Playhouse Growth Manager – National Office

Founded in 2003, GiGi's Playhouse Inc.’s mission is to change the way the world views Down syndrome through national campaigns, educational programs, and by empowering individuals with Down syndrome, their families, and the community. All programs are free and are therapeutic in nature. Each one of our programs is designed to work on specific skill development, including speech and language, literacy, socialization and fine and gross motor skills. GiGi’s Playhouse currently has 31 locations across North America and growing by several locations annually.

Job Description

The Playhouse Growth Manager is a goal-oriented, conscientious individual who is responsible for the replicable and sustainable growth of the GiGi’s Playhouse network. This includes ensuring high quality and consistency in new playhouse development, increasing the likelihood that new locations will experience long term success. Further, this role is responsible for the creation and execution of a mobile playhouse model that can be utilized to further expand the GiGi’s Playhouse mission into inner cities, rural communities, and across multiple areas in mega markets. This role will continue to foster fast growth in response to strong demand for new GiGi’s Playhouse locations. The current growth plan for GiGi’s Playhouse includes having a Playhouse or mobile unit serving every state in the US and every major US metro market by 2021. As such, the Playhouse Growth Manager is a key external face of GiGi’s Playhouse Inc. in establishing a reputation both throughout the internal playhouse network as well as the Down syndrome community nationally.

Essential Job Functions:

Identify and Qualify Candidates for New Startup Locations

  • Respond to interested startup inquiries to interview and qualify them. Proactively reach out to follow up with interested parties in key markets.
  • Review new Playhouse applications, coaching candidates through the process, inspiring them about the opportunity, and presenting qualified applicants to the leadership team.

Guide Startup Locations Through Phased Launch Process

  • Guide startups through each phase in the process, working closely with them to accelerate successful completion of all steps using the Phase 1, 2 and 3 Handbooks. Key topics include fundraising, team development, marketing communications, facility search and more.
  • Hold weekly or bi-weekly phone meetings with all startup locations, to build relationships, answer questions, hold them accountable to the current steps in the process and guide them to the best resources.
  • Complete startup-related administrative activities, including securing insurance, background checks, seeking legal support, help desk tickets, etc., consulting with other teams at the national office for guidance and expertise.
  • Ensure continuous improvement in the model for starting up new locations, including easy access to all tools and resources on shared portal and Startup Drive.

Collect Data and Monitor Progress

  • Perform monthly reporting and analytics for each startup location, including data such as donations, number of families and other constituents, Facebook posts, cash on hand, etc.
  • Ensure high quality of data in Salesforce database through regular reporting to detect any major issues.
  • Keep the national office team and Executive Board informed of startup progress and pipeline.

Coach Startup Teams Through Challenges

  • As startup teams encounter challenges, provide consultative guidance and coaching to help promptly and thoroughly resolve issues
  • Proactively address potential issues based on patterns or variances occurring monthly and/or across all startups.
  • Collect and share best practices among startup teams

Develop and Implement Mobile Playhouse Model

  • Manage and facilitate a mobile playhouse committee to fully define a new mobile Playhouse model, ensuring proper focus and execution of deliverables as well as representation across national office leadership, legal representation, program support, playhouse stakeholders and grantors
  • Execute mobile model in partnership with the above stakeholders, ensuring a sustainable, replicable model.

Skills and Competencies Needed

  • Organization and planning; plans, organizes, schedules and budgets in an efficient, productive manner. Focuses on key priorities.
  • Efficiency; able to produce significant output with minimal wasted effort.
  • Responsive and customer service oriented; attentive and timely in responding to customer needs.
  • Proactivity; acts without being told what to do. Brings new ideas to the organization.
  • Communication; excellent verbal and written communication skills and a pleasant and professional personal presence.
  • High standards; expects personal performance to be nothing short of the best.
  • Flexibility/adaptability; adjusts quickly to changing priorities and conditions. Copes effectively with complexity and change.
  • Strong team orientation; ability to work collaboratively and professionally with volunteers, colleagues, peers, board members, committee members, and representatives of other Playhouses.
  • Follow through on commitments; lives up to verbal and written agreements.
  • Openness to criticism and new ideas; often solicits feedback and reacts productively to criticism or negative feedback
  • Strategic; able to see and communicate the big picture in an inspiring way and able to see opportunities and threats through an understanding of trends and input
  • Disposition to interact directly with individuals with Down syndrome and their families.

Requirements

  • Demonstrated success in project management. Internal candidates from the GiGi’s Playhouse network strongly preferred.
  • Demonstrated strength in training and coaching individuals and teams, empowering them to elevate their levels of responsibility, span-of-control and performance.
  • Proficient in using technology as a management reporting tool; demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Office, Facebook and multimedia applications.
  • At least 5 years experience in a team management role.
  • At least 2 years experience on a non-profit board
  • Bachelor’s degree required.
  • Willingness to travel to Playhouses across North America to implement processes as needed. Expected up to 20% travel.

GiGi’s Playhouse Core Values: GiGi’s challenges all staff and volunteers to embody the following core values:

  • Enthusiasm: Bringing positive, high energy to our work
  • Best of All: Always looking to improve in all that we do. Challenge yourself every day.
  • Get It Done: Making things happen and blasting through barriers when needed; figure it out.
  • Believe: Believe in ourselves, believe in our mission, believe we can achieve all that we set out to achieve
  • Locally Concerned, Enterprise Minded: Bringing our Best of All to our local playhouse while being mindful of how our work affects the broader GiGi’s network.

Reports To: Chief Growth Officer at the GiGi’s Playhouse National Office.

Updated 01/16/17