United Way seeks an experienced professional with a strong early childhood background to join the Educational Success team within United Way’s Community Impact division. Work with staff, volunteers, donors, community-based organizations, state and municipal leaders, and experts to further United Way’s mission to catalyze our collective resources so that children in our region enter school ready to learn and succeed. Participate in refining and implementing the Community Impact Division’s priorities, strategies, and initiatives. Gather and synthesize research, public policy, and community knowledge to share with the Educational Success team and to inform the team’s work. Assist in developing investment strategies that align with United Way’s theory of change, mission, and vision, and create agency and community-level change. Manage large scale community initiatives, providing strategic direction, leveraging multiple partners, coordinating and integrating many program components, assisting with fundraising and evaluating results. Work closely with individual volunteers and volunteer committees. Help to build community engagement opportunities. Serve as primary liaison to a portfolio of United Way partner agencies. Build relationships on behalf of United Way with key community leaders and constituents and represent United Way on statewide and community commissions, task forces, collaborations, etc.
Strategic Leadership
- Actively engage in strategic planning to execute on United Way’s Educational Success priorities; manage a grant portfolio; manage educational success initiatives; support and enhance agency partnerships, and build and maintain relationships in the community.
- Participate in the implementation of funds distribution and agency performance management:
- Provide content area expertise and thought leadership in United Way’s priority funding areas related to School Readiness - High-Quality Early Education and Care, and Two Generational Approaches.
- Create capacity building and networking opportunities for partner agencies
- Build partnerships and manage a portfolio of UW partner agencies with the purpose of:
- Ensuring essential business is transacted smoothly and efficiently
- Sharing best practices, innovation, and continuous improvement with agencies in the pursuit of UW’s community goals
- Monitoring agency performance and contributions
- Fostering and brokering relationships among UW partners and other stakeholders that will lead to the achievement of community impact goals
- Represent United Way by attending and presenting at community meetings, agency events, funder collaboratives, statewide and local coalitions/task forces, donors, etc.
Program Leadership
- Assume responsibility for implementation and oversight of several United Way-led programs. Specific responsibilities include:
- Bring current research, public policy, community relationships and knowledge of priority communities to influence UW investment strategies and initiatives
- Oversee planning, develop timelines and work plans, manage partnerships and relationships with external stakeholders, monitor partner progress, track finances, and contribute to grant writing
- Provide capacity building supports to programmatic partners including providing direct technical assistance, organizing a community of practices, and providing/arranging for training
- Ensure that effective performance management systems are developed and maintained
- Work with other UW departments to raise funds for programs, including grants and meeting with individual donors and corporate partners
- Supervise project management staff and/or interns
- Build volunteer and community engagement opportunities within the agency portfolio, and initiatives (including one-time and ongoing volunteer opportunities, skills-based volunteering, volunteer recruitment and training, awareness and education events, etc.)
Personal Leadership
- Inspire the trust and confidence of others on the team, in the organization, and from stakeholder organizations. The position requires the ability to collaborate with a diverse team of professionals, including those in management positions, peers within the department and cross-functionally, and our community partners. Specifically, the Director will be expected to:
- Gain the confidence and trust of others through principled leadership and sound business ethics
- Learn and develop from personal experience and from others Embrace the opportunities in change and lead others to a place of clarity and commitment
- Foster a sense of energy, ownership, and personal connection to the work, the communities we serve, and our staff
- Lead by example and demonstrate UW’s core in all internal and external relationships
- Five to seven years of progressively challenging positions in nonprofit sector organizations
- Experience required in issues relating to education, and specifically early education and care, home visiting, and/or family engagement.
- Leadership Expertise and Experience:
- Interest in collaborative leadership and the ability to lead side by side with other leaders
- Ability to mobilize and/or lead diverse stakeholders
- Demonstrated experience in building, leading, motivating, and mentoring teams of all skill and experience levels, both internal and external
- Presence and confidence to project credibility, have tough conversations and lead idea-generating conversations with community partners, the Board, Senior Leadership Team, and other strategic stakeholders
- Management expertise:
- Experience with project design, implementation, and evaluation
- Ability to manage multiple programs, people, resources, partnerships, and directives
- Ability to build relationships with internal and external stakeholders
- Ability to create, grow, and retain strong customer relationships
- Experience analyzing and using data to inform and improve program performance and outcomes
- Ability to effectively meet aggressive deadlines and handle multiple priorities
- Excellent writing, editing, verbal, facilitation, and presentation skills
- Excellent judgment and creative problem-solving skills
- Innovative thinker, with a track record for translating strategic thinking into action plans and results
- Travel throughout Greater Boston and United Way footprint required; use of car helpful
- A passion for UWMB’s mission, vision, and accomplishments
Salary: $51,000 to $60,000 per year