Breakthrough Houston | Executive Director

BREAKTHROUGH HOUSTON 

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

POSITION DESCRIPTION
 

Our Mission: Breakthrough Houston has a unique dual mission of working with highly motivated students to achieve post-secondary success and empowering aspiring leaders to become the next generation of educational advocates.

Our Background + Our Program: Founded in 1995 with a handful of teachers and a small class of 7th graders, Breakthrough Houston makes a bold 10 year commitment to students – from middle school through college graduation. BTH comprises three fundamental programs for students: the Middle School Program, College Bound Program, and the College Completion Program, and currently serves over 800 students within Houston or at colleges nationwide. BTH provides summer and ongoing school year tuition-free programming that includes both academic college preparatory curriculum and learning opportunities, as well as extended enrichment programming and college access support. With this depth of focus we aim to promote academic success and personal growth to place our students on the path to college completion and career success.  Additionally, our Teacher Training Program identifies and supports current college students who are aspiring teachers through an innovative near peer model during our summer program. We partner these Teaching Fellows with professional educators who provide intensive instructional coaching and mentoring. We support 100+ Teaching Fellows each summer who gain 100+ hours of in-classroom teaching experience. 

Our results reflect the dedicated work of our team and the brilliance of our students and Teaching Fellows. Currently, 94% of BTH high school students enroll in a 4 year college and 87% of our initial cohort graduate from college within 6 years, far outperforming the Texas average. Additionally, 76% of our Teaching Fellows go into careers in education and 56% are teaching in classrooms.

Lead Boldly. Empower Students. Transform Futures.

Breakthrough Houston is at a powerful inflection point—and we’re looking for a visionary, strategic, and people-centered Executive Director to lead us into our next era of growth and impact. With four core programs—Middle School, Teaching Fellows, College Bound, and College Completion—we’re working to radically expand educational access and outcomes for students across Houston.

As Executive Director, you’ll guide our 20-person team, steer the vision, and build the partnerships that power our mission. You’ll drive progress across our strategic plan’s four big aims—REACH, IMPACT, SUSTAINABILITY, and EXCELLENCE—and ensure that we continue delivering bold, measurable results for students from middle school through college graduation. This is a role for a changemaker. A strategist. A fundraiser. A collaborator. A leader ready to turn vision into action at scale.
 

Your Mandate: Drive Bold Progress Across Four Big Aims

• REACH: Expand Breakthrough Houston’s footprint by growing hosted school sites, recruiting more students and Teaching Fellows, and strengthening community, college, and district partnerships.
• IMPACT: Advance student success across every milestone—academic growth in middle school, increased college enrollment, and persistence and graduation rates that consistently outperform national averages.
• SUSTAINABILITY: Diversify funding streams to support a growing $3M budget. Elevate the Breakthrough Houston brand through high-impact storytelling, community engagement, and events that galvanize support.
• EXCELLENCE: Foster a strong staff experience, drive retention, and ensure systems, processes, and resources are in place to help our team—and students—thrive.

What You’ll Lead

Organizational Strategy & Leadership

• Collaborate with the Board and leadership team to drive Breakthrough Houston’s strategic plan and long-term vision.
• Translate organizational goals into clear priorities, budgets, and data-driven decisions.
• Build and coach a high-performing, inclusive team culture where staff are empowered to lead, learn, and grow.
• Champion a workplace rooted in communication, collaboration, feedback, and continuous improvement.

Program Growth & Excellence

• Oversee the success of all four Breakthrough programs, ensuring alignment to mission, quality, and student outcomes.
• Partner with the Senior Director of Program to shape curriculum, guide delivery, and deepen external program offerings.
• Support Teaching Fellow recruitment and development, summer training, and logistics — including housing and HR coordination.
• Cultivate and steward partnerships with school districts and colleges to meet program goals and contractual commitments.
• Stay ahead of trends in education and learning to keep programming relevant and impactful.

External Engagement & Fundraising

• Be the face and voice of Breakthrough Houston—locally and nationally—representing us with donors, media, families, and community partners.
• Collaborate with the Director of External Affairs to secure at least $3M in annual funding, with a focus on individuals, foundations, and corporate supporters.
• Build strong, mission-aligned relationships with the broader Breakthrough Collaborative network and peer organizations.
• Design and lead campaigns and events that amplify our impact and broaden our base of champions.

Operations & Financial Health

• Oversee financial strategy, planning, and reporting in partnership with the Board and external accountants.
• Ensure compliance with nonprofit regulations (501(c)(3)), including HR, tax, audit, and IRS standards.
• Continually evolve operational systems to ensure effectiveness, efficiency, and scalability.

Who You Are: Skills, Mindsets & Motivators

This isn’t a checklist—it’s a compass. These skills and mindsets aren't strict requirements, but if they resonate with you, this might be the opportunity you’ve been waiting for.

You Believe Deeply in Our Mission

• You see the brilliance in every student and believe that all young people deserve the chance to earn a postsecondary degree.
• You understand the barriers students face—and you’re committed to helping them and their families navigate and own their unique path to success.
• You may share lived experiences with our students or have worked alongside similar communities—and you lead with empathy, not ego.
• You’re passionate about education, increasing college graduation rates, and preparing the next generation of brilliant thinkers and leaders.
• You champion and prioritize holistic practices —internally with staff and externally with partners and families.

Execution is Your Superpower

• You’re a builder and a doer—you see what needs to get done and make it happen.
• You create smart, collaborative systems that help teams move efficiently and continuously improve.
• You’re known for follow-through, clear communication, and being someone others can count on.
• You bring people with you. You build trust and get teams excited to drive meaningful change together.
• You use data as a tool for clarity, improvement, and impact—not just reporting.

You Lead Strategically & Thoughtfully

• You have experience leading high-performing teams and organizations through growth and change.
• You think big and execute with focus—developing strategy, setting clear goals, and removing roadblocks to progress.
• You know how to balance urgency with humanity, pushing for excellence while keeping your team energized and engaged.
• You’re a clear, authentic communicator who can tell the Breakthrough Houston story in ways that celebrate our students and move people to act.
• You’ve worn multiple hats across a nonprofit or education organization—budgeting, HR, marketing, ops—and bring the financial acumen to lead a $3M+ budget.

You Know Relationships Are Everything

• You have experience in fundraising, development, and/or partnership-building—with success in securing investments from individuals, foundations, or institutions.
• You’re comfortable working with Boards, funders, district leaders, and community partners—and you know how to build relationships rooted in trust and shared purpose.
• You’re a connector and advocate who represents your organization with confidence and care.

Location & Reporting

This role is based in Houston, Texas and reports directly to the Board of Directors.

Qualifications 

• Required: 
  • 8+ years of progressively responsible and successful leadership of a similar or larger size nonprofit and/or related entity. 
  • Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree a plus. 
• Preferred: 
  • Knowledge of the Texas education/postsecondary access landscape

The details: 

Benefits:

The compensation for this position begins at $150,000 and is commensurate with experience and expertise. We offer competitive benefits, a 401k retirement contribution, and a generous paid time-off policy. Most importantly, we offer the opportunity to work with an amazing, diverse group of kind, dedicated, and fun people!
 

To Apply:

Interested candidates should apply here. We will receive cover letters and resumes on a rolling basis but would love an indication of interest by May 20, 2025. 

Thinking Of Applying?

Research shows that some people may not apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. If you are excited about the role and see connection with what we are looking for, but don’t meet every single requirement, we’d encourage you to apply anyway.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, BTH is committed to providing employment opportunities to all individuals and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender,  sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.