Executive Director

Organization Overview

The Alray Scholars Program is a Boston-based 501(c)(3) mentoring and scholarship nonprofit that gives Boston students a second chance at college. We fill an urgent need in Boston’s educational landscape, helping low-income and first-generation students who left college before graduating return to campus, earn their degree, and get on the path to a rewarding career.

We’re expanding rapidly, having doubled in size in just the last four years, and are now looking for a dynamic leader to guide the organization through its next phase of growth. The Executive Director will join a small-but-mighty staff and an arsenal of passionate, dedicated Board members, mentors, and other volunteers.

The Alray program was founded in 2008 in memory of Alray Taylor, a young man who grew up in Boston’s Mission Hill neighborhood and was tragically killed three days shy of his 22nd birthday, as he was in the process of returning to college. Alray Scholars provides holistic support and assists students in overcoming many of the hurdles that Taylor faced in his too-short life.

The Alray model is built on dedicated, one-on-one mentoring and financial and career support. The data show that this model is working, and far outpacing national averages. While just 1 out of 4 students around the country who return to college end up graduating, more than 3 out of 4 Alray Scholars who return to college earn their degree. Students in our program go from college “stop-outs” to college graduates and become strong contributors to the Greater Boston community. Many of our grads are now taking on leadership roles in the public and private sector, and some have gone on to earn advanced degrees. They are also paying it forward as Alray volunteer mentors, Board members, and ambassadors, helping the students coming up behind them.

Come work with us and help promising but stuck-in-neutral students unlock their enormous potential!

Position Overview

The Executive Director (ED) is the strategic, fundraising, and organizational leader and external face of Alray Scholars Program. The ED is responsible for setting and advancing the organization’s vision, securing the resources needed to sustain and grow the mission, and leading a high-performing team. The ED will oversee a staff of 3 employees, along with a handful of contractors and consultants.

This role prioritizes external leadership—fundraising, partnerships, and visibility—while ensuring strong internal alignment, clarity, and accountability across staff. The Executive Director works closely with the Board of Directors and leads the team to deliver on Alray’s mission and long-term impact goals.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Set and drive the organization’s strategic direction in partnership with the Board
• Translate strategy into clear priorities, goals, and measurable outcomes for staff
• Ensure organizational focus and alignment across programs, operations, and external efforts
• Lead opportunities for growth, partnerships, and innovation in service of the mission
• Regularly evaluate impact and adapt strategy based on data and external context

Fundraising & External Relations

• Develop and lead execution of a comprehensive fundraising plan, with primary responsibility for securing revenue from individual, corporate, and foundation donors
• Cultivate, solicit, and steward major donors and key funding partners
• Serve as the primary external ambassador and thought leader, raising visibility and awareness of Alray across Greater Boston
• Build and maintain relationships with business, philanthropic, and community leaders
• Partner with staff and Board to expand fundraising capacity and engagement

Team Leadership & Organizational Management

• Lead, manage, develop, and retain a small, mission-driven team with clarity and accountability
• Establish clear roles, goals, and performance expectations aligned with organizational priorities
• Foster a strong, healthy team culture grounded in mission, transparency, collaboration, and results

Board Partnership

• Partner closely with the Board of Directors to support governance, strategic planning, and fundraising
• Keep the Board informed of organizational performance, challenges, and opportunities
• Engage and leverage Board members in fundraising, ambassadorship, and external relationship-building
• Support board recruitment, onboarding, and the work of the board committees

Financial Oversight

• Ensure strong financial management and long-term sustainability and growth
• Develop and manage the annual budget in alignment with strategic priorities
• Monitor financial performance and adjust plans as needed
• Oversee annual audit and required financial filings

Prioritized Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree
• At least five years of experience in leadership positions (e.g. Manager and/or Director level) within entrepreneurial organizations or teams
• Demonstrated strategic thinking and problem-solving skills with an ability to execute and implement a strategic plan and achieve goals
• Excellent relationship-building skills, with a demonstrated ability to work well with people from a wide variety of backgrounds, regardless of age, gender, race, sexual orientation, ethnicity or role
• Track record of success in building and running a fundraising operation and/or forging partnerships in the nonprofit or private sector
• Capacity to lead on issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to act as a compelling advocate for and voice of the work of Alray Scholars and alumni
• Proven ability to be flexible, juggle competing priorities, and work independently
• Candidate will be a current member or ready to step in membership in Boston’s civic and non-profit community, regularly representing Alray at events in the Greater Boston region
• Flexibility to be in office with staff multiple days per week

Bonus Qualifications

• Comfort using data to define outcomes, glean insights, and inform decisions
• Demonstrated knowledge of communications best practices and understanding of how strategic messaging advances fundraising, visibility, and mission impact
• Strong computer skills with knowledge of CRM databases (Salesforce encouraged), Google Suite, and other technology tools and platforms or a demonstrated ability to learn new technologies
• Experience developing and managing budgets
• Experience working within the higher education landscape, with adult learners, and/or first-generation college students
• Lived experience as a first-generation college graduate and/or college comebacker

Compensation

• $100-$110K

How to Apply

Email a resume and cover letter to careers@alray.org