In 2020 CWE launched a three-year strategic plan with the following key objectives:

• To be New England's most trusted and impactful training and technical assistance resource for women who see entrepreneurship as a means to economic empowerment,
• To be a Thought Leader in using data and case studies to increase programmatic impact as well as support the development of public policy to advance female entrepreneurs,
• To utilize organizational best practices to create long term sustainability.

Your Role as the VP of Impact

CWE is committed to being New England's most trusted and impactful resource for women entrepreneurs. For 27 years, we have provided training and technical assistance to our clients and are committed to using data and case studies to not only improve programmatic outcomes, but also to inform systemic change and policies that can better support women entrepreneurs overall.

As VP of Impact, you will lead CWE"s effort to collect and interpret qualitative and quantitative data to tell the stories of women's economic empowerment via entrepreneurship. You will build CWE's first-ever Impact Department, creating and managing a cross-functional team to not only inform internal programmatic best practices, but also inform the field at large. Your department will work in lock step with the Program Operations Department to streamline internal systems related to data collection, data quality, and impact. Externally you will represent CWE at research and advocacy conferences and thought leadership events. Reporting to CWE's President & CEO, you coordinate with each member of the Leadership Team to ensure consistent communication and understanding across the network. Your position is elemental in CWE making the leap from a regional to a national impact organization.

To be successful, you should have:

• Experience as a thoughtful practitioner. You have evaluation experience in the course of your practice and have attracted financial/resource-rich partnerships as a result
• Well-versed in the current state and practices of entrepreneurship technical assistance, economic empowerment, the nonprofit sphere, and available research
• Data-driven mindset with experience establishing programmatic monitoring & evaluation systems
• A foot in the world of data analysis and a foot in the world of communication
• Ability to see the possibility in an imperfect data picture
• Appetite for understanding difficult and confusing narratives and a solid relationship with truth and checking your own bias
• Experience building teams, large-scale projects, and/or departments from scratch
• Unending enthusiasm for building a data-driven culture amongst diverse stakeholders, starting with staff who have conflicting priorities
• Comfort in navigating various databases and platforms
• Uncanny ability to cultivate and realize rich, multi-disciplinary relationships
• Understand and well-versed in working with diverse populations
• Talented presenter and public speaker
• Ability to communicate complex concepts to a variety of audiences
• Able to see one"s own bias and receive coaching/feedback
• Master"s degree in relevant field (significant work/life experience may be considered in lieu of degrees)

All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States. CWE is unable to provide visa sponsorship.

Some evening and weekend hours may be required. We prioritize self-care and encourage staff to work with their manager to set a schedule that works for the organization, for our clients and for the employees, within a 40-hour work week.

This is a hybrid position. The role and time on the job will be conducted online and in communities throughout CWE's service area.

Key Outcomes of Success

• CWE leads in using data and case studies to increase programmatic impact for women who see entrepreneurship as a means to economic empowerment
• CWE has increased client outcomes
• CWE is changing how practitioners support women entrepreneurs
• CWE is unified internally on key activities and client support

Your responsibilities will include:
Department Development and Management

• Set the strategic vision for the launch of CWE's first Impact Department
  • Develop and oversee the plan to improve CWE's practice and inform the field
  • Set strategic research priorities for the organization
  • Build a team to operationalize the impact evaluation, data measurement, and strategic goals of the organization
• Play a key role in aligning the Impact team across all departments of CWE including communications, marketing, direct service programs, development, WBENC certification
  • Work very closely with Program Operations Department (POD) on quality data and evaluation practice
  • Oversee standardization and implementation of program evaluations for program teams
  • Work very closely with all programs to unify data systems, and both establish and monitor key tracking elements
  • Work in tandem with Development and the Strategic Partnerships Department to apply for funding from government, individuals, foundations and/or business sector partners
  • Work across the organization to meet fundraising goals to increase the resources available to support strategies and programs
  • Collaborate with the Marketing Department to develop and execute strategic communication plans and reports that demonstrate outcomes of impact work to donors, staff, supporters and the general public to increase revenue and engagement
• Oversee establishment of system, schedule, and format of regular program evaluation, annual impact survey, and stakeholder trust survey

Organization Management

• Serve as member of Leadership Team
• Participate in the budgetary process & priorities for budding department
• Closely coordinate with each member of the Leadership Team to ensure seamless communication and consistent messaging
• Establish and report on key strategic objectives & 'the state of women's entrepreneurship' for CWE Board, investors
• Adequately prepare CEO and other LT members with presentations, data points & stories, and other resources to tell the story of CWE's impact - and women's entrepreneurial impact
• Co-create and foster a culture of data enthusiasm in staff through training and engagement opportunities

Thought Leadership

• Serve as a public face and key spokesperson for CWE, representing the organization with credibility and compassion, and clearly communicating its vision and value proposition.
• Author thought leadership pieces for various publications and marketing purposes to advance equity in women's economic empowerment
• Present at conferences, public events, etc. on research findings
• Create and oversee client education and engagement campaigns
• Play leadership role in regional and national organizations with similar focus by serving on relevant boards and engaging in think tank groups
• Oversee and take a lead role in creating organizational annual impact report and public hearing sessions
• Establish pipeline for client voice to reach regional and national system changers

Partnerships

• Develop partnership protocols, prioritization syllabus, and best practices to ensure protection of CWE"s clients, data, and information sharing
• Oversee CWE's contribution to the literature through partnerships and original authorship
• Continue to deepen relationships with diverse community stakeholders (nonprofit, for profit and public sector leaders, other institutional and individual philanthropists, and public officials) to advance initiatives, partnerships and increase investments.
• Work in partnership with other nonprofit organizations, government and corporate partners to conduct community education and awareness building around key issues.
• Cultivate and sustain short- and long-term academic and corporate partnerships to facilitate research

Other

• Related duties as assigned

CWE Offers the Best-in-Class Benefits and Compensation:
The salary range for this position is $100,000 to $119,999, plus benefits including mileage reimbursement, bereavement leave, health and dental insurance (CWE contributes a percentage to health and dental cost), family leave, life insurance (CWE pays 100% of the cost), paid holidays, jury duty leave, and vacation benefits.

At CWE, we are proud to offer employees the ability to work with their managers to create a flexible schedule that suits clients, staff, and our organization. Additionally, we have implemented a flex time policy of 4 hours/week to provide employees with the additional support needed during this complicated time. This position is classified as full-time, and exempt.

COVID-19 Policies:
CWE continues to adapt to safety protocols related to COVID-19 as we understand them and as required by all state and federal agencies. For the safety of the community and our staff, we require all employees to be fully vaccinated (including booster) against COVID-19. Proof of vaccination or exemption for medical/religious reasons will be collected during the onboarding process.

The Center for Women & Enterprise celebrates diversity and equal opportunity. We are committed to intentional actions and relationships that sustainably advance the IDEAS framework: Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access, and Social Justice. These principles inform our hiring practices and our company culture. More information is available on our website.

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