Director, Social Safety Net Initiatives at National Council on Aging in Arlington, Virginia

Job Description:

We believe every person deserves to age well. That’s why we’re on a path to improve the lives of 40 million older adults by 2030. Come join an awesome team and learn about the work we do, the people we serve, and why equitable aging matters now more than ever. At NCOA, we represent the interests of the aging population across the nation, while striving to live out our core values of equity, excellence, and innovation. This is meaningful work where we put “people first” and our employees can learn and grow, where work/life balance is prioritized, and have a flexible hybrid work schedule while being part of a dynamic, collaborative team.

We are interested in growing our team with passionate, committed, and innovative individuals. The Director, Economic and Social Safety Net Initiatives will join NCOA at a time of dynamic growth.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Director of Economic and Social Safety Net Initiatives oversees the Center for Benefits Access (CBA) portfolio of programs, products, and services for older adults facing economic insecurity. The Director is responsible for portfolio management and operational oversight, including financial performance for the portfolio, supporting business and partnership development within the portfolio, staff mentorship and development, and setting and executing a strategy that builds NCOA’s capabilities, offerings, and brand in the market.

The Director will be a subject matter expert on program design and policy interventions related to social safety nets and financial security. The portfolio is inclusive of initiatives related to food security, financial literacy, budget and debt management, housing, insurance, scams prevention, public benefits, health care expenses, transportation, and systems-level interventions that impact workforce pay and benefits for women, people of color, and low- and moderate-income people. The Director will have a leadership role on the team and will contribute to the direction, strategy, and growth of the Center for Benefits Access.

Positions at this level typically report to a senior director and require advanced knowledge and experience as well as strong management capabilities. Incumbents are required to exercise latitude and judgement within their scope of work and require minimal oversight. Incumbents generally have eight or more years of experience in their discipline and a master’s degree, as well as substantive experience at this level.

COMPETENCIES AND EXPECTATIONS

Oral Communication - Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations; listens and gets clarification; responds well to questions; demonstrates group presentation skills; participates in meetings.

Written Communication - Writes clearly and informatively; edits work for spelling and grammar; varies writing style to meet needs of different audiences; presents numerical data effectively; able to read and interpret written information.

Managing People - Includes staff in planning, decision-making, facilitating and process improvement; takes responsibility for subordinates' activities; makes self-available to staff; provides regular performance feedback; develops subordinates' skills and encourages growth; solicits and applies customer feedback (internal and external); fosters quality focus in others; improves processes, products, and services; continually works to improve supervisory skills.

Initiative - Volunteers readily; Undertakes self-development activities; seeks increased responsibilities; takes independent actions and calculated risks; looks for and takes advantage of opportunities; asks for and offers help when needed.

Innovation - Displays original thinking and creativity; meets challenges with resourcefulness; generates suggestions for improving work; develops innovative approaches and ideas; presents ideas and information in a manner that gets others' attention.

Strategic Thinking - Develops strategies to achieve organizational goals; understands organization's strengths & weaknesses; analyzes market and competition; identifies external threats and opportunities; adapts strategy to changing conditions.

Judgment - Displays willingness to make decisions; exhibits sound and accurate judgment; supports and explains reasoning for decisions; includes appropriate people in decision-making process; makes timely decisions.

Professionalism - Approaches others in a tactful manner; reacts well under pressure; treats others with respect and consideration regardless of their status or position; accepts responsibility for own actions; follows through on commitments.

Leadership - Exhibits confidence in self and others; inspires and motivates others to perform well; effectively influences actions and opinions of others; accepts feedback from others; gives appropriate recognition to others.

Business Acumen - Understands business implications of decisions and displays orientation to profitability; demonstrates knowledge of market and competition; aligns work with strategic goals.

Diversity & Equity - Demonstrates knowledge of EEO policy; shows respect and sensitivity for cultural differences; educates others on the value of diversity and equity; promotes a harassment-free environment; works to build and support a diverse & equitable workforce.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Oversee CBA’s SNAP benefits enrollment initiatives in community-based organizations across the country and leverage insights to test new strategies and elevate challenges, promising practices, and lessons learned.
• Analyze data from CBA’s network of community-based organizations to identify trends in enrollments in safety net programs across geographies and demographics.
• Identify and design technical assistance models for community-based organizations interested in helping older adults increase their financial literacy.
• Contribute to building out systems and standard operating procedures to increase the organizational maturity of the team.
• Serve as a thought leader for NCOA at large on emerging and critical economic security issues for older adults.
• Collaborate with internal teams at NCOA to contribute to relevant research, policy and advocacy positions, marketing campaigns, media inquiries, business development, and other programs related to the health and well-being of older adults.
• Grow the portfolio of projects related to economic security and social safety nets by collaborating with the business development team to build relationships with current funders and identifying potential new funding sources and partners.
• Foster a spirit of collaboration, coordination, and communication in carrying out your responsibilities, and work closely with NCOA staff to drive continuous quality improvement and contribute to progress toward NCOA’s social impact goals.
• Provide quality control and oversight of the technical assistance and resources created under the portfolio.
• Embrace fiduciary responsibilities and model behaviors that demonstrate the professional pursuit of NCOA’s long-term financial goals and health.
• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with existing funders, philanthropic and corporate sponsors, clients, consumers, and partners to ensure their needs and expectations are met.
• Work with the CBA Senior Director, NCOA’s Business Development team, and multiple other NCOA departments and staff to achieve growth in revenue and diversification among existing and across new funders.
• Identify, contribute to and, if requested, lead grant proposal and report writing support.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE/QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree required; master's degree or professional degree is preferred, such as an MPP, MPA, MPH, or JD focused on health.
• Minimum of 7 years of experience and strong familiarity in the following areas: food security, public benefits, financial literacy, and economic security. Housing and/or Community Reinvestment Act experience is highly desirable.
• Understanding of and passion for building trusted-advisor relationships with partners to create tangible results. Genuine interest in and demonstrated ability to deliver high-quality results for target populations by aligning partnerships and performance with impact goals.
• Ability to handle projects with multiple work streams, with proven success over a wide variety of business opportunities.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with demonstrated intellectual and analytical rigor, including proven ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
• Exceptional verbal, written, and online communication and facilitation skills, including the ability to communicate openly, listen well, learn from others, and speak publicly on behalf of NCOA.
• Demonstrated skill in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with diverse audiences.
• Experience with proposal writing for federal, foundation, and corporate grants preferred.
• Respect for differences of race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, ability, and socio-economic circumstance, and able to work with diverse individuals within the organization and the broader community.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Experience using databases and online tools strongly preferred. Familiarity with webinar technology is a plus.
• Ability to travel in-state and out-of-state, with some overnight travel, as requested.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Occasionally required to sit.
• Occasionally required to walk.
• Occasionally required to reach with hands and arms.
• Occasionally required to talk or hear.
• Occasionally required to bend, lift, or climb stairs.
• Occasionally required to lift light weights (less than 25 pounds).

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

SELECTION PROCESS

The selected candidate must reside in the Washington, DC – Maryland – Virginia (DMV) area within 30 calendar days of their start date.

We only accept applications that follow the electronic process. No phone calls please. This position is subject to background screening. Qualified applicants submit a cover letter with salary requirements and resume to: Director, Economic and Social Safety Net Initiatives to:

https://www.ncoa.org/page/careers

NCOA offers generous benefits including:

• medical, dental, vision, STD, LTD insurances
• paid vacation, sick, and other types of leave
• 403(b) retirement plan
• hybrid remote work options

and more!

NCOA is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion

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