-level support will complement existing programs and ensure continuity of the K-12 CS initiative across the school district for equitable implementation in every classroom.

 

BootUp’s Values 

 

Integrity 

We strongly value and prioritize being honest and having strong principles for doing what we do. Integrity is consistently one of the first values we want to be known for as an organization and as individuals. 

 

Equitable/Egalitarian 

BootUp’s successes over the years are a result of our ability to collaborate on a team with diverse backgrounds, expertise, opinions, perspectives, and experiences. 

 

Innovative 

We are constantly striving for innovative and creative solutions that assist with our overall mission and vision. This includes everything from our approach to professional learning to highly engaging interest-driven, project-based curricula. 

 

Proven 

Part of our success is because our approach is not only based on educational research but benefits from extensive feedback from a variety of sources. We actively seek out feedback that continues to refine and improve what we do. 

 

Flexible + Relevant 

We believe that computer science education is not only growing at a rapid pace but is iteratively changing over time. We try to stay flexible and relevant by keeping up to date on the latest research and practices in computer science education. 

 

Inclusive + Welcoming Culture 

All of us at BootUp genuinely enjoy not only the work that we do, but who we work with. We come from varied backgrounds and cultures that are respected and embraced by the team. 

 

Engaging + Fun!

Not only do we try and make the professional development and curriculum engaging and fun, but our work environment and collaborations, as well. 

 

Simple + Iterative 

We don’t like to make things overly complicated. By keeping things simple, we can focus on fine-tuning our approach over time to continuously improve what we do. This iterative process is similar to the Japanese concept of “kaizen ( 改善),” which encourages team members to think through and share opportunities for improvement. If you can do something better with even fewer steps, you have captured the essence of this simple approach.

 

 

Position Summary

As BootUp PD prepares to increase its impact in K-5 computer science education, we are seeking an exceptional leader to help us continue to thrive in a collaborative, high-functioning, and inclusive work environment, while scaling our impact to ensure that every child in every elementary school has access to quality computer science education.

The Executive Director will oversee all aspects of BootUp’s operations and will lead our work hiring, onboarding, and supporting the growth of our staff with an equity and growth mindset. We value an Executive Director who will be a champion for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.

As the Executive Director manages BootUp’s partnerships and projects, she/he/they will lead the development and implementation of a comprehensive strategic plan to support all of BootUp’s efforts across multiple states and school districts. 

 

 

Responsibilities

Build + Lead Sustainable Collaboration

The Executive Director will have the opportunity to lead innovative, mission-driven teams that are constantly striving to create solutions and approaches to professional learning that are project-based and highly engaging. The Executive Director will:

Internal

• Lead, empower, and mentor a collaborative team of highly skilled, mission-driven professionals, some of whom may be relatively new to their positions.
• Establish effective organizational operations and procedures regarding human resource best practices.
• Advance the organization’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in its programs, operations, and governance.
• Set an overall talent strategy to ensure we are hiring, onboarding, and supporting the growth of our staff centered on inclusivity and belonging, and pursuing the same impact for educators and students.
• Partner with the Board of Directors to establish and implement governance best practices.

External

• Cultivate and establish strong connections to and relationships with existing funders, partners, and stakeholders.
• Ensure the sustainability of existing external relationships and partnerships and promote future expansion as the organization grows.
• Diversify new partnerships and funding opportunities and engage key states and school districts aligned with BootUp’s mission and vision.
• Provide visible and influential leadership communicating BootUp’s mission at the intersection of teacher professional development and diversity, equity, and inclusion in computer science education.
• Continually improve BootUp’s operations (including all programs, projects, and curriculum) to make progress against the lack of access and equity in computer science education for elementary teachers and students.

 

Lead Community Team + Develop Talent

The Executive Director is a talented leader who can create a workplace where everyone on our team feels a sense of true belonging and inclusivity. We are intentionally striving to challenge status quo cultures, routines, and practices. We aim to build a workplace that is founded on principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion to support every individual to thrive and contribute to their fullest to our shared mission.

Objectives & Strategy: Develop objectives, key results, and overarching strategies to meet organizational goals - in alignment with our strategic vision and guiding philosophy and working closely with the Board of Directors.

Team Management: Hire, manage, and develop BootUp team members, co-develop individual goals for team members, and support their professional trajectory and personal well-being. 

Collaboration: Develop and nurture the structures, processes, experiences, and relationships that create brave spaces for trust-based collaboration and enable an interdependent and efficient approach toward meeting team objectives.

 

Operate as an Executive Leader of Strategy, Impact, + Culture

Organizational Strategy: Lead BootUp teams to evolve our organizational strategic goals to ensure we are integrating research and enduring impact.

Organizational Culture: Serve as an inspirational leader for staff; promote and support a strong organizational culture aligned with our values.

Equity: Actively integrate learnings and practices around supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion into team dynamics, processes, and programmatic work.

 

Business Development, Fundraising, + Donor Stewardship

Sustainability:

• Lead and manage efforts on fundraising and business development
• Identify, evaluate, and pursue business development opportunities
• Oversee strategic partnership development and provide guidance on maintaining those partnerships
• Develop relationships with foundations, federal program officers, and community partners to obtain funding and grant opportunities 
• Advise designated staff on proposal development by providing guidance and support on grant writing and submissions, progress data and reports, and negotiate terms of awards as necessary

 

 

Reporting Relationships

The Executive Director reports directly to the Board Chair and currently has four (4) direct reports, with the potential to add additional positions:

• Associate Executive Director
• Programs Manager
• District Coding Accelerator
• Marketing Manager
• Director of Education + Research (TBD)
• Curriculum + Instructional Specialist (TBD)
• Director of Development + Marketing (TBD)

 

 

Experience, Skills, + Mindsets

You may be a strong fit for this position if you have:

• In-depth experience in designing, developing, and implementing an organization-wide programmatic vision, with a strong track record of decisive prioritization and results.
• Experience cultivating and sustaining a network of partners of shared purpose and action.
• A strong record of developing high-performing, empowered teams, and leading teams through periods of growth and change.
• Experience as a senior leader in a programmatic, strategy, policy, or network role at the intersection of equity, computer science education, and teacher professional development.
• Experience in K-12 computer science and/or STEM education and/or teacher education.
• Experience with business development and fundraising initiatives.
• 10+ years of overall professional experience in the field of STEM and/or computer science education.

Skills

• Program Management: The ability to initiate, plan, execute, monitor, and evaluate the work of a team and network to achieve our goals.
• External Relationship Development and Management: The ability to build and maintain strong relationships and navigate complex networks. The ability to grow the overall fundraising, donor, and business development initiatives.
• Equity Leadership: The ability to cultivate networks and teams that promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
• Team Leadership: The ability to coach, develop, empower, and retain remote and diverse team members.
• Organizational Leadership: The ability to hold and act upon the organization’s full set of priorities and needs.
• Strategic Thinking: The ability to interpret, summarize and synthesize information to create better understanding. The ability to select a path forward and/or develop appropriate solutions and take action that is consistent with available facts, constraints, opportunities, goals, and probable consequences.
• Communications: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.

Mindsets

• DEI Leadership: The ability to lead in a way that is centered on DEI with a focus on both the programs and the experience of our staff.
• Host not Hero: The perspective of being a network entrepreneur, facilitating and enabling change.
• Developing Others: The ability to plan and support the development of individual’s skills and abilities so that they can fulfill current or future job/role responsibilities more effectively.
• Adaptability: The ability to thrive in an ambiguous environment where you have the autonomy to drive your work.
• Growth Mindset: The ability to identify new areas for learning for yourself and others; regularly create and take advantage of learning opportunities; use newly gained knowledge and skills on the job and learning through their application.
• Self-motivation: The drive to proactively take the initiative, identify problems and opportunities across your portfolio, develop recommendations, and take action on those recommendations.
• Passion for Social Change: The drive and desire to contribute to making change in our society, especially for children and in education and beyond, with interest in social change theories and putting those theories into practice.

 

 

 

Compensation + Benefits

This is a full-time, salaried position with a salary range of $150,000-$175,000.

A competitive benefits package is provided, including:

• Up to $950 per month to elect from the offered health insurance, dental insurance, and vision insurance plans available through the BootUp PD insurance premium-only plan provided by United Healthcare
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Life insurance*
• Short- and long-term disability insurance*
• SIMPLE IRA retirement plan through Fidelity with eligibility starting upon date of hire and an employer match of up to 3% contributed annually
• Unlimited PTO + sick leave; 11 annually recognized holidays
• A $125 monthly allowance for home internet + wireless phone/data access and an additional $10 monthly mobile device allowance
• A one-time $500 allowance for any necessary home office equipment or furniture

* Coverage provided at no cost to the employee

As a reflection of our firm’s commitment to equity and equal pay for all, it is Cooper Coleman’s requirement that salary ranges or salary starting points be published for every search we conduct. The practice of not posting salaries perpetuates the gender and racial wage gap and discriminates against women, people of color, and other historically excluded populations by causing individuals to negotiate from a disadvantaged starting point.

 

 

Location, Travel + Work Hours

The Executive Director position is fully remote. Occasional travel to meet with partners and funders and to attend industry conferences is expected.

BootUp maintains a “virtual office,” meaning that employees can work from home, from a school district site, or from wherever they choose – preferably somewhere with good Wi-Fi and cell phone access. Because our partner school districts and collaboration partners cover multiple time zones, there are no set office hours.

 

 

EEO + Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

BootUp PD is an equal-opportunity employer. We know diversity makes us stronger and we are committed to maintaining an inclusive and welcoming environment for all of our applicants and employees. BootUp follows the spirit and intent of all federal, state, and local employment laws and is committed to equal employment opportunity.

BootUp is committed to equal opportunity without regard for race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, pregnancy-related conditions, breastfeeding, or medical conditions related to breastfeeding), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, or any other class or expression protected by law.

BootUp PD is an E-Verify Participant.

 

 

Background Checks

Before sending your resume for this position, please read it over for accuracy. Cooper Coleman verifies its candidates' employment and academic credentials represented at the time of offer and offer of employment is contingent upon successful completion of a criminal background check. 

 

 

Submission Instructions (read carefully)

Cooper Coleman is leading this search on behalf of BootUp PD. To apply, please visit this link (www.coopercoleman.com/current-searches). Inquiries and nominations of qualified candidates can be sent to:

Paul Towne

paul@coopercoleman.com

Kindly use the position title as the subject line of your email. All inquiries will be held in confidence.

A cover letter is not required with your initial application but is welcomed to help us understand your fitness for this role during our initial evaluation. Candidates invited for interviews will be asked to provide a thoughtful letter of interest indicating their specific qualifications for the opportunity, desire to join BootUp PD, and connection to its mission.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the successful candidate has been selected.

Cooper Coleman LLC is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified candidates and will refer candidates without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation or identity, age, ability, veteran status, or any other legally protected basis.