Chief of Staff - The Collective Blueprint

About Us

The Collective Blueprint is helping Memphis become a city where all young adults can thrive. Founded in 2017 to support the ~45,000 local young adults out of work and school, we are increasing socioeconomic mobility for young adults through:

1. Career-Focused Training: As Memphis’ go-to model for supporting opportunity youth, we facilitate young adults’ entry into in-demand careers via school-readiness training, ongoing coaching, monthly stipends, free therapy, internships, employment support, and lifelong access to a well-connected network. At our founding, our community college completion rate was at 5% with limited economic outcomes. We have a completion rate of 70%, and our alumni have achieved wage growth of 150% with zero debt. 
2. Innovation: The current employment and educational landscape is failing many young adults. We build coalitions to address inequities in these systems and transform the context of our city, including leading city-wide economic development planning and driving a visionary policy agenda with hundreds of nonprofit partners. 
3. Advocacy: We are igniting a movement toward economic justice in Memphis. We position young adults as leaders and advocates by training them in participatory democracy and supporting their campaigns for policy agendas conducive to sustainable change. 

Our work uniquely focuses on both individuals and the systemic issues that stifle economic mobility. We were founded by and for young adults, and we center those most proximate to these issues. In just five years, we have reached hundreds directly and impacted thousands more. This blueprint is becoming a model for national change. See this video for more about our work. 

Our Impact

Over our first few years of operations, we have achieved considerable success. We have worked intensively with hundreds of young adults, built a strong team, attracted millions in funding, designed plans to scale our work, and have become a leader in our space. Our work has the potential to dramatically impact Memphis and to serve as an example for other similarly situated cities. We have consistently demonstrated strong outcomes for the Leaders we partner with. the past two years, our CEO helped organize 150 fellow CEOs to sign onto a list of systemic demands to address policing and poverty in our city. We are also leading the workforce development and post-secondary design pillar for our local Blue Meridian Initiative. Lastly, we were selected to be the lead in Memphis for the Southern Cities Initiative, helping to shape corporate funding that flows into the south. See our 2022 impact report for more. 
 

Your Role

Reporting to the CEO, the Chief of Staff (COS) is a key member of the executive team and close partner to the CEO, working to support The Collective Blueprint’s (TCB) mission, vision, and strategic goals. The COS will act as a trusted advisor to the CEO, helping to manage day-to-day operations, driving key initiatives, and collaborating cross functionally to ensure org-wide alignment and operational efficiency. The COS will also help TCB reach its growth objectives by representing the organization externally with customers and other key stakeholders. This position offers a unique opportunity to make a significant impact on young adults’ lives as we scale to reach more young adults and achieve systems change. 

Duties and Responsibilities 

Project Management and Execution:

• Maximize effectiveness and efficiency of the CEO, collaborating on how best to optimize the CEO’s time, including prioritizing (and reprioritizing) workstreams in order to determine most strategic ways to divide and conquer between the CEO and other senior leadership
• Collaborate with the CEO and executive team to develop and refine the company’s goals and objectives
• Monitor progress towards strategic goals and key performance indicators, driving routine metrics reviews and management processes while ensuring alignment and accountability across departments; make recommendations to optimize program and financial outcomes
• Serve as a thought partner for other members of the Senior Leadership Team to help them achieve their goals and thus support overall team performance
• Provide project support and follow-up on ad-hoc projects and serve as a stand in for the CEO, as needed 

Communication and Stakeholder Management:

• Serve as a liaison between the CEO, executive team, and various internal and external stakeholders 
• Support with development and management of dashboard and internal systems, including weekly team meetings, retreats (virtual and in-person), and other opportunities for team collaboration
• Facilitate effective communication, ensuring information flows smoothly across different departments and levels of the organization
• Prepare and deliver presentations, reports, and other communication to internal and external stakeholders
• Manage the CEO’s calendar and serve as first point of contact for communications to the CEO

Leadership:

• Lead by example, demonstrating a strong work ethic, adaptability, and a commitment to excellence
• Handle sensitive and high-stakes situations with composure, empathy, and professionalism
• Respond to urgent issues, ensuring appropriate actions are taken to address situations
• Ensure critical and confidential communications with the CEO are responded to and managed 

Other responsibilities, as needed. 

Experience and Skills 

• Super Organizer — Exceptional attention to detail, impeccable organizational skills, and ability to manage multiple strategic projects while also executing portions of the work with a start-up mentality.
• Strategic Thinker — Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities and the ability to have both an empathetic and data-driven approach to decision making while also being able to diagnose problems quickly and foresee potential issues.
• Ability to Execute — Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, adapting quickly to changing priorities; ability to roll up your sleeves and do whatever it takes to get the job done while balancing long-term projects with the urgency of immediate demands.
• Trusted Operator — Strong emotional intelligence and ability to facilitate work with stakeholders, including building relationships in service of the mission of The Collective Blueprint and its strategic priorities.
• Expert Facilitator—Ability to manage conversations, synthesize multiple points of view, and align on direction in an impartial and professional way. 
• Strong Presence - Brings the confidence, experience, and gravitas to confidently sit in for the CEO and stand before an audience of either internal or external stakeholders while also being able to derive satisfaction from being behind the scenes collaborating with teams and ensuring that everything we are doing is optimized for the attainment of audacious goals. 
• Analytical Abilities - Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities and the ability to have both an empathetic and data-driven approach to decision making while also being able to diagnose problems quickly and foresee potential issues; extraordinary communication skills; written, verbal, and interpersonal.

Basic qualifications include a bachelor’s degree, 5-7 years of work experience in a dynamic, fast-paced environment, a proven track record of excellence and comfort with senior ladders in organizations.

This is an outstanding opportunity for a highly motivated professional to assume a pivotal role in the evolution of a fast-growing organization. We are seeking an individual of outstanding quality, with a proven track record and a passion for young adults. The Collective Blueprint is prepared to offer an attractive compensation package, as well as health, 401(k), and vacation benefits. The work environment is hybrid, with some in the office time required. Salary range is $75,000-$85,000 negotiable based on experience. We also provide relocation assistance for applicants 100 miles from Memphis.

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