United Way of Metropolitan Dallas tackles complex social problems by surrounding North Texans with local programming in the areas of Education, Income, and Health – the essential component of a thriving community. We understand that these three areas are connected and correlated with community success. We also believe that our lives are interrelated, when one of us succeeds, we all succeed. When we’re healthy, we’re able to enjoy life, provide for our families, realize our dreams and contribute to our communities. At United Way we are solution seekers and agents of change. Our goal is to ensure that all North Texans have access to nutritious food, quality healthcare and the chance to lead healthy, productive lives.
Southern Dallas Thrives (a partnership with PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay North America, the PepsiCo Foundation, and PepsiCo’s Food for Good initiative) aims to increase the quality of preschool education, provide families with nutritious meals and prepare high school students with the career and college preparation they need to succeed – all while giving unemployed parents access to childcare they need to enter and participate in the workforce.
The Director of Southern Dallas Thrives is responsible for project coordination and support of programming, volunteer management, reporting, and partnerships. Work will include assessing, analyzing, and aligning existing resources; identifying gaps in services and establishing strategic alliances with corporations, education, civic and faith leaders, UW service providers and other community-based organizations and volunteers, in partnership with FLNA.
The Director of Southern Dallas Thrives will work in partnership with the FLNA team to continue to strengthen and grow engagement, connection, and support for the effort.
The following responsibilities are integral to successful performance:
Development of strategy to align programs, resources, and partners to foster collective impact in Southern Dallas:
- Develop a Southern Dallas assets map, in partnership with cross-functional members of the Community Impact team (in the areas of Education, Income, and Health), that includes current and non- UWMD funded agencies, schools, faith-based entities, and other available resources that support a thriving community
- Partner with members of the UWMD Community Impact team to manage any cross-functional services (Education, Income, and Health) being implemented in Southern Dallas
- Provide on-going support to non-profits who work with UWMD and PepsiCo, including monitoring outcomes to ensure programs align with the Southern Dallas Thrives goals
- Align and support coordination of existing PepsiCo efforts (i.e. Food for Good and South Oak Cliff Collegiate Academy support) to ensure cohesion and to evaluate and report impact
- Collaborate and coordinate efforts with key FLNA stakeholders
- Work in partnership with UWMD Resource Development, Volunteer Engagement, and Marketing teams to increase and leverage funding and volunteer engagement to support and expand the work.
Leadership, development, and management of internal and external relationships:
- Oversight, process development, strategic planning and implementation efforts
- Support Resource Development and Marketing staff in the development and execution of macro-level volunteer and media/public relations opportunities, including PepsiCo’s annual Day of Caring in conjunction with FLNA PR team.
- Manage process to track year-round volunteer engagement and to monitor quality assurance (i.e. responsiveness, placement, volunteer experience, recognition, etc.)
- Assist with enhancing the digital volunteer experience (i.e., webpage, quality management, etc.)
- Strengthen existing relationships and forge new partnerships with community leaders, service providers, corporations, funders, public sector, health institutions, educational institutions, coalitions, and other stakeholders to collectively implement strategies
- Represent the UWMD/PepsiCo partnership in the community, with coalitions, at conferences and other venues
- Actively participate and support the development of investment decisions by reviewing grant proposals, attending relevant meetings, and sharing knowledge and expertise with grant staff
- Budget planning, working with Finance as necessary
Job Scope
- This position has the responsibility for the development of new initiatives, systems and procedures
- Frequently, new and varied work situations are encountered due to the complex nature of this role
- Decisions are sometimes made by a group process format and sometimes on an independent basis
- This job works with many internal and external stakeholders including: United Way staff from Community Impact and other departments; members of the PepsiCo Foundation and related product entities (i.e. Frito Lay); and leaders, staff and volunteers from the non-profit, government, business and faith-based sectors
Core Competencies
- Mission-Focused: Create real social change that leads to improving lives in our community.
- Relationship-Oriented: Is able to communicate effectively to develop, grow and sustain productive relationships. Knows how to capture and record relevant information and how to interpret and utilize the information to forge partnerships, collaborate, cultivate, grow, sustain and strengthen internal and external relationships.
- Results-Driven: Dedicated to shared and measurable goals; creating, resourcing, scaling, and leveraging strategies and innovations for broad impact.
- Stewards: Our actions, behaviors, and decisions on behalf of our donors must be transparent, meet the highest ethical standards, and align with organizational goals.
EXPERIENCE: At least 5 years of experience in non-profit / social services preferred.
Program Development and Content Knowledge:
- Knowledge of current thinking in the education, health, poverty, social innovation, advocacy, community development, policy, and social change fields
- Strong ability to develop, implement and evaluate strategies to affect change
- Demonstrated commitment to low-income people, equity, economic justice, intersectionality, structural bias and other social justice concepts
- Strong knowledge of the interconnectedness of education, health and poverty
- Demonstrated familiarity with several of UWMD education grantmaking areas, including: literacy, mentoring, parent engagement, college and career readiness, teacher and leadership professional development, and STEM
- Familiarity with Southern Dallas communities, schools, service providers, and businesses
Fundraising Acumen
- Ability to identify and capitalize on strategic points for philanthropic engagement
- Ability to provide thought leadership on UWMD work both internally and externally
- Strong written and verbal communications skills and interpersonal skills
- Communicates effectively and with passion “the story” of the organization’s work to engage donors, volunteers, and advocates.
- Develops relationships to enhance and contribute to organizational effectiveness.
Functional Competencies:
- Exceptional reasoning and strategic problem-solving abilities, and proven track record of success in solving complex and dynamic problems.
- Excellent project management skills and the ability to chart one’s own direction
- Strong skill in coaching and developing others, including peers, without having a direct management relationship
- Desire to help others achieve their goals by sharing ideas, time and resources.
- Promotes an open-mind, innovation, creativity and is willing to take calculated risks
- Develops relationships to drive results
- Commitment to personal learning and development and openness to feedback
- Adaptability and flexibility, with ability to thrive in an entrepreneurial, fast-paced, results-oriented culture with limited guidance
- Responsive, service-oriented attitude
- High degree of emotional intelligence