GLIDE is a nationally recognized center for social justice, dedicated to fighting systemic injustices, creating pathways out of poverty and crisis, and transforming lives. Through its integrated comprehensive services, advocacy initiatives, and inclusive community, Glide empowers individuals, families, and children to achieve stability and to thrive. Glide is on the forefront of addressing some of society’s most pressing issues, including poverty, housing and homelessness, and racial and social justice. Glide’s mission is to create a radically inclusive, just, and loving community mobilized to alleviate suffering and break the cycles of poverty and marginalization.

Building on the organization’s legacy of unparalleled service, leadership and activism in the Bay Area, GLIDE is on a journey to deepen and extend its client and community impacts, and in turn better serve the most marginalized people in San Francisco. GLIDE is approaching this important moment in its history by bringing in a set of team members with deep execution experience to work closely with our leadership team and Board of Directors. Guided by the vision outlined in GLIDE’s refreshed strategic plan, GLIDE Forward, this team will be tasked with evolving the organization and elevating its position in the community.

General Summary:

The Director of Strategy is a critical member of the Impact and Strategy team at GLIDE and reports directly to the Senior Director of Strategic Learning and Impact. Their primary responsibility will be to coordinate and support a cross-functional team focused on implementing and executing GLIDE Forward, including driving overall implementation progress and communicating key changes and milestones to internal GLIDE stakeholders. They will also serve as an in-house consultant and lead other strategic projects across the organization as needed and support planning activities. This role requires a highly resourceful individual with excellent communication skills who has experience successfully executing and managing large programs.

Responsibilities and Duties:

Overall:

• GLIDE Forward execution and stakeholder engagement: Partner with the Chief Impact and Strategy Officer and Senior Director of Strategic Learning and Impact and cross-functional leads to drive implementation of GLIDE Forward to achieve intended impact; ensure cross-functional partners are effectively engaged in execution.
• Support initiative planning: Support Initiative Coach and Initiative Leads to develop execution plans for each GLIDE Forward initiative (including workplan, resourcing and target outcomes); provide final sign off on initiative plans.
• Manage initiative portfolio: Provide consistent oversight and governance of the total portfolio and individual GLIDE Forward initiatives with line of sight to GLIDE’s strategy and ambition; design and facilitate process to track initiative progress and share with key GLIDE stakeholders. 
• Manage resourcing for initiatives (including surge capacity): Work with the GLIDE Executive and Programs Teams to allocate resources for GLIDE Forward initiatives; identify re-allocation needed for high-priority initiatives where execution is at risk and additional support is needed.
• Actively de-risk execution of strategic plan: Assist execution of GLIDE Forward initiatives where short term or quick assistance is needed, especially when cross-functional collaboration needed. 
• Escalate critical issues: Raise major issues related to the execution of GLIDE Forward to the Chief Impact and Strategy Officer and Senior Director of Strategic Learning and Impact as relevant, and work collaboratively to identify and implement potential solutions.
• Support overall strategic planning: Thought partner with the Chief Impact and Strategy Officer and Senior Director of Strategic Learning and Impact to review and refresh GLIDE’s strategy to reflect new opportunities or challenges that may affect the implementation of GLIDE Forward
• Manage other strategic projects: Directly manage selected strategic projects within the Chief Impact and Strategy Officer’s portfolio related to GLIDE’s organizational priorities requiring cross-functional coordination and resource allocation.

Internal Communications:

• Manage strategy-related communications: Steer all strategy-related internal communications and align messages between departments (work with HR to align on messaging and timing)
• Create strategy-related communications materials: Work with HR to develop materials for all strategy-related internal communications, ensure external Marketing & Communications messages are aligned.
• Implement flexible communications: Align regularly with GLIDE leadership team on communication timing, content, and audiences.
• Track change and action timely interventions: Track staff engagement metrics via pulse survey (launched by Senior Director of Strategic Learning and Impact) and drive communication iterations based on key themes and staff feedback.

Education and Experience Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree with 3-5 years’ experience in strategic planning and leading implementation of strategic programs/initiatives (or Graduate degree with 2 years’ experience) 
• Strategy or management consulting experience is highly desired; experience working in a strategy role in social impact/services organization is highly desired.
• Non-profit experience desired but not required.
• Commitment to mission, values, and philosophy of GLIDE
• Demonstrates ability to problem-solve and conduct strategic analyses and communicate ideas to senior leadership.
• Demonstrates ability to create processes and determine methods to prioritize and execute initiatives; ability to evaluate program progress and recommend potential shifts needed to execute on overall strategic priorities.
• Demonstrates ability to influence internal stakeholders across levels to move forward with initiatives (e.g., through building trust, confidence in the process, etc.)
• Shows strength in building effective working relationships with key internal and external stakeholders (e.g., Board, Executive, Senior Leaders, Support Functions); team player who can interrelate and operate effectively with peers and other associates within a collegial, yet demanding work environment.
• Shows ability to foster and orchestrate cross-functional collaboration where there are interdependencies. 
• Comfortable with ambiguity, making decisions even with imperfect information, and can take prudent risks where necessary to drive the organization forward and be willing to assess these decisions and learn from them.
• Experience in strategic communications, sharing key messages to different internal audiences and stakeholders.
• Demonstrates ability to work effectively across cultures; shows commitment to learning, communicating, and working respectfully with people different from themselves.
• Responds effectively to setbacks and has an ability to anticipate and overcome barriers to success. 

GLIDE is an Equal Opportunity Employer:

GLIDE is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to identifying and developing the skills and leadership of people from diverse backgrounds. People of color, differently abled people and LGBT persons are strongly encouraged to apply.