Director, Strategic Initiatives & Special Projects

Illinois Action For Children • Chicago, IL

21h • Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Strategic Initiatives & Special Projects advances the organization’s Strategic Plan and Balanced Scorecard goals by facilitating operational planning, alignment, tracking, and reflection for selected strategic initiatives. This Director supports the SVP Operations and Executive Team through regular and timely reporting on those initiatives and other assigned topics and follows up as directed. The position involves working with Senior Managers collectively and individually. All work to be completed with minimum supervision and in accordance with Company standards.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in management, planning, policy, or related field
• Three (3) to five (5) years’ experience in management, planning, or policy, including at least 2 years’ experience in project management
• Excellent project management skills, both technical (use of planning frameworks and software) and interpersonal (motivating people)
• Excellent group facilitation skills
• Key knowledge of the principles and methods of Project Management and familiarity with Organizational Change concepts
• Excellent public speaking, interpersonal and communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and translate business performance gaps into capacity development strategies.
• Exceptional track record developing and delivering systems analysis and project management initiatives.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal skills with all levels of employees and superior process management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to build strong relationships with key organization leaders.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities while delivering high quality results.
• Strong analytical skills, business planning and project management skills.
• Collaborates effectively with others to identify and resolve issues.
• Exhibits personal responsibility and commitment towards the company's values.
• Able to nurture, guide and motivate the staff to effectively deliver processes that support business results.

Nice To Haves

• Masters preferred
• Previous supervisory or people management experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Participates in and understands the organization’s strategic planning and balanced scorecard planning.
• Works closely with leadership on strategy, policy, problem-solving, and decision making.
• Conducts deep dives into existing business and operational systems, processes, and policies to make recommendations regarding current and future operations to support the mission and organizational growth.
• Compile and analyze data to inform recommendations for strategic business decisions.
• Proactively share insights with leadership about opportunities, risks, and mitigations.
• Support Operations Team functions, in collaboration with SVP Ops and in alignment with Ops Team deliverables.
• Facilitate collaboration and continuity across departments.
• Provide support in the completion of strategic initiatives and special projects.
• Help implement goals from strategic priorities.
• Research and explore new initiatives.
• Assists in the development of project plans for each key strategic initiative chosen by the Executive Team and CEO, including timelines, cross-department communication plans, milestones, and outcome measures.
• Facilitates the alignment of various departments’ work to support the initiatives and to ensure that department goals cascade from the organization’s goals.
• Works with Quality Improvement department staff to track and report progress and document obstacles.
• Monitors deliverables to promote continuous quality improvement cycles for identified strategic initiatives.
• Provides administrative and organizational support for Executive and Senior Management Team meetings and other internal meetings identified by the SVP Operations, including preparation of materials, written summaries, and follow-up as necessary.
• Provides and coordinates staff support to SVP Operations at identified external meetings, presentations, and events, and ensures timely follow-up on all action items.
• The Organization may assign other functions to the job at its discretion.

Benefits

• Health, dental, and vision insurance plans with company contribution of 95% for single coverage
• 401 (k) with company match
• Generous PTO – first year-23 days, the second year-28 days, the third year and on-35 days
• 11 Paid Holidays and 1 Floating Holiday
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Flexible Spending Account
• STD & LTD insurance
• Company-paid Life Insurance

What This Job Offers

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