Breakthrough Silicon Valley, Executive Director

ORGANIZATION

Born in 2002 from a partnership between Applied Materials and the San Jose Unified School District, Breakthrough Silicon Valley (BTSV) finds itself today as a strong, successful, and respected organization. BTSV sparks change across our community and beyond by launching talented students who have been historically excluded from higher education on the path to college, and inspiring high school and college students to become the next generation of leaders, advocates, and educators. BTSV’s tuition-free program provides year-round out-of-school time academic support, advising, and advocacy for a diverse group of talented students from 7th grade through their first-year in college, most of whom come from under-resourced communities and will be the first generation in their family to go to college. BTSV’s seven-year college access and success program has proven to be effective in preparing these students for college: a stunning 99% of BTSV graduates attend college immediately after high school.

Located in San Jose, California, Breakthrough Silicon Valley is an affiliate of The Breakthrough Collaborative, a leading national service organization that acts as the national voice for 25 Breakthrough sites across the country. BTSV is the proud recipient of the San Jose Chamber of Commerce 2024 Non-Profit of the Year Award. 

We are excited to build on the incredible work our outgoing Executive Director has accomplished and welcome a new visionary and dynamic leader to guide BTSV to its next levels of student-first impact.

To learn more about Breakthrough Silicon Valley, please visit www.breakthroughsv.org. 

OPPORTUNITY

BTSV is seeking a highly motivated and dynamic individual to serve as its next Executive Director, holding primary responsibility for leadership of all aspects of the organization. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director will have the opportunity to build on a strong base of success characterized by strong programmatic results and operational growth. Leading a dedicated team of 15 permanent, year-round staff members, 10 full-time AmeriCorps members, as well as up to 50 seasonal Teaching Fellows, the Executive Director will advance the organization’s existing programmatic model and guide its community relationships and philanthropic support.

RESPONSIBILITIES

While an emphasis on the Executive Director’s first year include 1) Listening, Learning, and Building Trust; 2) Fundraising and Maintaining Financial Stability; and 3) Strategic Vision and Long-Term Planning, the overall scope of responsibilities include:

• Executive Leadership: The ED is the primary leader of BTSV, responsible for maintaining the organization's overall vitality. This includes collaborating with the Board, staff, and program partners to set and achieve strategic, programmatic, community stakeholder, and fundraising goals, while ensuring operational plans are well-developed and effectively executed.
• Team Leadership and Organizational Culture: The BTSV ED is responsible for hiring, developing, managing, and supporting a high-performing team, ensuring that IDEAL (inclusion, diversity, equity, anti-racism, and liberation) are central to that work. As the primary tone setter, BTSV's new Executive Director will maintain and strengthen Breakthrough’s “spirit” as central to its organizational culture, and demonstrate care, shared accountability, and support for all staff.
• Resource Development: In partnership with the Board of Directors and the VP of Development and Corporate Partnerships, the ED will create a long-term revenue plan to ensure the future financial sustainability and growth of the organization; this includes strengthening existing funder relationships to ensure current funding is maintained, while driving new and targeted efforts with major donors, foundations, corporations, and other funding sources.
• Community Engagement and Brand Stewardship: The ED will serve as an active participant in and support of the organization’s programming, developing strong relationships with students, families, AmeriCorps members, and other staff and volunteers. The ED will maintain positive relationships with key stakeholders and other local community partners.
• Operational Oversight: BTSV's new Executive Director will evaluate and enhance the organization’s infrastructure, systems, and processes to support its growth. This includes improving cross-departmental communication, workflows, and information exchange, as well as strengthening equitable performance management practices.