EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, LA

Bottom Line; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Bottom Line in Los Angeles seeks an Executive Director to launch and lead the regional presence, building partnerships, hiring a founding team, and securing philanthropic support to scale impact. The role requires strategic vision, fundraising prowess, and deep knowledge of LA’s education landscape.

The Executive Director will report to the Chief Regional Officer, drive regional strategy, and serve as the external face of Bottom Line in Los Angeles, delivering bold results for students,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and legal work authorization.
• Proven track record of leading a high-performing organization, especially during periods of growth.
• Deep knowledge of the Los Angeles education landscape and local ecosystem.
• Demonstrated ability to raise funds and generate revenue for a nonprofit.
• Experience building relationships with diverse stakeholders across schools, donors, and community partners.
• Experience operating in a matrixed nonprofit organization and coordinating multiple programs.
• Proficiency in managing business and financial operations and driving results.
• Commitment to Bottom Line’s mission, values, and core competencies.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership to establish and execute a growth plan for Los Angeles aligned with national goals.
• Lead fundraising efforts and develop a local donor and partner portfolio to meet regional objectives.
• Ensure program outcomes, staff development, and accountability across the LA region.
• Foster an inclusive, mission-driven culture and advocate for anti-racist, multi-cultural practices across the organization.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Fundraising / revenue generation

Stakeholder relationships

Nonprofit leadership

Financial operations

Education landscape (LA)

Execution mindset

Talent development

Education

Bachelor’s degree and legal work authorization

Job description

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, LA

Full Time

Executive Director

Los Angeles Office

Salary Range: $180,000.00 To $200,000.00 Annually

Organization

For nearly three decades, Bottom Line has worked to help youth get into college, graduate, and go far. Especially for youth from low‑income families and potential first‑gen‑to‑college youth—many of whom face systemic barriers to achieving their full potential—Bottom Line’s advisors have been relentless allies who partner with them to find the right college, persist to a degree, and successfully launch a career.

In 2026 and with the goal of combining our complementary strengths of proven impact and scale, Bottom Line and Get Schooled merged. As one organization we now have a new north star: by 2030 Bottom Line will become America’s most impactful and scaled college access, success, and early career organization, with bachelor's degree attainment as our primary goal for youth. And although we primarily focus on youth from low‑income families, by impact and scale we mean every student in America—through digital and/or in‑person engagement—can access RCT‑proven, best‑in‑class college access, success, and early career content, tools, and advising support.

In our regions, we work via relationships with students, partners, and donors. Bottom Line's advisors serve as steadfast allies, guiding them through college selection, supporting them through their degree pursuits, and facilitating successful career launches. On average, graduates of Bottom Line achieve nearly double the income of their family in their initial post‑college employment, a testament to the organization’s profound impact that extends beyond individuals to families and entire communities.

When you join Bottom Line, you’ll find a rewarding, fast‑paced, exceptional results‑oriented environment. We build authentic relationships with our students and each other, and are both kind and humble in our efforts. We take our work seriously, maintain a sense of urgency, and we know that a focus on data, metrics, and continuous learning is integral to our continued success.

At Bottom Line, we also have a strong commitment to creating an inclusive, welcoming, mission‑focused environment. We aim to attract qualified candidates who hold these same values, and help us further recognize and celebrate each of our unique qualities and life experiences. Bottom Line offers a comprehensive benefits package.

Opportunity for Impact

The Founding Executive Director role is an exciting opportunity for a leader interested in having a transformative impact on Bottom Line’s launch in Los Angeles. Reporting directly to the Chief Regional Officer, the Executive Director will build the regional presence from the ground up, establishing an office, hiring and developing a team, forging partnerships across the education ecosystem, and raising the philanthropic capital required to sustain and scale the work. This leader will have a collaborative and relational mindset that allows them to be equally comfortable being the local face of Bottom Line and engaging with a wide variety of stakeholders, including students, staff, donors, and the external community. The Executive Director is also a member of Bottom Line’s Senior Leadership Team, which sets overall organizational strategy, representing the needs of the Los Angeles area and developing and driving the strategy to implement work regionally while holding a leadership lens of what’s needed across the full organization. This is an ideal opportunity for a proven leader and fundraiser who is motivated to deliver incredible outcomes for students in Los Angeles.

Role & Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership:

• In partnership with Bottom Line leadership, establish a clear and strategic growth plan for Los Angeles aligned to national goals and program model.
• Translate vision into actionable milestones, particularly around student recruitment, program delivery, and fundraising.
• Work closely with the national program team to apply Bottom Line’s model to Los Angeles’s local context with the highest level of fidelity.
• Collaborate with the Chief Regional Officer and Regional Advisory Board to formulate the annual budget and craft a 3-year operational blueprint, aligning resources with the region's mission and enduring objectives.
• Build and maintain strong relationships across Bottom Line’s matrixed national organization, serving as an effective collaborator and advocate for Los Angeles.

Fundraising & External Engagement:

• Spearhead fundraising efforts and act as the primary advocate for Bottom Los Angeles, crafting and implementing a fundraising plan to meet both short‑term and long‑term regional objectives.
• Build a robust portfolio of local funders, with emphasis on cultivating and closing relationships with individuals, foundations, and corporations.
• Elevate Bottom Line’s visibility in Los Angeles, positioning the organization as a leading voice in college access and persistence.
• Establish, develop, and engage a Regional Advisory Board that will support fundraising and partnership efforts.
• Serve as the face of Bottom Line Los Angeles, spending the majority of time externally in meetings with donors, community leaders, education partners, corporate partners, and other key stakeholders to build relationships and advance the organization’s mission.

Program Accountability:

• Hire, develop, and retain a diverse founding team, including program, development, and operations staff.
• Ensure program outcomes are met, including student recruitment, advisor caseload management, and student success milestones.
• Provide strong leadership for a team of early‑career advisors, fostering professional growth, accountability, and alignment to program goals.

People & Culture:

• Build a positive, inclusive, and mission‑driven culture that inspires staff to achieve ambitious outcomes.
• Ensure staff retention and engagement, particularly during the formative years of the region.
• Advocate for and bolster the organization’s foundational principles, policies, and dedication to racial equity, actively steering the organization towards a more anti‑racist and multicultural stance.

Professional Qualifications

• Possession of a Bachelor’s degree and legal work authorization.
• Proven track record of effectively leading and overseeing a high‑performing organization, business unit, or team, particularly during periods of rapid growth and transition.
• Deep knowledge of the Los Angeles education landscape, including K–12 school systems, higher education institutions, and the college access ecosystem.
• Deep dedication to partnering with underserved students, guiding them towards suitable college options and supporting their journey to a successful career launch.
• Demonstrated capability in formulating strategic direction amidst uncertainty and driving substantial organizational expansion.
• Execution‑oriented mindset; unafraid of new challenges and eager to dive in and chart the path forward in the face of challenges and ambiguity
• Established history of initiating, nurturing, and managing relationships with key stakeholders, including staff, corporations, foundations, high schools, and higher education institutions.
• Experience in revenue generation through personalized fundraising efforts.
• Experience operating in a matrixed organization or multi‑site nonprofit environment preferred.
• Proficiency in managing business and financial operations, as well as adept utilization of technological tools essential for organizational success.
• Firm commitment to Bottom Line’s mission, vision, and fundamental principles.
• Proficiency in Bottom Line's seven core competencies: Relationships, Results, Communication, Inclusiveness, Talent Development, Agility, and Planning.

Personal Characteristics

All employees are expected to demonstrate continued growth within our seven core competencies. Competencies provide Bottom Line with a way to define, in behavioral terms, what it is that people need to do to produce the results that the organization desires, in a way that is in keeping with its culture.

Bottom Line defines a competency as a cluster of related knowledge, skills, and attitudes that affects a major part of one’s job that correlates with performance on the job, that can be measured against well‑accepted standards, and that can be improved via training and development.

• Relationships: Identifies opportunities and takes action to build and maintain meaningful and collaborative connections with various stakeholders.
• Results: Produces quality outcomes; compiles and analyzes data to drive future plans; uses creative solutions.
• Communication: Effectively articulates information in a clear, concise, and timely manner to a wide range of stakeholders.
• Inclusiveness: Creates and maintains an environment that respects and values the identities and cultures of all colleagues and students we serve.
• Talent Development: Actively contributes to the hiring, development, retention, and promotion of a highly effective team.
• Agility: Demonstrates adaptability and openness to shifting priorities, needs of stakeholders, and organizational changes.
• Planning: Effectively and efficiently uses resources (people, time, materials, technology) in order to create, meet, and assess both strategic and task‑oriented goals.