Director of Resources and Opportunities

Job Summary The Director of Resources and Opportunities will be responsible for developing and executing Thread’s strategy to connect Thread community members with resources, opportunities, services, and collaborators to alleviate personal barriers to thriving and ensure all Thread community members are on the path towards general well-being and self-efficacy. To execute this work, the Director will coach and manage full-time staff, volunteer Resource Teams (volunteers who help execute Thread programming), and Thread collaborators (external partners who offer resources, expertise, and services to Thread community members). Leveraging this unique staffing structure, the Director will be responsible for direct opportunities connection and barrier removal; short-term case management; individual advocacy work; capacity building of staff, volunteers, and Thread young people; and organizational policy/practice review and development. This position is an entrepreneurial role. The Director will be responsible for helping define Thread’s path towards community self-efficacy, and building a team to execute that strategy. While key responsibilities are below, they may evolve as the functional team takes shape. Key Responsibilities Strategy, Process, and Policy Development and Management Develop and roll out overall resources, services, and opportunities strategy (getting buy-in across the Thread staff team and community) Define metrics for monitoring team performance and community path to self-efficacy Create the process identifying, managing, tracking, and connecting resources, services, and opportunities to the Thread community Manage key protocols and practices around community safety and wellbeing, including crisis/trauma response, mandated reporting, and support for returning citizens and non-English speakers Review and streamline financial assistance funds and tools Regularly audit community engagement policies and practices in order to ensure alignment with best practices for community safety, wellbeing, and self-efficacy Coaching and Capacity Building Coach full-time staff, Resource Team Volunteers, and collaborators to execute the Resource and Opportunities strategy and key functions In collaboration & consultation with the Curriculum and Student Programs teams, develop and deploy trainings and programming that build capacity of staff, volunteers, and young people to remove barriers, leverage opportunities, and work towards self-efficacy Develop, maintain, and deploy electronic and online resources through all channels, including the Thread mobile app, Thread Guide, email communications, and more Relationship and Resource Management Develop and strengthen community partnerships to promote awareness of Thread and support resources recruitment, especially in specialized areas Recruit, develop, and retain Resource Team Volunteers and Collaborators to effectively execute strategy, in alignment with Thread values and core competencies Identify community needs through quantitative and qualitative data collection, collaboration with Curriculum Team, Community Managers, and Program Managers Qualifications/Skills Master’s Degree and 4-6 years of management experience preferred Licensed Clinical Social Worker - Certified (LCSW-C), with Board-approved supervision ability, preferred Proficiency with technology and data systems required; experience working with learning management systems preferred Ability to engage in effective verbal and written communication with young people, volunteers, staff, external partners Experience facilitating relationships between individuals across lines of difference Strong project and process management Sound judgement and discretion; strong ability to maintain confidentiality Strong record of crisis management and trauma-informed care preferred Demonstrated understanding of and commitment to Thread’s young people, volunteers, and Core Competencies Familiarity with Baltimore community resource landscape strongly preferred Ability to organize complex tasks and prioritize multiple assignments Strong attention to detail and responsiveness Ability to work independently Entrepreneurial, innovative, and resourceful spirit Prior non-profit experience or knowledge preferred More About Thread Our Mission Thread harnesses the power of relationships to create a new social fabric of diverse individuals deeply engaged with young people facing the most significant opportunity and achievement gaps. Our community is committed to ending social isolation and building a more equitable culture in which everyone thrives. Our Why Studies have shown that the defining difference between Rust Belt cities that struggled and those that were hotspots of rejuvenation was the structure of social networks. The Thread Community Model brings together a broad cross-section of our city by forming authentic, mutual, and enduring relationships and in turn provides a vehicle for sustained change. Thread believes that the power of relationships—the dynamic web of interconnectedness created when futures are woven together—can end the poverty of isolation and allow both youth and Baltimore to realize their full potential. Thread is weaving a new social fabric where everyone thrives and which is expanding to connect with even more students, volunteers, and collaborators. Thread currently serves 606 students and alumni with the support of over 1100 volunteers and over 350 collaborators. We plan to continue to increase our annual and total enrollments until we meet our long-term goal of engaging 300 new students each year (5% of every high school freshman class across Baltimore City). This expansion and evolution requires that Thread be nimble and innovative, and leverage identified opportunities in a way that is congruent with our values and core competencies. Our How Team members at Thread are hard- and smart-working, collaborative, curious, passionate, gritty, strategic and resilient. We meet people where they are. We go all in with care, compassion, and empathy. We believe small acts make a big difference. We trust each other to be sincere, reliable and competent. The outcomes Thread has achieved are exemplary. However, the road to excellence is peppered with iterative learning. We make mistakes often and fail frequently, but we learn from our mistakes and continue to tenaciously try and try again. We are about building communities of responsibility and have high expectations of students, volunteers, collaborators, and staff. We believe that each human being has a purpose in life and have found that individuals living on purpose have discovered the intersection of their skills, passion, and what the world needs. The journey to find this intersection, one’s dot, is often simultaneously exhilarating and difficult. Thread creates a safe and challenging space for all individuals in our community—students, volunteers, collaborators, and staff— to find their dot through deep reflection, honest feedback, and in-depth coaching.