Director of Books from Birth

Description

Book Harvest—an award-winning nonprofit dedicated to providing books for every child, support for every parent, and literacy for every community—is seeking a visionary leader to direct the strategic expansion of our Books from Birth program. 

This is a full-time, exempt position based in Durham, North Carolina.

Salary and Benefits: The salary range for this position is $82,560-$100,000, commensurate with experience. Book Harvest employs an experience-based pay model with predefined salary ranges and annual opportunities for salary growth. Salaries are determined exclusively by years of relevant experience. As part of our commitment to pay equity, Book Harvest does not inquire about prior earnings nor negotiate salary offers. 

Benefits include 100% employer-sponsored, gold-level health care and short-term disability insurance, elective dental and vision insurance, 401(k) with 3% contribution, generous PTO, paid family leave, professional development funds, a flexible work schedule, a purposeful workplace culture and more.

Our Process: A resume and cover letter are required with application. The hiring process will include a phone call, multiple interviews, a work sample, and reference checks.

Priority Deadline: Sunday, February 23. Applications received after this date are not guaranteed review.

Target Start Date: Early April 2025.

We believe those who are affected most by literacy injustice must be centered in the work that we do, inside and out. We prioritize applications from individuals who have lived experiences of our programs or who come from the communities we serve, and we strongly encourage applications from candidates who identify as Black, Latinx, Indigenous or as a Person of Color; people with lived experience of poverty; LGBTQ individuals; people with disabilities; and others who may not have seen themselves reflected in books and stories as a child.

Program Overview

Book Harvest is a national organization, founded in North Carolina, dedicated to advancing childhood literacy through book ownership, the building of home libraries, and other initiatives that promote literacy by advancing early relational health and community-wide engagement.

The Books from Birth program provides a free set of ten board books for parents of a newborn to take home with them from the birthing hospital. The program is focused on partnering with birthing hospitals that provide care for all families, with a special emphasis on working with hospitals that serve majority low-income families. 

Book Harvest is currently operating Book from Birth at hospitals in North Carolina and Oregon. Upon the completion of the program’s first year, more than 4,500 families of newborns will have been provided with a Books from Birth starter home library. Our goal is to launch Books from Birth for All North Carolina, an initiative to scale the program to reach every newborn in the state, and to expand the program to new communities nationwide.

Position Overview

The Director of Books from Birth leads the strategic vision, execution, and expansion of Book Harvest's Books from Birth program, including the Books from Birth for All scaled impact initiative. This role cultivates partnerships with healthcare leaders and funders, secures sustainable funding, collaborates on program marketing and evaluation, manages the Books from Birth department, develops budgets and work plans, and forecasts future program needs through data-driven projections.

The Director of Books from Birth works out of our office at 2501 University Dr. in Durham, NC, reports to the Chief Operating Officer (COO), and works closely with the CEO, other directors and C-Suite leaders. Significant travel is required to fulfill duties. Typical work hours span Monday-Friday, plus some travel and work on evenings and weekends. While it would be ideal for the position to be located in the Durham area, where Book Harvest is located, remote candidates will be considered.

Responsibilities

The responsibilities for this position include, but are not limited to, the following activities:

Strategic Growth and Expansion (60%)

• Spearhead Book Harvest’s Books from Birth for All scaled impact initiative, driving its implementation across North Carolina and beyond.
• Forge and nurture strategic partnerships in hospitals and health systems to expand program reach, proactively identifying and pursuing opportunities.
• Elevate the Books from Birth program’s visibility at national conferences through dynamic presentations and engaging exhibits.
• Secure diverse funding streams (public, corporate, and philanthropic) to fuel program growth and sustainability.
• Craft compelling narratives to amplify the program’s impact; contribute to a robust marketing strategy.
• Deliver insightful progress briefings to the Board of Directors and key philanthropic partners, demonstrating program impact and future vision.

Program Development and Refinement (20%)

• Drive program improvement through research, evaluation, and analysis to maximize program impact and inform growth strategy insights, from both a process and outcome perspective.
• Refine, test, and enhance the Books from Birth model for consistent implementation across various hospital systems and scalability.
• Champion continuous improvement of the Books from Birth home library box prototype, collaborating with the External Relations team and fulfillment provider.
• Maintain expertise in the research basis for Books from Birth to inform program enhancements.

General Administration (20%)

• As part of a learning team, participate in regular Book Harvest staff meetings, one-on-one supervisory meetings, and departmental meetings.
• Sustained contribution to organizational diversity, equity, belonging, and inclusion (DEBI) efforts.
• Contribute to the preservation and development of institutional knowledge.
• Professional development opportunities as provided and recommended annually. 

Requirements

The ideal candidate demonstrates experience in all of the following areas. However, we recognize that talent comes from many backgrounds and experiences, we consider candidates on a case-by-case basis, and we encourage you to apply whether or not you meet all the following qualifications:

• US work authorization (required).
• 5 years of experience in strategy development and program implementation, with a proven track record of achieving measurable results.
• Proven ability to build and maintain strong relationships with diverse stakeholders, leading to successful collaborations.
• Experience in business, sales and/or fundraising, and entrepreneurship.
• Experience navigating and working effectively within healthcare and hospital settings.
• Expertise in early childhood development is a plus.
• Strong financial management skills, including budget development and oversight.
• Effective and adaptable communication and presentation skills.
• Experience leading and developing teams.
• Proficiency in data analysis and using data to inform decision making.
• A spirit of persistence and perseverance; a willingness to fail and to try again.
• A deep and resilient spirit of teamwork and collaboration.
• A proactive and results-oriented approach, with the ability to work independently and seek support when needed.
• Dedication to the mission and culture of Book Harvest.
• Cultural competence and understanding of the systemic nature of inequity. Lived experience of literacy injustice and/or direct experience with Book Harvest programs is a plus.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. Book Harvest is committed to creating an inclusive work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity, certified Family Forward employer.

Book Harvest complies with federal and state disability laws, including all applicable provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”). Book Harvest will not discriminate against any qualified employee or applicant with regard to any terms or conditions of employment because of such individual’s disability or perceived disability. Book Harvest will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities, as defined by the ADA, or another medical condition who has made 

Book Harvest aware of their limitation, provided that such accommodation does not constitute an undue hardship for Book Harvest. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact careers@bookharvest.org.

Book Harvest is committed to protecting children through its child safeguarding policies. All offers of employment at Book Harvest are contingent upon acceptable results of a thorough background check. Staff are held to high standards of child protection. 

Salary : $82,560 - $100,000