Associate Director of Programs

About Support Center

Support Center seeks to advance our mission for social change by empowering nonprofits and social enterprises to transform their leadership and management. Support Center is a nonprofit capacity building organization specializing in organizational development, leadership, and executive transition. Originally created as part of an international network of management support organizations (Support Centers of America) originally established in 1971, Support Center has been a trusted partner to nonprofit and philanthropic organizations in the greater New York/New Jersey/Connecticut area for more than 30 years. 

Support Center provides capacity building support to approximately 150 nonprofit organizations and social enterprises annually, primarily in the metro NYC area (five boroughs of NYC, Long Island, Westchester County), New Jersey (Newark, Ocean/Monmouth Counties, statewide), and Connecticut. Support Center’s program areas are: Strategy and Management, Executive Search and Transition, Professional and Leadership Development, and Organizational Navigation. Support Center derives 80% of  its revenue from invoiced services, event and program registration fees, government contracts (e.g., New York City Department of Small Business Services, NYC Department of Youth and Community Development), foundation grants (general operating and program grants), and individual donations. 

Our vision for social change is tied to the envisioned outcomes of our work. Specifically, we envision a society where:

• Coalitions and organizations have the resources needed to understand and address inequities.
• Boards and their organizations work towards identifying, retaining, and advancing more diverse leadership.
• Communities and the people most directly impacted lead and represent organizations and coalitions.
• Support Center, our partners, and clients hold each other and themselves accountable to understanding the systems that perpetuate inequities across health, wealth, happiness, safety, and security.
• We expect to bring our authentic selves to work, regardless of race, sexual orientation, ability, age, national origin/ethnicity, appearance, and gender.
• We design and adopt new ways of operating that question the practices of a white dominant culture.

Videos on our YouTube channel provide a glimpse into our culture and values. 

About the Position

The Associate Director of Programs for Strategy and Management will report to the Associate Executive Director and work with a dynamic core team and 20+ affiliate consultants. This position is full time. Support Center offices are currently located at 32 Old Slip, New York, NY (Lower Manhattan). Our staff has been working remotely on a full-time basis since March 2020, with the option of working in the office when desired. We anticipate accommodating full-time staff who opt to work remotely up to five days/week. The ideal candidate would live in the NYC metro area so they can support in-person programming and events and attend required quarterly all-staff in-person meetings. All staff must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with an FDA-authorized vaccine and will be required to submit proof of vaccination upon hiring. 

The salary for this position is $80,000. Benefits include health insurance (including vision and dental), paid leave, 15 vacation days (20 days after three years), 12 paid holidays, a one-month sabbatical option after five years, a $1,500 annual professional development stipend, and retirement. Employees can also audit Support Center’s numerous workshops as time permits.

Role and Responsibilities 

The Associate Director of Programs will work across our growing portfolio of projects, focusing primarily on business development (e.g., outreach, marketing, intakes, proposals, agreements) and day-to-day work of our strategy and management portfolio. This role will also manage grants and contracts that fund Support Center’s major programs, which entails managing deadlines for proposals, reports, and stewardship through Smartsheet. Currently, Support Center receives general operating support from three funders, program grants from a handful of additional funders, and manages four government contracts including the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD), NYC Small Business Services, and the NJ Office of Faith-Based Initiatives (NJOFBI).

The position will be instrumental in supporting business development and overall resource development for Support Center, expanding project management capacity for 75+ ongoing projects, supporting the work of 20+ affiliate consultants, and contributing to Support Center’s community of practice, strategic goals, and field building efforts through a number of partnerships and collaborations. 

Core responsibilities will include:

Developing, Contracting, and Delivering Strategy and Management Services

• Conduct strategy and management client intakes, collecting background information on client organizational challenges, budget, and timelines, and determining the necessary scope of work to address client capacity building needs.
• Draft, structure, finalize, and execute strategy and management proposals and agreements for consulting services (e.g., strategic planning, executive coaching, organizational reviews) in concert with the Associate Executive Director and consultants.
• Streamline and standardize processes for project management (e.g., consultant and client check-ins, project support, timelines and deliverables), proposal development, and evaluation through the use of project management tools (e.g., Smartsheet), work flows, and templates.
• Support cohort program development, execution, and reporting for government and foundation funders. 
• Support affiliate consultant community of practice, including managing consultant inquiries, identifying training opportunities, preparing and sharing resources, troubleshooting projects and processes, and overseeing logistics for quarterly affiliate consultant meetings.
• Oversee and administer assessments for client organizations, including 360 self-evaluations (LPI), board self-assessments (Board Check-up Tool and BoardSource), internal capacity assessment tools (iCAT)
• Contribute to client projects for nonprofit client organizations as assigned (e.g., research, assessments, interviews, and data collection and aggregation). 
• Partner with Director of Finance and Administration and Associate Executive Director to support overall contract management and budget allocation.

Business/Fund Development

• Write and edit Letters of Inquiry, proposals, reports, and acknowledgement letters for foundation and government funders 
• Manage grants recordkeeping and reporting calendar in Smartsheets in partnership with Director of Finance and Administration; maintain and update funder data in Salesforce 
• Assist Executive Director in identifying new funding opportunities, including conducting funder prospect research as needed
• Support grantmaker stewardship in consultation with the Executive Director; participate in meetings with funders on program-related work as needed 
• Serve as liaison between external fundraising consultants and Support Center, including scheduling meetings and reviewing and submitting proposals, as needed 

Additional responsibilities include:

• Supervise Program Associate in the Strategy and Management program including check-ins, quarterly reviews, and a year-end performance review 
• Serve as Support Center liaison to resource development committee (board and leadership council members), including providing administrative support and managing resource development inquiries

The ideal candidate will have:

• Undergraduate degree, graduate degree, and/or course work in a related field 
• Minimum of 5-7 years of relevant work experience 
• Experience cultivating and holding client and funder relationships and developing customized proposals and agreements 
• Familiarity with reporting processes for foundation grants and government contracts
• Ability to effectively manage and strategically prioritize multiple projects and consultant relationships simultaneously 
• Project management experience including an ability to meet deadlines, manage multiple moving parts, and communicate progress. 
• Interest in working and learning in a mission-driven social impact organization
• Strong English writing, speaking, and presentation skills
• Comfort using Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Google Suite, and Zoom
• Interest in organizational impact and storytelling
• Comfort level with ambiguity and ability to move proposals and projects forward with a degree of independence
• Ability to work successfully under multiple deadlines and adapt to shifting priorities
• Demonstrated interpersonal skills, collaborative orientation, and ability to relate to and work with a diverse team and group of clients, partners, and stakeholders
• Experience with Salesforce and project management tools is a plus

How to apply:

Interested candidates should complete this application, which includes submission of a resume and cover letter by June 11, 2023. The cover letter may be addressed to Keith Timko, Executive Director, and should describe the candidate’s interest in Support Center, professional experience, and qualifications, and suitability for this role. Only complete applications will be reviewed. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. 

Support Center for Nonprofit Management is an equal opportunity employer that values and celebrates diversity, equity, and inclusion. Support Center does not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity, color, national, social or indigenous origin, ancestry, genetic information, gender identity, sex or gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, age, religion, creed, physical or mental disability, marital or partnership status, veteran status, military service status, arrest or conviction record (as provided for by applicable law) or any other class or status protected by law.