New Leaders- Chief Growth Officer

Chief Growth OfficerReports to: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Direct Reports: Growth & Revenue Team (Student Acquisition, Business Development, Revenue Operations)

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Chief Growth Officer (CGO) is responsible for leading revenue diversification and advancing the mission and work of New Leaders through a robust, data-driven approach to growth — including high-velocity student acquisition for pipeline programs, business-to-business (B2B) partnerships for Professional Learning Services (PLS), and launching innovative products into the K-12 market. The CGO develops, executes, and evaluates annual growth strategies to ensure sustainable, scalable expansion aligned to New Leaders' mission. The CGO serves on New Leaders' Executive Team and is responsible, along with other Executive Team members, for the planning, management, evolution, and success of New Leaders' programs and operations.
The CGO is the externally-facing commercial engine of the organization, distinct from the Chief Development Officer (CDO), who leads philanthropic fundraising and funder relationships. The CGO owns earned revenue: who pays New Leaders for the programs and services delivered. Clear lane boundaries between the CGO and CDO are essential from day one, and both roles are expected to partner closely on the organization's integrated revenue strategy. The CGO also co-owns demand generation with the Chief Communications Officer (CCO), with CGO leading campaigns and funnel strategy and CCO owning brand and creative.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIESLeadership & Strategy

• Partner with the CEO and Board to design and execute a multi-year growth roadmap that balances core student acquisition with growth verticals — Professional Learning Services and innovative K-12 products — to ensure long-term financial sustainability.
• Lead the integration of cross-functional teams to eliminate silos, ensuring that student acquisition for pipeline programs and B2B sales efforts are data-driven, scalable, and mutually reinforcing.
• Co-own the organizational Revenue Dashboard with the CEO and CDO, providing real-time visibility into the health of the diversified portfolio (tuition, fees, B2B contracts) against annual targets.
• Serve as a key spokesperson and ambassador for New Leaders, translating the organization's mission into compelling value propositions for critical external stakeholders.
• Work in close partnership with the CPO and CTO to pilot Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) for B2B partners, allowing the organization to test and refine new revenue-generating services before full-scale launch.
• Co-own revenue strategy with the CFO, ensuring growth targets are financially modeled, budgeted, and aligned to organizational sustainability goals.

Strategic Partnerships

• Build and deepen strategic partnerships with universities, school systems, nonprofits, and mission-aligned organizations to enable program delivery, enrollment growth, and thought leadership.
• Negotiate and execute cross-sector partnerships that support New Leaders' national expansion and sustainability.
• Represent New Leaders in key coalitions, events, and conferences, identifying opportunities to elevate the organization's profile and influence education and workforce policy.
• Ensure that external-facing strategies authentically elevate the voices of educators, alumni, and communities served.
• Coordinate with the CDO to ensure clear boundaries between earned revenue partnerships (CGO) and philanthropic/university relationships (CDO and CPO), avoiding duplication and maximizing organizational credibility.

New Business Development

• Identify and prioritize new markets and client prospects — with input and sign-off from the Executive Team and CEO.
• Generate leads and conduct sales calls to identify potential partnership and contract opportunities.
• Work with the CCO on inbound lead generation strategies and competitive positioning in the K-12 marketplace.
• Cultivate prospects from initial pursuit through engagement to closing — drawing in the Executive and Program Teams at key touchpoints and personally executing other relationship touchpoints.
• Work with the CFO and CEO to set pricing strategies for B2B contracts and new products.
• Create collateral making the case for proposed partnerships, benefits, and pricing (e.g., pitch decks, proposal packages, data sheets) with design and messaging support from the CCO.

Student Acquisition & Enrollment Growth

• Oversee the full student acquisition lifecycle for New Leaders' higher education and certification programs — including lead generation, nurturing, admissions coordination, and enrollment conversion.
• In collaboration with the CEO and CPO, set and manage ambitious enrollment targets across degree and certification programs, with special attention to recruiting underrepresented and adult learners.
• Develop innovative marketing and recruitment campaigns tailored to distinct learner profiles, leveraging data to improve conversion rates and ensure an inclusive pipeline.
• Partner closely with university partners, K-12 districts, and internal teams to align program positioning, messaging, and onboarding experiences.
• Manage the top-of-funnel demand generation strategy in partnership with the CCO; CGO owns campaigns and funnel execution while CCO owns brand standards and creative direction.

Revenue & Growth Operations

• Contribute to executive-level planning, cross-departmental coordination, and systems-building to ensure growth and expansion efforts are aligned with internal capabilities and infrastructure.
• Establish and track key performance indicators (KPIs) and adjust strategies as needed to achieve revenue and enrollment outcomes.
• Provide regular updates and analysis to the CEO, Executive Team, and Board on progress toward revenue targets.
• Partner with the CTO, CFO, and CPO to align reporting and impact measurement with organizational priorities.
• Co-own revenue diversification strategy with the CFO.

Demand Generation & Marketing Partnership

• Co-own demand generation with the CCO: CGO leads campaigns, funnel strategy, and conversion optimization; CCO leads brand standards, creative direction, and storytelling.
• Leverage CRM and marketing automation platforms (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) to build scalable, data-driven acquisition funnels.
• Work within the CCO's clearinghouse brand model, all external-facing growth materials must align with New Leaders' brand standards set by the CCO.
• Partner with the CCO and CPO on alumni engagement strategies that generate referrals, testimonials, and re-enrollment pathways.

Team Leadership & Culture

• Lead a high-performing growth and revenue team; establish clear goals, accountability structures, and professional growth opportunities to support team performance and retention.
• Build a culture of collaboration, continuous learning, and strategic execution across all teams, fostering shared ownership of external engagement outcomes.
• Champion equity, inclusion, and excellence in all internal and external practices.
• Report regularly to the CEO on growth performance, pipeline health, and strategic priorities; ensure growth decisions are integrated into the organization's operational cadence.

Perform other duties as assigned.

SKILLS, EXPERIENCES, AND COMPETENCIES

• Passionate belief in academic excellence for every student, aligned with New Leaders' mission and vision.
• At least 14 years of professional experience, including progressively senior leadership experience in external relations, strategic enrollment, business development, or revenue growth — preferably in education, social impact, or mission-driven environments.
• Collaborative, visionary, and execution-oriented leader with a demonstrated record of building and scaling high-performing teams in complex, mission-driven environments.
• Proven track record of growing enrollment or customer pipelines through data-driven recruitment and marketing campaigns.
• Experience securing and stewarding 7- and 8-figure contracts with B2B partners.
• Comfort with CRM and marketing automation platforms (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) and analytics tools.
• Strategic thinker and dynamic executor with strong project management skills and the ability to drive measurable outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to influence and inspire others, work across lines of difference, and lead with integrity, empathy, and vision.
• Growth mindset, entrepreneurial spirit, and bias for collaboration, creativity, and action.
• Strong interpersonal skills; ability to communicate and manage well at all levels of the organization and with staff at remote locations.
• Effective problem-solving skills and the ability to exercise sound judgment and decision-making.
• Strong collaboration and change management skills with the ability to work with multiple partners and peers across the organization to achieve project and operational results.
• High level of integrity and dependability with a strong sense of urgency and results orientation.
• Demonstrated ability to operate in a matrixed environment, co-owning revenue and demand generation strategies with peer C-suite executives (CDO, CCO, CFO, CPO).
• Experience clearly delineating earned revenue (B2B, contracts, enrollment) from philanthropic revenue and partnering across both functions to drive a diversified portfolio.
• Track record of building and managing an integrated revenue dashboard with real-time visibility into multi-stream portfolio performance.
• Bachelor's degree required.
• Ability to travel.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYMENT

New Leaders is an equal opportunity employer. New Leaders evaluates applicants for employment on the basis of qualifications, merit and work-related criteria and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national or ethnic origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, mental or physical disability, handicap, pregnancy, childbirth, medical condition, marital or familial status, family responsibilities, veteran status, personal appearance, political affiliation, matriculation, or any other characteristic protected by law in administration and operation of its Programs and activities, including admission or access thereto, or treatment or employment therein. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment regardless of such status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of such status.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging

Nonprofit HR is committed to fostering and maintaining a work environment where diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are fully integrated into everything we do for the benefit of our employees and the clients that we serve. To fully realize our goal, we prioritize our understanding of the complexities of DEI within our workforce to inform our approach to talent management. We believe that this guides how we do our work, advise our clients to operationalize DEI and position our content and educational opportunities help strengthen the talent management capacity of the social impact sector.

Continue reading our about our commitment at nonprofithr.com/deinow.