Director of Community Sustainability

Communities Unlimited, Inc.

25d

About The Position

CU’s Community Sustainability work takes an asset-based approach but also clearly assesses a community’s needs. The team has used a community assessment tool, leadership development curriculum and individualized technical assistance to develop diverse leadership teams that nurture new entrepreneurial opportunities in 11 communities with some 20 additional communities in the pipeline. The Community Sustainability work has been funded by the USDA Rural Community Development Initiative grants, USDA Rural Business Development Grants, private philanthropy, and through contracts with communities. The Director of Community Sustainability must be a highly collaborative leader – with external and internal stakeholders, be responsive to partners, customers, and the other members of the CU staff to identify unmet needs in our service area and pilot and implement new ways of supporting communities and connecting them to resources. Detailed position announcement attached below. Candidates must either live or be willing to relocate within the 7-state region for this position. Those states include Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee or Texas. CU offers a range of benefits, including medical, dental, and vision insurance, a Health Savings Account with annual employer contributions, Flexible Spending Accounts, company-paid Short-Term & Long-Term Disability and Basic Life Insurance. An Employer 401k Match, paid holiday, vacation and sick time.

Requirements

Candidates must either live or be willing to relocate within the 7-state region for this position. Those states include Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee or Texas.
Option A: A bachelor's degree and a minimum of 10 years' experience in community sustainability, community development, economic development or a related field. Also, 5 years of prior supervisory experience.
OR
Option B: Associate degree and a minimum of 12 years’ experience in community sustainability, community development, economic development or related field. Also, 5 years of prior supervisory experience.
OR
Option C: A high school diploma or equivalent and a minimum of 14 years' experience in community sustainability, community development, economic development or a related field. Also, 5 years of prior supervisory experience.
Must maintain a valid driver's license, have reliable transportation, an acceptable driving record, and at least the state minimum personal liability auto insurance coverage.
Must be authorized to work in the USA.
Experience that demonstrates a working knowledge of challenges faced by rural communities in CU’s geographic service area.
Demonstrated success securing program funding program. Experience writing successful federal / state grant applications is preferred.
Proficient use of a computer, internet, smart phone (texting, email, photos, videos, social media, and calls), web-based databases for data-entry, Microsoft Office suite including Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint are required. The use of additional software for project-related activities may be required, and training will be provided.

Nice To Haves

Responsibility for a program budget greater than $75,000 may be given preference.
Prior supervisory experience may be given preference.
Strong preference for experience collaborating with a wide variety of stakeholders.

Responsibilities

Implement strategies within the program area and in coordination with other program areas to enable CU to reach its strategic goals.
Create and implement strategies for entering and successfully moving communities toward prosperity throughout CU’s service region, integrating this work with CU’s other service areas resulting in sustainable and replicable model.
Lead the adaptation of various tools/strategies used by strategic partners to CU’s Community Sustainability initiative.
Serve as an active member of the CU’s Senior Leadership Team, including attending leadership meetings in Fayetteville and/or other designated sites and participating in weekly conference calls with the leadership team.
Representing CU with regional partners, State and Federal contracting agencies, and other venues as necessary including attendance and/or presentation at various conferences.
Management and supervision of 1-5 professional program staff located in multiple states.
Development of program and contract budgets (Federal and State) in coordination with CEO and HR. Develop training program and materials for internal staff engaged in community work.
Train employees engaged in community initiatives work.
Recruitment, hiring, training and performance management of staff, in coordination with Human Resources and applicable HR and federal contractor policies and regulations.
Capture lessons learned on a continuous basis from the field.
Contribute language, articles, and success stories of the communities’ work to the organization’s larger communications efforts.
Identify new funding sources and contractual opportunities to expand CU’s work in communities.
Prepare funding proposals to maintain or expand the program in response to Requests for Proposals or Invitations for Bids following CU grant/contract management process.
Provide narrative reports to funding agencies in a timely fashion.
Monitor all project budgets monthly.
Monitoring of all contracts to ensure meeting of project and contract and objectives.
Maintain the highest level of confidentiality and security with all information, understanding your obligations in regard to client data, community environmental system data, borrower data, payroll data, HR data, medical information, workman’s compensation data, IT data, computer passwords, email account passwords, phone lock codes, etc.
Maintain working knowledge of and comply with corporate polices, procedure, supervisor direction and contractual compliance requirements and provide supervision to staff that includes accountability. Accurate and timely submission of time and expenses in compliance with CU policy and supervisor direction, understanding this record in a critical part of CU’s compliance with grants and contracts.
Comply with corporate branding and communication requirements and support corporate communication processes by submitting client stories, securing releases for use of client quotes/images; media capture (photos, videos, etc.) and collaborating with communications staff to promote events, loan closings, community projects and milestones and client businesses.
Attend CU staff meetings.
Represent CU at/facilitate other meetings and events as needed.
Special projects and other duties may be assigned by the supervisor or program director.