Director of Community Engagement & Programs

United Way of Broome County; Town of Vestal (NY); On-site; USD 90,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

United Way of Broome County is seeking a Director of Community Engagement and Programs to lead community impact initiatives, partnerships, and grant-funded programs. You will work with leadership to advance goals, convene cross-sector collaborations, and ensure measurable outcomes and continuous improvement across programs.

The role oversees staff, manages budgets, and ensures compliance with funders while aligning donor interests with community needs.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in public administration, public health, social work, or related field.
• Five years of experience in community organizing, public policy, program development, or public health.
• Knowledge of nonprofit sector and grant management.

Responsibilities

• Lead implementation of community impact strategies aligned with goals and framework.
• Cultivate partnerships with community leaders, organizations, and stakeholders.
• Monitor trends and best practices in community impact and United Way initiatives.
• Oversee development, evaluation, and growth of UWBC-led programs and coalitions.
• Manage budgets and ensure grant compliance across initiatives.

Skills

Communication

Strategic thinking

Strategic planning

Operational planning

Problem solving

Innovative thinking

Interpersonal skills

Partnership building

Leadership

Talent development

Business acumen

People development

Education

Master's degree

Bachelor's degree

Job description

The Director of Community Engagement and Programs provides strategic leadership for United Way of Broome County's community impact initiatives, partnerships, and grant-funded programs to advance community-wide goals and improve outcomes for residents. Working closely with the Director of Community Impact and Investments, this role collaborates with community leaders, nonprofit partners, funders, volunteers, donors, and other stakeholders to develop, implement, and evaluate programs that address critical community needs while aligning donor interests with measurable impact. The position serves as a key convener of cross-sector partnerships and collective action efforts, oversees community initiatives staff, manages program budgets and grant compliance, and leads key United Way programs and coalitions. As a member of the leadership team, the Director helps advance organizational strategy, promotes community engagement, and ensures initiatives are guided by measurable outcomes and continuous improvement.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Community Impact

• Lead implementation of community impact strategies aligned with adopted community-wide goals and the Thriving United Way framework.
• Cultivate and strengthen partnerships with community leaders, organizations, and stakeholders to develop and implement initiatives that address community needs and advance UWBC priorities.
• Stay informed of emerging trends, best practices, and innovative approaches in community impact, collective action, and United Way network initiatives.
• Lead the development, implementation, evaluation, and growth of UWBC-led initiatives, including but not limited to the Healthy Lifestyles Coalition (HLC), Hygiene Hub, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, Annual Halloween Costume Giveaway, and Annual Shoe Drive.
• Develop and manage partnership agreements, contracts, and memoranda of understanding that support UWBC's strategic goals and community impact priorities.
• Supervise Community Initiatives and Planning staff, including the Health Initiatives Manager, and support staff development, performance management, and professional growth.
• Develop, monitor, and manage budgets for Community Impact direct service initiatives, ensuring responsible stewardship of resources and alignment with funding requirements.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable local, state, federal, and funder requirements governing Community Impact programs and initiatives.

Community Engagement

• Convene and facilitate collaboration among nonprofit, public, private, and community partners through meetings, workshops, networking opportunities, committees, task forces, and working groups that advance UWBC's community impact agenda and Results-Based Accountability framework.
• Lead and coordinate cross-departmental community impact initiatives and collaborative projects across UWBC.
• Foster inclusive community engagement processes that ensure diverse perspectives are represented in UWBC planning, decision-making, and community impact efforts.
• Identify and advance opportunities for collective action among organizations, stakeholders, and community leaders working toward shared outcomes.
• Collaborate with staff to connect community impact initiatives with volunteer engagement opportunities and support volunteer-driven programs.
• Develop strategies and engagement opportunities that align donor, community, and stakeholder interests with UWBC priorities and community needs.
• Represent UWBC at community events, coalitions, forums, planning meetings, and other public engagements as assigned by the Executive Director.
• Support campaign, donor cultivation, and stewardship efforts by presenting community impact work and participating in donor and partner meetings with the Resource Development and Marketing teams.
• Partner with the Director of Community Relations and Development to communicate UWBC initiatives, planning efforts, community investments, and impact outcomes to stakeholders and the broader community.
• Monitor and report on project milestones, performance measures, outcomes, and community impact indicators to support continuous improvement and informed decision-making.

Grants Management

• Manage the implementation of grants supporting direct service initiatives from government, foundation, and corporate funders, ensuring compliance with all funding requirements, reporting obligations, and award conditions.
• Coordinate with program staff and partners to collect outcome data, success stories, and supporting documentation needed for grant reporting and performance monitoring.
• Develop and maintain systems to track grant budgets, expenditures, performance measures, deliverables, and reporting deadlines to ensure responsible stewardship of grant funds.
• Monitor grant performance and program outcomes, identify potential risks or compliance issues, and implement corrective actions as needed.
• Maintain complete and accurate grant records, including agreements, correspondence, reports, financial documentation, and compliance materials in accordance with audit and monitoring requirements.
• Collaborate with the Director of Community Investments and Impact on grant development activities, including proposal preparation, application submission, reporting, and grant closeout.

Organizational Leadership

• Participate as a member of the leadership team, supporting the Executive Director in providing a united, visible, and strong leadership presence in the organization and community that aligns with UWBC's mission, values, and priorities.
• Lead in the cultivation of an environment of diversity, equity, and inclusion by fostering a culture that empowers team members to be successful.
• Contribute to creating an environment of collaboration and creativity in support of organizational values and goals.
• Assist in selecting, guiding, and motivating the training and professional development of UWBC team members.
• Support the Executive Director in developing and promoting the strategic plan of the organization to the community, and internal and external stakeholders.
• Maintain professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops, reviewing professional publications, establishing personal networks, and participating in professional societies.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Executive Director to support the effective operation of UWBC.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Qualified candidates for the position will possess the following:

Education and Experience Required:

• Preferred: Master's degree in public administration, public health, social work, or a related field and two years of experience in community organizing, public policy, program development, community education, and/or public health.
• Accepted: Bachelor's degree in public administration, public health, social work, or a related field and five years of experience in community organizing, public policy, program development, community education, and/or public health.

Skills Required:

• Verbal and written communication skills to include the ability to present ideas clearly and concisely, engage others, and take into consideration the perspectives of others.
• Visioning and strategic thinking skills to include the ability to think long-term challenge imaginations about how the community should work, and create a vision which captures the minder and energizes others to commit to the vision.
• Strategic and operational planning skills to include the ability to create long-term objectives and strategies for meeting goals, allocate resources based on priorities, maintain accountability, and utilize personnel and other resources efficiently to accomplish projects, and anticipate and plan for potential obstacles.
• Tactical planning and plan management skills to include the ability to translate strategic plans and goals into an organized, well-detailed effort to accomplish a specific project or initiative and to monitor, adjust, and manage the initiative to successful completion.
• Problem-solving and decision-making skills to include the ability to identify, analyze, organize, and solve problems in a timely and effective manner; and to use data and inputs from others to make sound decisions.
• Innovative thinking skills to include the ability to identify innovative strategies to address community concerns and coordinate with Resource Development to create products to address strategies and find appropriate funding mechanisms.
• Interpersonal skills to include the ability to appeal to reason, values, or emotion to generate enthusiasm for the work, commitment to task objectives, or compliance with orders and requests; and the ability to build leverage, and maintain mutually positive relationships which provide support for and add value to United Way, its programs, and the community.
• Coalition and partnership building skills to include the ability to cooperate and collaborate with a diverse group of stakeholders to clearly define their objectives and to identify solutions and plans to help them reach their desired goals.
• Leadership and management skills to include the ability to develop individual abilities among team members by coaching, mentoring, advising, and challenging others to improve; address performance problems in a fair and timely manner; foster individual team members for advancement; effectively delegate tasks to team members; foster teamwork; and coordinate completion of team tasks.
• Talent Management and People Development
• Operational Planning and Execution
• Business Acumen and Strategic Direction