Programs Director

Reports to: Senior Director of Innovation and Impact

FLSA Status: Exempt

Salary: $110,000–$120,000

Our Culture:

HACIA’s culture is rooted in our mission & guided by our values charter, which serves as a shared commitment to embodying the principles that define who we are & how we lead, serve, & work together. These five values guide the decisions, partnerships, & actions we take:

• Community: We build together.
• Excellence: We set the standard.
• Integrity: We do the right thing.
• Stewardship: We care for what’s been entrusted to us.
• Advocacy: We raise our voices for equity & opportunity.

At HACIA, we pledge to live these values daily, hold ourselves & one another accountable, & continuously reflect & evolve to ensure these values remain alive in our culture.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

Supervisory Duties:

• Recruit, interview, hire, onboard, train, & guide new & current department staff
• Provide ongoing management & performance feedback to ensure high-quality, compliant, & timely program delivery
• Oversee daily department workflow & resource allocation
• Provide constructive & timely performance evaluations
• In collaboration with Leadership, handle performance feedback, discipline, & termination in accordance with company policy

Leadership & Collaboration:

• Lead development, implementation, & continuous improvement of high-impact workforce & business capacity training programs aligned with organizational mission & strategy
• Develop, initiate, & establish program goals, performance metrics, & success indicators
• Plan & adhere to program budgets & operations in collaboration with the Senior Director of Innovation & Impact & Grant Manager
• Create & implement evaluation strategies to assess performance, report outcomes, & drive improvement
• Supervise & manage program staff, providing feedback & resolving complex issues
• Maintain & build relationships with funders, stakeholders, community partners, & vendors
• Identify & recommend opportunities to enhance efficiency & productivity
• Collaborate with Membership Department to coordinate & deliver effective member resources
• Oversee Programs Department event planning
• Apply change, risk, & resource management principles as needed
• Create plans to address issues or discrepancies identified by grantors
• Keep leadership informed with accurate reports on program status & outcome metrics
• Lead responses to requests for proposals seeking program funding

Program Operational Management:

• Ensure program administration, operations, & activities adhere to grantor requirements, grant agreements, legal guidelines, & internal standards
• Stay informed on construction industry business & workforce trends
• Track data, measurable outcomes, & timely delivery of goals
• Plan programs from start to completion, including deadlines, milestones, processes, & outreach
• Create balanced scorecards & program dashboards to track goals & timelines
• Establish consistent, objective program performance standards
• Establish measurable success metrics & track program growth
• Address issues or discrepancies identified by grantors

General Responsibilities:

• Serve as an ambassador of HACIA’s programs, events, & services
• Stay informed of construction industry trends & barriers to entry
• Promote & educate stakeholders about HACIA & its services
• Participate in HACIA events, including annual events & monthly membership meetings
• Perform other related duties as assigned

Competencies:

• Achievement Focus: Demonstrates persistence, sets challenging goals, & recognizes opportunities
• Communications: Demonstrates strong listening, written, & verbal communication skills
• Project Management Focus: Develops approaches, establishes standards, & leads delivery
• Managing People: Develops staff, provides direction, feedback, & accountability
• Planning & Organization: Prioritizes tasks, plans resources, & works efficiently
• Problem Solving: Identifies issues early, analyzes data, & develops solutions

Strategic Thinking: Adapt strategy to changing conditions, analyze market & competition, identify external threats & opportunities, & understand organizational strengths & weaknesses.

Language Ability: Read, analyze, & interpret business, professional, technical, & governmental documents. Write reports, correspondence, & procedure manuals. Present information & respond to questions from managers, customers, & the public.

Math Ability: Work with probability, statistical inference, fractions, percentages, ratios, & proportions in program budget development.

Qualifications: To perform this job successfully, an individual must perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made for individuals with disabilities.

Education/Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in business management or related field; Master’s degree preferred
• Minimum 5 years’ experience leading grant-funded workforce or business capacity programs
• Minimum 5 years’ experience leading departments & teams
• Minimum 3–5 years managing local, state, &/or federal grant budgets; State of Illinois experience preferred
• Advanced knowledge of construction industry trends is a plus
• Experience managing multiple initiatives preferred
• At least 3 years in nonprofit or public sector preferred

Language Ability:

• Excellent written & verbal communication skills in English
• Spanish is a plus
• Public speaking comfort & ability required

Computer Skills:

• Proficient in MS Office, including Word, Excel, & PowerPoint
• Ability to lead use of data tracking systems such as Salesforce

Other Required Qualifications:

• Executive professional presence representing HACIA positively
• General understanding of the construction industry preferred
• Experience with membership associations or public-serving constituencies preferred
• Exceptional attention to detail
• Ability to cultivate & maintain professional relationships
• Self-directed, organized, innovative, & service-oriented
• Ability to work with socially & ethnically diverse communities
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, & decision-making skills
• Ability to travel for outreach, networking, & programming
• Compassionate, discreet, & tactful
• Strong time management & multitasking ability
• Ability to work independently & in a fast-paced team environment

Work Environment:

Primarily an office environment with occasional travel throughout Chicago & Chicagoland. Core hours are 9am–5pm with occasional evening work for member events.

Physical Demands:

• Prolonged sitting & computer use
• Ability to lift up to 15 pounds
• Frequent hand use & movement during events, including setup & networking

Benefits:

• Medical, Dental, & Vision
• Vacation
• Paid Holidays
• Sick Days
• Personal Time Off
• 401(k) Matching
• Remote Workdays

Disclaimer:

The above job description is intended to describe the general nature of the position and should not be construed as an all-inclusive list of duties, skills, and standards required for the position. All employees may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities f rom time to time, as needed or as assigned by their supervisor.

Equal Employment Opportunity:

HACIA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. HACIA hires individuals on the basis of their qualifications & ability to complete the essential requirements & responsibilities of the job to be filled. It is HACIA’s policy to grant equal employment opportunities to qualified persons without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/gender expression, religion, pregnancy, parental status, marital status, age, veterans' or military status, regardless of how discharged, source of income, credit history, arrest records, or physical or mental handicap or disability, genetic information, or other classification protected by applicable federal, state or local laws. HACIA will provide equal opportunities in all aspects of the employment relationship, including without limitation, recruiting, hiring, compensation, promotion, working conditions, benefits and all other privileges, terms, and conditions of employment. All employment decisions are made based on availability, qualifications, ability, merit and/or other legitimate factors consistent with principles of equal employment.

Cover letter & responses to the pre-screening questions below are required. Please include in 1 file when submitting or send to

1. Please draw from the experience from your submitted resume and provide specific examples of how you meet the minimum 5 years of leading grant funded workforce and/or program management (preference will be given to candidates that can demonstrate experience leading both). Please provide specific examples, including the grantor of the program. (No more than 3-5 sentences)
2. Please demonstrate your experience managing multiple grant-funded programs at once. What type of programs and how many did you manage at once? What was your involvement with each program?
3. What do you enjoy most about leading programming? What do you enjoy least? (No more than 3-5 sentences)
4. Please draw from the experience from your submitted resume and provide specific examples of how you meet the minimum 5 years of experience leading departments or teams. Be specific about number of years, how many people did you lead?
5. Describe your experience leading and managing teams with different professional backgrounds. What were the biggest issues you faced?
6. Please list your experience managing Illinois grants, including name of the grant and State agency, your role with the grant, specific programmatic goals stated and goals met.
7. Please list your experience managing others grants (city, federal, private). Including name of the grant and agency, your role with the grant, specific programmatic goals stated and goals met. 
8. Provide specific examples of your proficiency using Microsoft excel and Microsoft Suite
9. Provide specific examples of your proficiency using CRM systems such as Salesforce
10. Please draw from the experience from your submitted resume and provide specific examples of how you meet the minimum 3 years of experience working in the non-profit or public sector?