Who We Are

At Raise the Future, we believe every young person goes through life knowing they have a caring adult by their side. So, every day, we show up for kids in foster care by listening to their needs and introducing them to adults they can rely on. We then surround those connections with support so that they grow into meaningful, lasting relationships that help our youth heal from the past. Because to truly raise the future, we must raise the bar for what it means to support vulnerable youth and families as they navigate life, and work to transform the systems they engage with.

Since our founding in 1983, Raise the Future has designed and implemented evidence-based, wraparound services that reduce the amount of time youth in foster care live without a permanent family. We also offer programs that sustain the connections made between youth and caring adults so that they can have positive, permanent relationships that transform their futures.

Your Why?

The idea of waking up every day to support children and families who need it most fills your cup. You believe deeply in the potential of our work to transform lives because you also believe in the promise of the children we serve. You see diversity, equity and inclusion as values and mission imperatives. When asked, those in your orbit consistently say they feel seen, supported, and elevated by you. You take responsibility for your role, and you also believe that teamwork and partnership are where it's at. Your curiosity and creativity allow you to handle just about anything that comes your way. You’re seeking an organization where you can learn and grow as you help your colleagues and clients do the same, and you've found it.

Welcome to Raise the Future. We're glad you're interested in this role on our team!

The Role

The Vice-President (VP) of Programs has overall strategic and operational responsibility for all program services in Utah. The VP will report to the Chief Operating Officer and be part of the leadership team that drives the overall strategy for Raise the Future and will represent the organization on a local, regional, and national basis.

The VP is responsible for cultivating and nurturing strong relationships throughout this multi-state organization and with Raise the Future's partners, both in the government and private sectors.

With a program budget of approximately $1.7 million and program staff of over 20, this position has significant purview within Raise. The VP will develop deep knowledge of each program area, program operations, and will develop and lead the achievement of the business plan for growing and sustaining key programs that help Utah's youth and families thrive.

The VP will oversee program leadership and management, knowledge and data management, program evaluation and innovation, business development, and nurturing internal and external relationships. This leader will work with others on the Raise programs leadership team to develop programmatic and quality improvement consistency across the agency in shared program models.

The ideal candidate will creatively work to promote a positive culture that brings to life Raise the Future's organizational values: Embrace Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging/ Value You (meet people where they are)/ Foster Relationships/ Strengthen Partnerships/ Raise the Bar.

Duties and Responsibilities

Program Leadership and Management

• Enhance, grow, and implement organizational vision as established in Raise the Future's strategic plan.

• Ensure ongoing programmatic excellence.

• Attract, develop, coach, and retain high-performance team members, empowering them to elevate their level of responsibility, span of control, and performance.

• Partner with Raise the Future's human resources, supporting a culture of belonging and strategic learning and to promote and ensure programmatic excellence that relevantly reaches and positively impacts the diverse youth and families we serve.

• Provide leadership in developing intra-team communication and cohesiveness, sustaining a diverse and inclusive culture, and supporting staff during organizational growth.

• Institute a data-driven culture to ensure that Raise the Future is collecting, analyzing, and acting upon data as the foundation of a continuous quality improvement cycle.

• Deliver consistently accurate and timely budgetary and financial information, and drive efficient budget development (e.g., recommend timelines and resources needed to achieve program goals; monitor programmatic expenses; and manage the budget efficiently and effectively).

• Provide input on program budget development and ensure adherence to approved budgets and maximize spend-down of approved grant funds.

• Analyze current and past financial data and provide strategies to reduce costs and maximize efficient, effective use of revenue.

• Communicate clearly and transparently both internally and externally in a way that motivates and inspires teammates and partners to actively support Raise the Future's vision and mission.

Knowledge Management

• Collaborate with other members of the Senior Leadership Team to develop and integrate systems, processes, and tools that support cross-agency facilitation, collection, and sharing of knowledge to promote programmatic consistency and mutual learning.

• In alignment with Raise the Future's overall communication plan, develop a dissemination process to share organizational learning with a broad range of external communities to grow the agency's reputation as a leader in the field.

Program Innovation / Business Development

• In partnership with Raise the Future's finance, fundraising, and government affairs teams, strategically plan for and ensure long-term funding streams, renewal of existing contracts, and appropriate budget planning for changes in funding streams (expected and unexpected).

• Actively remain up to date on the forefront of industry trends and strategize with other senior leaders in the development of market research plans that identify ways to scale Raise the Future's capacity to serve youth and families (e.g., find new funding and programmatic opportunities that will continue to fuel Raise the Future's vision / mission).

• Encourage existing partners to expand their investment in the organization's programs by creating responsive, quality proposals and improving service delivery.

• Ensure that program outcomes are evaluated and leveraged for maximum organizational impact and are aligned with the dynamic landscape of federal, state and local legislation, policies, and political agendas (i.e., identification of new or sustained program initiatives).

• Cultivate new relationships with public and private partners that will financially and operationally support program innovation and amplify Raise the Future's impact.

• In partnership with the VP of Development, government affairs teammates, and others as appropriate, develop and pitch ideas to potential funders.

External Relationships

• Seek out, initiate, and collaborate with external partners in the human service (and associated) systems, serving as a leader to identify where existing organizational programs can meet the needs of youth, families, and partners and/or where new programmatic opportunities might exist.

• Create and implement outreach and engagement plans for developing and maintaining relationships with key partners in designated service area(s) and nationally, as appropriate.

• Work with Raise's emerging government affairs team to build and foster relationships with key governmental and legislative constituents, enhance the organization's public image, and advance legislative priorities to support and/or grow Raise's program services and credibility / leadership in the field of child welfare.

Minimum Qualifications

• Organizational and project management to achieve strategic objectives.

• Experience building and managing a budget.

• Strong relationship skills as demonstrated by ability to collaborate effectively with diverse groups of people with a sense of cultural humility and engage a wide range of stakeholders including advisory groups, foundations, government partners, community-based providers, and other key constituents

• Ability to be a team player who can relate to and work effectively with peers and other associates within a collegial, yet demanding, work environment.

• Strong demonstrated experience in securing revenue streams.

• Integrity, positive attitude, mission-driven, and self-directed with demonstrated passion for Raise the Future's mission and commitment to working cooperatively with a management team of senior professionals.

• Solid judgment and leadership skills.

• Demonstrated commitment to building diverse, equitable, and inclusive cultures; understands systemic racism and its impact on marginalized communities; demonstrated experience incorporating a DEIB lens throughout program development and service delivery.

• Ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously and thrive in a complex environment with competing priorities.

• Strong analytical skills; basic business intuition and common sense; ability to work autonomously.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Strong work ethic.

• Ability and willingness to work evenings and weekends as needed.

• Up to 15% travel required.

• Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Office (i.e., Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams), online communication platforms (i.e., Zoom) and other database applications, as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master or Doctorate degree in human services or related field (i.e., social work, psychology, counseling, marriage and family therapy)

• A Utah license to practice as a mental health professional in social work, mental health counseling, marriage and family therapy, or psychology;

• A minimum of five years professional experience in the recruitment and support of Adoptive or guardian families for children/youth;

• Demonstrated expertise in supervising contractors and Utah-based employees.

• Accredited through TCU Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development as a TBRI Practitioner and demonstrated capacity to implement TBRI principles and tools professionally.

• Demonstrated expertise in trauma-informed care and the challenges related to permanency for children/youth and families.

• Demonstrated knowledge of the issues and challenges inherent in the public child welfare system at the local, state and federal level.

• Bilingual, Spanish speaking.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Leadership/Ownership: Demonstrates ability to create and communicate a vision and plan, accept ownership, take initiative, and assume responsibility. Can independently and inclusively develop solutions and ideas that add value. Takes the initiative to get the right perspectives around the table to resolve matters quickly and effectively. Can effectively challenge and influence superiors, peers, and team members to approach all work with an equity and inclusion lens. Promotes trust, collaboration, and partnership between departments, programs, and staff. Embraces feedback from colleagues and makes appropriate changes. Offers feedback to colleagues and supports appropriate changes.

• Decision-Making/Problem-Solving/Analysis: Ability to make sound and timely decisions and involve others appropriately in decision-making. Demonstrates strong analytical skills, including an ability to provide solutions to compliance issues. Good understanding of impact of business decisions. Excellent problem-solving skills - able to think through likely causes of problems before referring them to others.

• Adaptability: Ability to be flexible and work within the system. Able and willing to take on and learn additional and different responsibilities. Effectively manages pressure, maintains composure, and is not easily frustrated. Works effectively in ambiguous situations. Must be able to adapt to a continually evolving environment and thrive in an autonomous and deadline-oriented workplace. Demonstrates consistently positive attitude toward change.

• Communication: Able to effectively communicate (verbally, written, and interpersonally) with poise and professionalism in highly charged and stressful situations. Ability to interact effectively with others and exercise good judgment when engaging with people in sensitive situations. Able to tailor communications appropriately to the size and nature of the audience, including public speaking, presenting trainings at conferences and support groups. Expresses disagreement professionally.

• Ability to Maintain Confidentiality: This position requires direct access to and management of confidential employee, client, and organizational data. It is imperative that confidentiality is always applied when handling this information.

Salary Range: $98,000 - 112,000