Job Description

 

ABOUT SMASH

Established in 2004, SMASH has a long history of commitment to increasing racial equity in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) and computer science (CS) education and preparing students from underrepresented backgrounds for future careers in STEM fields. After nearly 20 years of operating programs across 10 campuses, serving thousands of students, and demonstrating an impressive impact on STEM college entrance and graduation rates, the Board and SMASH leadership team have been resolute in reimagining SMASH, aligned with educational and economic climate shifts.

The new iteration of SMASH, positioned to play a key role in the post- affirmative action landscape and in the rise of new technologies like generative AI, aims to prepare over 5000 underrepresented scholars each year for college and careers in computing fields. SMASH programs will encompass both in-person and virtual programs, which aim to provide early exposure to CS concepts and careers, as well as develop deep content knowledge and career paths for high school students.

The SMASH on-line resources are open to students nationwide. In-person programming serves students throughout the Bay Area, greater Atlanta, Detroit, and Boston regions through partnerships with host universities, including UC Berkeley, Morehouse College, Spelman College, Northeastern, and the University of Michigan.

ABOUT THE KAPOR CENTER

The Kapor Center is a family of three distinct organizations working under a shared mission to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion in the technology ecosystem through: Kapor Capital: a seed-stage investment fund; Kapor Foundation: a 501c(3) private operating foundation; and SMASH: a 501c(3) public charity which operates STEM education programs. Kapor Enterprises Inc (KEI) provides operational support in finance, people operations, communications, and events.

THE OPPORTUNITY

This is a pivotal time for SMASH as it reimagines its legacy STEM/CS education programs to expand its national impact. This is also a pivotal moment in the fight for racial justice as backlash against DEI expands, the computing landscape remains unequal, and new technologies have the potential for massive social disruption. We are searching for an accomplished visionary with strong leadership skills, passion, and an unwavering commitment to students, to lead this next phase. Working at SMASH is about rapid growth, innovation, personal commitment, accountability, and courage to challenge the status quo. If you have what it takes to change the computer science landscape, we want to hear from you.

The CEO is a strategic program leader, an experienced people manager, a compelling communicator, and has a demonstrated commitment to the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The right candidate will be a systems thinker with a track record of leading and expanding programs, ideally in a technology or education setting, including responsibility for fundraising, donor cultivation, and partnership development. Initial responsibilities will be focused on building and launching the four new programs, with the longer term goal of adept external representation of the organization and its mission. Ideal candidates will also have a combination of sector experiences (e.g., technology, higher education, and nonprofit management), be business-minded, and committed to racial justice. They will have strong management skills, a deep passion for SMASH's work, its outcomes, and center students in all that they do.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Program Strategy & Leadership

• Develop, pilot, and scale new programs to further SMASH’s vision and program impact
• Lead the organization through development, implementation, and evaluation of strategic and operational plans with a laser focus on achieving stated impact goals
• Hire and manage a highly-effective program team to ensure programs are aligned with the organization’s vision, rigorously evaluated, and create maximum ROI for scholars and families alike
• Identify, cultivate and build local and national programmatic partnerships to help realize the organization’s mission
• In partnership with MKF research team, set and guide strategy to ensure programs are aligned with the organization’s vision, are rigorously evaluated, evolving as needed, and creating maximum ROI

Organizational Leadership and Management

• Serve as a spokesperson and ambassador externally, elevating SMASH’s visibility, brand, and national reputation.
• Understand how emerging economic, social and political developments may present challenges and opportunities to be swiftly translated into new or modified funding, programmatic or growth strategies.

• Establish effective decision-making processes that will enable SMASH to achieve its long- and short-term goals and objectives.
• Establish strong processes for collaboration and communication with the Board

Financial Management and Development

• In partnership with Development and Board, raise $8M annually to fund operations, and $10M to fund expansion goals over the next three years
• Cultivate and steward relationships with diverse funding sources, including foundation, corporate, and individual donors.
• Develop, manage, and monitor financial models and organizational budgets
• Reprioritize expenditures and fundraising as appropriate to address challenges and opportunities
• Engage the Board in their capacity as fiduciary agents

People Management

• Lead, hire, shape, and inspire all SMASH employees, working closely with the existing management and program staff to ensure high performance
• Model and support a culture that fosters growth, development, learning, risk-taking, open dialog, responsibility; providing mentoring where necessary.
• Cultivate an enthusiastic, inclusive, just, and flexible work environment.
• Utilize volunteers (students, mentors, others) as active participants in SMASH where reasonable
• Develop and facilitate advisory boards to leverage external expertise on topics relevant to SMASH(e,g, fundraising, technology, etc) and meaningfully contribute to SMASH’s vision, programming, and impact
• Serve as a key participant in an inter-entity team of senior leaders that hold shared values, ensuring collaboration between SMASH and the other programs within the broader Kapor Center

 

Requirements

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE WILL HAVE/BE:

• Minimum of 10 years progressive experience in management, relationship-building, and resource development, preferably in technology and/or education settings.

• Proven ability to scale programs nationally
• Experience with organizational redesign and reorganization and ability to build consensus, enthusiasm and deliver outcomes
• Lived understanding of disadvantage or great personal or professional ‘distance traveled’.
• Energetic, entrepreneurial nature that combines leadership and intellectual curiosity with practical management skills.
• Sophisticated understanding of STEM/CS education, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and the dynamics of power and privilege in education, technology, and employment.
• Proven fundraising successes and strong financial management skills.
• Strong networks that will help to deepen partnerships between SMASH and other organizations and initiatives
• Impeccable written and verbal communication skills.
• A deep respect for colleagues and staff, strong people management skills, and ability to lead a team of diverse individuals, with a flexible, growth mindset.
• Commitment to our Organizational Values:

• • Sustainability and Impact
  • Individual Initiative
  • Openness and Transparency
  • Personal integrity and Accountability
  • Transformation and Growth
  • Teamwork

Benefits

BENEFITS

SMASH provides competitive compensation, and excellent benefits including medical, dental, vision, life/disability insurance, 401(k), professional development stipend, paid time off, volunteer time, flexible spending accounts (i.e. parking, transit, medical and dependent care), and student loan repayment. Our collaborative office is located in Oakland’s dynamic Uptown District.

STATEMENT OF NON-DISCRIMINATION

No employee or applicant will face discrimination/ harassment based on: race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, age, gender, marital/ domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, or veteran status. Above and beyond discrimination/ harassment based on "protected categories," SMASH also strives to prevent other, subtler forms of inappropriate behavior (e.g., stereotyping) from ever gaining a foothold in our office. Whether blatant or hidden, barriers to success have no place at SMASH. The ideal candidate is personally committed to equity, social justice, and innovation-values deeply embedded in our culture. We are committed to representation and inclusion, and we welcome applicants with diverse perspectives and backgrounds.

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