Chief Impact & Innovation Officer

Today, more than half of all college students in the U.S. are first-generation—the first in their families to navigate college and forge a career path beyond graduation. But only 21% of first-generation college students graduate within six years.  While there are a multitude of programs for first-generation college students, few offer the deep mentoring relationships and skill-building necessary to graduate and launch successful careers. This is where America Needs You (ANY) comes in. After completing our Fellows Program, 96% of ANY Fellows graduate college and go on to earn a median income significantly higher than their peers. 

ANY is the national nonprofit connecting first-generation college students with transformative mentorship and intensive career development for economic mobility. Founded in 2009 and headquartered in New York City, ANY expanded to New Jersey in 2012, Illinois in 2015, and our operation continues to grow. In 2021, ANY launched FirstGenU, a flexible digital career development program designed to help first-generation college students across the country launch great careers. Visit americaneedsyou.org to learn more about our programs and their impact. 

As a key member of ANY’s Executive Leadership Team, the Chief, Impact & Innovation leads the strategic design and evaluation of core programming at America Needs You. Reporting to the CEO, this role oversees a highperforming team of senior leaders, including the head of Higher Education Partnerships, the Director of FirstGenU, the Director of Mentor Services, and the Senior Program Data Associate.

The Chief Impact & Innovation Officer will be responsible for evolving ANY’s programs to align with our 2030 strategic vision, advancing scalable delivery, and embedding meaningful evaluation practices to measure what matters most: student outcomes. This leader will
champion cross-functional collaboration, ensuring that ANY’s programming remains bold, relevant, and responsive to the needs of first-generation college students.

Our Ideal Candidate:

• Is deeply committed to ANY’s mission of supporting ambitious, first-generation college students and advancing economic mobility
• Brings a strategic vision for program innovation, scale, and impact while grounding decisions in data and measurable outcomes
• Is an equity-driven leader who fosters collaboration, develops high-performing teams, and builds strong cross-functional partnerships
• Thrives at both the strategic and operational levels, balancing big-picture thinking with the ability to execute
• Brings curiosity, creativity, and humility to their work, while inspiring others to achieve shared goals
  

Team Leadership & Management

• Build a high-performing team with strong collaboration.
• Support clear role definition, ownership, and inter-departmental coordination to drive results.
• Build systems that support staff development, knowledge sharing, and program fidelity. Champion a values-driven, equity-centered approach to program leadership

Program Innovation & Design

• Lead the continuous refinement and evolution of ANY’s program models, with a focus on scale, impact, and relevance.
• Ensure quality and consistency between in-person Fellowship and virtual FirstGenU programs, establishing clear standards for consistency, quality, and impact across all sites.
• Integrate industry trends, student feedback, and research into new program design and enhancements.
• Serve as a thought partner to the CEO and Executive Leadership Team in translating strategy into operational execution.

Team Leadership & Management

• Supervise and support senior program leaders, fostering a strong culture of collaboration, accountability, and innovation.
• Support clear role definition, ownership, and inter-departmental coordination to drive results.
• Build systems that support staff development, knowledge sharing, and program fidelity.
• Champion a values-driven, equity-centered approach to program leadership.

Mentor Services & Engagement

• Provide strategic oversight to the Director of Mentor Services to ensure mentors are equipped to support students effectively.
• Align mentor engagement, training, and communications with ANY’s evolving program model.
• Support scalable systems for ongoing mentor learning, community-building, and feedback.
• Ensure mentors are informed, connected, and positioned as key partners in driving student outcomes.

Growing Higher Education Partnerships

• Oversee and expand partnerships with colleges and universities, ensuring alignment with program delivery and student success outcomes.
• Collaborate with the Executive Director of Higher Education Partnerships to implement a unified strategy for engagement, recruitment, and retention across partner schools.
• Develop scalable partnership models that leverage university resources and infrastructure to enhance program reach and impact.
• Build relationships with senior higher education leaders to position ANY as a trusted partner in improving first-generation student outcomes.

Impact & Evaluation

• Drive the development and implementation of systems to measure students’ growth in social capital, post-graduate outcomes, and economic mobility.
• Oversee data collection, evaluation, and reporting efforts in collaboration with the Program Data Manager.
• Translate insights into actionable program improvements and compelling stories for funders, board, and external stakeholders.
• Support the build-out of innovative evaluation and tracking systems.
• Partner with the Chief of Staff & Talent Officer to ensure program evaluation efforts inform and align with broader organizational learning, performance, and strategic planning.

External Partnerships & Field Leadership

• Support strategic university partnerships in collaboration with the ED of Higher Education Partnerships.
• Represent ANY in the external field of college success, mentoring, and workforce development.
• Contribute thought leadership to sector conversations around first-generation student success and economic mobility.
• Work with the Development and Communications teams to articulate program impact and connect with mission-aligned funders.

Core Competencies

Strategic Leadership: Shapes and advances a clear programmatic vision that aligns with ANY’s 2030 strategic plan and impact goals. Anticipates emerging needs and opportunities in the higher education and workforce development landscape to keep programming bold, relevant, and scalable.

Operational and Program Management: Designs and manages systems, processes, and resources to ensure effective and consistent program delivery at scale. Aligns operations with strategic goals while ensuring efficiency, quality, and sustainability across teams and delivery models.

Data-Informed Decision Making: Leverages evaluation frameworks, performance metrics, and research to assess program impact, guide strategic choices, and communicate results effectively to internal and external stakeholders.

Team Leadership and People Development: Builds and sustains high-performing, collaborative teams. Coaches senior leaders, fosters knowledge sharing, and creates a culture grounded in ANY’s values and equity-centered approach.

Stakeholder Engagement: Cultivates strong partnerships with higher education institutions, mentors, and external thought leaders. Represents ANY in the field as a credible, influential voice advancing first-generation student success and economic mobility.

• Deep commitment to ANY’s mission of supporting first-generation college students
• 7-10+ years of relevant leadership experience in program strategy, innovation, or evaluation
• Demonstrated success designing, managing, and scaling effective youth development, college success, or mentoring programs
• Strong command of data-informed decision making, evaluation frameworks, and outcomes measurement
• Exceptional team leadership and management skills, with a track record of building strong cultures
• Adept at cross-functional collaboration and organizational planning
• Ability to operate effectively at both strategic and operational levels
• Strong communication skills: written, verbal, and visual
• Equity-driven leader who brings humility, curiosity, and creativity to their work
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in education, social work, public policy, or related field preferred

To Apply

Please apply here and submit a cover letter and a resume. Please note that your application will not be considered
without a cover letter. No phone calls, please.

Salary for this position is in the $180,000-$200,000 range, commensurate with experience.

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