Director, Refugee & Immigrant Services

Jewish Family and Community Services of Pittsburgh•Pittsburgh, PA

7d•Onsite

About The Position

JFCS Pittsburgh has been an innovative force for cutting-edge human service delivery since 1937. We weave compassion, innovation, and a relentless commitment to dignity and justice through every element of our work. We partner with people across the region to navigate life’s changes and challenges, ensuring that no neighbor navigates these difficulties alone. We proudly serve job seekers, refugees and immigrants, people experiencing food insecurity, those seeking mental health support, youth, and older adults. Through meaningful support and compassionate care, our goal is to help every person feel valued, empowered, and able to reach their full potential. At JFCS, your work matters. You’ll join a team of passionate problem solvers and strategic thinkers who care deeply about people and aren’t afraid to rethink the way support is delivered. Here, creativity is encouraged, compassion drives every decision, and your impact is felt immediately in the community. If you want your work to spark purpose, connection, and meaningful change—JFCS is where you can make it happen.

Requirements

Minimum Bachelor’s degree, Master’s preferred
Minimum 5 years’ experience working in leadership with nonprofit administration
Experience working with refugees and/or other immigrants
Experience supervising a large team and mentoring new supervisors
Collaborative, humble approach to leadership, with a keen ability to listen critically and assimilate and synthesize diverse opinions, approaches, and information
Strong experience with program design
Thorough monitoring and evaluation abilities
Extensive experience with grant compliance and evaluation

Nice To Haves

Personal experience with the US immigration system preferred
Creativity
Curiosity
A focus on life-long learning
Kindness
Insightfulness
Strategic thinking
A passion for justice
A calm and positive attitude

Responsibilities

Direct and supervise the provision of all immigrant and refugee social services, including refugee resettlement, case management, volunteer and peer support programs, and community collaborations.
Maintain strong relationships with funders, including partnering with leadership and development staff to craft grant proposals and reports and oversee the implementation of grants and spending.
Nurture a supportive, trauma-informed, team environment, with a particular focus on cross-cultural dynamics, environmental and historical contexts, and a focus on work rooted in JFCS values and deep collaboration.
Provide ongoing professional development and team building so that insight, self-care, and skills are enhanced and supported.
Lead with strategic approaches to ongoing change, as immigration and refugee resettlement are in flux.
Understand the needs and priorities of the immigrant and refugee community and can advocate, organize, and initiate new programs and collaborations.
Represent JFCS both internally and in the external community as an expert in the needs and priorities of the refugee and immigrant community.
Act as a liaison to task forces, committees and other organizing bodies regionally and nationally.
Understand and identify cross-cultural biases and have a deep understanding and commitment to addressing cultural differences.
Develop strategies for inclusivity in the provision of client services.
Ensure that all services, such as case management, peer support groups, service coordination and navigation have appropriate policies, procedures, and training that are consistent with JFCS organizational goals and client needs, optimal service delivery and grant and contract requirements.
Create emergency response plans and ensures that programs are able to respond to local and/or global events.
Stay abreast of local, state, and national developments concerning refugees and immigrants.
Participate in JFCS Leadership activities including the development of strategy, new initiatives, outcomes, impact, and organizational well-being.
Foster collaborative relationships with other departments within JFCS to comprehensively meet the needs of all clients.
Collaborate with external partners and funders to make them aware of local needs.
Interpret partner and funder expectations into concrete policies, procedures, and actions for staff.
Address urgent client and service provider issues.
Advocate for change at systems levels.
Act as a liaison with advisory councils, tasks forces, and advocacy organizations by actively collaborating with other agencies in the field.
Partner with the Development Team to prepare foundation, state, local and federal grants and contracts.
Ensure implementation and compliance related to grants, services and contracts.
Participate in the preparation of reports for grants and contracts with the ultimate responsibility for submitting all data with accuracy and attention to detail.
Partner in building new initiatives for regional and statewide leadership.
Lead on implementation, maintenance, and evaluation of new initiatives.
Build and maintain a strong team through hiring, onboarding, supervising, professional development, self-care, and collaborative cross-training.
Set the tone for an effective and high functioning team by demonstrating encouragement, openness, clear communication, self-care, and accountability for the highest standards in the provision of client services.
Assist with problem solving and resource development when challenging client situations emerge and ensures a strength-based, client-centered approach to case management.
Convene and lead departmental and certain project-specific staff meetings and oversees the convening of other project meetings as needed.
Provide for the professional and personal development of all department staff, and assists leadership to do the same for their direct reports.
Participate in meetings and conferences regarding contracts, grants, and partnerships.
Participate in all leadership meetings and activities of JFCS.
Other duties as assigned.