Job Description

OUR COMMUNITY

We live in a world where division, disparity, and poverty affect everyone. When we unite as changemakers at Greater Twin Cities United Way we can disrupt systems, unlock human potential, change narratives, create equitable solutions, and advocate for policies that result in lasting change.

As an interconnected community focused on equity and inclusion, we can draw from our best minds, courageous leaders, responsive services and collaborative partnerships, and bring forth working solutions to shape our future together.

YOUR ROLE IN PARTICIPATING: Program Officer, Pathways Home : A systems change initiative focused on foster care and criminal justice reform

YOUR DEPARTMENT: Community Impact

YOUR REPORTING MANAGER: Associate Director, Innovation

OUR MISSION AND VALUES

MISSION: Unite changemakers, advocate for social good and develop solutions to address the challenges no one can solve alone.

VALUES: Equity, collaboration, agility, and transparency

PRIMARY PURPOSE OF YOUR ROLE

A member of the Community Impact Grantmaking Team, the Program Officer for Pathways Home will lead the strategy and execution of key aspects of the Greater Twin Cities United Way (GTCUW) Pathways Home initiative. Pathways Home is a systems change initiative, with the vision to transform foster care and criminal legal systems so that all young people have the housing stability and support they need to achieve their dreams.

The Program Officer will collaborate closely with community and grantee partners, leveraging extensive knowledge of foster care and the justice system to develop strong partnerships and integrate diverse perspectives. This role will determine and monitor overall project goals, outcomes and strategy, select project partners, and foster strategic collaborations with leaders in the foster, criminal legal and housing systems.

The ideal candidate will be a proactive leader with substantial experience in cross sector collaboration for systems change as well as understanding foster care systems, justice systems and the intersections within these systems such as housing, education, etc. They should employ a strategic approach to guide their work and demonstrate a strong commitment to advancing racial equity and promoting an inclusive environment.

This position is a specially funded, project-specific initiative funded through 2028. The role also includes supporting fundraising efforts in conjunction with the Associate Director of Innovation.

ROLE ACCOUNTABILITIES

STRATEGY & VISION (30%)

• Collaborate on strategic direction for Pathways Home and connect the Pathways Home overall vision, goals, and activities with community partners, ensuring clear links to outcomes, impact, and progress measures.
• Utilize community input, research and best practices to ideate potential solutions, partnerships, and strategies aligned with the initiative’s vision.
• Recommend strategy revisions and adapt project work plans as needed to reflect changes in community conditions, initiative funding, and policy environment.
• Integrate best practices, research for youth and young adults transitioning from foster care and/or incarceration through a systems change and racial equity lens into strategy and activities.
• Exercise thought leadership in communicating the Pathways Home initiative vision and impact.

PROGRAM MANAGEMENT (25%)

• Lead the Pathways Home initiative, providing strategic input, oversight and direction.
• Collaborate with internal teams, departments, and external stakeholders to ensure effective execution of the initiative.
• Facilitate collaboration and co-creation with community stakeholders to ensure that inclusive and equitable community voices are integrated throughout the initiative.
• Plan, execute, and oversee all workstreams, including grantmaking activities and lead and facilitate peer learning and technical assistance workshops for the Pathways Home community of practice.
• Develop and maintain project work plans.
• Develop, manage, and track initiative budgets and expenses.
• Develop, review, and provide oversight to grants, memoranda of agreement/understanding, and contracts.
• Advocate for youth and young adults experiencing the impact of foster care and/or the justice system throughout their work.

FIELD BUILDING & EXTERNAL RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT (25%)

• Represent Greater Twin Cities United Way in external partnerships to elevate the need for preventative systems of care supporting foster youth and justice-involved individuals in partnership with the Associate Director of Innovation.
• Facilitate partnerships that advance work through promoting communication, celebrating successes, and problem-solving.
• Lead Pathways Home community advisory group to meaningfully shape initiative design and impact.
• Support activities to generate additional resources including donor cultivation and stewardship.
• Coordinate work across nonprofit partners, networks, and collaborations.
• Represent and communicate compellingly the work and value of GTCUW and the Pathways Home initiative externally.
• Stay abreast of trends and emerging opportunities to ensure the initiative remains current and responsive, focusing on broader systemic impacts and solutions.
• Build relationships with a wide range of individuals and organizations across sectors related to Pathways Home.

FUNDRAISING (10%)

• Partner closely with fundraising teams to generate additional resources for key work including donor cultivation and stewardship.

MEASUREMENT, LEARNING & EVALUATION (5%)

• Partner to develop and execute evaluation of the project toward stated outcomes.
• Ensure progress is regularly communicated including successes and effective strategies, short-term measures and outcomes, and ongoing improvement and learning.

OTHER DUTIES AS ASSIGNED (5%)

• Contribute to the Community Impact Grantmaking team’s strategy by helping develop future initiatives, investigating community challenges, and generating innovative ideas and solutions.

COMPETENCIES THAT SUPPORT YOUR WORK

• 5-7 years of experience in program leadership and cross-sector collaboration for systems change is required. Experience working in homelessness prevention, foster care, criminal justice or related fields is preferred.
• Knowledge of current foster care and justice systems and best practices in evidence-based approaches is desirable.
• Understanding of the Twin Cities region and our unique local opportunities, assets and challenges is desirable.
• Experience in addressing systemic inequities in community programs or services, with a focus on creating equitable solutions and improving access and outcomes for communities that have been disproportionately impacted by inequitable systems.
• Embody GTCUW core values of equity, agility, transparency, and collaboration.
• Exhibits leadership in diversity, equity and inclusion in all aspects of role.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with ability to tailor communications to unique and varied audiences of stakeholders.
• Demonstrated project management skills.
• Excellent relationship management skills.
• Ability to lead adult learning; experienced facilitation skills.
• Advances a positive work environment.
• Familiarity with data collection processes and analysis skills to track trends and outcomes.
• Ability to relate to and work with a diverse group of stakeholders.
• Ability to travel within the nine-county metro.
• Key competencies include: balances stakeholders, builds networks, communicates effectively, collaborates, cultivates innovation, decision quality, demonstrates self-awareness, drives results, instills trust, manages ambiguity, plans and aligns, organizational savvy, strategic mindset, values differences.

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