Human Services & Neighborhood Centers

Job Title:  Senior Director of Organizational Development 

Reports to:  CEO

Position Type:  Full Time, Exempt

Organizational Overview

Footsteps supports and affirms individuals and families who have left, or are contemplating leaving, insular ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities in their quest to lead self-determined lives. We provide crucial peer and professional resources and support as people embrace the challenge to redefine their identities and build new communities. Footsteps nurtures a network of individuals so that they not only survive in their new world, but thrive. Since Footsteps’ founding in 2003, the organization has served nearly 2,000 individuals, and in 2022, we expect our budget to reach over $4 million.

This past year and a half has been a pivotal time for Footsteps. While we were already seeing a steady amount of growth pre-COVID-19, the pandemic and economic downturn forced us to develop creative strategies to support members and staff as we provide the highest quality care for our hard-hit and growing community. This is both an exciting and critical time to join the Footsteps team as we continue to build out our internal structures and capacity to meet the expanding needs of this community.

We are committed to promoting an equitable, safe, and welcoming environment for our members and staff. Footsteps values a culture of respect and inclusive community: honoring personal choice, different sets of beliefs, and diverse lifestyles that promote individuals’ rights to determine the course of their own lives.

Position Overview

Footsteps seeks a dedicated and compassionate professional to serve as the organization’s Senior Director of Organizational Development. As a critical thought partner to the CEO and a member of our Executive Team, you will lead Footsteps’ efforts to deepen a culture of appreciation and well-being and create both short- and long-term strategies that attract, retain, and grow the best talent for the organization. Key priorities in your first year will include: navigating a hybrid work culture and decision making as it relates to COVID-19 impacts on in-person work; refining and implementing DEI goals; and revamping our performance measurement system. You will also support the organization to complete a strategic plan for 2023-2025 and help ensure that organizational priorities and plans are feasible and sustainable. This role requires an enormous amount of discretion, steadfast commitment to improve culture and process, as well as strong communication skills paired with deep emotional intelligence. You will be a key member of the Executive Team, along with the CEO, Senior Director of Development, Senior Director of Programs, and Senior Director of Finance, Data, and Administration.

Job responsibilities include:

Team Management and Staff Development (30%)

• Collaborate with leadership and staff to strengthen and manage an outstanding, mission-driven team to live our values, advance organizational goals, and retain staff
• Serve as a trusted resource, support, and mentor to all team members; hold office hours for all employees at least twice per week
• Oversee professional development (PD) opportunities for staff: continue to build out all staff trainings and learning series, and work with supervisors to ensure they are aware of external offerings and developing
• PD plans for each of their staff
• Ensure organizational growth and staff development plans are strategic and sustainable
• Facilitate Executive Team, Senior Staff, and All Staff meetings

Organizational Planning and Development (30%)

• Serve as thought partner to CEO; help develop teams and refine organizational structure and roles
• In collaboration with Executive Team, oversee organizational goal setting, including organizing and facilitating retreats and meetings to update goals and strategic plan
• Identify staffing and resources needed to actualize proposed strategic plan; help ensure strategic plan and organizational priorities are feasible and sustainable
• Ensure organizational calendar is maintained and that major events and projects are spaced thoughtfully, generate organizational energy, and support sustainability
• Collaborate with CEO and board members to ensure board recruitment and planning is aligned with organizational culture, planning, and development
• Serve as Executive Team liaison to the Member Advisory Council (MAC); ensure strong feedback loop between MAC, senior leadership, and Board of Directors

Organizational Culture (25%)

• Collaborate with Executive Team and staff to continue to build a culture of excellence, well-being, appreciation, and ongoing learning
• Incorporate meaningful diversity, equity, and inclusion norms at all levels
• Measure employee engagement and own culture initiatives including: lead culture team (called “The We Team”), establish annual culture goals, lead DEI initiatives, and organize off-site retreats, staff appreciation events, and other initiatives to strengthen culture
• Oversee and strengthen a holistic onboarding process that connects all team members to Footsteps history, mission, culture, strategy, programs, and DEI work
• Lead and develop meaningful employee offboarding process
• Ensure that Footsteps Core Values are understood, embodied and consistently communicated

Human Resources (15%)

• Collaborate with Senior Director of Finance, Data and Administration to refine equitable compensation philosophy and practices
• Collaborate with Senior Director of Finance, Data and Administration to ensure HR best practices across the organization
• Oversee and enhance performance evaluation and measurement systems
• Develop strategies for recruiting and retaining a diverse talent pool
• Oversee Organizational Development consultant to support talent recruitment, development, and retention
• Maintain and update organizational playbook, which articulates “how we do what we do” at Footsteps

Qualifications:

• Passion for Footsteps’ mission and values
  10+ years of relevant or transferable professional experience
• Track record in leading organizational change
• Trauma-informed approach and demonstrated ability to support staff serving traumatized populations
• Co-lead sustainable organizational planning; improve planning process and systems
• Outstanding supervision, coaching, and mentorship skills
• Demonstrated ability to hire, support, lead, and retain high-performing teams
• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communications skills
• Track record for facilitating high quality meetings and trainings
• Experience in developing meaningful onboarding and offboarding processes
• Comfort working in a fast-paced, growing organization

Required Competencies:

• Dedication to building a culture of excellence, well-being, appreciation, and constant learning
• Passion for building and supporting a diverse workforce and fostering an inclusive, collaborative culture
• Excellent self-management and planning skills:
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize, delegate, and manage multiple priorities
• Skilled at communicating needs in relation to workload respectfully and proactively
• Growth mindset and solutions oriented
• Superb empathetic listener, patient with keen discretion and able to hold things in confidence
• Utilizes sound judgement while addressing sensitive issues and develops trusting relationships at all levels
• Interest in learning best practices with a mindset of cultural humility

Location: New York City, ability to work remote 2-3 days/week
Start Date: December 2021
Salary: $100,000-$115,000, commensurate with experience

Team + Benefits:
You will be joining an amazing team of passionate, mission-driven colleagues. We offer a competitive benefits package that includes: 20 vacation days; 13 paid holidays; Unlimited sick days; 5 personal days; summer Fridays; 12 weeks of paid parental leave; paid sabbatical after 7 years of continuous service; health, dental, and vision insurance; 3% match for IRA retirement plan; flexible spending accounts for health care and transit; and a professional development stipend.

COVID update: All staff are required to be vaccinated and are required to wear masks while in the office. The office is currently closed to members and visitors, and all program offerings and services are happening remotely or outdoors.

How to Apply
In lieu of a cover letter, please respond to the four application questions below:

1. Why are you interested in working at Footsteps?
2. How would you approach learning about Footsteps culture in your first six months?
3. Tell us about a time you helped change the culture, approach, or pace of a team, project, or organization.
4. What did you do, why did you do it, and how? What challenges emerged and what adjustments did you make to address those challenges?
5. What excites you the most about this role?
6. What questions do you have about this role?

Please send your resume and responses to the application questions to [email protected] and indicate your name and “Senior Director of Organizational Development” in the subject line.

We will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply soon.

In recent years Footsteps has further deepened its commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. We understand that each individual brings a unique and important perspective to the work. This is often complex and allows us to grow as an institution and as people.

Footsteps is an equal opportunity employer. Immigrants, people of color, formerly ultra-Orthodox individuals, LGBTQIA people, people with disabilities, and people who come from poor and working-class backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. Footsteps does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, or any other legally protected status.

We thank you for your interest in career opportunities with Footsteps. Due to high volume, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.