Program Director

Reporting to the Executive Director, the Program Director is responsible for all programmatic aspects of the organization, including program strategy, planning, and activation; team management; program evaluation and improvement; communication; and aligning around culture and values. They are also an integral part of the Senior Leadership Team. The Program Director will use the vision created by the Executive Director and Leadership team and turn it into an actionable plan while iterating on previous practices and constantly checking and adjusting them – this will be paramount to the success of the organization’s scaling efforts.

While the Program Director should be able to conceptualize and drive actionable insights using data and thought partnership, they should practice empathy and live the organization’s values first and foremost. The Program Director will act as a team leader, coach, and delegator. The Program Director plays a key role in scaling program operations and strengthening internal infrastructure to meet evolving community needs. This includes partnering with senior leadership to assess organizational capacity, identify infrastructure gaps, and implement improvements that promote long-term sustainability. The Program Director is also responsible for promoting cross-program consistency in practices, policies, and performance standards—while supporting the flexibility each program may require based on its unique service model. This role ensures teams are well-supported, systems are responsive, and the organization is equipped to grow strategically and equitably.

ACCOUNTABILITIES

Program Leadership & Strategy

Partner with the organization’s leaders to participate in strategic planning, providing program data and point of view to inform strategic planning.
Provide vision and direction across all programs, ensuring alignment with organizational strategy, values, and goals.
Lead the planning, implementation, and evaluation of each program to ensure effectiveness, impact, and continuous improvement.
Bring innovative and iterative approaches to drive program excellence.
Champion a data-driven and trauma-informed approach to service delivery.
Partner with the development team to identify fundraising priorities and impact.

Drive Program Excellence

Collect and analyze data to understand evolving needs of families served and program effectiveness and efficiency. Share data insights with program teams and leadership to shape decision-making and define program improvement opportunities that support the organization in scaling to serve more families, faster and better as it grows.
Using data insights, define measurable initiatives to improve Systems of Operation, program quality, and outcomes for families; then, lead program teams to execute improvements. Set, document, and adapt programs to drive consistency and efficiency.
Assist in building the organizational budget and manage overall program budgets. Support the program teams in building financial management and budgeting capacity to oversee and be accountable for their respective program budgets.

Lead the Program Team

Supervise and develop 6 program managers who supervise a total of 23 direct service staff among the core programs. Foster a resilient, trauma-informed work environment that prioritizes wellness and professional growth in the context of high-impact, and sometimes emotionally demanding work.
Lead with empathy and live the values of the organization. Apply an anti-racism and anti-oppression lens to your work. Build a team, monitor team health, and adapt based on team needs.
Establish and manage communications cadence for program manager teams, internal team partnership, and presentation to leadership.
Supervise team members and provide coaching, feedback, and performance reviews. Empower team to grow and develop with mentoring and stretch assignments based on capacity and career goals.
Support and empower Program Managers as they manage escalated incidents with program participants that can be emotionally charged and require urgency.

Engage with Partners & Stakeholders

Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including funders, government agencies, community partners, and advocates.
Represent the organization in coalitions, working groups, and public forums related to housing and homelessness.
Manage government fee-for-service contracts with the Joint Office on Homeless Services, Home Forward, and Care Oregon. Ensure contract deliverables are met while complying with contract requirements and work with program managers to submit quarterly reports.

QUALIFICATIONS

3+ years of experience working within the social service system or with low-income or at-risk populations.
5+ years of management or leadership experience; social service or nonprofit settings are a plus.
Experience developing, managing, and evaluating programs or projects in a way that empowers a team to take initiative and solve problems.
Experience operating multiple departments or teams at once.
Experience facilitating and empowering groups of people to get projects done.
Strong, strengths-based communication & delegation skills.
Creative meeting facilitation skills and experience.
Experience supporting direct reports in a coaching role.
An understanding of the effects of trauma and how it impacts families.
Commitment to non-judgmental, non-violent, restorative responses to those in need.
Demonstrated success building relationships and collaborative efforts with individuals and communities of diverse ethnicities, cultures, abilities, faiths, and economic backgrounds.
Must be self-motivated and work well in an unstructured environment.
Intermediate competency with computers and basic software is required, including Microsoft Word, Excel, Google Drive, and HMIS or other database systems.
Able to efficiently transport oneself to multiple job sites, partner locations, system meetings, etc.
Fluency in Spanish or other languages is a plus.

COMPENSATION

The base salary for this ranges from $100,000-$120,000, commensurate on experience.

LOCATION

This position is based in Portland, Oregon and requires 3-4 days in-office.