Director of Strong Households
Position Summary
The Director of Strong Households supports the mission and vision of Metro United Way and the community by leading a complex, multi-county portfolio focused on advancing economic mobility, basic needs, and community care systems across the seven-county region. In addition to overseeing pillar-specific initiatives, this role serves as a key driver of Metro United Way’s ongoing evolution from a traditional community investment model to a community transformation model by translating strategy into scalable programs, systems, and partnerships.
The Director serves as a senior leader within the Community Impact division, working collaboratively across departments and with external partners to strengthen community impact, mobilize resources, and advance regional priorities. This role plays a key role in translating organizational strategy into practice within the Strong Households portfolio while contributing insights, partnerships, and implementation experience to broader organizational planning and transformation efforts.
Key Responsibilities / Essential Functions(1) Strong Households Pillar & Portfolio Leadership:
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Lead the strategic planning, implementation, and continuous improvement of the Strong Households pillar, ensuring alignment with Metro United Way’s organizational impact goals, equity commitments, and regional priorities.
(2) Organizational Transformation & Enterprise Strategy
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Serve as a strategic contributor in Metro United Way’s transition from a community chest model to a community transformation model by designing, testing, and scaling initiatives within the Strong Households pillar that address root causes of economic and social instability.
(3) Regional Systems Leadership & External Relations:
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Act as a regional systems leader and backbone organization representative, convening public, private, and nonprofit partners to advance shared goals across all seven counties.
(4) Financial Stewardship, Operations, & People Leadership
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Provide strategic and fiduciary oversight for a complex, multi-funded portfolio of Strong Households initiatives, including development, management, and monitoring of operating and grant-funded budgets across multiple funding streams.
Education / Experience Requirements:
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Five years of experience in nonprofit, government or human service organization
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Management experience preferred
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Bachelor’s degree preferred
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
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Strong knowledge of community issues, resources, and efforts
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Experience in project management, including working with budgets, and performance measurement of community work. General knowledge of community issues and efforts related to Strong Households
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Facilitation Skills: Demonstrated experience with community planning, community organization and working in a team planning process
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Previous supervisory experience preferred
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Must be able to take initiative, create and execute strategies, demonstrate leadership, work independently and produce consistently high-quality work.
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Strong research skills
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Ability to effectively manage grants and associated reports
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Knowledge of the human service system
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Excellent attention to detail
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Demonstrated ability to supervise employees
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Demonstrated skill in oral and written communication
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Demonstrated skill with MS Office tools (Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc.)
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Must be a hands-on, independent self-starter who is effective in a fast-paced environment and capable of prioritizing multiple, changing tasks
Metro United Way Vision and Mission The vision of Metro United Way is that our regional community will be the most vital, caring community in the nation. Our mission is to improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of our community.
Metro United Way (MUW) is a force for positive change. We work every day to lift our community by mobilizing people and maximizing resources to advance opportunities and equity for all. MUW brings together businesses, nonprofits, government agencies, foundations, and individuals to engage in the kinds of collaboration that changes lives. With this support, we are uniquely positioned to make a significant, lasting impact in our fight for the education, financial independence, and health of every person in the seven-county region we serve.
For more than one hundred years, MUW has united and empowered communities by investing in the full potential of individuals and families to ensure positive, sustainable change. We use data-driven insights to identify our community’s greatest needs and address systemic challenges with a focus on advancing equity and sharing opportunities for all. Together, we fight to improve the disparities that persist in early care and education, economic mobility, home ownership, racial equity, and public policy in Jefferson, Bullitt, Oldham and Shelby counties in Kentucky and Clark, Floyd, and Harrison counties in Indiana.
MUW has undergone a major shift with its impact model, focusing on three distinct pillars: Thriving Kids, Strong Households, and Equitable Community. Building on its core strength of mobilizing the caring power of communities, MUW has re-imagined the civic engagement and impact it can have in the region. However, we continue to unite community partners around critical programs and initiatives tailored to meet the specific needs of each community. These include programs and initiatives in early childhood development, economic empowerment & mobility, policy advocacy to support systemic reform, workforce development, homelessness prevention, mentoring and facilitation of neighborhood networking. In 2020, MUW received a one-time gift of $20 million from activist and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, which was a testament to its continuous investment in programs and services that combat racial and social injustice.
There is no single solution, and we strongly believe that the key to social change is working together beyond individual efforts to impact widespread progress. That is why our approach is so effective - we are on the ground, leading collective action that drives results at scale.
