Executive Director

About The Early Childhood and Family Hub of Washington Heights (The Hub)

Washington Heights is a vibrant community of families, culture, and resilience. The Hub is a new non-profit organization designed to serve this community. The planned location is in the heart of Washington Heights at 729 West 181st Street. We are creating a central place where families with young children can find everything they need to engage in a life-long trajectory of health and well-being — from a safe place to play, experience art and music to health and wellness advice, to nutrition, to job readiness training, parenting education, to connection with other caregivers and community services.

We aspire to be more than the traditional community center. The Early Childhood and Family Hub will be a unique, all-in-one community center in Washington Heights, working with community partners to offer a holistic suite of resources, referrals, and access to support for families of young children. In addition to our primary focus on direct programming and service, The Hub will work to provide the most up to date and effective programs for families, partnering with universities to study what comprehensive community-based case models can accomplish by working closely with a child’s entire ecosystem of care.

The Opportunity

The Hub is in search of an Executive Director to lead all programs and administrative functions for this unique organization. This is a role for a builder — someone who aspires to create a unique and ambitious organization through a cooperative and community-oriented approach.

You will turn a broad vision into a reality. With the help of a highly supportive board of directors, you will hire your founding team to staff, set up the first systems, sign the first contracts, engage with a strong foundation of existing community partners, and welcome the first families. You will build the "engine" of the organization so that it can run for decades to come and be responsible for bringing this mission to life and successfully funding and operating The Hub.

We believe the right leader can balance two worlds: the tactical, operational elements of leadership, as well as the more visionary elements. If this is you, you can manage a tight budget, develop excellent programs, and warmly welcome families in the morning, then present The Hub to a room of donors or community members and inspire them with a clear and compelling vision for the organization.

What You Will Do - Key Responsibilities

Build The Hub’s Foundation - People, Operations & Systems

• Establish the Founding Team: You will identify and hire the inaugural talent responsible for translating The Hub’s vision into daily practice. By carefully selecting this core group, you will ensure a culture of service, excellence and deep care is rooted in everything we do.
• Lead the Opening of the Facility: You will oversee the physical opening of the center, ensuring the space is safe, welcoming, and ready for families. You will manage the relationship with our landlord and community partners to ensure the building serves everyone well.
• Create Foundational Systems: You will design the systems we need to run — from how we pay bills to how we track family membership.
• Manage the Finances: You will build and manage the annual budget. You will ensure every dollar is spent wisely and tracked — establishing systems and controls that ensure fiscal integrity.

Champion the Community - Outreach & Culture

• Create a Welcoming and Supportive Culture: You will ensure that when a family walks in, they feel seen, heard, and helped. You will ensure the center is a place of dignity and joy.
• Establish The Hub as a Community Partner: You will be present in Washington Heights. You will build trust with local families, business owners, and community leaders. You will ensure that the voices of The Hub’s members and partners are heard and considered in decisions.

1. Fuel the Mission - Fundraising & Board Relations

• Partner with the Board: You will work with our Founding Board to set strategy. You will give them the clear, honest information they need to make good decisions and work to leverage their support and that of their networks.
• Secure the Future: You will lead the effort to find donors, grants and generally to secure revenue. The board will support these efforts, but you will drive the organization’s fundraising. You will tell the story of The Hub in a way that makes people want to support the organization and the families we serve.

Lead the Partnership - Collaboration

• Facilitation of Community Partnerships: The Hub will work with an existing network of community partners. You will co-lead collaboration, ensuring we communicate well and share resources.
• Engagement with Academic Institutions: You will work with university partners to evaluate our programs. You don't need to be a scientist, but you need to value data. You will help us prove that our model works so we can secure future funding, share our models with other communities and stakeholders, while ensuring our families are protected and respected in the process.

Who You Are - Competencies & Qualifications

• You are a Builder: You have a track record of creating programs and securing resources to sustain them — then building the systems and structures that make them last.
• You are a Leader: You know how to manage a budget, analyze a spreadsheet, and handle HR basics. You understand that "vision" requires execution.
• You are a Collaborator: You have experience managing complex partnerships. You can bring different groups together to co-design and work toward a shared goal.
• You are a Compelling Communicator: You possess excellent writing skills and public speaking skills, allowing you to create narratives that inspire donors, staff, and community members alike.
• You Form Teams: You create org charts, and most importantly, identify and hire talented folks and create the systems, structures and culture that allow them to collaborate successfully.
• You Know Program Quality and Value Impact: You have expertise in directing and evaluating community programs. You understand that we need to measure our impact and are comfortable working with researchers to track data and outcomes.
• You are Committed to Community: You have a connection to or understanding of Northern Manhattan and the realities facing families in NYC. Ideally you are bilingual in English and Spanish.

Why This Role Matters

The first 1,000 days of a child's life as well as the care and resources their families have define their future. By building The Hub, you are building a platform that will change the trajectory of thousands of children and their families in Washington Heights. You are creating a model that could be replicated across the country.

How to Apply

To embark on this unique, mission-driven opportunity and demonstrate your capacity to be The Hub's founding builder, please submit your resume and a cover letter. The cover letter should speak directly to your experience in balancing visionary leadership with tactical execution and your commitment to the Washington Heights community. Please send all materials to Jeremy Abarno at jeremy@jeremyabarnoconsulting.com using the subject line “Executive Director Application for The Hub”.

A competitive benefits package including employer-paid medical insurance, dental, vision, and a retirement plan with employer matching.

Bilingual in English and Spanish is a plus.