Senior Director, Chapters

About Active Minds

The Senior Director, Chapters conceives, owns, and oversees the strategy, team, and program impact of Active Minds’ nationwide Chapter Network, a network of high school and college/university student organizations mobilizing peers to take collective action that changes mental health norms in their schools and communities.

Key Results

• Program Oversight and Collaborative Strategy Development:

  • Conceive, set, and own the strategic vision and measurable goals for the Chapter Network, aligned with Active Minds’ Theory of Change and organizational priorities.
  • Oversee the Chapter Network’s program design framework, including behavioral outcomes, performance objectives, and program components.
  • Cultivate strategic relationships with high schools, school districts, higher education institutions, community organizations, national partners, and funders.
  • Lead strategic planning for the Chapters Team, including the launch and scaling of a nationwide chapter visits program serving 500+ active chapters, the annual distribution of resources and onboarding materials to all chapters, and the organic expansion of the network into new schools and districts.
  • Provide thought leadership on youth mobilization, chapter-based advocacy, and peer-to-peer mental health programming.
  • Proactively identify opportunities for program innovation, piloting new approaches and scaling what works across the network.

• Team Planning, Leadership, and Support:

  • Directly manage a team of three direct reports and an overall Chapters Team of eight staff.
  • Coach and develop team members, building their leadership capacity and supporting their professional growth.
  • Partner with the Chief Program Officer on team planning, capacity assessment, and organizational alignment.
  • Work closely with Senior Managers overseeing chapter program implementation to ensure outcomes and objectives are executed with quality, consistency, and equity.
  • Drive continuous improvement in team workflows, decision-making processes, and program infrastructure.

• Cross Departmental Project and People Coordination:

  • Serve on the Active Minds Leadership Team, fostering collaboration, operationalizing decisions, supporting inclusion, and providing cross-organizational insights and expertise.
  • Collaborate with the Measurement Team to evaluate program outcomes and use data insights to inform program improvements.
  • Serve as the Chapters Team’s primary cross-organizational connector, proactively coordinating with Development, Equity & Inclusion, Marketing & Communications, Measurement, Operations, and People & Culture.

• Budget Oversight:

  • Manage the Chapter Network program budget with full accountability for planning, stewardship, and reporting.
  • Ensure budget decisions are aligned with program priorities and that the Chapters Team is deploying resources in a way that maximizes impact across the network.

• Strategic Communication and Advanced Reporting:

  • Partner with foundations, corporate partners, and other funders, drafting proposals and tracking and reporting project progress and deliverables.
  • Translate the Chapter Network’s program design, outcomes framework, and impact data into compelling narratives for funders, the Board, and external audiences.
  • Represent Active Minds in external meetings, conferences, and partnership discussions.
  • Support partnership development and implementation to enhance engagement and collaboration with school and community stakeholders.
  • Utilize project management tools to maintain team accountability, track deliverables, and ensure follow-through on strategic priorities.

Qualifications

• About You:

  • Demonstrated thought leader with a track record of coaching and developing people managers, building high-performing teams, and influencing outcomes beyond their direct vertical.
  • Committed to Active Minds’ mission and to centering youth and young adults as leaders in mental health advocacy.
  • Sets clear goals and measurable objectives, translates vision into actionable plans, and holds a growing and distributed team accountable to results in a fast-moving environment.
  • Manages competing priorities effectively and adapts to shifting organizational needs.

• Requirements:

  • 10+ years of related experience in campus organizing, youth mobilization, chapter or network management, or a related field within a nonprofit environment, with demonstrated progression into senior leadership roles.
  • Demonstrated experience managing people managers and building team capacity across a growing, distributed team, including hiring, developing, and retaining staff at multiple career levels.
  • Demonstrated success in building and scaling programs, centering equity and measurement.
  • Demonstrated ability to serve as a thought leader and external representative for an organization, including funder relationships, conference presentations, and partnership development at a senior level.
  • Familiarity and comfort using Microsoft & Google products and online meeting tools.
  • Experience with Salesforce and/or other content management systems.

Culture

Active Minds is a place where every employee matters. We value diverse perspectives, radical authenticity, and a community-driven approach. We dream big, offering flexibility to staff while we work to achieve our mission. As such, we are proud to offer competitive salaries and benefits and an environment that is friendly to remote working and life/work balance.

Compensation

This position offers an initial salary of $113,400 along with robust benefits. The starting pay for this position is equal to others at the same level throughout the organization. Candidates whose experience meets both the minimum and preferred qualifications may be considered for a starting salary that exceeds the current amount. The role sits within Active Minds Level 6 salary band, and as such, has the potential to grow to $170,100 over time.