Reach Out and Read- Founding Executive Director, Ohio

Founding Executive Director, Pennsylvania

Remote, Based in Pennsylvania

About Reach Out and Read

In deep partnership with a network of clinicians, Reach Out and Read leverages the near-universal reach of the pediatric well-child visit. It uses children’s books and shared reading to support parents and caregivers in strengthening healthy relationships with their infants and young children from birth through 5 years old.

Reach Out and Read works directly with pediatric care providers to share the lifelong benefits of parents reading aloud with their children daily. And that guidance is sorely needed: Only a third (37 percent) of U.S. babies — and barely a quarter (27 percent) of those in low-income households — are read to every day.

Nurturing, language-rich interactions like shared reading give young children a foundation for success — building early language and literacy skills; teaching curiosity, patience, and empathy; and creating deep bonds between parents and their children. By integrating our evidence-based model into pediatric care and providing the tools and encouragement families need to read aloud together, we can transform pediatric care practices, foster healthy families and communities, and give children of all backgrounds and means a better start to life.

The only national pediatric literacy model endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, Reach Out and Read reaches 4.6 million children across every state in the country through 39,000 medical providers. The nonprofit recently set a strategic goal to double its impact by 2030, to serve 10 million young children — 50 percent of all U.S. children from birth to 5.

The Impact:

• Reach Out and Read program sites are located in 6,500 clinics, safety net hospitals, medical systems, and other healthcare settings in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

  
  

• Reach Out and Read serves 4.6 million children and their families annually.

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  More than 7.7 million new, developmentally appropriate books are integrated into well-child visits with families annually.

  
  

• 39,000 clinicians currently participate in Reach Out and Read

• Our peer-reviewed body of evidence demonstrates that Reach Out and Read parents are two-and-a-half times more likely to read regularly to their children, and that children experiencing Reach Out and Read show enhanced language development.

  
  

To learn more about Reach Out and Read, visit www.reachoutandread.org.

The Opportunity

Reach Out and Read seeks a results-oriented, collaborative, and entrepreneurial leader to launch and oversee our work in Ohio. The Founding Executive Director will be responsible for all aspects of this state affiliate, with a primary focus on fundraising, strategic planning, fiscal management, and strengthening Reach Out and Read’s brand. As an evidence-based, highly scalable program, Reach Out and Read has the potential to significantly impact child and family outcomes across Ohio. The Executive Director will lead the charge to ensure this potential is fully realized.

The executive director oversees the implementation of public and private partnerships and systems development at the state and community levels, including programmatic, policy, advocacy, funding, and communications strategies. They are a visible local leader for Reach Out and Read Ohio and a valued strategic partner for Reach Out and Read nationally, actively cultivating partnerships and utilizing effective outcomes-based approaches to their work.

Reporting to the National Senior Director of Growth, the Executive Director creates and implements long-term strategies that encompass both current needs and future growth, providing centralized leadership with an overall goal of ensuring the sustainability of Reach Out and Read’s mission throughout Ohio. The ED will work closely with national colleagues and key Ohio affiliate staff, including program managers and regional medical directors, to manage and grow the annual budget of $3.3 million.

Your Key Responsibilities Will Include:

Leadership

• Lead the team with a strategic, outcomes-driven approach to achieve the mission and serve children, families, and communities.

  
  

• Direct and oversee team operations, including recruitment, hiring, supervision, and performance evaluation.

• Maintain an organizational climate that attracts, retains, and motivates a quality, diverse staff.

  
  

• Support the professional development of the Ohio team, fostering cohesion and teamwork.

• Serve as the primary spokesperson for Reach Out and Read, representing the organization to agencies, stakeholders, and the public.

  
  

• Collaborate closely with the Medical Director to ensure strong partnerships with clinicians and the medical community.

Fundraising

• Lead all fundraising efforts, securing support from foundations, corporations, governments, and individuals.

• Cultivate understanding within the organization that philanthropy is critical to the mission.

  
  

• Set and achieve assertive development goals by identifying opportunities for long-term sustainability and growth within Ohio.

• Procure state and local government funding and represent Reach Out and Read to elected officials and stakeholders.

  
  

Strategy

• Develop and implement strategic goals for long-term sustainability and growth within Ohio.

  
  

• Engage and grow an Advisory Board of committed individuals to support and expand Reach Out and Read services.

• Collaborate with the National Director of Programs to set priorities for site support and program growth.

  
  

• Partner with Program Managers to strategize and implement continuous quality improvement systems.

State and Local Advocacy

• Work to procure funding from state and local governments through their annual budgets and initiatives.

• Represent Reach Out and Read to elected officials and their staff, members of the Administration, and other stakeholders in demonstrating Reach Out and Read’s effectiveness in early childhood development and pediatric primary care.

  
  

• Stay informed of the legislative budgeting process and Reach Out and Read’s status within it.

• Assess other opportunities within state and local governments to ensure Reach Out and Read is integrated into early childhood and/or pediatric primary care efforts.

  
  

Operations and Finance

• Administer the annual budget and manage monthly finances, partnering with the national finance team for fiscal planning.

  
  

• Oversee the allocation of books to program sites, balancing program needs and grant funding.

• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, maintaining official records and documents.

  
  

• Collaborate with the national team on communications and media strategies to support public relations initiatives.

Qualifications and Experience:

There are innumerable ways to learn, grow and excel professionally. We respect this when we review applications and take a broad look at the experience of each applicant. We want to get to know you and the unique strengths you will bring to the work. We’ll honor your lived and professional experience as key aspects of your candidacy for the role and prioritize applicants with experience dismantling the structural inequities that disproportionately impact children and families with traditionally marginalized identities. We are most likely to be interested in your candidacy if you can demonstrate the majority of the qualifications and experiences listed below:

• Commitment to increasing equity in opportunity and outcomes for children and to recognizing factors known to significantly impact differential outcomes for children, including race, ethnicity, language, and socio-economic status

  
  

• 10+ years of progressive leadership and management skills, including excellent organization, project management, and time-management skills, with attention to detail and follow-through

• Strong interpersonal and public communications skills, including effective public speaking experience and excellent writing ability

  
  

• Self-motivated and inspirational problem solver with demonstrated ability to coach, manage, and develop high-performing, diverse teams to achieve strategic objectives

• Proven fundraising experience with demonstrated success at donor cultivation and stewardship, and grants procurement and management

  
  

• Demonstrated success cultivating and sustaining partnerships and collaborative relationships among diverse organizations and groups at the statewide or community level. Experience with advocacy, political strategy, relevant public policy, and systems efforts

• Background in, or familiarity with, early childhood development or pediatrics a plus, as is experience working in or with community health centers and/or physicians

  
  

Position Specifications:

Full-time (40 hours), remote working, exempt position located in Ohio. Regular travel, up to 25% time throughout Ohio, and attendance at one to two national annual meetings is required. Some overnight travel will be necessary to accommodate meetings.

Compensation, Benefits

The salary range for this position is $140,000-$150,000 per year. Reach Out and Read offers a robust benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k) retirement plan with match, paid time off, and more.

Commitment to Diversity

Reach Out and Read is committed to building an organization that embraces diversity, pursues equity, and fosters an environment of inclusion. Reach Out and Read sits at the intersection of health and education, uniquely positioned to play a critical role in addressing systemic disparities and inequities in the public health framework. Reach Out and Read strives to be an antiracist organization, using its influence to fight against social injustice by supporting a culture of learning, empowerment, equity, and a deep appreciation for the unique experiences that we each bring to our communities. We believe that changing the world begins with holding ourselves and our workplace to that same standard.

Reach Out and Read is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Reach Out and Read is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, cultural heritage, ancestry, political belief, age, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability or veteran status. Reach Out and Read is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and we are committed to making special accommodations for your interview or work as a member of our team. If specific accommodations are needed, please email HR @ reachoutandread.org and our HR team will work to accommodate your needs.