Director of Growth & Community Development

About Pursuit Pursuit is a social impact organization building the future of economic mobility in the age of AI. For over a decade, we've created life-changing outcomes through training programs for adults from low-income backgrounds—especially those without college degrees. Our graduates have generated nearly $1 billion in lifetime wage gains. Now, as AI reshapes the future of work, Pursuit is evolving as a leader at the intersection of AI, jobs, economic opportunity, and tech innovation. We're becoming an AI-native organization: training AI-native talent, embedding AI across our operations, and building software to scale our impact. Beyond direct training, we’re driving systems change. Through initiatives like the Good Jobs Guarantee , we’re advocating for outcomes-based funding and national policy to make economic mobility possible for millions. About the Role Our programs have grown through deep community trust, strong partnerships, and operational excellence. As the AI training landscape becomes increasingly competitive, Pursuit is seeking a Director of Growth & Community Partnerships to define and lead our enrollment growth strategy. This leader will own the vision, strategy, and execution of Pursuit's community growth and enrollment function. They will build and scale the systems, partnerships, and team responsible for generating a predictable pipeline of high-quality applicants while ensuring an exceptional Builder experience. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys building organizations as much as building relationships. You'll develop long-term growth strategy, analyze funnel performance, influence executive decision-making, cultivate strategic partnerships, and leverage AI to create scalable systems that position Pursuit as the leading pathway into AI careers. You should be equally comfortable presenting to executive leaders and community partners, building dashboards that influence strategy, coaching a high-performing team, and rolling up your sleeves when needed to achieve enrollment goals. Key Responsibilities Growth Strategy & Enrollment Leadership Own Pursuit's enrollment growth strategy and be accountable for applicant volume, conversion, enrollment targets, pipeline health, and long-term growth outcomes. Develop enrollment forecasts and strategic growth plans that align with organizational objectives. Build executive dashboards that monitor performance, identify bottlenecks, and generate actionable insights for senior leadership. Design, test, and scale growth strategies across partnerships, referrals, events, outreach campaigns, marketing, and emerging channels. Partner cross-functionally with Product, Programs, Marketing, and Operations to align enrollment strategy with organizational priorities. Continuously optimize the admissions funnel to improve applicant quality, conversion, and overall experience. Community Partnerships & Ecosystem Strategy Develop and execute Pursuit's long-term community partnership strategy across New York City. Build executive-level relationships with workforce development organizations, community-based organizations, city agencies, educational institutions, employers, libraries, and mission-aligned partners. Identify new partnership opportunities that expand awareness, trust, and access to Pursuit's programs. Serve as one of Pursuit's primary external representatives, strengthening the organization's reputation across the workforce development ecosystem. Evaluate partnership performance using data and develop strategies to deepen engagement and increase measurable impact over time. AI-Native Systems & Organizational Scale Champion Pursuit's AI-native approach to enrollment, partnerships, and community engagement. Identify opportunities to leverage AI to automate workflows, improve decision-making, personalize outreach, and increase team capacity. Partner with Product and Program leadership to build AI-powered admissions and engagement tools. Build scalable operational systems that reduce manual work while improving applicant experience and organizational effectiveness. Organizational Leadership Build, lead, coach, and develop a high-performing enrollment and community partnerships function. Own the execution of Pursuit's recruitment and enrollment strategy, ensuring day-to-day activities align with long-term growth objectives and enrollment targets. Establish clear KPIs, operating rhythms, and accountability across the team. Recruit, mentor, and manage team members, contractors, volunteers, and cross-functional contributors supporting enrollment efforts. Foster a culture of experimentation, continuous improvement, collaboration, and data-informed decision-making. Step into execution when needed while maintaining ownership of the broader strategic direction. Serve as both strategist and builder—personally testing new outreach approaches, cultivating high-impact partnerships, and translating successful experiments into scalable systems. You're a Great Fit If You... Have 8+ years of progressive leadership experience in community growth, strategic partnerships, enrollment, workforce development, business development, nonprofit leadership, or a related field. Have successfully built or transformed a growth, enrollment, partnership, or community engagement function—not simply participated in one. Have owned organization-wide KPIs and consistently delivered measurable growth outcomes. Have experience leading and developing high-performing teams. Are highly analytical and comfortable translating data into strategic decisions. Have strong operational instincts and enjoy building systems that scale. Are excited by AI and actively leverage AI tools to improve team performance and organizational impact. Are an exceptional communicator who can influence executive stakeholders, community leaders, funders, and cross-functional partners. Can balance long-term strategic initiatives with near-term enrollment goals. Thrive in ambiguity and enjoy building new approaches where playbooks don't yet exist. Are passionate about expanding economic opportunity and supporting historically underserved communities. Where You’ll Work Hybrid: 3 days a week in our HQ in Long Island City and 2 days wherever you work best. Compensation $140,000–$160,000 base salary The range above is for the expectations as laid out in the job description, however we are often open to a wide variety of profiles, and recognize that the person we hire may be less experienced (or more senior) than this job description as posted. If that ends up being the case, the updated salary range will be communicated with you as a candidate. Pursuit Offers An opportunity to work at the intersection of tech and social impact, and make a direct impact on the communities of those we serve Competitive compensation including base salary, bonus, and a full benefits package 401(k) match Unlimited PTO and an all-Pursuit summer break the last week of August and a week-long holiday the last week of December Hybrid workspace: Tuesday–Thursday onsite in Long Island City, Monday and Friday work-from-anywhere policy Catered lunches once a week and delicious snacks Dedicated time to build in AI and hone your AI skills Pursuit Values Diversity Our team has a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, and we value the richness that diversity brings to our organization. We welcome new perspectives and affirm that all employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, ancestry, religion, national origin, age, familial or marital status, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local law. Pursuit is an equal opportunity employer.