Fast Facts

The Executive Director position at Per Scholas in Dallas, Texas is a senior leadership role focused on advancing the organization's mission through fundraising, external engagement, and strategic growth across Texas.

Responsibilities: The Executive Director will lead fundraising efforts to secure $15 million annually, build relationships with key stakeholders, and oversee campus operations and strategic initiatives to enhance program effectiveness and learner success.

Skills: Required skills include strategic fundraising, strong communication and relationship-building abilities, and experience in data-driven decision-making.

Qualifications: A minimum of 10 years of senior leadership experience in fundraising or strategy is preferred, with a background in nonprofit or workforce development sectors.

Location: This position is based in Dallas, Texas, requiring local residency and minimal travel (5-10%).

Compensation: $150000 - $160000 / Annually

POSITION TITLE:  Executive Director, Dallas, Texas

LOCATION: Dallas, TX (Must live in the Dallas region)

REPORTS TO: Lead Regional Senior Vice President

Position Overview

The Executive Director (ED), Texas is a senior leadership role responsible for advancing Per Scholas’ mission across Texas, overseeing campuses in Dallas and Houston that collectively serve 1,500+ adult learners annually. Based in Dallas, the ED will focus primarily on fundraising, external engagement, and strategic growth, with a goal of securing $15 million annually by 2030.

As the primary external representative for the region, the ED will cultivate relationships with donors, employers, government agencies, and community partners to drive long-term sustainability, program innovation, and job attainment opportunities. The ED will also oversee campus alignment and collaboration, working with Managing Campus Directors, National Teams and the Lead Regional Sr. Vice President to ensure excellence in training delivery, workforce impact, and learner success.

Key Responsibilities

Fundraising, External Relations & Strategic Growth (70%)

Fundraising Leadership

• Lead regional fundraising efforts to secure $15 million annually by 2030, including philanthropic gifts, corporate sponsorships, major gifts, public funding, and grant opportunities.
• Partner with the National Development team on prospect strategy, proposal development, stewardship, and impact reporting.
• Develop a multi-year growth strategy to scale Per Scholas' impact in Texas, supported by diversified and sustainable revenue streams.

External Engagement & Representation

• Serve as the primary spokesperson for Per Scholas in Texas, strengthening brand visibility and thought leadership through public speaking, media, panels, and conferences.
• Build and steward high-impact relationships with donors, employers, policymakers, and community leaders across Dallas, Houston, and broader state networks.
• Expand and lead a board(s) composed of business, civic, and philanthropic leaders to elevate local influence and investment.

Statewide Strategy & Policy Alignment

• Lead the development of a statewide strategy, ensuring regional alignment with Per Scholas’ mission and compliance with local/state workforce policies.
• Establish partnerships with industry, workforce boards, and government entities to drive innovation and workforce equity.
• Monitor and support adherence to applicable regulations, accreditation standards, and workforce development best practices.
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Internal Leadership & Campus Oversight (30%)

Team Leadership & Collaboration

• Supervise and support local two Managing Campus Directors who oversee day-to-day campus operations, faculty, and learner success initiatives.
• Build a high-performing, mission-aligned leadership team that fosters accountability, inclusion, and a culture of continuous improvement.
• Partner closely with national leaders (e.g., Talent Solutions, Training, Operations) to ensure local strategies align with organizational goals.

Performance & Accountability

• Define and monitor KPIs for campus success, including learner enrollment, graduation, job attainment, funder satisfaction, and employer partnerships.
• Use data and stakeholder feedback to drive strategic improvements and ensure program effectiveness.
• Ensure financial sustainability through effective budget management and alignment with revenue growth strategies.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of senior leadership experience in fundraising, external affairs, or strategy, preferably in nonprofit, education, or workforce development sectors.
• Proven success managing multi-million-dollar fundraising portfolios and cultivating cross-sector partnerships.
• Experience leading multi-site operations or statewide initiatives with strong strategic planning and execution skills.
• Deep knowledge of Texas’ workforce, economic development, and philanthropic ecosystems is highly preferred.
• Strong communicator, relationship builder, and ambassador with a passion for advancing economic mobility and racial equity.
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Core Competencies

• Strategic Fundraising & Business Development
• Regional Strategy & External Partnerships
• Cross-Team Leadership & Collaboration
• Performance & Data-Driven Decision-Making
• Budget Oversight & Financial Stewardship
• Public Speaking & Stakeholder Engagement
• Commitment to Equity & Workforce Inclusion
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• Per Scholas is seeking a Director of Development to become a member of the National Development Team who will focus on fundraising efforts in our Texas markets. You will hold key responsibilities in funder relations, corporate engagement, grant writing, individual giving, government grants, and organizational storytelling for a diverse local funding portfolio. The role will specialize in revenue-raising with a primary focus on the Dallas campus, in addition to our Houston campus. The role is part of a dynamic team of development professionals and will work closely with both the Managing Director in Dallas and Houston, as well as, the National Development Team to meet our revenue targets and grow our programs throughout the region.
• WHAT YOU’LL DO:
• In partnership with regional development and campus teams provide input on and implement a strategic fundraising plan/campaign to meet fundraising goals for Per Scholas Dallas and Houston campuses, including identifying and researching new funding sources: corporate, foundation, government, and individual
• Analyze program data and coordinate with local program teams and fiscal departments to gather all needed information and collateral to prepare and write accurate and compelling letters of interest, grant proposals, reports, and other materials that are responsive to donor guidelines, including assembling required documentation and budgets
• Organize and attend funder meetings and site visits, including drafting agendas, preparing learners, and taking and distributing notes
• Cultivate and steward relationships with current Advisory Board members and other stakeholders to ensure continued partnership and support, including conducting personal outreach, developing solicitation materials, and engaging them in relevant events/activities
• Prepare slide decks, one-pagers, proposals, and other collateral to support fund development
• Contribute to accurate and up-to-date development record-keeping in Salesforce and other development systems
• WHAT YOU’LL BRING TO US:
• Professional Requirements
• At least 7 years of relevant fundraising experience, ideally managing external individual and institutional donor relationships
• Some event management experience is preferred
• An understanding of government-focused fund development including direct interaction with elected officials
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent project management skills; able to prioritize, influence myriad stakeholders, and meet deadlines
• Excellent relationship management skills, capacity and willingness to reach out to donors to cultivate and steward them as the organizational representative
• Results-driven approach with a commitment to outcomes and tracking
• Ability to gather and interpret data to drive decision-making; donor prospecting experience desirable
• Experience with Microsoft Office, Salesforce and Google Apps for Business (Docs, Drive, Gmail, Calendar, etc.).
• Availability to travel 5-10%
• Familiarity with Dallas & Houston's philanthropic community is strongly preferred.
• Personal Characteristics
• You thrive in a creative, inventive, fast-paced startup environment with people who are passionate about their work and mission. 
• You are data-driven, result-oriented, and a forward-looking catalyst for social change.
• You have a collaborative and flexible work style. You’re excited to work cross-functionally with other departments and independently.
• You are an effective communicator with strong oral and written skills.
• You are tech-savvy and learn new tools quickly. 
• You are detail-oriented, with exceptional organizational and time management skills.
• You are interested in workforce development, technology, diversity, organizational growth, and scaling impact
• You stand behind our mission, believing that individuals from any community should have access to well-paying career positions, and that talent should be recognized and recruited from many diverse sources.
• #LI-Hybrid 
• For this role specifically, we are targeting a salary range of $150,000 - $160,000, where the difference in salary is typically determined by several factors, including geography in which the selected candidate resides, and alignment with qualifications and experience.
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