National Director of Community Engagement

Summary

Join the National Adoption Association (NAA) as the National Director of Community Engagement and champion inclusive practices in the US foster care system. You will leverage findings from focus groups and lived experience teams to enhance outcomes for families. Responsibilities include supporting recruitment, revising post-permanency programs, and providing technical assistance. The role requires collaboration with staff and partners to ensure timely and budget-compliant deliverables. This position offers a competitive salary and benefits package, including health insurance, retirement contributions, and professional development opportunities. The NAA is committed to racial equity and fostering a diverse workforce.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in social work, nonprofit management, public administration, or closely related field
• A minimum of 10 years of public child welfare experience is required
• Licensed Social Worker or similar credentials is required
• Ability to travel to team meetings three to five times per year
• Project Management. Possesses exceptional project management skills. Ability to lead a project from the start to completion while managing the team, time, and budget. Determines the necessary sequence needed to achieve goals, handles multiple demands and competing priorities, meets high performance expectations and objectives. Flexibility with the ability to adapt as needed
• Public Relations. Clear written/verbal communication on behalf of the program that demonstrates knowledge and conveys a passion for race equity
• Child Welfare Knowledge. Possesses significant knowledge, skills, and abilities gained from public or private child welfare agency experience
• Collaborative Leadership. Creates opportunities for collaboration; encourages the exchange of information and sharing; focuses on the common purpose; has an action orientation
• Data Analysis & Management. Values data, critically analyses qualitative data, and uses data to inform decision making
• Effective Communication. Diplomatic communication style (verbal and written) with the ability to communicate the needs and concerns of the partners accurately and effectively to the federal program officer. Practices active listening; keeps others well informed; openness to others who express contrary views; adheres to the communication model as outlined in our collaboration agreement
• Grant Management. Familiarity with the grants process and/or past experience operating a grant
• Financial Management. Ability to prepare, justify, and administer the program budgets; oversees and monitors expenditures regularly and develops resource spending plans when necessary. Works directly with the NAA CEO and CFO regarding finances
• Integrity/Honesty. Possesses high ethical standards; consistently demonstrates ethical standards in words and actions
• Relationship Management . Treats others with courtesy, sensitivity, and respect; possesses a good sense of humor. Facilitates decision making among people with disparate and diverging priorities, perspectives, and points of view in all situations
• Vision . Understands and communicates the shared vision of the project; influences others to translate vision into action
• Team Building. Motivates team members to accomplish group goals and goals of our funder
• Accountability . Holds self and others accountable for measurable high-quality, timely, and cost-effective results. Delivers constructive feedback directly and supportively
• Strategic Thinking. Proactive in anticipating workload fluctuations and increases. Formulates objectives and priorities and implements plans consistent with long-term objectives while managing risks. Ability to make reliable independent decisions that are consistent with the program’s goals and objectives
• Mediation. Ability to arbitrate and resolve conflict specifically as it pertains to facilitating the shared vision of the project, meeting the goals and expectation of the Walmart Foundation and ensuring that the partners are equally contributing and participating in the project equitably
• Political Savvy. Identifies the internal and external politics that impact the work of the organization; perceives and interprets the political reality and acts accordingly. Stays thoughtfully and critically engaged in the work during high-pressure situations and interactions

Responsibilities

• Support the evolution and expansion of post-adoption programming, including integration with mental health services
• Serves as a liaison between Center staff and NAA staff
• Presents focus group findings to the Center leadership
• Plans and leads Lived Expertise Teams, organizing the agenda, sharing information and feedback
• Lead, facilitate, and nurture Lived Expertise Teams, ensuring authentic engagement and inclusion in service design and delivery
• Deliver technical assistance to internal teams and external partners on community engagement strategies, especially related to post-adoption support
• Initiates, builds, and maintains strong working relationships with other national organizations
• Maintain strong working relationships with key partners to ensure coordination, alignment, and shared impact across initiatives
• Directly manages and supervises the Project Specialist by providing guidance, coaching, and performance oversight
• Provide oversight and support for the Community Engagement Implementation Manager under the Mental Health Center, ensuring continuity and alignment of services
• Write NAA’s grantee reports for each project
• Assures accounting of all project funds, meeting regularly with the CFO and internal finance committee to maintain sound financial practices

Preferred Qualifications

• National experience is highly desired
• Bilingual (English and Spanish) preferred

Benefits

• The National Director of Community Engagement salary range is $95,000 - $100,000, commensurate with experience
• A gold health plan, dental & vision insurance (100% employer paid for employees!)
• Employer retirement plan contribution
• Professional development opportunities
• Work is expected to be performed remotely with the requirement of travel 2-3 times per year within the US
• Occasional overtime (evenings and weekends) may be required