The Forsyth Promise serves as a catalyst for working together across sectors to support the success of every child from cradle to career through the development and alignment of community resources.
To achieve this goal, the Partnership Director must manage a governance structure that includes key local leaders from across sectors, while ensuring action plans are developed and implemented around the core strategies through the Action Networks. This includes managing volunteers and partners to align their work to the goals of the Promise when there may not be a clear self-interest in doing so beyond improving long-term outcomes for children and the community.
The Director also leads the implementation of the Promise’s work through the Action Networks. In this role, the Director 1) establishes a policy agenda for the Partnership and works with advocacy leadership and other key partners, including public officials, to implement the plan, 2) works with private funders to align resources behind evidence-based action plans, and 3) ensures the communications of the Partnership’s mission, purpose, and strategies are consistent and clear.
Assistance in the work will be provided by United Way’s Chief Impact Officer and other members of the United Way’s team in the agency’s role as the Promise’s backbone organization.
In addition, the Director will be a member of the Community Impact department and provide support to United Way’s education initiatives and place-based work to ensure alignment and the effective implementation of strategies that will work in concert with the work of The Forsyth Promise.
Provide effective lead staff leadership to The Forsyth Promise
- Ensure that the mission and core values of the initiative are put into practice.
- Establish current and long-range goals, objectives, strategies, and measures as reviewed and approved by The Forsyth Promise’s Executive Team.
- Manage the financial plan and coordinate the work of the Executive Team with the support and, as needed, the assistance of United Way’s Chief Impact Officer.
- Develop and cultivate relationships with community stakeholders, including leaders in education, business, faith, nonprofit, philanthropic, and civic sectors to support the mission of the Promise.
- Represent the initiative with major customers, stakeholders, funders, and the public.
- Coordinate and execute required resource development activities to ensure the sustenance of the Promise’s activities, including grant writing and reporting, coordinating key conversations, expectations and strategies with the Chief Impact Officer regarding the larger development goals of United Way and their impact on TFP strategies.
- Oversee the data collection and management activities through oversight of the partners engaged to coordinate Data Sharing Platform, and working closely with Forsyth Futures, WSFC Schools and the initiative’s Data Analysts to provide assistance and technical support to Action Networks and partners. Continue the development and implementation of the data-sharing platform with Once Logix.
- Ensure constant communications across all parts of the Partnership structure.
- Deepen knowledge of StriveTogether’s Theory of Action and effectively using it to guide the process of developing Partnership’s work.
- Maintain the Partnership’s good standing with regards to the StriveTogether “Commitment to Quality Benchmarks for Building Cradle to Career Civic Infrastructure” Agreement.
- Plan, coordinate, and control the daily operations by outlining clear work plans with volunteers, staff and partners that directly align work to the desired outcome of the initiative.
- Review results, comparing them to established objectives, and take steps to ensure that appropriate measures are taken to correct unsatisfactory results.
- Achieve performance goals of The Forsyth Promise through the development and implementation of strategy and action plans.
- Oversee the management of the Promise’s financial position in conjunction with the backbone organization’s staff.
- Manage, develop, support, and hold accountable the staff of The Forsyth Promise
- Support and coach the Collaborative Action Network (CAN) Facilitators.
- Coordinate the workflow and strategic approach to initiative’s data work in conjunction with the staff at Forsyth Futures and the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools.
- Mentor and coach the AmeriCorps VISTA member(s) focused on supporting the work of The Forsyth Promise.
- Prepare required reports and related submissions for the AmeriCorps VISTA member.
- Provide support to United Way’s Chief Impact Officer & Senior Director of Community Planning & Investment in developing and shaping United Way’s strategic and tactical approaches in meeting its education goals.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills, strong presentation skills, interpersonal skills, and organizational skills.
- Ability to speak persuasively and inspirationally to large groups and in personal conversations.
- Ability/willingness to travel periodically.
- Working knowledge of computers and Microsoft or similar software.
- Experience working with community-based coalition efforts, mobilizing advocacy efforts, and project management experience.
- Strong relationship with the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School system.
Desired Attributes & Skills Set:
Be results-oriented with a high sense of urgency.
- Ability to independently make strategic decisions, generate innovative ideas and solutions, and multi-task due to a wide variety of tasks and constantly changing activities in the area.
- Effectively develop, manage, and navigate relationships with a diverse array of partners that play different and divergent roles in organizations and the community.
- Ability to engage and attract community leaders to have active involvement in the work.
- Understand adaptive and technical change and the application of both.
- Ability to build consensus and collaborate, as well as the ability to sustain productive relationships with diverse individuals, groups, organizations and internal staff and volunteers.
- Have a passion for education improvement.
- Demonstrate systems thinking and ability to apply systematic change approaches to the work.
- Provide both systems and business thinking – balancing process and product.
- Develop and manage an effective team
- Provide strong management skills, including delegation and empowerment of team members
- The ability to think analytically and develop and implement focused, coordinated plans, and thorough evaluations.
- An understanding of advocacy strategies and the ability to engage effectively with public officials and their offices.
- The skills to engage and educate key constituents and partners for legislative and community advocacy.
- Ability for rapid learning.
- A good understanding of education-related best practices and strategies and how to effect systems change in the area of education.
- The ability to build and enhance relationships with existing community partners and potential partners.
- The ability to manage a grant-funded project, including budget monitoring and reporting.
- The ability to work well under pressure.
- Ability to plan and execute resource development efforts.
- Understand, articulate, and engage individuals around the issue of equity and its role in this work.