CEO

Read about Pursuit’s next stage and new CEO search

About Pursuit

Pursuit is at an inflection point. Rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), technology-driven changes, and shifts in the labor market are fundamentally transforming how people work, learn, and thrive economically. Pursuit is uniquely positioned at the forefront of this transformation. Founded over a decade ago, Pursuit has created outsized economic outcomes through job training specifically designed for low-income adults without college degrees, directly generating nearly $1 billion in lifetime wage gains. Pursuit is also deeply committed to broader systems-level change. Through initiatives like the Good Jobs Guarantee, Pursuit is advocating for industry-wide adoption of outcomes financing, aiming to pass legislation that will create a funding market to scale job training nationwide. 

As Pursuit prepares for the next stage of organizational growth, we remain deeply dedicated to our mission of economic transformation at scale. While our mission is consistent, our approach is evolving amidst a new technology inflection point. Pursuit has made the strategic decision to become fully AI-native—committing to training all participants as AI-natives, embedding an AI-native approach throughout our organization, and building software products to scale our impact.

This evolution includes transitioning thoughtfully from founder leadership to a new generation of executive leadership. The next CEO will steward Pursuit's growth, navigating the known and unknown challenges of a changing economy and positioning the organization as a national leader for economic opportunity, workforce innovation, and AI.

Pursuit operates a social enterprise model, comprising a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC). The new CEO will directly lead the 501(c)(3) entity based in Long Island City, New York, collaborating closely with the PBC to advance its shared mission by coordinating strategic impact, accessing pools of capital, and creating stakeholder incentive alignment.

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and communicate a clear, compelling vision for Pursuit’s programs, products, and services, proactively adapting to rapid technological advancements, especially AI, and shifts in the labor market.
• Ensure that strategic decisions align with Pursuit's core audience—low-income adults without college degrees, blue collar workers, and underemployed college grads—and are executable, fundable, resourceable, and impactful.
• Advance Pursuit’s systems-level initiatives, such as the Good Jobs Guarantee, positioning the organization as a thought leader shaping job training nationwide.

Fundraising & Partnerships

• Directly lead fundraising efforts to secure +$15M annually in resources from diverse sources, including philanthropic institutions, corporate partnerships, government agencies, and impact-driven investors.
• Cultivate and maintain strategic relationships with technology industry leaders, employers across sectors, startups, and governmental partners to ensure alignment with evolving labor market needs and Pursuit’s ambitious scale objectives.
• Advance the public and social sectors as strategic partners at local, city, state, and federal levels.

People & Culture

• Build and sustain an AI-native organizational culture, embedding conceptual understanding of AI across the organization and operationalizing AI-driven approaches.
• Promote a high-performance culture for the team of +30 grounded in alignment, excellence, and drive, ensuring Pursuit maintains urgency and agility, operating at a speed that matches the scale and urgency of the challenges faced ("days, not weeks").
• Continue to develop Pursuit’s secret sauce of innovation + people, enabling both staff and participants to reach their full potential through forward thinking initiatives and products.

Financial Management & Business Model

• Provide strategic vision and management of Pursuit’s business model.
• Ensure robust financial management of +$8M annual budget balancing immediate organizational needs with long-term financial sustainability.
• Effectively manage and integrate multiple forms of capital, such as philanthropy, debt, and other impact investment vehicles to sustain and scale organizational impact.

Stakeholder Stewardship

• Serve as the primary representative and advocate for Pursuit, articulating the organization’s evolving vision clearly and compellingly to a broad range of stakeholders.
• Cultivate and steward relationships with Board members, Operating Board members, and program participants, ensuring alignment and clarity of organizational purpose.
• Engage and nurture external stakeholder relationships, including funders, corporate and employer partners, government officials, volunteers, and community groups, ensuring strategic alignment and broad-based support for Pursuit’s mission.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated executive-level leadership experience in organizations recognized for innovation or impactful social change, preferably with a national or systems-level reach.
• Strong, proven track record of successfully securing significant resources across diverse funding streams including philanthropic organizations, corporate partnerships, government grants, and impact investments.
• Deep conceptual understanding of and belief in the transformative potential of artificial intelligence for workforce training, economic opportunity, and operational innovation.
• Extensive existing networks within technology and employer communities, enabling rapid relationship-building and strategic alignment.
• Demonstrated ability to operate effectively amidst ambiguity, change, and uncertainty, with proven success leading strategic organizational shifts.
• Nice to Have: 
• Experience in policy and advocacy work, particularly influencing systems-level changes or workforce-related public policy initiatives.
• Experience building, launching, and iterating products and experiences
• New York City ties

Location: 

• Hybrid office policy with Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday on site in our Long Island City HQ

Compensation:

• Competitive cash compensation package of $300,000-$350,000 annual salary with potential for incentive bonus
• Potential participation in Pursuit Public Benefit Corporation Options Pool

Pursuit offers: 

• Great culture where transparency, respect, teamwork, and kindness are valued
• Competitive compensation in base, plus bonus and a full benefits package
• 401k Match
• Unlimited PTO and an all-Pursuit summer break the last week of August and a week-long holiday the last week of December
• An opportunity to work at the intersection of tech and social impact, and make a direct impact on the communities of those we serve.

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.