Director of Strong Households

Position Summary

The Director of Strong Households supports the mission and vision of Metro United Way and the community by leading a complex, multi-county portfolio focused on advancing economic mobility, basic needs, and community care systems across the seven-county region. In addition to overseeing pillar-specific initiatives, this role serves as a key driver of Metro United Way’s ongoing evolution from a traditional community investment model to a community transformation model by translating strategy into scalable programs, systems, and partnerships. The Director serves as a senior leader within the Community Impact division, working collaboratively across departments and with external partners to strengthen community impact, mobilize resources, and advance regional priorities. This role plays a key role in translating organizational strategy into practice within the Strong Households portfolio while contributing insights, partnerships, and implementation experience to broader organizational planning and transformation efforts.

Key Responsibilities / Essential Functions

The Director, Strong Households' job responsibilities include:

Strong Households Pillar & Portfolio Leadership

• Lead the strategic planning, implementation, and continuous improvement of the Strong Households pillar, ensuring alignment with Metro United Way’s organizational impact goals, equity commitments, and regional priorities.
• Oversee and grow a diverse portfolio of initiatives spanning basic needs, economic mobility, and community care systems.
• Apply data-driven insights, research, and community feedback to assess needs, evaluate impact, and refine strategy across the seven-county region.
• Support innovation and adaptation of programming to respond to emerging community needs and systemic gaps.
• Lead ongoing assessment and optimization of the Strong Households portfolio to ensure initiatives remain aligned with organizational priorities, community needs, and available resources.

Organizational Transformation

• Serve as a strategic contributor in Metro United Way’s transition from a community chest model to a community transformation model by designing, testing, and scaling initiatives within the Strong Households pillar that address root causes of economic and social instability.
• Translate organizational strategy into executable initiatives, processes, and practices within the Strong Households portfolio while contributing implementation insights into enterprise-wide framework and operating model development.
• Contribute to enterprise-wide strategy development by bringing Strong Households perspectives, insights, and implementation experience to cross-functional leadership and planning discussions.
• Identify, develop, and operationalize opportunities that advance Strong Households priorities while leveraging cross-pillar collaboration to strengthen Metro United Way's long-term impact and sustainability.
• Partner closely with Development, Finance, Grants, Marketing, and Operations teams to align community impact work with fundraising strategy, financial stewardship, and operational excellence.
• Partner closely with the Executive Director of Strategy & Transformation to pilot, refine, and operationalize organizational transformation initiatives, strategic frameworks, and emerging operating models.

Regional Systems Leadership & External Relations

• Act as a regional systems leader and backbone organization representative, convening public, private, and nonprofit partners to advance shared goals across all seven counties.
• Lead or support collective impact efforts by establishing governance structures, defining shared outcomes, aligning strategies, and facilitating collaboration among diverse stakeholders.
• Build and steward high-trust relationships with local and state government agencies, funders, healthcare systems, school districts, and community-based organizations.
• Represent Metro United Way in high-visibility regional and national forums, contributing thought leadership on issues related to Strong Households, economic mobility, and community transformation.
• Coordinate with the Policy team to inform and advance policy agendas connected to Strong Households priorities and regional systems change.

Financial Stewardship, Operations, & People Leadership

• Provide strategic and fiduciary oversight for a complex, multi-funded portfolio of Strong Households initiatives, including development, management, and monitoring of operating and grant-funded budgets across multiple funding streams.
• Lead the identification, negotiation, and stewardship of public and private investments, contracts, and grants that advance Strong Households priorities, ensuring alignment with Metro United Way’s financial controls, compliance requirements, and impact goals.
• Drive financial sustainability and operational effectiveness by identifying opportunities for cost efficiencies, revenue generation, and resource leveraging, and by translating financial data into actionable decisions that strengthen program performance and long-term viability.
• Partner closely with Finance, Development, Grants, and Operations teams to align community impact delivery with fundraising strategy, financial planning, reporting requirements, and organizational systems.
• Lead, supervise, and develop a multidisciplinary team by setting clear expectations, providing coaching and feedback, and fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Ensure that staff have the operational tools, processes, and professional development needed to manage complex initiatives, respond to emergent community needs, and execute work at a high level across the seven-county region.

Education / Experience Requirements

• Five years of experience in nonprofit, government or human service organization
• Management experience preferred
• Bachelor’s degree preferred

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong knowledge of community issues, resources, and efforts
• Experience in project management, including working with budgets, and performance measurement of community work.
• General knowledge of community issues and efforts related to Strong Households
• Facilitation Skills: Demonstrated experience with community planning, community organization and working in a team planning process
• Previous supervisory experience preferred
• Must be able to take initiative, create and execute strategies, demonstrate leadership, work independently and produce consistently high-quality work.
• Strong research skills
• Ability to effectively manage grants and associated reports
• Knowledge of the human service system
• Excellent attention to detail
• Demonstrated ability to supervise employees
• Demonstrated skill in oral and written communication
• Demonstrated skill with MS Office tools (Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc.)
• Must be a hands-on, independent self-starter who is effective in a fast-paced environment and capable of prioritizing multiple, changing tasks

Behavioral Expectations

• Embraces the Metro United Way Values:
  • Champion Equity – Commits to operationalizing and integrating diversity, equity and inclusion into our culture every day, because without equity our other values are incomplete.
  • Think We Before Me – Prioritizes team and community over self; is a consistent ambassador of MUW both inside and out of the office.
  • Build Up – Cultivates growth in self, colleagues and community through succeeding and failing forward.
  • Break Through – Demonstrates courage, innovation, and resiliency by embracing change and encouraging and acting on new ideas.
  • Own It – Takes personal responsibility and accountability for one’s role and actions.
• Assists or takes on new tasks to help Metro United Way achieve its mission.
• Maintains confidentiality regarding personnel and organizational information.
• Adheres to and models the Metro United Way Guidelines for Appropriate Conduct at all times.