Executive Director - HIPPY USA - Arkansas

Title:

Executive Director (ED)

Organization:

Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY)

HIPPY helps underserved families succeed by bringing books,

educational materials, and mentoring to parents of 3-5 year olds,

so that parents read to their children daily, children will be

ready for kindergarten, and parents are involved in their

children’s education.

Location: HIPPY USA national

office, Little Rock, Arkansas

Scope:

Strategic, operational, financial responsibility for HIPPY USA

Lead and oversee:

• National office staff, nationwide HIPPY field network,
  
  consultants
  

– Vision, strategic planning, growth, expansion,

adaptations

• Relationships, fund development, advocacy, marketing, PR
  


• Curriculum, assessment, research, training, accreditation
  


• Collaboration with Board
  

Reporting:

– National Program Director, Director of Operations,

and

Data Management Specialist report

directly to ED

– ED reports to Board of

Trustees

TO APPLY

Interested candidates may send a cover letter and resume by

email to the HIPPY USA Board of Trustees at

Resumes@HIPPYUSA.org.

For more information about HIPPY USA and the ED position, please

see below and visit www.hippyusa.org .

Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters

(HIPPY) USA

Mission

HIPPY partners with parents to prepare their children for

success in school.

Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) is

a home-based, early learning and parenting program for families

with children ages 3-5 years. Programs serve families from diverse

ethnic and geographic groups across the nation, particularly those

most at risk due to poverty, parents’ limited education, and social

or geographic isolation. HIPPY USA is committed to providing a

better, more promising future for children and families in

low-income communities by working to close the early learning

achievement gap.

Research shows that engaging parents in their children’s

learning closes this gap. Children who start school with a solid

early educational foundation are more likely to graduate from high

school, enroll in college, and succeed. HIPPY USA envisions a

nation where all children have the opportunity to start

kindergarten ready to learn, putting them on the path for success

in school and beyond. HIPPY is an evidence-based program that

supports parents in this critical role as their children’s first

and most important teacher. Parental empowerment in education

strengthens communities and families

Program Overview

HIPPY provides storybooks and curriculum for conversation and

activities (in English and Spanish) and peer-to-peer mentoring to

underserved families. These materials strengthen children’s

cognitive and early literacy, math, and science skills, as well as

social/emotional and physical development.

All HIPPY programs around the world follow the HIPPY model: (1)

a developmentally appropriate curriculum, (2) role-play as the

method of teaching, (3) home visitors from the community (trained

and supervised by a professional coordinator), (4) home visits and

group meetings as the delivery methods, and (5) parents reading,

teaching, and interacting with their children daily.

Home visitors are peers who share the language and culture of

the families they serve. Frequently they are parents who have

participated in the program (often working their first paid jobs).

Home visitors role play to ensure that parents understand the

lessons, and are confident about teaching their children. Parents

spend daily one-on-one time with their children, reading and

completing HIPPY activities.

As a result, HIPPY helps to close the achievement gap by

serving more than 15,000 families in almost 140 communities across

the United States.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR POSITION

DESCRIPTION

HIPPY USA seeks an Executive Director with passion for its

mission who will design and implement a plan, in collaboration with

the Board, to lead the organization through a period of substantial

growth over the next five to ten years.

The ED leads the national office of HIPPY USA in Little Rock,

Arkansas, which oversees the network of HIPPY programs and state

offices around the country. The national office ensures fidelity to

the HIPPY model and provides curriculum development, assessment,

research coordination, training services, and accreditation to

sites throughout the country. The ED will have overall strategic

and operational responsibility for HIPPY USA’s staff, programs,

budget, expansion, fundraising, and execution of its mission. She

or he will initially develop deep knowledge of the field, core

programs, operations, and strategic plans.

Early childhood home visiting, including HIPPY, has earned

national recognition for value and results. Therefore, there is

potential for a significant home visiting funding increase at state

and federal levels. HIPPY faces both unprecedented opportunities

and challenges as families’ needs for our services also mount.

The ED will be the lead spokesperson for HIPPY, increasing

visibility and financial support for the program and the

organization, advocating and promoting the role of HIPPY in

legislative and regulatory arenas, developing strategic

partnerships, and successfully cultivating new donors while

retaining previous supporters.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE PROFILE

The ideal candidate will possess the following

qualifications:

• Education
  
  • Bachelor’s degree, graduate degree preferred
    
  
  

• Experience and competencies (direct or oversight)
  
  • Vision, leadership, strategic planning, implementation, goal
    
    achievement, and accountability
    
  
  
  • Management of non-profit organization(s) — including
    
    operations, administration, budgeting, finance, governance
    
  
  
  • Passion for HIPPY’s mission
    
  
  
  • Demonstrated ability to capitalize on opportunities, set
    
    priorities, create efficiencies, and guide investment in people and
    
    systems
    
  
  
  • Broad knowledge of, and demonstrated track record in,
    
    raising
    
  
  

public and private sector funds, including from corporations,

foundations, and individual donors.

• Grant research, writing, and administration
  


• Personal ability, ease, and confidence to engage, energize,
  
  mentor, motivate, and establish relationships and partnerships
  


• Commitment to diversity and inclusion
  


• Strong interpersonal skills
  


• Personal integrity and professionalism, commitment to
  
  quality
  


• A collaborative, inclusive, and transparent management
  
  style
  


• Cultivation of and engagement with Board members
  


• Clear, concise and compelling oral and written communication
  
  skills for diverse audiences
  


• Experience with early childhood education or home visiting
  
  preferred
  


• Knowledge of research design, evaluation, and assessment tools
  
  a plus
  


• Experience with advocacy, marketing, and communications
  
  helpful
  


• Resident of Little Rock, AR or willingness to relocate
  
  there
  

HIPPY USA History and Operating

Structure

HIPPY is an international program started in Israel in 1969, now

also operating in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark,

Germany, Liberia, and New Zealand. The first HIPPY programs in the

United States started in 1984. HIPPY USA was established as an

independent non-profit organization in 1988.

• Governance:
  
  • A geographically and professionally diverse Board of
    
    Trustees
    
  
  
  • Active committees including Executive, Fund Development,
    
    Finance, Board Development
    
  
  
  • Quarterly board meetings: two conference calls and two
    
    in-person
    
  
  


• Staff
  
  • 6-7 employees
    
  
  
  • The Management Team is currently comprised of:
    
    • Interim Executive Director
      
    
    
    • Director of Operations
      
    
    
    • National Program Director
      
    
    
  
  

• Consultants
  
  • National media communication (Washington, DC)
    
  
  
  • Federal government relations/advocacy (Washington, DC)
    
  
  
  • Fund development (as needed)
    
  
  
  • Finance – CFO and accounting (Little Rock)
    
  
  

• Annual Operating Budget
  
  • Over $1 million (National Office, without local program
    
    budgets)
    
  
  
  • Funded by revenue from program fees, royalties, grants, and
    
    contributions
    
  
  

HIPPY USA is an equal opportunity employer and

its policy is to select, place, train and promote the

best-qualified individuals based upon relevant factors such as work

quality, attitude and experience. HIPPY USA
does not discriminate in matters of hiring, promotion, transfer,

disciplinary action, termination, compensation, fringe benefits or

other matters of employment on the basis of race, color, religious

creed, sex (including but not limited to discrimination on the

basis of pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions), age,

national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability,

sensory disability, military or veteran status or any other status

protected by federal, state and local laws.