Deputy Director

Rhode Island Free Clinic; Providence (RI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Rhode Island Free Clinic is seeking a Deputy Director to lead development, operations, and administration with a focus on fundraising, grants, and partnerships. You will work closely with the CEO to translate priorities into coordinated actions across the clinic, strengthening internal systems and external relationships.

You will supervise the Volunteer Coordinator, Project Coordinator, Clinical Operations Manager, and AmeriCorps VISTA members, guiding teams toward organizational goals and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent; MBA preferred.
• Nonprofit leadership experience and fundraising success.
• Experience managing staff and volunteers.
• Strong financial acumen and budgeting skills.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building abilities.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the Clinic's development strategy with the CEO.
• Expand philanthropic revenue via gifts, grants, sponsorships.
• Co-lead annual campaigns, donor cultivation and stewardship.
• Oversee development systems, reporting, acknowledgments.
• Support grant proposals and funder communications.
• Monitor performance and report progress to the CEO.
• Lead organizational operations and cross-department collaboration.
• Act as CEO when designated.

Skills

Fundraising leadership

Grant development

Strategic planning

Cross-functional leadership

Staff coaching

Education

Bachelor's degree

MBA preferred

Tools

CRM software

Job description

The Deputy Director provides leadership and oversight across the Clinic's development, operational, and administrative functions, with a particular focus on advancing fundraising and grant development, strengthening organizational partnerships, and supporting effective day-to-day operations. Working closely with the CEO and leadership team, the Deputy Director helps ensure that organizational priorities are translated into coordinated, effective action across the Clinic.

The Deputy Director plays a key leadership role in strengthening internal operations, fostering cross-departmental collaboration, promoting staff accountability, improving workflow consistency, and supporting continuous quality and operational improvement. The position provides direct oversight, guidance, and support to the Volunteer Coordinator, Project Coordinator, Clinical Operations Manager, and AmeriCorps VISTA members, ensuring that their work is aligned with organizational goals and that teams have the direction and resources needed to be successful.

In partnership with the CEO, the Deputy Director helps strengthen organizational systems and processes, address operational needs and emerging priorities, and promote effective communication and collaboration across teams. Through this work, the Deputy Director helps ensure that staff, volunteers, and organizational resources are effectively deployed to advance the Clinic's mission, strategic goals, and long-term sustainability.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide oversight and coordination of the Clinic's comprehensive development strategy in partnership with the CEO and development team.
• Identify and advance opportunities to expand and diversify philanthropic revenue, including major gifts, individual giving, corporate support, sponsorships, grants, and special events.
• Co-lead annual fundraising campaigns, donor cultivation and stewardship activities, and major development initiatives.
• Oversee development systems and processes, including donor stewardship, prospect tracking, acknowledgments, sponsorship fulfillment, and development reporting.
• Support preparation of grant proposals, reports, funder communications, and strategies to strengthen institutional relationships.
• Monitor fundraising performance and provide the CEO with regular updates on progress toward development goals.

Organizational Operations & Leadership

• Support the CEO in organizational leadership, decision-making, strategic implementation, and day-to-day management of key priorities.
• Provide high-level oversight of administrative and operational functions to promote efficient, consistent, and accountable systems across the organization.
• Provide direct supervision, guidance, and performance oversight to the Volunteer Coordinator, Project Coordinator, and Clinical Operations Manager, establishing clear priorities, expectations, and accountability for their respective areas of responsibility.
• Oversee and support AmeriCorps VISTA members and the Clinic's overall VISTA program, including assignments, performance expectations, integration into organizational initiatives, and coordination with the Regional Office.
• Coordinate cross-departmental workflows and communication, ensuring that operational priorities, deadlines, and responsibilities are clearly defined and followed through.
• Participate in strategic planning and lead implementation of assigned organizational initiatives.
• Serve as acting CEO in the CEO's absence when designated.

People, Performance & Organizational Culture

• Support recruitment, onboarding, performance management, employee relations, and staff development in coordination with the CEO and appropriate managers.
• Provide ongoing coaching and support to direct reports, including establishing goals, monitoring performance, addressing barriers, and promoting professional development.
• Promote a healthy organizational culture grounded in accountability, collaboration, respect, diversity, equity, and continuous improvement.
• Coach and support managers in strengthening team performance, communication, problem-solving, and follow-through.
• Promote effective communication and collaboration among staff, volunteers, AmeriCorps VISTA members, and organizational leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience required; advanced degree or MBA preferred.
• Demonstrated leadership experience in nonprofit management, development, operations, organizational development, or a related field.
• Demonstrated success in fundraising, donor engagement, grant development, sponsorships, or other resource-development activities.
• Strong understanding of nonprofit operations, finance, budgeting, and the relationship between financial sustainability and organizational strategy.
• Experience supervising staff and supporting managers, teams, volunteers, interns, or service members in achieving organizational goals.
• Experience improving organizational systems, workflows, and cross-functional processes.
• Excellent communication, relationship-building, project management, and time-management skills.
• Strong supervisory, coaching, facilitation, and accountability skills, with the ability to work effectively across different roles and levels of expertise.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to use data to identify issues, assess performance, and support decisions.
• Commitment to the Free Clinic's volunteer model and ability to effectively engage volunteers, trainees, staff, and community partners.
• Experience in a healthcare, clinical, community health, or human services environment preferred.
• Self-directed, collaborative, solutions-oriented, and able to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment.

Schedule

• This is primarily an in-person leadership position based at the Clinic.
• Remote work may be permitted with planning and approval from the CEO.
• Occasional evening or weekend availability may be required for events, donor engagement, community activities, or organizational needs.