Director, Mobility Initiatives

United Way for Southeastern Michigan • Detroit, MI

2d

About The Position

The Director, Mobility Initiatives is responsible for leading the development and implementation of initiatives, focused on helping lower-income individuals improve their access to the necessary resources to resolve their transportation barriers. The Director will lead a collaborative, dynamic program team to achieve improvements in process efficiency, program quality, and impact for the Ride United program and related mobility initiatives.
Ride United is a supportive service offered that mitigates transportation barriers to help people obtain and maintain employment. The comprehensive service includes direct mobility supports to resolve underlying transportation barriers such as acquiring and reinstating driver's licenses, vehicle purchases and repairs, and more, as well as access to bus passes and on-demand rides. The program is executed by a cross-functional internal team in collaboration with numerous external partners and vendors.

The Director, Mobility Initiatives will focus on operational excellence, continuous improvement, and the thoughtful development and launch of new program components. The Director will also lead complementary initiatives as new opportunities emerge and work cross-functionally with other Impact Directors to align efforts in support of the organization's goal to support low- to moderate-income families to move from crisis to stability, and from stability to thriving.

A successful Director will draw from deep experience creating, leading, and refining programs and partnerships in the social service, workforce development, or related sectors. They will lead the program team to thoughtfully build on the existing program strategy and achieve greater impact for the individuals we serve.

Requirements

• Ability to collaborate with a diverse group of people, exhibiting cultural sensitivity
• Ability to lead collaborative tables with varying interests and goals to a shared vision for community impact and economic mobility
• Deep project management and leadership skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strong initiative, problem-solving skills, and entrepreneurial mind-set
• Strong information synthesis skills and the ability to draw meaningful insights from both quantitative and qualitative data and translate those insights into actionable program improvements.
• Ability to assess and incorporate feedback.
• Ability to set priorities, take initiative, manage multiple tasks, and meet deadlines.
• A bachelor's degree in human or social sciences, social work, nonprofit management, public administration or a related field
• A minimum of 7-10 years of experience managing complex projects, programs, and/or continuous improvement initiatives in a social sector setting.
• Experience leading cross functional team efforts to think creatively and meet goals.
• Subject matter expertise and work experience leading projects or programs to address barriers to economic mobility, such as financial empowerment, housing, workforce development, etc.

Nice To Haves

• master's degree preferred.
• Experience working specifically to address the challenge of transportation barriers among low-income individuals is a strong plus.
• Experience managing grant-funded projects/programs and funder relationships is a strong plus.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary architect for the Mobility Initiatives portfolio, focused on addressing transportation barriers as a means to move ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) families toward self-sufficiency.
• Oversee the Ride United program, coordinating multiple internal workstreams and external partnerships to enhance program effectiveness and efficiency and maximize successful, sustainable transportation outcomes for the people we serve.
• Identify and pilot projects to improve accessibility and develop new funding models for enhanced mobility solutions for ALICE families and individuals.
• Effectively supervise the program team, providing guidance on overall program strategy, priorities and goal setting, strategic partnerships and relationship development, work planning, program analysis and monitoring, professional development, etc.
• Develop processes and accountability to ensure program results meet objectives regarding quality, outcomes, schedule, and budget.
• Use expertise and leadership skills to guide staff and to resolve issues to ensure program/initiative goals and requirements are met.
• Manage the full lifecycle of multiple grant processes supporting the Ride United program and other programs or initiatives within the portfolio, from strategy and application to reporting and evaluation.
• Work with key resource development leadership and staff to identify both traditional fund development opportunities as well as new revenue models and non-traditional funders. Provide input and support the creation of funding proposals.
• In partnership with Community Impact departmental and organizational leadership, respond quickly and effectively to new opportunities for thought partnership, stakeholder engagement, and program design.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level