Senior Director, Friendship Programs

Best Buddies International is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, inclusive living, and family support for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Best Buddies is the largest organization dedicated to ending the social, physical and economic isolation of the 200 million people worldwide with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Our programs empower people with IDD to form meaningful friendships with their peers, secure jobs, improve communication and advocacy skills, and live independently, while also offering support for their families.

Position Title: Senior Director, Friendship Programs 

Department: State Operations and Programs

Reports to: Senior Vice President, Global Mission, State Development and Operations

# Direct Reports: 1-4

Position Overview: The Senior Director, Friendship Programs and their team are responsible for all facets of friendship programs and programmatic systems related to implementing the mission of Best Buddies. The team focuses internally on enhancing the programs and program delivery and externally on providing the mechanisms to support and train Best Buddies staff and participants to implement the Best Buddies mission effectively.
 

Job Qualifications:

• At least six years of management experience, and superior team building and leadership skills.
• Superior project management skills - including planning, analysis, decision making, and problem solving - and willingness to multitask.
• Superior initiative, drive for results, and self-assessment skills, and ability to lead individuals and teams in setting and achieving challenging goals.
• Must be highly dependable, lead by example and be willing/able to adapt management style to fit the situation and hold staff accountable for meeting set expectations.
• Superior presentation skills with the ability to exert influence, inspire others, and articulate the mission, goals, and activities of Best Buddies with passion and enthusiasm.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and database programs.

• Demonstrated expertise in managing the Best Buddies Friendship Program model and mission delivery.
• Experience developing and managing volunteer led programs. 
• Bachelors’ degree in a related field and an advanced degree or equivalent work experience.
• Able to travel up to 30% of the time.

Job Duties include, but are not limited to:

Programs

• Responsible for the development of resources, recruitment campaigns and success benchmarks for the following programs within Best Buddies:

1. Best Buddies Citizens 
2. Best Buddies Colleges               
3. Best Buddies High Schools
4. Best Buddies Middle Schools
5. Best Buddies Elementary Schools

• Lead program development and implementation, program evaluation, and volunteer tracking for the Friendship program pillar, ensuring program staff successfully meet their goals for program expansion and one to one matching.   
• As a key member of the State Operations and Programs Department, provide strategic guidance and expertise in order to support the overall mission delivery for Best Buddies. 
• Spearhead the implementation of new strategic initiatives to expand Friendship program chapters across the country.
• Evaluate and refine existing program modules and practices and create new management processes to enhance the impact of school-based Friendship programs.
• Work in tandem with the Senior Directors of other programmatic pillars to successfully convey the Best Buddies strategic volunteer management goals to field offices and ensure the cohesion of programmatic best practices.
• Identify new and emerging trends in volunteer management and extracurricular clubs that can further enhance the friendship program pillar.

Marketing

• Publicly represent Best Buddies through public speaking opportunities, fundraising events, conferences, and other venues
• Responsible for driving results through creating specific recruitment campaigns during the program year to increase engagement around the friendship pillar.

Human Resources

• Directly supervises staff- responsible for staff development, oversight, and providing meaningful performance feedback, as well as holding them accountable for meeting all development and operational goals, hitting benchmarks, and following best practices and guidelines.
• Inspires and motivates staff by demonstrating personal commitment and integrity and providing proactive training, support and recognition.
• Responsible for all human resources related activities within the team.  Understands, follows and reinforces human resources policies in a consistent manner.
• Ensures that all supervisors within the team understand their human resources responsibilities.

Operations

• Identify on-going capacity-building needs within the department and in field offices and develop communications and work plans for these initiatives including establishing goals, objectives, timelines and resource allocations to support these initiatives.
• Oversee friendship program team budget and spending, including all expenditures related to recruitment campaigns, advisor stipends and chapter expansion efforts. 
• Produce informative briefings, analysis and other materials on assigned programs for the State Operations team, other departments and for the Best Buddies Board of Directors.  
• Travel as necessary to train and prepare staff to manage successful Best Buddies Friendship programs around the world.

Best Buddies® is an affirmative action employer, in addition to an EOE and M/F/V/PWD/PV employer. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are foundational to Best Buddies International’s core values and help the organization continue to achieve its mission. Here at Best Buddies, our goal is to lead and advocate for a more inclusive world.

Best Buddies offers a comprehensive and generous benefits program that include financial security, health and wellness and time off.

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