Benefits:
401(k)
Dental insurance
Health insurance
Paid time off
Vision insurance
Job Title: Director of Programs
FLSA Status: Exempt
Reports to: Executive Director
Supervisory Responsibilities: DREAM Program Manager, Farm and Agriculture Programs Manager and Farm Team, Community Engagement Coordinator, Technical Assistance Manager (TBD) with Leadership and HR support.
Start Date: February 2025
COMPANY DESCRIPTION
Dreaming Out Loud’s mission is to create economic opportunities for the DC metro region’s marginalized community members through building a healthy, equitable food system. Dreaming Out Loud is rebuilding urban, community-based food systems through social enterprise, helping to increase access to healthy food and improve community health, develop low-income entrepreneurs and cooperatives, and train at-risk adult residents for sustainable, family-supporting wages.
JOB SUMMARY:
Reporting to the Executive Director(ED), the Program Director (PD) will assume responsibility for the overall strategic and operational direction of all program areas. The ideal candidate will be tasked with aligning programmatic-level strategy with organizational-level strategy including the mission and vision of Dreaming Out Loud (DOL). As the senior-most programmatic leader in the organization, the candidate will serve as the voice of programs in organizational-level strategy discussions and planning.
The PD will lead and coordinate the delivery of technical assistance to regional farm partners and DREAM Program participants, our signature food entrepreneurship program. Technical Assistance consists of consultations on crop selection, marketing, advertising, sales, production, quality control, and logistics management. Technical assistance will occur through in-person sessions and via virtual meetings when in-person meetings are not available.
Under the leadership of the ED, the PD will provide leadership and direction to translate the organizational-level strategies into effective programmatic-level strategies through a lens that supports long-term sustainable change. The PD is responsible for developing, implementing and managing key aspects of annual programs, operating goals and program budgets in collaboration with other members of the executive team. Additionally, the PD will play a lead role in the development of an evaluation framework that measures the efficacy of each of the three layers of strategy, with a specific focus on evaluating program efficacy, impact and sustainability. The PD will serve as a member of the Leadership team, collaborating closely with DOL’s other senior leaders to collectively deliver outstanding results and impact through comprehensive strategic, operational and cultural practices.
The work of DOL is structured through a portfolio of interconnected programs, initiatives, and social ventures. All staff play a role in connecting and synthesizing knowledge across teams to further DOL’s Mission and Vision. Therefore, this person may be assigned to either of DOL’s initiatives based on program cycles and evolving organizational needs.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Programmatic Strategy, Vision and Leadership
Provides programmatic leadership and input for all organizational-level strategic planning processes with other members of the executive team.
Oversees the development and execution of programmatic-level strategies, ensuring ongoing, clear alignment with overall organizational strategy.
Identifies, advocates for, and secures resources, capabilities and processes needed for teams to deliver on strategies and long-term goals.
Drives cross-initiative alignment through the establishment of communication and collaboration norms between cross functional teams (operations, finance, communications, etc.). Ensures that all program activities operate consistently and ethically within the mission and values of the organization.
Oversees the assessment of core initiatives, including the DREAM Program, technical assistance, and community-based initiatives. Guides leaders and teams to adjust strategy and/or operating plans when necessary to drive greater impact and/or better align programmatic-level strategy to the broader organizational-level strategy.
Represents DOL’s brand to internal and external partners.
Represents DOL in industry-group conferences, professional associations, and other public venues.
Provides a strong day-to-day leadership presence to all staff; supports an open-door policy among all staff.
Programmatic Operations
Provides high-level oversight into the preparation of the annual operating goals of programs and ensures their alignment with organizational strategies. Presents goals to the ED for review and approval, oversees the execution of plans to reach goals, and reports accurately on progress made and challenges encountered.
Provides high-level oversight to ensure all leaders deliver annual operating plans in alignment with programmatic strategies and operating goals, and in accordance with the organization’s mission and values, policies and practices, and other DOL requirements.
Provides high-level development and oversight of annual programmatic budgets, ensuring they align with program strategies. Presents budgets to the executive team for review and approval, ensures direct reports manage budget to meet payout, reports progress and challenges accurately to the executive team.
Establishes and maintains clear lines of accountability for initiative leaders and their downlines.
Leads the development of evaluation frameworks to drive organizational impact, focused specifically on the identification of key performance indicators and metrics for each initiative, particularly the DREAM Program, technical assistance, and community-based initiatives.
Ensures that initiative leaders assess partner results and effectiveness, ensuring partners are delivering on programmatic expectations to drive impact. Recommends adjustments to approach when needed.
Identifies any gaps in initiative needs for effective implementation and works with VP of Operations to establish new and/or improved processes, capabilities and resources where relevant.
In collaboration with Communications, ensures Foundation’s communications, website and branding appropriately and accurately represent all Foundation initiatives.
Carries out special projects as needed.
Team Development/Management
Recruits and manages a team to support the implementation of DOL programs and initiatives, particularly the DREAM Program, technical assistance, and community-based initiatives.
Promotes a culture of high performance and continuous improvement that values learning and a commitment to quality.
Mentors and develops staff using a supportive and collaborative approach on a consistent basis.
Establishes and monitors staff performance and development goals, assigns accountabilities, sets objectives, establishes priorities, and conducts annual performance appraisals.
JOB REQUIREMENTS
The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required to execute assigned responsibilities. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. Equivalent combination of work experience and training in lieu of a degree will also be considered. Specific requirements include:
Bachelor’s degree in relevant field required; Master’s degree strongly preferred.
10+ years of overall professional experience.
5-10 years of functional leadership experience in a senior management position that includes performing in a supervisory role and developing talent.
Experience with program administration, measurement and evaluation.
Demonstrating a track record of delivering superior results, commanding respect, and assuming leadership roles.
Must be able to read, write and speak English at college level, perform mathematical calculations required for the position and be adept at interpreting and comprehending company policies and procedures.
Must have the ability to convey necessary information accurately, listen effectively, and ask questions when clarification is needed.
Ideal candidate must adapt to change easily and be able to work independently.
Candidate should be collaborative, personable with exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
Candidate must have an ability to complete projects accurately and within deadlines.
The ideal candidate will have had at least 5-7 years of team and people management experience.
COMPENSATION
Annual salary range: $85,000 to $100,000, commensurate with experience. Benefits include (health insurance, monthly cell phone allowance, monthly travel/commuting allowance).
WORK LOCATION
Work duties will be primarily performed at DOL’s co-located office and program space at DC Central Kitchen’s The Klein Center of Jobs and Justice, 2121 1st Street SW. . Additionally, work may be performed at other DOL agricultural and programs spaces. Prospective employees may be expected to perform work duties at other locations or sites deemed reasonable by Dreaming Out Loud, Inc. This position is not remote.
WANT TO APPLY?
Send your resume and cover letter with the subject line: LAST NAME - Program Director to cj.bugay@humancapsc.com by February 10th, 2025, for priority consideration. Applicants will be interviewed on a rolling basis, and we will contact you if we are interested in scheduling an interview. Please send an email to the above address with questions.
DOL provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, DOL complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the organization has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, and transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
Flexible work from home options available.