Full-Time
Executive Director
Posted on 7/17/2025
Per Scholas
1,001-5,000 employees
Nonprofit tech training and job placement
Compensation Overview
$150k - $160k/yr
Dallas, TX, USA
Hybrid
Minimum 4 in-person days per campus; 20-30% travel with 8+ campus visits per month between Dallas & Houston.
 Business & Strategy (3) |
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- 10+ years of senior leadership experience in fundraising, external affairs, or strategy, preferably in nonprofit, education, or workforce development sectors.
- Proven success managing multi-million-dollar fundraising portfolios and cultivating cross-sector partnerships.
- Experience leading multi-site operations or statewide initiatives with strong strategic planning and execution skills.
- Deep knowledge of Texas’ workforce, economic development, and philanthropic ecosystems is highly preferred.
- Strong communicator, relationship builder, and ambassador with a passion for advancing economic mobility and racial equity.
- 20-30% travel required (Totaling 8+ campus visits per month between Dallas & Houston)
- Minimum of 4 in-person days per campus (Reimbursement for travel is included)
- Fundraising Leadership – Lead regional fundraising efforts to secure $15 million annually by 2030, including philanthropic gifts, corporate sponsorships, major gifts, public funding, and grant opportunities.
- Partner with the National Development team on prospect strategy, proposal development, stewardship, and impact reporting.
- Develop a multi-year growth strategy to scale Per Scholas' impact in Texas, supported by diversified and sustainable revenue streams.
- External Engagement & Representation – Serve as the primary spokesperson for Per Scholas in Texas, strengthening brand visibility and thought leadership through public speaking, media, panels, and conferences.
- Build and steward high-impact relationships with donors, employers, policymakers, and community leaders across Dallas, Houston, and broader state networks.
- Expand and lead a board(s) composed of business, civic, and philanthropic leaders to elevate local influence and investment.
- Statewide Strategy & Policy Alignment – Lead the development of a statewide strategy, ensuring regional alignment with Per Scholas’ mission and compliance with local/state workforce policies.
- Establish partnerships with industry, workforce boards, and government entities to drive innovation and workforce equity.
- Monitor and support adherence to applicable regulations, accreditation standards, and workforce development best practices.
- Internal Leadership & Campus Oversight – Supervise and support local two Managing Campus Directors who oversee day-to-day campus operations, faculty, and learner success initiatives.
- Build a high-performing, mission-aligned leadership team that fosters accountability, inclusion, and a culture of continuous improvement.
- Partner closely with national leaders (e.g., Talent Solutions, Training, Operations) to ensure local strategies align with organizational goals.
- Performance & Accountability – Define and monitor KPIs for campus success, including learner enrollment, graduation, job attainment, funder satisfaction, and employer partnerships.
- Use data and stakeholder feedback to drive strategic improvements and ensure program effectiveness.
- Ensure financial sustainability through effective budget management and alignment with revenue growth strategies.
- Deep knowledge of Texas’ workforce, economic development, and philanthropic ecosystems is highly preferred.
Per Scholas is a nonprofit that provides tuition-free technology training and career development services to people from underserved communities. It partners with businesses to address tech talent gaps by delivering customized upskilling and reskilling programs for new entrants and existing employees, across IT, cybersecurity, software development, analytics, and more. The training typically includes interviews prep, resume coaching, and mock interviews to prepare graduates for the job market, and the organization assists with job placement by leveraging corporate partnerships. Unlike for-profit training providers, Per Scholas funds its programs through corporate sponsorships, grants, and donations, and adds value for employers by delivering job-ready graduates and tailored training. Its goal is to expand access to tech careers for diverse candidates while helping companies fill technical skills gaps with qualified hires.
Company Size
1,001-5,000
Company Stage
Grant
Total Funding
$5.4M
Headquarters
New York City, New York
Founded
1994
Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Ascendium partnership scales immersive training in AI, cybersecurity, and data center operations.
- Zero Percent Loan initiative removes living expense barriers, increasing enrollment from disadvantaged populations.
- Suburban satellite expansion reduces commute barriers and captures underserved regional markets.
What critics are saying
- Tech hiring contraction threatens 80% placement rate if major employer partners reduce entry-level roles.
- Federal grant funding cuts eliminate no-cost model, forcing tuition charges or program reductions.
- AI automation of entry-level IT support roles eliminates demand for Per Scholas graduates entirely.
What makes Per Scholas unique
- No-cost model funded by employers and grants eliminates enrollment barriers for low-income learners.
- Employer-embedded curriculum design ensures graduates possess immediately applicable skills employers demand.
- 80% placement rate within one year demonstrates superior outcomes versus traditional bootcamps.
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Benefits
Hybrid Work Options
Company News
Per Scholas announces partnership with Ascendium Education Group to advance economic mobility. March 10, 2026 Per Scholas is proud to announce a continuation of its partnership with Ascendium Education Group, a nonprofit committed to helping learners from low-income backgrounds achieve their career goals. Through this investment, Ascendium is supporting Per Scholas as Per Scholas, Inc scale its proven tech workforce training model nationwide. The partnership will expand immersive training programs, strengthen work-based learning opportunities, and help ensure long-term sustainability, enabling more learners to access high-growth careers in technology. As demand for talent accelerates in areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Cloud Computing, and Data Center operations, employers are seeking candidates with both technical proficiency and applied experience. Ascendium's support will help Per Scholas keep its curriculum aligned to evolving industry needs while deepening hands-on learning through employer-led projects, apprenticeships, and other experiential models that prepare learners to contribute from day one. "Scale requires more than resources - it requires shared belief in what is possible," said Plinio Ayala, Chief Executive Officer of Per Scholas. "Ascendium's partnership strengthens our ability to expand access to high-quality, no-cost training while maintaining the strong outcomes that define our model." With this investment, Per Scholas will increase enrollment in immersive training and Career Accelerator upskilling programs, launch new industry-aligned pathways, and continue building partnerships with employers and postsecondary institutions. The initiative also includes exploring public funding collaborations to support sustainable growth and broaden access to no-cost training. Its partnership with Ascendium reflects a shared commitment to expanding pathways into thriving tech careers and strengthening long-term economic mobility for individuals, families, and communities nationwide. About Ascendium: Ascendium Education Group(R) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization driven by the belief that learning after high school gives people the power to build better futures. Its national philanthropy focuses on increasing opportunities for learners from low-income backgrounds to achieve upward mobility through postsecondary education and workforce training. Per Scholas, Inc partner with organizations whose objectives align with its core strategies to expand opportunity, support learner success, and connect and align systems. Its grantees include postsecondary education and workforce training providers, intermediaries, researchers, and media organizations from across the U.S. To learn more, visit ascendiumphilanthropy.org. About Per Scholas: As Per Scholas celebrates 30 years of impact, Per Scholas, Inc is charting an ambitious path forward - aiming to train and upskill 25,000 technologists annually by 2030, expanding access to high-growth tech careers and fostering economic mobility nationwide. Since 1995, Per Scholas, Inc has offered no-cost tech training to more than 30,000 technologists in the most sought-after tech skills, generating over $35 billion in increased personal earnings. On average, its learners earn 3x their pre-training wage in their first role after Per Scholas. With 25 campuses and remote programs, Per Scholas, Inc partner with employers - from Fortune 500 companies to startups - to create inclusive talent pipelines in fields like Cloud, Cybersecurity, Data Engineering, IT Support, and Software Engineering. More than half of its learners hold a high school diploma as their highest educational credential. Per Scholas, Inc is building a future where successful careers in tech are accessible to everyone across urban, suburban, and rural communities, empowering individuals to unlock their potential and drive transformative economic change nationwide.
In partnership with Social Finance, Per Scholas launched an innovative Zero Percent Loan initiative, offering learners interest-free loans to help cover living costs during their training.
Residents of the Mon Valley will soon have a free tech training program right in their backyard.Per Scholas, a nonprofit organization offering free tech training, is opening a satellite campus of its downtown Pittsburgh location in Glassport Borough.Starting in July, the satellite campus will train three cohorts of 15 learners each year, offering nearby residents a better opportunity at entering the tech workforce with the overarching goal of promoting economic mobility, said Todd Derby, regional senior vice president of the Northeast for Per Scholas. It chose the Mon Valley specifically after seeing a dearth of tech training programs nearby.“Rather than ask someone to commute into our downtown campus each and every day for training, we thought, let’s bring Per Scholas to the neighborhood,” Derby told Technical.ly.The effort is a collaboration between Per Scholas, South Allegheny School District and the Richard King Mellon Foundation, which provided a $375,000 donation last fall to make it happen.The new satellite campus’ proximity to South Allegheny School District is no accident. Along with wanting to open opportunities for the whole Mon Valley community, including nearby McKeesport and Clairton, the initiative aims to create pathways for graduates of the local school district, South Allegheny Superintendent David McDonald said.“We hope it’s the first step of a game-changing pathway for our school community,” McDonald said. “We can start to impact the area of the Mon Valley with trying to give people an opportunity to reboot their career, reboot their life and get into a high occupancy work field.”Applications are now open for those interested in Per Scholas cohorts at the Pittsburgh and Mon Valley campuses. Applicants must be 18 years old or older, possess a high school diploma or equivalent education and be authorized to work in the United States.An opportunity to ‘break the cycle’ in a whole new regionPer Scholas has trained over 500 learners since it opened operations in Pittsburgh in early 2021, according to Derby.The organization started in the Bronx 30 years ago as a program to put computers in the hands of local students but later shifted to offering tech training for software engineering, cybersecurity, cloud and IT support. Now with locations across the country, Per Scholas’ programs have had over 25,000 graduates.Along with the tech training, participants also learn about professional development, like interviewing skills, LinkedIn profiles, public speaking, leadership and salary negotiations
Residents of the Mon Valley will soon have a free tech training program right in their backyard.Per Scholas, a nonprofit organization offering free tech training, is opening a satellite campus of its downtown Pittsburgh location in Glassport Borough.Starting in July, the satellite campus will train three cohorts of 15 learners each year, offering nearby residents a better opportunity at entering the tech workforce with the overarching goal of promoting economic mobility, said Todd Derby, regional senior vice president of the Northeast for Per Scholas. It chose the Mon Valley specifically after seeing a dearth of tech training programs nearby.“Rather than ask someone to commute into our downtown campus each and every day for training, we thought, let’s bring Per Scholas to the neighborhood,” Derby told Technical.ly.The effort is a collaboration between Per Scholas, South Allegheny School District and the Richard King Mellon Foundation, which provided a $375,000 donation last fall to make it happen.The new satellite campus’ proximity to South Allegheny School District is no accident. Along with wanting to open opportunities for the whole Mon Valley community, including nearby McKeesport and Clairton, the initiative aims to create pathways for graduates of the local school district, South Allegheny Superintendent David McDonald said.“We hope it’s the first step of a game-changing pathway for our school community,” McDonald said. “We can start to impact the area of the Mon Valley with trying to give people an opportunity to reboot their career, reboot their life and get into a high occupancy work field.”Applications are now open for those interested in Per Scholas cohorts at the Pittsburgh and Mon Valley campuses. Applicants must be 18 years old or older, possess a high school diploma or equivalent education and be authorized to work in the United States.An opportunity to ‘break the cycle’ in a whole new regionPer Scholas has trained over 500 learners since it opened operations in Pittsburgh in early 2021, according to Derby.The organization started in the Bronx 30 years ago as a program to put computers in the hands of local students but later shifted to offering tech training for software engineering, cybersecurity, cloud and IT support. Now with locations across the country, Per Scholas’ programs have had over 25,000 graduates.Along with the tech training, participants also learn about professional development, like interviewing skills, LinkedIn profiles, public speaking, leadership and salary negotiations
Social Finance partners with Per Scholas to offer living expense loans to learners.