Executive Director

Director of Marketing and Communications Major Gifts Officer Executive Director Employer College Bound AZ Location Mesa, Arizona Salary Successful candidate will be offered competitive base salary, incentive bonus and benefits. Posted Date Apr 19, 2026 categories Job Details College Bound AZ is seeking a visionary and mission-driven Executive Director to lead the organization into its next chapter of growth, community impact, and sustainability. The Executive Director serves as the chief executive officer and public ambassador, responsible for strategic leadership, fundraising, program oversight, and operational excellence. Each year 300 high school seniors walk through their doors seeking assistance to a brighter future through a college or university education. These youth come from varied backgrounds from 11 school districts in Arizona. College Bound AZ is dedicated to supporting them on their journey to and through college. The Executive Director has many roles which include but are not limited to providing direct services to youth, direct oversight and responsibility for fundraising, donor engagement, grant development, mentoring and stakeholder development to ensure long-term sustainability and expanded student impact. Fundraising includes producing a large Themed Annual Gala (signature event), Giving Tuesday Campaigns, Super Bowl and Special Event Giving, Year-Round Donor Engagement & Stewardship, applying for grants, periodically engaging and working with major donors and scholarship growth. Travel Moderate travel is required to organization locations, as well as industry related meetings.

Summary of Responsibilities:

The Executive Director will be responsible for the strategic leadership, vision, management, and growth of College Bound AZ. He/she will ensure alignment between mission, services, programs, finances, and community impact while serving as the organization's primary spokesperson and leader. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in nonprofit management, education, and a proven track record in fundraising and grant writing. The Executive Director position is critical to College Bound AZ's ability to sustain and expand grant funded student services. This role provides leadership, financial oversight, fundraising capacity, and compliance management necessary to steward public and private funds responsibly while ensuring measurable student outcomes.

Key Responsibilities:

Organizational Leadership & Strategy Lead execution of the organization's mission, vision, services and strategic plan.

• Serve as chief ambassador to schools, district school administrators and superintendents, funders, partners, and the community.

Drive organizational growth aligned with measurable student services and outcomes. Fundraising & Resource Development Direct all fundraising efforts including annual gala, Giving Tuesday, Superbowl Pool, major gifts, sponsorships, and grants. Cultivate and steward donor relationships. Oversee grant writing, reporting, and compliance. Program Oversight & Impact Ensure high-quality delivery of student programs including RISE Scholars, FAFSA, scholarships, and mentoring. Monitor student success metrics and impact reporting. Manage student recruitment and support each student on their journey to achieve High Education through the RISE Scholar Program. Support innovation and program expansion. Financial & Operational Management Prepare and Oversee budgeting, financial reporting, audits, and compliance.

• Ensure fiscal responsibility and internal controls.

Administer and Solicit Scholarships including Computer and Monetary Scholarships internal controls. Supervise staff, contractors, AmeriCorps members, and volunteers. Board Relations & Governance Partner closely with the Board of Directors and Executive Committee. Prepare board materials and strategic recommendations. Prepare and brief financial reports. Support board development and engagement. Marketing & Communications Oversee branding, messaging, and public relations. Ensure consistent communications across platforms. Records Create and maintain documentation for the organization as is related to governance (e.g., bylaws, policies), administration (e.g., legal and regulatory compliance, training materials), and operations (e.g., standard operating procedures, business processes). Qualifications Preferred Experience and Skill Successful executive experience in a nonprofit or educational organization. Demonstrated experience in fundraising, including donor cultivation and grant writing oversight. Proven ability to work effectively with underserved students and communities. Strong leadership and management skills with experience leading a small team. Excellent communication, collaboration, relationship-building, and networking abilities to effectively communicate with stakeholders, build partnerships, and advocate for the organization's mission. Present a professional demeanor and ability to interface with Board members and employees in the organization. Strategic visionary with advanced skill at developing and pursuing a clear and strategic vision for the future growth and impact of College Bound AZ. Excellent public speaking and writing skills. Excellent public speaking and writing skills. Works independently in an environment that requires multi-tasking with minimal supervision. Experience developing and managing organizational budgets, financial oversight, and resource allocation; financial stewardship. Demonstrated success leading college access and persistence initiatives serving high school students, particularly first-generation and historically underserved populations. Strong understanding of K-12 systems and postsecondary pathways, including college admissions, financial aid (FAFSA), and student support services. Experience working in data-driven environments; ability to use metrics to evaluate program effectiveness and inform strategy Preferred Education and Training Bachelor's degree required. A master's degree in nonprofit management, public administration, education or equivalent is preferred as are candidates with a robust educational background in education, business administration or a related field. Personal Characteristics Someone whose values are aligned with those of the organization. An individual who displays competencies such as: strategic agility, business acumen, results orientation, and financial stewardship. Resiliency to develop relationships. Someone who is results driven and has a well-defined sense of self who is self-directed with political savvy and diplomacy. An individual of unquestioned integrity and high moral and ethical standards.

• Ability to think strategically, systemically and possess financial acumen.
• A collaborative team player, who values people and who can build consensus and motivate others toward common objectives, and who has the ability to form and develop high performance teams.

An individual who can correctly delegate tasks and authority to others to maintain an efficient and accountable department. Ability to successfully identify and develop multiple level, cross functional relationships.

• A flexible person who can deal with ambiguity and change. A positive, upbeat, but realistic person. Someone who is secure, likeable, and approachable with a good sense of humor.
• A good listener who seeks to understand others before asking others to understand.
• Capable of values based decision making.

That is, the ability to draw upon a mixture of analysis, ethics, experience and judgment in order to choose the right action. How to apply For confidential consideration please contact: Scott B. Smith Managing Partner SBS Consulting Group Red Rock, AZ 847-917-2358 smithscottbgmail