Reach Out and Read- Founding Executive Director, Ohio

Founding Executive Director, Ohio

Remote, Based in Ohio

About Reach Out and Read

In deep partnership with a network of clinicians, Reach Out and Read leverages the near-universal reach of the pediatric well-child visit. It uses children’s books and shared reading to support parents and caregivers in strengthening healthy relationships with their infants and young children from birth through 5 years old.

Reach Out and Read works directly with pediatric care providers to share the lifelong benefits of parents reading aloud with their children daily. And that guidance is sorely needed: Only a third (37 percent) of U.S. babies — and barely a quarter (27 percent) of those in low-income households — are read to every day.

Nurturing, language-rich interactions like shared reading give young children a foundation for success — building early language and literacy skills; teaching curiosity, patience, and empathy; and creating deep bonds between parents and their children. By integrating our evidence-based model into pediatric care and providing the tools and encouragement families need to read aloud together, we can transform pediatric care practices, foster healthy families and communities, and give children of all backgrounds and means a better start to life.

The only national pediatric literacy model endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, Reach Out and Read reaches 4.6 million children across every state in the country through 39,000 medical providers. The nonprofit recently set a strategic goal to double its impact by 2030, to serve 10 million young children — 50 percent of all U.S. children from birth to 5.

The Impact:

• Reach Out and Read program sites are located in 6,500 clinics, safety net hospitals, medical systems, and other healthcare settings in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

• Reach Out and Read serves 4.6 million children and their families annually.

• More than 7.7 million new, developmentally appropriate books are integrated into well-child visits with families annually.

• 39,000 clinicians currently participate in Reach Out and Read

• Our peer-reviewed body of evidence demonstrates that Reach Out and Read parents are two-and-a-half times more likely to read regularly to their children, and that children experiencing Reach Out and Read show enhanced language development.

To learn more about Reach Out and Read, visit www.reachoutandread.org.

The Opportunity

Reach Out and Read seeks a results-oriented, collaborative, and entrepreneurial leader to launch and oversee our work in Ohio. The Founding Executive Director will be responsible for all aspects of this state affiliate, with a primary focus on fundraising, strategic planning, fiscal management, and strengthening Reach Out and Read’s brand. As an evidence-based, highly scalable program, Reach Out and Read has the potential to significantly impact child and family outcomes across Ohio. The Executive Director will lead the charge to ensure this potential is fully realized.

The executive director oversees the implementation of public and private partnerships and systems development at the state and community levels, including programmatic, policy, advocacy, funding, and communications strategies. They are a visible local leader for Reach Out and Read Ohio and a valued strategic partner for Reach Out and Read nationally, actively cultivating partnerships and utilizing effective outcomes-based approaches to their work.

Reporting to the National Senior Director of Growth, the Executive Director creates and implements long-term strategies that encompass both current needs and future growth, providing centralized leadership with an overall goal of ensuring the sustainability of Reach Out and Read’s mission throughout Ohio. The ED will work closely with national colleagues and key Ohio affiliate staff, including program managers and regional medical directors, to manage and grow the annual budget of $3.3 million.

Your Key Responsibilities Will Include:

Leadership

• Lead the team with a strategic, outcomes-driven approach to achieve the mission and serve children, families, and communities.

• Direct and oversee team operations, including recruitment, hiring, supervision, and performance evaluation