Director Postsecondary Initiative 

About the Foundation

The St. Louis Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) dedicated to inspiring purposeful philanthropy that connects community and donors to build and preserve a more equitable and vibrant region, now and forever. Our focus on charitable giving to improve the region is fueled by unwavering objectivity, renowned technical discipline, and a commitment to work collaboratively with fundholders, the nonprofits they support, civic and community leaders, and other philanthropic entities.

One of the nation’s first community foundations, the St. Louis Community Foundation was founded in 1915, and today is composed of over 800 funds with total assets of over $500 million. Each fund represents a unique philanthropic purpose, the majority in partnership with an individual, family, business, or community initiative. Visit www.stlgives.org to learn more.

About the St. Louis Postsecondary Initiative

The St. Louis Postsecondary Initiative is a newly created, place-based effort designed to increase postsecondary access, persistence, and credential completion for students who are too often missed by existing systems.

St. Louis has a significant gap between the postsecondary credentials students need to access quality employment and the credentials many students can complete. Existing college access organizations and philanthropic partners do important work, but many motivated and capable students remain underserved.

These students may not qualify for merit-based scholarships, may not meet criteria for intensive intervention programs, and may lack the family experience, guidance networks, or financial cushion needed to navigate postsecondary systems. They are often students in the middle: capable, interested in what comes after high school, but not fully reached by the infrastructure that currently exists.

Launching as a pilot at one or two St. Louis region public high schools, the Initiative will provide every student in the pilot community with access to financial support, proactive advising, and sustained relational guidance through completion of a postsecondary credential. Eligible pathways may include certificate programs, associate degrees, bachelor’s degrees, vocational credentials, and other postsecondary options that lead to meaningful economic opportunity.

The Initiative is informed by national models such as the Kalamazoo Promise, Detroit Promise Path, and Hope Chicago, but is designed specifically for St. Louis. It is not a traditional scholarship program. It is not simply a scholarship program. It is a school-wide commitment intended to change expectations, build a postsecondary-going culture, connect students to existing supports, and fill gaps where current systems do not reach.

The Opportunity & Position Overview

This is a rare founding leadership opportunity to build a new Initiative at the intersection of education, philanthropy, workforce development, and economic mobility.

The Executive Director will serve as the founding leader of the St. Louis Postsecondary Initiative and will be responsible for translating the Initiative’s design into an operational, credible, and scalable program.

The Executive Director will lead planning and implementation of the pilot, support Advisory Board governance, build school and post-secondary partnerships, oversee staff, support fundraising, develop data and evaluation systems, and ensure that students receive the financial and relational support necessary to pursue and complete post-secondary credentials.

The successful candidate will bring experience in education, college access, postsecondary persistence, nonprofit leadership, philanthropy, workforce development, or a related field, along with a deep commitment to educational equity and economic mobility.

Reporting:

Reports to St. Louis Community Foundation President & CEO

Essential Functions & Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

Strategic Leadership and Program Implementation

• Lead the planning, launch, and ongoing implementation of the St. Louis Postsecondary Initiative.
• Translate the Initiative’s design into clear operating systems, timelines, roles, and accountability structures.
• Ensure that the program’s core design principles are implemented with fidelity, including universal access within the pilot school, proactive advising, financial support, and sustained guidance through postsecondary completion.
• Develop and manage the operational launch plan, including staffing, partnerships, student engagement, scholarship administration, data systems, communications, and evaluation practices.
• Oversee implementation of the Initiative’s dual-track model: intensive advising for juniors and seniors and pipeline engagement for ninth- and tenth-grade students.

School, Postsecondary, and Community Partnerships

• Build and manage strong working relationships with pilot school leadership, district officials, counselors, teachers, families, and community stakeholders.
• Develop partnerships with postsecondary institutions, including community colleges, four-year institutions, certificate programs, and vocational training providers.
• Establish relationships with college access organizations, scholarship providers, workforce partners, and community-based organizations.
• Ensure the Initiative connects students to existing resources first and fills gaps where existing systems do not reach.
• Negotiate and manage memoranda of understanding and data-sharing agreements with school, postsecondary, and community partners.

Advisory Board and Governance Support

• Serve as the primary staff partner to the Advisory Board.

Student Support and Program Quality

• Oversee the development of proactive advising, pathway planning, FAFSA completion support, scholarship navigation, partner referrals, family engagement, and persistence-support systems.
• Ensure students have access to support across the full range of postsecondary pathways, including certificates, two-year degrees, four-year degrees, technical training, and other credential programs.
• Build systems for emergency or gap-filling support when non-academic barriers threaten student persistence.
• Maintain focus on completion, not simply enrollment.

Fundraising and Funder Stewardship

• Partner with the St. Louis Community Foundation and Advisory Board to secure philanthropic support for launch, sustainability, and future expansion.
• Support development of the case for investment, grant proposals, donor communications, and funder reports.
• Maintain strong relationships with funders through clear communication, disciplined reporting, and credible progress updates.

Staff Leadership

• Hire, supervise, and support the Initiative’s initial staff team, expected to include two embedded School Advisors and a Data Coordinator.
• Establish clear roles, expectations, workflows, and accountability systems for staff.
• Build a team culture grounded in trust, urgency, student-centered practice, equity, and measurable results.
• Ensure School Advisors have the support and focus necessary to build strong relationships with students, families, and school staff.

Data, Evaluation, and Continuous Improvement

• Oversee the development of baseline data, student tracking systems, and outcome measures before program launch.
• Ensure the Initiative tracks key metrics, including student participation, FAFSA completion, applications, enrollment, persistence, scholarship use, referrals, emergency supports, and credential completion.
• Use data to inform program improvement, board decision-making, funder reporting, and future expansion.
• Ensure appropriate consent, confidentiality, and data-sharing practices are in place.

Community Engagement and Communications

• Represent the Initiative with students, families, schools, funders, post-secondary partners, community organizations, and public stakeholders.
• Communicate the Initiative’s purpose, model, and outcomes clearly and credibly.
• Help build public confidence in the pilot, including clear communication about school selection, program eligibility, student supports, and future expansion.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a builder and relationship-centered leader who can move a new Initiative from concept to execution. This person will be strategic, practical, credible, and highly organized.

The successful candidate will understand that post-secondary success depends on more than student motivation. Students need clear pathways, financial support, trusted guidance, and help navigating the barriers that often cause them to stop out before completion.

The ideal candidate will bring sound judgment, humility, urgency, and the ability to work across institutions without losing focus on students. They will respect the work already being done in St. Louis while building a program that fills gaps where current systems do not reach.

Initial Priorities

During the first 12 to 18 months, the Executive Director will be expected to:

• Finalize the operational launch plan.
• Support pilot school selection and related communications.
• Establish school, district, post-secondary, and community partner agreements.
• Hire and onboard the initial staff team.
• Build the student and family engagement strategy.
• Develop scholarship, referral, emergency support, and persistence systems.
• Establish baseline data, evaluation, and reporting infrastructure.
• Support fundraising and funder stewardship.
• Prepare the Initiative for a successful Fall 2027 launch.

 Equal Opportunity Employer

The St. Louis Community Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, disability, personal appearance, family responsibility, political affiliation, or any other status protected by applicable law, and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type and afford equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary will be negotiated based on experience, qualifications, and record of achievement. Minimum starting salary of $89,000.00 Candidate salary history will not be requested nor referenced in negotiating salary. Health, dental, and additional benefits are available.

Hours

37.5-hour work week. Office hours are 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM. The Foundation offers flexible time options for its full-time employees in good standing, after 90 days of satisfactory employment.

Commitment to Equity

The St. Louis Community Foundation strives to achieve equity in our workplace. The Community Foundation conforms to the spirit as well as to the letter of all applicable laws and regulations, valuing equity in the workplace and community. Frequently cited statistics show that women, trans, and non-binary people, as well as other structurally marginalized groups apply to jobs only if they meet 100% of the qualifications.  No one ever meets 100% of the qualifications. We look forward to your application.

To apply

Submit in confidence a cover letter and resume via email to jstomer@stlgives.org with “Postsecondary Initiative” – <your name>” in the subject line preferably by August 21, 2026.