Gilder Search Group
Catalyzing Neighborhood-Based Youth Development and Reinvestment
Gilder Search Group, Atlanta, Georgia, United States, 30383
Catalyzing Neighborhood-Based Youth Development and Reinvestment
FUSE -Atlanta, GA, United States
The City of Atlanta is working to make Atlanta the best place to raise a child by expanding equitable access to early education, safe spaces, and career pathways for youth in historically underinvested neighborhoods. The FUSE Executive Fellow will catalyze systems change across the city’s youth development initiatives through place-based partnerships to align programs under a unified strategy. Ultimately, this work will accelerate outcomes for youth and families in historically underinvested neighborhoods, reduce disparities, improve safety and opportunity, and ensure that every young person can thrive in a stronger, more connected Atlanta. Fellowship Dates: April 27, 2026 – April 23, 2027 Salary:
Executive Fellows are FUSE employees and receive an annual base salary of $95,000. Fellows can also access various health, dental, and vision insurance benefits. Compensation for this year of public service is not intended to represent market-rate compensation for the experienced professionals in our program. ABOUT THE FUSE EXECUTIVE FELLOWSHIP FUSE is a national nonprofit working to expand social and economic opportunities, particularly for communities that have been limited by a history of systemic and institutionalized racism. FUSE partners with local governments and communities to more effectively address pressing challenges by placing experienced professionals within city and county agencies. These FUSE Executive Fellows lead strategic projects designed to advance racial equity and accelerate systems change. Since 2012, FUSE has led over 250 projects in 40 governments across 20 states, impacting the lives of 25 million people. When designing each fellowship project, FUSE works closely with government partners and local stakeholders to define a scope of work that will achieve substantive progress toward regional priorities. FUSE then conducts an individualized search for each project to ensure that the selected candidate has at least 15 years of professional experience, the required competencies for the role, and deep connections to the communities being served. They are data-driven and results-oriented and able to effectively manage complex projects by developing actionable roadmaps and monitoring progress to completion. Executive Fellows are hired as FUSE employees and embedded in government agencies for at least one year of full-time work. Throughout their fellowships, they receive training, coaching, and professional support from FUSE to help achieve their project goals. FUSE Executive Fellows bring diverse perspectives and new approaches to their projects. They build strong relationships with diverse arrays of stakeholders, foster alignment within. PROJECT CONTEXT City-wide youth development strategies are essential to advancing accessibility, improving community safety, and expanding opportunity for children and young adults. These strategies ensure that all young people, regardless of race, income, or zip code, have access to high-quality education, safe spaces, and meaningful pathways to careers. Prioritizing underserved communities and addressing longstanding challenges with youth development efforts can strengthen families, reduce violence, and help create the conditions for lifelong success. When cities invest in coordinated early learning, enrichment, and workforce programs, they not only improve individual outcomes but also build healthier, more resilient neighborhoods and a stronger civic fabric. In Atlanta, Georgia, opportunities and resources for children and youth have not been evenly distributed across all neighborhoods, resulting in differing outcomes in education, childcare access, and safety. Historically underserved neighborhoods have experienced fewer investments in youth programs and career pathways, limiting the support available to help young people thrive. To build a stronger foundation for all of Atlanta’s youth, Mayor Andre Dickens has made youth development a central pillar of his administration’s agenda. Through the Year of the Youth initiative and a citywide vision to make Atlanta the best place to raise a child, the Mayor’s Office of Youth Development and Education Policy leads four interconnected focus areas: early education, safe spaces (built environment and grants), safe spaces programming, and career pathways. These efforts align with the city’s Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative, a $5 billion public-private collaboration to revitalize seven historically underfunded neighborhoods, including Grove Park, English Avenue, and Mechanicsville, by expanding education, safety, housing, and workforce opportunities. The Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative provides a strategic framework that extends beyond the current administration, ensuring long-term relevance and institutional support for sustained progress. Atlanta will partner with FUSE to provide high-level project management and strategic support across Atlanta’s four youth development verticals, with a concentrated focus on neighborhoods within the Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative to execute the Mayor’s vision of making Atlanta the best place to raise a child. The FUSE Executive Fellow will: conduct a landscape analysis and stakeholder listening tour to map programs and partnerships with deep community presence in Grove Park, FCS Communities, and other partner neighborhoods; develop a strategic framework to align initiatives under the Mayor’s vision; streamline grant and program management processes; facilitate youth-led design and engagement processes; and bridge collaboration between city departments, place-based community foundations, nonprofits, and corporate partners. Ultimately, this partnership will accelerate the city’s progress toward a comprehensive, data-driven youth development ecosystem that empowers every child and young adult to learn, grow, and thrive in a safer, stronger Atlanta. PROJECT SUMMARY Beginning in Spring 2026, the FUSE Executive Fellow will work with the City of Atlanta’s Mayor’s Office of Youth Development and Education Policy and place-based community partners to strengthen and coordinate youth development initiatives across four key verticals: early education, safe spaces (built environment and grants), safe spaces programming, and career pathways, with concentrated focus on neighborhoods within the Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative. The fellow will coordinate structured dialogue between departments and organizations, provide high-level project management, and strategic support to help execute Mayor Andre Dickens’ vision of making Atlanta the best place to raise a child, advancing access to resources, safety, and opportunity for all youth from birth through age 24. The fellow will begin by conducting a comprehensive listening tour with stakeholders such as the Mayor’s Office of Youth Development and Education Policy, the Mayor’s Office of Policy, Atlanta Public Schools, the Department of Community Development, workforce and higher education partners, place-based community foundations, local nonprofits, youth from partner communities, and corporate funders. The fellow will balance policy work at City Hall with regular community presence, arranging field visits and listening sessions to ensure that strategy reflects on-the-ground needs and lived experiences in historically underinvested neighborhoods. This process will capture insights into how programs currently operate, where coordination challenges exist, and how resources flow across departments and organizations. The fellow will also conduct a landscape analysis to assess how existing programs such as the Safe Spaces grants, early education renovations, and summer youth employment efforts connect to broader initiatives like the $5 billion Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative. This analysis will include examining successful models such as Harlem Children’s Zone's financial literacy and wealth-building programs, and Purpose Built Communities' youth-led design initiatives (e.g., Delaware's youth-designed "Warehouse" project) to inform Atlanta's approach. The fellow will research best practices from other U.S. cities with comprehensive youth development systems to identify strategies for improving cross-sector collaboration, resource alignment, and data tracking. The fellow will then develop specific project goals and deliverables that will be reviewed and approved by the Mayor’s Office before the next phase of work begins. Using the collected insights, the fellow will design and implement strategies to streamline program coordination and strengthen accountability across Atlanta’s youth development ecosystem, with particular focus on strengthening collaboration between the City and community foundations in Grove Park, East Lake, and FCS communities, emphasizing neighborhood-scale solutions. This work will include mapping the city’s full network of youth-serving programs and partnerships, developing frameworks for cross-sector collaboration, and identifying shared outcomes and performance measures that reflect the Mayor’s priorities. The fellow will help develop standardized grant and program management processes that improve efficiency, transparency, and impact tracking. Additionally, the fellow will convene city departments, nonprofit organizations, funders, and corporate partners to align initiatives, clarify roles, and promote consistent messaging under the “Best Place to Raise a Child” vision. The fellow will collaborate with partners to strengthen youth workforce pathways, ensuring access to paid opportunities and integrating financial literacy and wealth-building education into youth engagement programs, recognizing that many young people contribute directly to household income and cannot participate in unpaid programs. The fellow will facilitate communication and collaboration among stakeholders to help create an integrated system that links early learning, youth safety, and workforce readiness into a cohesive citywide framework. The fellow will produce a comprehensive coordination and implementation strategy document that enhances the city’s capacity to manage and evaluate its youth development initiatives. This will include a citywide map of programs and partnerships, a strategic framework to guide ongoing alignment across departments, a standardized grant and performance management system, and a set of actionable recommendations for sustaining collaboration and measuring success. The fellow will design a sustainability plan that ensures the fellowship’s initiatives are institutionalized beyond the current administration, with clear ownership and resourcing strategies identified by Spring 2027. This includes developing a defined offboarding ramp or succession plan that clarifies whether the city, philanthropy, or another entity will maintain the work, ensuring continuity through changes in city leadership. Ultimately, this work will enable Atlanta to operationalize its vision for comprehensive youth development, thereby increasing opportunity, strengthening neighborhoods, and ensuring every young person can thrive in a safer, more connected city. PROJECT DELIVERABLES By Spring 2027, the Executive Fellow will have produced the following: Developed a Strategic Coordination and Implementation Plan – Worked with city departments, place-based community foundations (Grove Park, East Lake, FCS), nonprofit partners, youth advisors, and corporate stakeholders to design a comprehensive plan aligning Atlanta’s four youth development verticals within the Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative framework under the Mayor’s “Best Place to Raise a Child” vision, ensuring coordinated delivery of programs and measurable outcomes across agencies. Built Cross-Sector Partnerships and Engagement Structures – Established collaborative working groups and engagement mechanisms to strengthen alignment among city agencies, place-based community foundations, community organizations, funders, and private-sector partners, fostering shared ownership and accountability. Strengthened Youth Economic Pathways – Developed and piloted strategies to expand paid youth employment opportunities and integrated financial literacy and wealth-building education into career pathway programs, ensuring young people gain both job skills and financial health knowledge that supports long-term economic mobility. Designed a Standardized Grant and Program Management System – Created and piloted consistent processes and tools for managing city-funded youth development programs and community foundation partnerships, improving efficiency, transparency, and performance tracking across departments. Produced a Neighborhood-Focused Youth Development Ecosystem Map – Compiled a comprehensive mapping of programs, partnerships, and funding sources that will serve as a centralized resource to inform strategy, identify service gaps, and guide future investments. Developed a Sustainability and Institutionalization Framework – Outlined recommendations for staffing, governance, and funding to ensure the long‑term success and operationalization of Atlanta’s coordinated youth development strategy. KEY STAKEHOLDERS Executive Sponsor –
Kenui Mitchell, Program Director, Youth Development and Education Policy Project Supervisor –
Janean Lewis,Senior Adviser to the Mayor for Youth Development and Education Policy QUALIFICATIONS Synthesizes complex information into clear and concise recommendations and action‑oriented implementation plans. Develops and effectively implements both strategic and operational project management plans. Generates innovative, data‑driven, and result‑oriented solutions to complex challenges. Respond quickly to changing ideas, responsibilities, expectations, trends, strategies, and other processes. Communicates effectively verbally and in writing and excels in active listening and conversing. Fosters collaboration across multiple constituencies to support more effective decision‑making. Establishes and maintains strong relationships with diverse stakeholders, both inside and outside of government, particularly community‑based relationships. Embraces differing viewpoints and implements strategies to find common ground. Demonstrates confidence and professional diplomacy while effectively interacting with individuals at all levels of various organizations. FUSE is an equal‑opportunity employer with core values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply for this position.
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FUSE -Atlanta, GA, United States
The City of Atlanta is working to make Atlanta the best place to raise a child by expanding equitable access to early education, safe spaces, and career pathways for youth in historically underinvested neighborhoods. The FUSE Executive Fellow will catalyze systems change across the city’s youth development initiatives through place-based partnerships to align programs under a unified strategy. Ultimately, this work will accelerate outcomes for youth and families in historically underinvested neighborhoods, reduce disparities, improve safety and opportunity, and ensure that every young person can thrive in a stronger, more connected Atlanta. Fellowship Dates: April 27, 2026 – April 23, 2027 Salary:
Executive Fellows are FUSE employees and receive an annual base salary of $95,000. Fellows can also access various health, dental, and vision insurance benefits. Compensation for this year of public service is not intended to represent market-rate compensation for the experienced professionals in our program. ABOUT THE FUSE EXECUTIVE FELLOWSHIP FUSE is a national nonprofit working to expand social and economic opportunities, particularly for communities that have been limited by a history of systemic and institutionalized racism. FUSE partners with local governments and communities to more effectively address pressing challenges by placing experienced professionals within city and county agencies. These FUSE Executive Fellows lead strategic projects designed to advance racial equity and accelerate systems change. Since 2012, FUSE has led over 250 projects in 40 governments across 20 states, impacting the lives of 25 million people. When designing each fellowship project, FUSE works closely with government partners and local stakeholders to define a scope of work that will achieve substantive progress toward regional priorities. FUSE then conducts an individualized search for each project to ensure that the selected candidate has at least 15 years of professional experience, the required competencies for the role, and deep connections to the communities being served. They are data-driven and results-oriented and able to effectively manage complex projects by developing actionable roadmaps and monitoring progress to completion. Executive Fellows are hired as FUSE employees and embedded in government agencies for at least one year of full-time work. Throughout their fellowships, they receive training, coaching, and professional support from FUSE to help achieve their project goals. FUSE Executive Fellows bring diverse perspectives and new approaches to their projects. They build strong relationships with diverse arrays of stakeholders, foster alignment within. PROJECT CONTEXT City-wide youth development strategies are essential to advancing accessibility, improving community safety, and expanding opportunity for children and young adults. These strategies ensure that all young people, regardless of race, income, or zip code, have access to high-quality education, safe spaces, and meaningful pathways to careers. Prioritizing underserved communities and addressing longstanding challenges with youth development efforts can strengthen families, reduce violence, and help create the conditions for lifelong success. When cities invest in coordinated early learning, enrichment, and workforce programs, they not only improve individual outcomes but also build healthier, more resilient neighborhoods and a stronger civic fabric. In Atlanta, Georgia, opportunities and resources for children and youth have not been evenly distributed across all neighborhoods, resulting in differing outcomes in education, childcare access, and safety. Historically underserved neighborhoods have experienced fewer investments in youth programs and career pathways, limiting the support available to help young people thrive. To build a stronger foundation for all of Atlanta’s youth, Mayor Andre Dickens has made youth development a central pillar of his administration’s agenda. Through the Year of the Youth initiative and a citywide vision to make Atlanta the best place to raise a child, the Mayor’s Office of Youth Development and Education Policy leads four interconnected focus areas: early education, safe spaces (built environment and grants), safe spaces programming, and career pathways. These efforts align with the city’s Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative, a $5 billion public-private collaboration to revitalize seven historically underfunded neighborhoods, including Grove Park, English Avenue, and Mechanicsville, by expanding education, safety, housing, and workforce opportunities. The Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative provides a strategic framework that extends beyond the current administration, ensuring long-term relevance and institutional support for sustained progress. Atlanta will partner with FUSE to provide high-level project management and strategic support across Atlanta’s four youth development verticals, with a concentrated focus on neighborhoods within the Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative to execute the Mayor’s vision of making Atlanta the best place to raise a child. The FUSE Executive Fellow will: conduct a landscape analysis and stakeholder listening tour to map programs and partnerships with deep community presence in Grove Park, FCS Communities, and other partner neighborhoods; develop a strategic framework to align initiatives under the Mayor’s vision; streamline grant and program management processes; facilitate youth-led design and engagement processes; and bridge collaboration between city departments, place-based community foundations, nonprofits, and corporate partners. Ultimately, this partnership will accelerate the city’s progress toward a comprehensive, data-driven youth development ecosystem that empowers every child and young adult to learn, grow, and thrive in a safer, stronger Atlanta. PROJECT SUMMARY Beginning in Spring 2026, the FUSE Executive Fellow will work with the City of Atlanta’s Mayor’s Office of Youth Development and Education Policy and place-based community partners to strengthen and coordinate youth development initiatives across four key verticals: early education, safe spaces (built environment and grants), safe spaces programming, and career pathways, with concentrated focus on neighborhoods within the Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative. The fellow will coordinate structured dialogue between departments and organizations, provide high-level project management, and strategic support to help execute Mayor Andre Dickens’ vision of making Atlanta the best place to raise a child, advancing access to resources, safety, and opportunity for all youth from birth through age 24. The fellow will begin by conducting a comprehensive listening tour with stakeholders such as the Mayor’s Office of Youth Development and Education Policy, the Mayor’s Office of Policy, Atlanta Public Schools, the Department of Community Development, workforce and higher education partners, place-based community foundations, local nonprofits, youth from partner communities, and corporate funders. The fellow will balance policy work at City Hall with regular community presence, arranging field visits and listening sessions to ensure that strategy reflects on-the-ground needs and lived experiences in historically underinvested neighborhoods. This process will capture insights into how programs currently operate, where coordination challenges exist, and how resources flow across departments and organizations. The fellow will also conduct a landscape analysis to assess how existing programs such as the Safe Spaces grants, early education renovations, and summer youth employment efforts connect to broader initiatives like the $5 billion Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative. This analysis will include examining successful models such as Harlem Children’s Zone's financial literacy and wealth-building programs, and Purpose Built Communities' youth-led design initiatives (e.g., Delaware's youth-designed "Warehouse" project) to inform Atlanta's approach. The fellow will research best practices from other U.S. cities with comprehensive youth development systems to identify strategies for improving cross-sector collaboration, resource alignment, and data tracking. The fellow will then develop specific project goals and deliverables that will be reviewed and approved by the Mayor’s Office before the next phase of work begins. Using the collected insights, the fellow will design and implement strategies to streamline program coordination and strengthen accountability across Atlanta’s youth development ecosystem, with particular focus on strengthening collaboration between the City and community foundations in Grove Park, East Lake, and FCS communities, emphasizing neighborhood-scale solutions. This work will include mapping the city’s full network of youth-serving programs and partnerships, developing frameworks for cross-sector collaboration, and identifying shared outcomes and performance measures that reflect the Mayor’s priorities. The fellow will help develop standardized grant and program management processes that improve efficiency, transparency, and impact tracking. Additionally, the fellow will convene city departments, nonprofit organizations, funders, and corporate partners to align initiatives, clarify roles, and promote consistent messaging under the “Best Place to Raise a Child” vision. The fellow will collaborate with partners to strengthen youth workforce pathways, ensuring access to paid opportunities and integrating financial literacy and wealth-building education into youth engagement programs, recognizing that many young people contribute directly to household income and cannot participate in unpaid programs. The fellow will facilitate communication and collaboration among stakeholders to help create an integrated system that links early learning, youth safety, and workforce readiness into a cohesive citywide framework. The fellow will produce a comprehensive coordination and implementation strategy document that enhances the city’s capacity to manage and evaluate its youth development initiatives. This will include a citywide map of programs and partnerships, a strategic framework to guide ongoing alignment across departments, a standardized grant and performance management system, and a set of actionable recommendations for sustaining collaboration and measuring success. The fellow will design a sustainability plan that ensures the fellowship’s initiatives are institutionalized beyond the current administration, with clear ownership and resourcing strategies identified by Spring 2027. This includes developing a defined offboarding ramp or succession plan that clarifies whether the city, philanthropy, or another entity will maintain the work, ensuring continuity through changes in city leadership. Ultimately, this work will enable Atlanta to operationalize its vision for comprehensive youth development, thereby increasing opportunity, strengthening neighborhoods, and ensuring every young person can thrive in a safer, more connected city. PROJECT DELIVERABLES By Spring 2027, the Executive Fellow will have produced the following: Developed a Strategic Coordination and Implementation Plan – Worked with city departments, place-based community foundations (Grove Park, East Lake, FCS), nonprofit partners, youth advisors, and corporate stakeholders to design a comprehensive plan aligning Atlanta’s four youth development verticals within the Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative framework under the Mayor’s “Best Place to Raise a Child” vision, ensuring coordinated delivery of programs and measurable outcomes across agencies. Built Cross-Sector Partnerships and Engagement Structures – Established collaborative working groups and engagement mechanisms to strengthen alignment among city agencies, place-based community foundations, community organizations, funders, and private-sector partners, fostering shared ownership and accountability. Strengthened Youth Economic Pathways – Developed and piloted strategies to expand paid youth employment opportunities and integrated financial literacy and wealth-building education into career pathway programs, ensuring young people gain both job skills and financial health knowledge that supports long-term economic mobility. Designed a Standardized Grant and Program Management System – Created and piloted consistent processes and tools for managing city-funded youth development programs and community foundation partnerships, improving efficiency, transparency, and performance tracking across departments. Produced a Neighborhood-Focused Youth Development Ecosystem Map – Compiled a comprehensive mapping of programs, partnerships, and funding sources that will serve as a centralized resource to inform strategy, identify service gaps, and guide future investments. Developed a Sustainability and Institutionalization Framework – Outlined recommendations for staffing, governance, and funding to ensure the long‑term success and operationalization of Atlanta’s coordinated youth development strategy. KEY STAKEHOLDERS Executive Sponsor –
Kenui Mitchell, Program Director, Youth Development and Education Policy Project Supervisor –
Janean Lewis,Senior Adviser to the Mayor for Youth Development and Education Policy QUALIFICATIONS Synthesizes complex information into clear and concise recommendations and action‑oriented implementation plans. Develops and effectively implements both strategic and operational project management plans. Generates innovative, data‑driven, and result‑oriented solutions to complex challenges. Respond quickly to changing ideas, responsibilities, expectations, trends, strategies, and other processes. Communicates effectively verbally and in writing and excels in active listening and conversing. Fosters collaboration across multiple constituencies to support more effective decision‑making. Establishes and maintains strong relationships with diverse stakeholders, both inside and outside of government, particularly community‑based relationships. Embraces differing viewpoints and implements strategies to find common ground. Demonstrates confidence and professional diplomacy while effectively interacting with individuals at all levels of various organizations. FUSE is an equal‑opportunity employer with core values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply for this position.
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