Director: Excel Beyond the Bell San Antonio

Director of Excel Beyond the Bell San Antonio

About the role

UP Partnership brings school districts, higher education institutions, community-based organizations, government agencies, funders and other partners together around Future Ready Bexar County. Excel Beyond the Bell San Antonio (EBBSA) is a collaborative network expanding access to high-quality out-of-school-time opportunities for young people across San Antonio.

The Director leads EBBSA’s strategy, operating approach and partner alignment; strengthens youth-serving organizations; and connects the network to Future Ready Bexar County and its North Star of 70% postsecondary enrollment by 2030. This network, systems-leadership and build-and-transition role integrates EBBSA’s Advocate, Generate and Educate strategies, advances Developmental Relationships and high-quality practice, mobilizes youth investment and systems change, and builds the financial, governance and operating capacity needed for long-term sustainability.

The Director holds strategic responsibility for EBBSA’s contribution to Future Ready KPI 1.b—more young people experiencing strong Developmental Relationships with adults—and prepares the network to thrive with greater independence as UP Partnership’s backbone role evolves.

What you will be accountable for

1. Strategy, Future Ready outcomes and Developmental Relationships

• Set EBBSA’s direction, priorities, measures, milestones and accountability in alignment with Future Ready’s North Star and Voice, Healing and Access pillars.
• Lead EBBSA’s contribution to KPI 1.b and the Search Institute Developmental Relationships framework, moving partners from training to sustained organizational practice and improved youth experiences.
• Use survey results, youth perspectives and practitioner experience to identify disparities, set learning priorities and run continuous-improvement cycles.
• Represent EBBSA as an anchor partner on the Future Ready Coordinating Committee and connect youth development with K-12, postsecondary, government, philanthropy and other sectors.

2. Advocacy, Generate strategy and network governance

• Advance policy and systems support; strengthen resources, partnerships and funding; and build practitioner and organizational capacity.
• Steward the CEO Roundtable, Steering Committee and strategy committees, with clear roles, decisions, accountability, participation and onboarding.
• Build trusted relationships and shared ownership among CEOs, executive directors and network members so priorities move from conversation to coordinated action.

3. High-quality out-of-school-time and organizational capacity

• Set the strategy for expanding equitable access to high-quality out-of-school-time opportunities and address barriers to quality and participation.
• Integrate Developmental Relationships, racial equity and continuous improvement into capacity building; provide strategic leadership for Excel Academy.
• Develop professional learning, coaching and peer learning; secure expertise for organizational capacity gaps and spread effective practices across the ecosystem.

4. Youth investment and systems change

• Lead strategies to increase and align public, philanthropic and institutional investment in youth development and out-of-school-time opportunities.
• Build evidence, partnerships and shared narratives for sustained investment; mobilize partners around lawful advocacy and systems-change priorities.
• Elevate youth and provider perspectives and build relationships across government, philanthropy, business, education and community institutions.

5. Revenue, Sustainability and transition

• Develop a multi-year sustainability strategy, annual and multi-year revenue goals, and a diversified pipeline across philanthropic, public, corporate, and other sources.
• Cultivate investors and lead compelling cases for support; partner with UP staff on proposals, grant budgets, reporting and stewardship while retaining accountability for EBBSA revenue.
• With the CEO, Steering Committee and network leaders, establish transition milestones; assess organizational, governance, fiscal and operating models; and build systems, documentation and leadership capacity for continuity.
• Monitor readiness and financial, governance, operational, partnership and reputational risks while preserving EBBSA’s measurable contribution to Future Ready.

6. Evidence, Team, operations and resources

• Establish measures, learning cycles and operating rhythms; partner with UP’s Data function on EBBSA measures and products and connect evidence, lived experience and partner learning to decisions.
• Develop and manage the annual budget; make strategic staffing, contract and investment decisions; and set clear roles and accountability across contractors, consultants and partners.
• Coordinate with UP Partnership functions, resolve ambiguous strategy, funding, delivery, governance and reputation challenges, and hold accountability for EBBSA’s performance, financial health, capacity and sustainability.

Required education and experience

• Seven or more years of progressively responsible experience in youth development, out-of-school-time systems, nonprofit leadership, collective impact, community partnerships, education or a related field; bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required.
• At least three years supervising staff, leading a significant function, managing external providers or leading complex cross-organizational work.
• Demonstrated success building coalitions and leading through influence across organizations with different priorities and capacities.
• Experience with youth-serving organizations, revenue development and funder relationships, strategy implementation, capacity building, continuous improvement and evidence-informed decision-making.
• Experience engaging executives and diverse groups; strong grounding in racial equity, youth voice and positive youth development; excellent communication, facilitation, relationship-building and project-management skills.

Preferred education and experience

Experience with the Search Institute Developmental Relationships framework; out-of-school-time quality improvement; collective impact, backbone or regional partnerships; network transition, governance and shared leadership; San Antonio and Bexar County’s youth-serving ecosystem; cross-sector work spanning education, government, philanthropy or workforce; advocacy or public investment; diversified funding; continuous improvement; and/or a master’s degree in a related field.

Most critical competencies

• Strategic and systems leadership: Sets direction and connects EBBSA’s work to Future Ready outcomes while navigating the conditions required for systems change.
• Youth development and Developmental Relationships: Advances high-quality practice and moves relationship-building from training to organizational change.
• Network leadership and collective action: Builds trust, shared ownership and accountability and moves diverse partners toward decisions and measurable progress.
• Resource development and sustainability: Secures and manages resources and builds the governance and operating infrastructure needed for EBBSA’s next stage.
• Equity, evidence and organizational leadership: Uses youth perspectives and evidence to improve strategy, develops people and makes clear, accountable tradeoffs.

About UP Partnership

UP Partnership, formerly the P16Plus Council of Greater Bexar County, is a collective impact partnership that leverages data and coordinates leaders to drive equitable youth outcomes across San Antonio. For more information, visit uppartnership.org.

UP Partnership is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.