President, Junior Achievement of OKI Partners, Inc.

About Junior Achievement of OKI Partners, Inc. (Greater Cincinnati, Dayton, Northern Kentucky, Eastern Indiana)

At Junior Achievement of OKI Partners, Inc., we believe in "possible." Each day, we work to help young people discover what's possible in their lives. We do this by helping them connect what they learn in school with life outside the classroom. We let them know it's possible to invest in their future, to gain a better understanding of how the world works, and to pursue their dreams. We show them that it's possible for tomorrow to be a better day. Junior Achievement of OKI Partners, Inc. (JA OKI) serves 69,000 students a year, with a territory that covers 41 counties in Southwest Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and Southeast Indiana. The organization employs 10 full-time and 4 part-time employees, with its main office located in Cincinnati. In addition, there are satellite offices in Springfield, OH, and Richmond, IN. The 2025-2026 budget projects gross revenues of $2.5m. The organization has more than $1 million in investments that produce significant annual income.

Position Summary

The President will be responsible for achieving the strategic objectives established by the Board of Directors. Subject to Board oversight, the President will assume responsibility for all aspects of the organization’s operations, including strategic planning, fundraising, staff development, program implementation, financial management, and public relations. The successful candidate will be a dynamic, experienced, and inspiring leader and communicator, with a demonstrated record of success in a similar role, who shares the Board’s passion for the organization, its mission, and its potential.

Essential Functions

Strategic Leadership & Vision

• In cooperation with the board, develop a compelling vision and strategic plan to guide JA OKI; articulate a shared purpose and clear direction to inspire, unify, and motivate all stakeholders.
• Ensure achievement of the objectives set forth in the plan; allocate people and resources appropriately; identify, assess, and advise the board of internal and external challenges and opportunities bearing on implementation.
• Cultivate a positive, can-do, forward-looking, growth-oriented organizational culture characterized by commitment to the clients JA OKI serves; lead by example, demand excellence in execution, and focus relentlessly on results.
• Engage and empower staff and community volunteers to take responsibility for achieving results; create a climate of initiative and accountability.
  
  

Financial Planning, Oversight, & Management

• Work with the governing and advisory boards to develop and implement a plan to ensure the financial stability necessary to support JA OKI’s strategic objectives and to sustain and expand its operations and programs.
• Work with staff and the board to translate the plan into comprehensive annual budgets; manage financial resources within the budget to meet organizational objectives and annual surpluses.
• Secure the funding needed to meet the budget needs. Identify prospective sources of funding; conceive and implement effective fundraising campaigns; direct resources to apply for grants; personally solicit contributions.
• Actively recruit a diverse donor base of individual, business, foundation, and government segments. Cultivate positive long-term relationships with prospective donors, both individual and institutional.
• Monitor and manage income, expenditures, and cash flow; approve expenditures and administer funds within the authority delegated by the board; ensure compliance with generally accepted accounting principles; ensure compliance with legal requirements relating to finances.
• Provide the board accurate and timely financial reporting and analysis.
  
  

Program & Operational Planning and Management

• Guide the organization in achieving the annual and long-term goals and objectives.
• Supervise staff evaluations to ensure that goals are achieved.
• Work with educational partners to ensure that JA programs are meeting their needs. Emphasize student achievement as the ultimate objective of all programs.
  
  

Human Resources Planning & Management

• Determine optimal staffing for successful organizational management and program delivery; retain or recruit personnel with the aptitudes, interests, and personal characteristics needed.
• Maintain a positive, collaborative, and supportive work environment where the most suitable talent will want to come and remain; maintain flexible work arrangements to retain key employees; provide orientation and training to equip staff with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed.
• Foster open and respectful communication; listen and respond appropriately to staff; effectively delegate or include others in decision making and problem solving; clearly communicate decisions and rationale to all affected.
• Implement an employee development and succession planning program that will enhance individual performance and prepare staff for future responsibilities; ensure that qualified internal candidates are prepared to replace any employee who might leave.
  
  

Governance & Risk Management

• Ensure that JA OKI operates in compliance with the Junior Achievement USA Operating Agreement and all applicable requirements of federal, state, and local law.
• Work with the board chair to recruit, orient, and encourage engagement of board members and to effectively manage board meetings; help cultivate board competencies that strengthen the commitment of its members to JA OKI.
  
  

Candidate Profile

Qualifications

We are open to considering many different professional backgrounds to identify the ideal candidate to lead this dynamic organization. Within the next President & CEO we will be looking for the following leadership qualifications and attributes:

• Knowledge of education system: Depth and understanding of the education space to drive programming and participation including student based special events.
• Experience with data and technology: Driven approaches including digital fundraising and community engagement, ability to continue to evolve our operational and programmatic approach at pace with evolution of education system, classroom and experiential learning including AI, data and technology
• Inspirational leader: Executive presence, charismatic and energetic communicator. A critical thinker who has a passion for the mission.
• Ethical: Demonstrates integrity, moral character and adherence to the highest ethical standards; ensures that staff and volunteers do likewise.
• Visionary: Envisions what JA OKI can become in fulfillment of its mission; identifies how to bring that potential to fruition; anticipates and prepares for opportunities and challenges; applies creativity, imagination, and innovation to accomplishing the organization’s growth objectives.
• Organized: Sets goals, establishes priorities, and manages to them; develops action plans and schedules, monitors progress, reports performance, and evaluates results.
• Decisive: Assesses the importance, urgency, and risk of competing challenges and opportunities; thinks clearly and stays focused under pressure; identifies and addresses problems; makes decisions prudently, timely, consistently, and decisively; provides steady, unflappable leadership.
• Collaborative: Listens well; establishes and maintains constructive, cooperative, harmonious relationships with others, both inside and outside the organization; demonstrates accessibility, approachability, and adaptability, while maintaining effectiveness as a manager and leader; responds to the needs of internal and external clients.
  
  

In Addition, Strong Candidates Will Offer

• 15 years of increasing organizational management experience in nonprofit, corporate, or public sector roles
• Demonstrated experience working with board of directors
• Demonstrated experience in fundraising and/or cultivating and stewarding relationships with individual, corporate, foundation, public, or other funding partners, or transferable experience
• Passion for, strong understanding of, and commitment to educational equity, youth development, financial literacy, and/or entrepreneurship
• Working knowledge of legal requirements governing non-profit organizations, including corporate structure, employment law, and tax considerations
• Working knowledge of financials, human resources, and project management
• Strong ties to and/or working relationships with the local business community
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
  
  

Compensation & Benefits

The salary range for this position begins at $140,000 a year. Annual bonus eligibility is based on performance of the organization and individual outcomes. JA OKI offers medical, dental and group life insurance. The organization also offers a 401k plan.

Our Commitment

At JA OKI, we believe that our success is directly tied to our ability to foster an environment where all individuals have access to opportunities and can thrive. We are deeply committed to creating a workplace where inclusion and belonging are not just principles but lived experiences. This commitment drives us to attract, develop, retain, and promote a workforce that mirrors the communities we serve, bringing together a wide range of perspectives, experiences, and talents.

We embrace the unique contributions that every JA OKI employee brings to our mission and encourage individuals from all backgrounds to join our team. By welcoming various voices, we continue to expand our understanding of the world, and we actively seek to elevate representation of different individual experiences and the perspectives they shape.

We are dedicated to fostering an environment where everyone feels respected, valued, and heard - where people can be their authentic selves and know that they belong. This is how we build a workplace where every individual can succeed, and where we work together to create lasting impact for the young people and communities we serve.

Additional Information

JA OKI does not provide sponsorship for employment visas for this position. All candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for sponsorship, now or in the future.