Executive Director

Center for Inclusive Growth

July 17, 2023

Job Title: Executive Director

Overview

The Center for Inclusive Growth (the Center) is a historic partnership between the City of New Haven (the City) and Yale University (Yale) that will develop and implement strategies to grow the city economically in a way that benefits all city residents. Through this Center, New Haven and Yale seek to make the city a model for inclusive growth and strong partnerships.

The Executive Director will have the responsibility to further develop the Center’s vision and to design programming that puts this vision into practice. As the inaugural Executive Director, this role will be responsible for the operational details of creating a new business unit such as establishing the budget, hiring staff, logistics and policy development, and building relationships with key stakeholders.

The Center will be supported by a Board of Directors, ad hoc Advisory Committee(s), empaneled to provide necessary expertise and experience as relates to specific programmatic areas (e.g., economic development, sustainability, entrepreneurship, etc.), and staff (to be hired as necessary).

Specific Job Responsibilities

  • Working under the guidance of Advisory Committee(s), and reporting to the Board, provide strategic oversight for the Center, identifying, implementing and eventually retiring initiatives
  • Build relationships with local community leaders, residents, and Yale students/staff/faculty with the goal of making the Center a trusted, credible institution to which a wide range of stakeholders turn for ideas and action and ensure alignment with City and Yale initiatives
  • Oversee the Center staff and Advisory Committees through material preparation, personnel management, meeting facilitation, and reporting
  • Practice robust grass-roots community engagement and outreach over course of work in part through use of human-centered and community-centered design principles
  • Develop and execute a strategic planning process to identify a number of actionable immediate priorities as well as longer term priorities, beginning with proposed initial priorities (below)
  • Lead and oversee the development, implementation, and evaluation of Center programs
  • Manage shared technology platform to track and monitor progress of all projects and engagements, measure outcomes, and produce reports
  • Develop and maintain the Center budget
  • Monitor existing funding and develop partnerships with funders from philanthropy, government and industry to support work


Proposed Priorities

Based on conversations with many members of the New Haven community, including elected officials, community leaders, residents, and Yale stakeholders, the Center proposed to the following initial priority areas:

  • Collaborations with Yale (direct support to the City, research in New Haven)
  • Economic Development (convenings, startup support, urban development, arts and culture)
  • Equity (local sourcing and hiring, small business development, affordable housing, public transit)
  • Sustainability (green energy, transit and bike access, beautification)

Required Skills and Experience

  • Strategic planning and resource management skills with experience working in a complex environment managing multiple objectives and points of view and garnering trust on all levels
  • Knowledge of New Haven and Yale communities or the demonstrated ability to learn and engage residents as well as Yale faculty, students and staff; current New Haven resident or willing to move to New Haven
  • Demonstrated focus and practice in promoting and building diverse, equitable, and inclusive teams and programs
  • Budget management experience
  • Ability to learn quickly and develop working knowledge of best practices as new areas of policy interest evolve
  • Self-motivated with exceptional organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills, the ability to manage multiple projects, experience with public speaking, and the ability to articulate ideas clearly and succinctly
  • Bachelor’s Degree or an equivalent education

Preferred Skills and Experience

  • Knowledge and experience in economic development or business development, within the education, government, or corporate sectors or experience launching and growing a business or enterprise; familiarity with emerging and best practices in fostering, protecting, and growing local business and economies
  • Practical experience starting, building, and growing a business or providing business consultation to early-stage startup founders
  • Experience working with state and local government, specifically in economic and business development
  • Current or past connections to Yale (e.g., alum, former employee, etc.) or New Haven (e.g., resident, community leader, etc.) that demonstrate familiarity with and respect for this unique context and historic relationships
  • A minimum of 8 years of related experience

If interested in this position, please email your resume to ekaiser@kaiserwhitney.com.

Salary: $135,000 – $180,000