Vision and Mission:
At United Way of Northeast Florida, we envision a community of opportunity where everyone has hope and can reach their full potential. Our mission is to solve our community’s toughest challenges by connecting people, resources and ideas.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is not only valued and demonstrated in our hiring practices, it is a fundamental part of our mission throughout our organization and the communities we serve.
Purpose of Position:
The Director of Strategy and Operations will serve as a key member of the Community Impact Department leadership team and will represent the department at special meetings for the organization’s Senior Leadership Team, working in close collaboration with the Division Leader. The Director will be primarily responsible for providing strategic and best practices support to Community Impact staff as well as managing the Department’s administrative and inter-departmental functions.
The Director will be responsible for strategic guidance to all Community Impact program staff, providing lead support for best practices and ensuring strategic alignment of funded projects and initiatives with organizational vision and objectives. In collaboration with Department staff, they will bolster the ongoing refinement and implementation of impact-based grant-making strategies.
Key Responsibilities and Essential Functions:
- Provide support for organization/grantee/partner relationship development
- Review and give feedback on all strategic, grant and partnership related documentation
- Support Department staff in the ongoing development of projects that prioritize impact-driven objectives and that are achievable by partner and grantee organizations
- Work with Division leadership to establish and manage annual and periodic strategic reviews
- Play a lead role in external funding opportunities or institutional initiatives when they arise
- Direct support, as needed, of the Community Investment Council, Board of Directors and other key advisory bodies.
Program Management Responsibilities:
- Be the lead on integration and implementation of data tracking systems, ensuring alignment with internal policies and protocols and periodically reviewing existing processes to identify opportunities to maximize efficiency and align protocol recommendations with Resource Development, IT, Business Operations and Finance needs
- Oversee the creation and management of grant-making processes and administration, including support for all grant-making documentation (solicitations, proposals, applications, recommendations, etc.) as well as document retention
- Establish key contractual documentation (and templated documentation where possible) with the support of Department leadership and Legal Department, including Grant Agreements, government agency contracts, and consultant contracts
- Work with Department line managers from each program unit to establish and support
- Operational budgets that align with Department budget
- Annual grant-making pipelines including periodic modifications
- Effective and timely payment of grant payments and reimbursements in conjunction with Finance
- Take a lead role in ensuring the effective and accurate collection of data, and helping to streamline organizational reporting processes on a continuous basis
- Create and facilitate staff trainings and presentations at various levels throughout the organization as needed on operations and administration pertaining to Community Impact
- Provide support to members of the Volunteer Accounting Committee to develop and implement agency auditing strategies.
- Serve as primary staff support for UW programs such as Success By 6 early learning initiative and the Achievers For Life as such programs emerge and sunset according to strategy.
- Design systems to collect and analyze data that will demonstrate measurable outcomes associated with the Economic Mobility framework.
- Develop and direct RFP processes to identify new/expanded programs or collaborations for funding in line with United Way’s Economic Mobility strategy and other funding opportunities.
- Seek out new funding sources for Economic Mobility strategy implementation, assist grant writing staff
- Educate United Way of Northeast Florida staff on the work of the Economic Mobility initiatives and strategies
- Manage operating budgets as assigned to ensure maximum effective use of allocated funding.
- Implement and oversee procedures to maintain licenses, permits, certification and accreditation as appropriate, including written policies prohibiting discrimination.
- Work with the Marketing Team to develop a marketing/communications plan focusing attention on United Way’s work in the areas of Economic Mobility
- Seek opportunities to educate the community on the work of United Way’s Economic Mobility strategy. Venues to include civic organizations, workplaces, United Way campaign speaking engagements, faith organizations, etc.
- Seek out opportunities to involve volunteers, interns and retirees.
Always work to maintain positive relations among stakeholders.
Experience/Position Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree in an educational or health and human service area, Master’s preferred, with 5 years of experience preferred in the administration of a health, human services or educational program, agency, and/or school
- Highly refined soft skills with collaboration, problem-solving, public speaking and adaptability being key requirements.
- 5 years of supervisory/managerial experience preferred, including budget supervision.
- Ideal candidate will have a working knowledge of major partners (Kids Hope Alliance, Dept. of Children and Families, Dept. of Juvenile Justice, Duval County School system, Dept. of Health, United Way and the City of Jacksonville) and smaller, grass-roots and emergent organizations from and with the communities targeted.
Professional Core Competencies Required:
- Mission Focused: Creates real social change that leads to better lives and healthier communities. This drives performance and professional motivations.
- Relationship Oriented: Places people before process and is astute in cultivating and managing relationships toward a common goal.
- Collaborator (Includes teamwork and communication): Understands the roles and contributions of all sectors of the community and can mobilize resources (financial & human) through meaningful engagement. Strong supporter of a team environment.
- Results Driven: Dedicates efforts to shared and measurable goals for the common good; creating, resourcing, scaling and leveraging strategies and innovations for broad investment and impact.
- Brand Steward: Understands role in growing and protecting the reputation and results of the greater network.
General Physical Requirements for Essential Functions of the Job:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job the employee is regularly required to sit, talk, and/or hear. Continual use of the hands with wrist and finger movement using a keyboard is required. Specific vision abilities required by this job include long hours viewing a computer monitor screen. The employee may occasionally travel using personal vehicle and/or work outside normal office environment.
This description is not designed to contain a comprehensive inventory of all responsibilities and qualifications required of all team members assigned to this position. It is intended only to describe the key elements relative to each section. Also, duties and/or requirements of this position may be modified, added or deleted at any time. This supersedes all descriptions previously written for the same position. Unique equivalent skills and experience may possibly substitute for required position requirements.
United Way of Northeast Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a Drug Free Work Environment.