Director of Hartford Working Cities Initiative

Leadership:

• Provide visionary, adaptive leadership, modeling collaborative behavior and fostering a culture that is inclusive, diverse and welcoming.
• Develop, coach, and facilitate collaboration among HWC partners including Career Navigators.
• Establish open, transparent communication with staff and other strategic partners, particularly related to decision-making and strategy.
• Identify and address gaps in capacity among HWC partners and neighborhood organizations.
• Participate in learning communities and other opportunities to increase knowledge that will enhance the initiative. Share learnings with partners and staff.

Supporting and Facilitating Strategy Team and other work group meetings:

• Ensure effective facilitation and support of HWC Strategy Team meetings and other working group meetings including preparing meeting materials.
• Develop systems to provide regular and ongoing communication with Team members.
• Provide regular reports on progress towards goals and indicators.
• Coordinate with other collaborative initiatives to understand and integrate that work into the HWC strategy.
• Propose updates to strategy as new needs emerge.
• Build and maintain trusting relationships with Strategy Team members, new Tea
• Build HWC’s identity as a respected, neutral convener among a broad spectrum of local stakeholders.

Strategic Coherence:

• Provide direction and support to partner organizations in aligning their work to a common agenda (e.g., identifying opportunities for program work and systems to support specific goals).
• Maintain an understanding of implementation challenges and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.
• Act as a neutral arbiter and help resolve disputes or disagreements regarding direction among the Strategy Team and other partner organizations.
• Develop advocacy priorities and coordinate supporting activities of partners.

Managing Internal Systems

• Oversee daily operations, monitor and report on issues and achievements within timelines.
• Select, contract with, and oversee work of consultants as appropriate.
• In collaboration with the Strategy Team and other community stakeholders, develop and execute an annual work plan that defines actions, stakeholder responsibilities and anticipated progress measures
• In collaboration with the Strategy Team, develop an annual budget and provide regular financial reports to ensure responsible management of fiscal resources.

Community Engagement

• Develop a community engagement strategy, including regular community meetings and events, to engage and empower residents.
• Work collaboratively with Hartford Opportunity Youth Collaborative to plan and execute a Young Adult Action Network. Monitor progress and assess performance.
• Work collaboratively with Workforce Solutions and the Southside Institutions Neighborhood Alliance to engage employers in efforts to improve the talent pipeline of residents.
• Organize a consortium of education and training providers to address young adult employment barriers, including education and training. Coordinate the consortium’s work with Career Navigators and employer partnerships.

Data Collection, Analysis and Reporting:

• Work with the Hartford Data Collaborative and strategic partners to refine data points and indicators, and identify sources and data collection methods for both qualitative and quantitative measures
• Secure and execute data sharing agreement with strategic partners.
• Organize training for staff and partners responsible for collecting data.
• Ensure broad awareness and understanding among all partners and residents of targets and indicators.
• Use data to inform learning, drive decisions and strive for continuous improvement.

Fund Development:

• Develop relationships with potential funders and participate in relevant networks.
• Pursue appropriate funding opportunities.
• Provide support to partner-efforts to secure funding for aligned goals.
• Oversee the HWC reporting of deliverables and progress and fiancial reports to funders as required.

Communications:

• Communicate the objectives of HWC to the range of stakeholders and potential partners in the community.
• Create or manage creation of periodic summary reports and presentations on HWC progress for internal and external audiences.
• The following duties may be done in coordination with a communications consultant or staff:
  • Develop communications materials as HWC evolves, potentially including summary documents, brochures, FAQs, and other items.
  • Develop outreach strategy aimed at potential service recipients.
  • Develop web and social media strategy.
  • Create press strategy, including drafting press releases and media outreach.