Strategic Initiatives Lead: Cross-Functional Programs

Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 73,000 - 98,000; Full time

Job summary

The Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois seeks a Strategic Initiatives Manager to lead the planning, execution, and evaluation of complex department-wide initiatives. This role coordinates across divisions, defining objectives, timelines, and outcomes to ensure successful transitions to ongoing operations.

You will develop project structures, monitor progress, and provide leadership with timely status updates.

Qualifications

• Strong strategic thinking and project leadership abilities.
• Excellent organizational judgment and collaboration skills.
• Ability to influence across areas without direct supervisory authority.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning, coordination, execution, and monitoring of complex Department-wide initiatives and special projects.
• Translate strategic priorities and organizational goals into actionable project plans with clearly defined objectives, deliverables, responsibilities, timelines, and measures of success.
• Provide structure and leadership to initiatives involving multiple operational divisions, organizational functions, and external stakeholders.
• Maintain responsibility for assigned initiatives from initial planning through completion, evaluation, and transition to ongoing operational ownership.
• Ensure initiatives remain aligned with the Department's mission, strategic priorities, organizational values, and intended outcomes for youth and families.
• Convenes and facilitates cross-functional workgroups, planning teams, stakeholder meetings, and other collaborative processes necessary to advance assigned initiatives.
• Establishes clear roles, responsibilities, expectations, and decision points among project participants.
• Builds productive working relationships across organizational boundaries and promotes shared accountability for project outcomes.
• Coordinates with operational leaders to ensure strategic initiatives are responsive to service‑delivery needs and operational realities.
• Collaborates with internal subject matter experts to ensure legal, fiscal, workforce, policy, technology, data, practice, and other organizational considerations are appropriately addressed.
• Leads and supports the development of Requests for Proposals (RFPs), scopes of work, and other procurement‑related documents necessary to advance strategic initiatives, including defining program requirements, deliverables, performance expectations, and desired outcomes.
• Collaborates with Finance, Contracts, Legal, operational leadership, subject matter experts, and other stakeholders throughout the procurement process to ensure solicitations accurately reflect Department needs and strategic objectives.

Job description

The Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois seeks a Strategic Initiatives Manager to lead the planning, execution, and evaluation of complex department-wide initiatives. This role coordinates across divisions, defining objectives, timelines, and outcomes to ensure successful transitions to ongoing operations.

You will develop project structures, monitor progress, and provide leadership with timely status updates.