ABOUT UNITED WAY OF GREATER KNOXVILLE
United Way of Greater Knoxville is a vibrant organization committed to mobilizing the caring power of the communities we serve in ways that benefit us all. Led by a dynamic leadership team, we have tremendous opportunities for growth and transformation. Due to the changing nature of our work, we are seeking relationship-driven, forward-thinking, and action-oriented individuals to join our team. We enthusiastically encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds to apply.
United Way of Greater Knoxville (UWGK) works towards systemic change in housing security, food security, and early care and education. The Sr. Director of Impact Systems leads and directs the planning, resource allocation, community building, and each of these impact areas. This position is key to aligning the department’s work with the UWGK strategic plan. Responsible for building and sustaining relationships with leaders internal and external to UWGK. Will adhere to the principles and philosophy of United Way of Greater Knoxville (UWGK).
Essential Duties and Responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:
An individual must be able to perform each essential duty listed below at a satisfactory level, with or without accommodation:
Impact: Lead an inclusive strategy to transform systems, promoting self-sufficiency and equitable outcomes.
- Develop and implement ongoing community impact systems work strategies, processes, and tools. Ensure community impact systems alignment within UWGK and in the broader community.
- Work collaboratively to ensure the UWGK Systems Team, Leadership Team, Board, staff, and volunteers are strategically aligned. Form a strong partnership with all departments to position UWGK as the thought leader around our mission/goals and ensure alignment across functions to maximize resources to achieve measurable results.
- Oversight of the House Knox Initiative and other impact initiatives developed.
- Demonstrate understanding and knowledge of the United Way network and UWGK’s business to create strategies effectively. Understand the local business and nonprofit environments and build the means to engage the community.
- Be a visible leader in systems change work focused on equity, internally and externally.
- Utilize the organization’s strategic plan to evaluate current practices and programming, which may result in the redesign, creation of, or sunsetting of programs that do not share meet our mission and objectives.
- Partner with senior staff leadership and community leaders as a thought leader who stays abreast of significant policy and advocacy related to community these systems.
Employees: Create an exemplary and people-centric workplace through active engagement.
- Lead the Impact Systems Team to develop shared and measurable goals, creating, resourcing, scaling, and leveraging strategies and innovations for broad investment and impact.
- Leverage the expertise and talent of the organization to follow through on the organization’s commitment to equity.
- Create opportunities to strengthen organizational culture and improve the employee experience.
- Engage and participate in various UWGK committees, workgroups, and activities to support the strategic plan and mission.
- Implement and define opportunities to include DEI in all aspects of work.
Stakeholders: Maximize sustainable change through collaboration.
- Create strategic partnerships to advance the mission of UWGK and the Impact Systems agenda to benefit UWGK and the community.
- Ensure UWGK is leading the way in sharing and promoting community resources that promote improved access to support and stability
Operational Excellence: Steward every resource to its highest and best use.
- Utilizing data, lead in identifying and resolving community issues through strategic collaborative efforts, including the oversight of the research and assessment of community issues and other required data.
- Engage in the organization's general business and financial principles to effectively lead, manage and align resources for top performance, including reading financial statements and creating budgets.
- Utilize collaboration and change management to leverage talent in cross-functional teams.
- Responsible for the department's budgeting and fiscal management.
Revenue: Cultivate revenue streams that leverage relationships and opportunities.
- Identify and pursue opportunities to increase resources that will strengthen the organization’s ability to support community impact.
- Support and participate in Resource Development and Marketing initiatives.
Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications:
Minimum Education and Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field. Lived experience relevant to this role will also be considered and can supplement instead of an educational experience.
- Program management experience, especially adept at developing processes, tools, and policies to support transformative work around complex systems.
- Training/experience in equitable practices/policies, collaborative decision-making, and group facilitation techniques
- Program Management Professional certification or similar certification is strongly preferred
- Training/experience in Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) framework or similar methodology
- Lived experience relevant to this role will also be considered and can supplement instead of an educational experience.
- Experience working with computerized software, such as Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, or other similar programs, and knowledge of computer-based outcome reporting systems
Qualified candidates will possess or be able to develop the following knowledge, skills, and abilities:
Knowledge: A clear and comprehensive understanding of and ability to communicate about:
- UWGK’s vision, mission, values, objectives, and roles.
- The communities where UWGK works (including assets, challenges, people, organizations, existing programs, and services).
- Public, private, and non-profit systems.
Skills: Advanced skills in the following:
- Communication (verbal and written) – Ability to translate complex data into understandable format and documents. Must be able to clearly articulate data findings to appropriate business leaders.
- Attention to Detail – Demonstrates thoroughness in accomplishing tasks; monitors and checks work or data to ensure accuracy in presentation.
- Customer Service – Advanced customer service, internal and external, and problem resolution skills.
- Critical Thinking – Ability to discern solutions based on available resources; must be able to consider multiple perspectives and re-evaluate as new information becomes available.
- Presentation Skills – Ability to interact with the audience; transmit the message with clarity; engage the audience in the presentation and interpret and understand the mindsets of the listeners.
Abilities: Strong capacity in the following areas:
- Collaboration/Teamwork – The ability to work effectively with others on a common task; take actions that respect the needs and contributions of others; contribute to and accept consensus; negotiate a win-win solution to achieve the team’s objectives.
- Initiative – Goes beyond expectations; creates opportunities to implement business efficiencies and minimize problems by anticipating or preparing in advance; seeks out or excepts additional responsibilities. Ability to take the initiative and manage projects assigned through completion with minimal supervision.
- Adaptability – Ability to adjust to circumstances as needs arise or change; positively drive change.
- Responsibility – Encourage cooperation to promote standards of competency, efficiency, and accountability. Ability to work effectively independently and as a highly resourceful team player under pressure and within deadlines.
Competencies
An individual must be able to demonstrate the following competencies at a satisfactory level:
Accountability/Results Orientation - Is accountable for achieving assigned work projects. Collaborates with others to establish work project parameters, desired results/outcomes, and resource requirements. Keeps team leader(s) informed on work progress and changes in work direction. Takes ownership of work and outcomes achieved, selecting the best work approach. Protects the United Way brand, promoting its relevance and statue to the extent possible. Behaves ethically and honestly in all activities done on behalf of UWGK and the movement. Demonstrates a commitment to UWGK’s values, including diversity and inclusiveness.
Decision-Making/Risk-Taking - Evaluates available information and recommend a course of action. Contributes own assessment of risks and implications of decisions in team decision-making efforts. Develops and propose effective alternative solutions. Uses judgment appropriately in decision-making. Knows when to shift decision-making upwards.
Teamwork Collaboration - Shares pertinent information and keeps team members informed regularly. Ensure that processes, systems, and resources are available and direct them appropriately to enable the team to accomplish its goals and objectives efficiently. Able to adapt quickly to changing conditions or performance expectations. Able to focus on assignments during periods of change and uncertainty.
Relationship Management - Utilizes rapport to build trust and collaboration with others. Identifies and shares mutual benefits/needs in working together. Is ethical in dealing with others to achieve the desired results. Interacts and communicates with diverse stakeholders effectively. Fosters and maintains working relationships across the United Way system. Formulates and communicates in an ethical and politically sensitive manner.
Communications - Expresses work issues and problems clearly and concisely. Communicates effectively with others up, down, and across the organization to achieve expected organizational results. Gives and receives constructive feedback. Seeks direct input on team effectiveness and environment.
Innovation/Creativity - Develops and implements new approaches to accomplish tasks that impact others in and outside their team. Is able to reasonably "take risks.” Assists others in developing new systems, products, processes, and procedures. Strives to stay current on new or emerging trends and capitalizes on them.
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that an employee must meet to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. In addition, 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, use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms and talk or hear
- Frequently required to walk
- Occasionally required to stand and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl
- Must frequently lift and move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and move up to 30 pounds
- Specific vision abilities this job requires include close and distance vision, with or without correction
- Must be able to provide own transportation to such meetings at various locations in the Greater Knoxville area
Work Environment
The work environment characteristics described here represent those an employee encounters while performing this job's essential functions. Therefore, reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
- This position and the location of duties necessary require flexibility, as many job duties may need to be performed in various locations, including but not limited to Property Partner sites, Partner Homeless Service Agency sites, and other networking activity locations
- The Main office has a typical office environment
United Way of Greater Knoxville Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Statement
We take the broadest possible view of diversity.
We value the visible and invisible qualities that make you who you are.
We welcome that every person brings a unique perspective and experience to advance our mission and progress our fight for every person's health, education, and financial stability in every community.
Each United Way community member, donor, volunteer, advocate, and employee must have equal access to solving community problems.
We strive to include diversity, equity, and inclusion practices at the center of our daily work.
We commit to using these practices for our business and our communities.
Join us in embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion for every person in every community.
LIVE UNITED.