Deputy Director of Social Services

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Serves as second-in-command to the Executive Director of Social Services, acting on the Executive Director’s behalf and exercising delegated authority in their absence to ensure continuity of divisional leadership and decision-making.
• Partners with the Executive Director on divisional strategy, planning, and department-wide priorities, and supports the setting of direction across all department capacities.
• Represents the Executive Director and Social Services Department in internal and external settings as delegated, including with divisional leadership, funders, community partners, and committees.
• Supports coordination and alignment across the divisional Senior Directors of Program Operations; Mission Investment Management; and Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning to advance shared department objectives.
• Contributes to the development of departmental policies, procedures, and processes, and supports their consistent implementation across the department.

Regional Oversight and Divisional Authority

• Provides oversight of social services delivery across the Division's three geographic regions – Northwest Illinois, Central Illinois, and Chicago – ensuring Regional Directors connect program sites to Program Operations support, Mission Investment Management, and Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning.
• Directly supervises the Regional Directors of Social Services, holding each accountable for the effectiveness of their regional team and the quality of support delivered to program sites.
• Establishes and maintains the standards, expectations, and accountability structures that guide Regional Directors in delivering consistent, high-quality support across their regions.
• Ensures clear role clarity across regional teams, resolves escalation questions as they arise, and facilitates effective matrix relationships between Regional Directors and the divisional functional heads of Program Operations, Mission Investment Management, and Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning.
• Collaborates with the Senior Directors of Program Operations, Mission Investment Management, and Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning to ensure regional counterparts are effectively connected to divisional resources, standards, and tools.
• Antsents and responds to changes in the regional operating environment and ensures Regional Directors are positioned to adapt their teams accordingly.

Impact Area Stewardship and Field Connectivity

• Ensures Regional Directors serve as effective partners with site advisory boards, providing strategic guidance on program planning and community-responsive program development within their impact areas.
• Ensures every active program site in each region has a clear and accessible regional point of contact for administrative support, program development, and capacity building.
• Maintains the effectiveness of Regional Directors and their teams across all three geographic regions for consistency, responsiveness, and quality of site support.
• Identifies patterns of field need across regions, ensures regional teams have what they need to support sites effectively, and escalates systemic issues to the Executive Director of Social Services.

Community Representation and Stakeholder Partnership

• Ensures Regional Directors represent The Salvation Army effectively at regional and local levels, connecting program sites to community service agencies, social service providers, governmental agencies, and funding sources.
• Supports Regional Directors in building and sustaining local stakeholder relationships that advance mission outcomes and increase community visibility for program sites.
• Coordinates with corps officers, program and related institution directors, and local advisory boards, through Regional Directors, to advance program development that is grounded in community need and aligned with divisional priorities.
• Represents The Salvation Army on regional and local committees, task forces, and community planning bodies, as assigned.
• Cooperates with other social service agencies in community planning, needs assessments, information and referral, and case management coordination, as appropriate.

Regional Program Oversight

• Oversees Regional Directors' work to ensure program sites within each region maintain compliance with licensing, accreditation, and Salvation Army standards.
• Collaborates with the Senior Director of Mission Investment Management to ensure compliance support reaches program sites effectively through the matrix.
• Supports Regional Directors in conducting periodic program reviews that assess service quality, fiscal alignment, and consistency with divisional priorities.
• Collaborates with the Senior Director of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning to ensure outcome tools and performance tracking support reaches program sites effectively through the matrix.
• Ensures that program development proposals or modifications at the regional and site level reflect community need, divisional strategic priorities, and organizational capacity before advancing to the Executive Director.

Capacity Building and Staff Development

• Builds the leadership capacity of Regional Directors through direct supervision, mentorship, and ongoing professional development, ensuring each director has the skills to lead their regional team effectively.
• Ensures Regional Directors equip their site-level teams with the knowledge, tools, and practical support needed to deliver programs effectively.
• Coordinates with the Senior Director of Program Operations to ensure Regional Directors and their teams are effectively connected to divisional training resources, program development support, and case management standards.
• Supports Regional Directors in developing the competency and effectiveness of regional team members who matrix to program sites.
• Schedules, as appropriate, in-service training, site visits, and professional development opportunities for regional social services personnel, in coordination with divisional functional leads.

People and Culture

• Provides leadership, supervision, and development for the Regional Directors, and ensures regional team roles are staffed with individuals capable of delivering the mission effectively.
• Ensures the regional team operates in an environment characterized by clear direction, effective communication, teamwork, and ongoing professional growth.
• Fosters a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and collaboration across the three regional teams and with divisional functional departments.
• Acts as a representative of The Salvation Army and its mission in all internal and external relationships.