Interim NYC Executive Director

Strive International Inc•New York, NY

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

STRIVE NYC is seeking an experienced Interim Executive Director to provide steady, hands-on leadership during a critical transition period. The role involves leading the day-to-day operations of the NYC site, setting clear expectations, strengthening collaboration, identifying and implementing solutions to improve program outcomes, and ensuring contractual commitments are met. The Interim Executive Director will report to STRIVE's President and CEO and work closely with various internal teams, external partners, and stakeholders. This is an opportunity for an accomplished interim nonprofit executive to bring structure, focus, and sound judgment to a high-impact operation, with responsibilities ranging from assessing systems and coaching staff to reviewing budgets and addressing immediate operational needs.

Requirements

Mission-driven executive who thrives in dynamic, growth-oriented environments and brings sound judgment, adaptability, and strategic problem-solving to evolving challenges.
Strong operational skills, including experience assessing staffing models, organizational structures, systems, and processes.
Skilled people leader with experience supporting senior staff, maintaining continuity through change, and fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and results.
Experience partnering with development teams, with the ability to assess fundraising approaches and help shape a development plan for programs.
Strong financial acumen, including revenue forecasting, budgeting, grant compliance, cash flow management, and long-range planning.
Proven ability to influence and build trust across complex organizations, aligning diverse stakeholders around shared goals and priorities.
Ability to distinguish immediate transition needs from longer-term decisions that should be left to the CEO and incoming permanent leader.

Nice To Haves

Workforce development experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

Provide overall executive leadership for STRIVE NYC and maintain stability, continuity, and momentum throughout the transition.
Quickly develop an understanding of STRIVE NYC’s people, programs, contracts, finances, partnerships, and operating environment.
Establish clear organizational priorities and ensure that staff understand their roles, responsibilities, decision-making authority, and performance expectations.
Identify which issues require action during the interim period and which should be reserved for the CEO or incoming permanent Executive Director.
Preserve institutional knowledge and maintain clear documentation of key decisions, systems, relationships, risks, and priorities for the permanent Executive Director.
Foster greater collaboration across programs and reinforce a shared identity as one STRIVE NYC team.
Create consistent channels for communication, coordination, and problem-solving across the Harlem and Brooklyn locations.
Supervise and support senior NYC staff and serve as a coach and thought partner to the Interim Program Director.
Establish a culture of accountability, ownership, respectful communication, and follow-through.
Recommend focused improvements to roles, reporting relationships, structure, and communication.
Support program leaders in developing their management capabilities and providing clearer direction, feedback, and supervision to staff.
Lead the development of STRIVE NYC’s FY 2027 program plans, budgets, staffing assumptions, cohort schedules, and performance goals.
Work closely with finance and program staff to monitor spending, address variances, and align resources with contractual and programmatic priorities.
Help program leaders understand their budgets and make informed decisions about underspending, overspending, restricted funds, and contract requirements.
Ensure that budget decisions reflect realistic program needs, staffing capacity, and expected revenue.
Partner closely with STRIVE’s development team to maintain momentum across institutional, corporate, individual, and public funding relationships.
Serve as a visible and credible external representative of STRIVE NYC during the leadership transition.
Ensure that the development team has timely access to accurate program information, outcome data, budgets, and participant impact stories for proposals and reports.
Provide programmatic input into funding proposals and help evaluate the feasibility and strategic alignment of prospective opportunities.