AGENCY OVERVIEW:
Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County (CCSCC) is dedicated to serving and advocating for individuals and families in need, particularly those living in poverty. Rooted in gospel values, CCSCC aims to create a just and compassionate community for people of all cultures and beliefs, disrupting the cycle of poverty through holistic support. The agency offers various services, including food assistance, supportive housing, access to benefits, senior services, and behavioral health care, impacting over 100,000 individuals annually through more than 40 programs across 84 sites with a budget exceeding $50 million. CCSCC also addresses the root causes of poverty through advocacy and collaboration, participating in national and state initiatives. Operating for over 67 years as a public-benefit nonprofit under the Diocese of San Jose, CCSCC is part of the largest private social services network in the U.S. through Catholic Charities USA.
ACCESS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT (ACE) DIVISION:
The ACE division is the driving force behind community mobilization and partnership for Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County. The division bridges the agency with the broader community to disrupt poverty. It expands localized access to resources and opportunities while deepening annual connections across key networks - including parishes, neighborhood communities, funders, elected officials, internal staff, and mission-aligned partner organizations. Additionally, the division establishes and enhances deliberate community hubs that deliver essential services and wraparound support, effectively empowering residents to guide their own journeys out of poverty.
POSITION SUMMARY:
The Division Director provides strategic leadership and overall direction for an assigned division and its programs, while providing agency-wide special project support under the direction of the Chief Operations Officer (COO). The Division Director sets priorities, oversees program quality and day-to-day program functions, and is accountable for the division’s people, budgets, funding, partnerships, compliance, and outcomes. As a member of the agency’s leadership team, the Division Director collaborates across departments to strengthen integrated services, support agency-wide priorities, and represent the division with funders, community partners, public agencies, and other stakeholders.
The person in this position must have successful leadership, progressively responsible experience in a social service, health, education, or community development field. The candidate also must have a proven track record of strong people, program, project, fund development, and budget management in a large-scale government, corporate, nonprofit, social enterprise, or hybrid organization.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Strategic Leadership and Direction
- In collaboration with the COO and agency leadership, set the division’s vision, goals, and annual priorities in alignment with the agency’s Strategic Plan and executive direction.
- Develop long-term plans for site growth, program offerings, program funding, and service expansion, including new site openings and program launches.
- Guide Program Leaders in translating strategic priorities into site-level work plans, and regularly review progress toward goals.
- Foster a culture of integrity, collaboration, clear communication, shared learning, continuous improvement, and accountability, while leveraging team members’ strengths to advance organizational goals.
- Contribute to agency-wide planning and decision-making as a member of the leadership team.
Supervision and Team Development
- Recruit, onboard, supervise, and develop Program Leaders and support staff in accordance with CCSCC’s human resources policies and procedures.
- Foster a collaborative, motivating work environment. Establish annual goals and objectives for the division, programs, and staff; monitor progress; and support staff in addressing performance challenges.
- Develop and use performance metrics and evaluation frameworks to assess program effectiveness and inform continuous improvement.
- Identify and support professional development and training to strengthen staff skills in advocacy, community engagement, social justice, Catholic social teaching, and trauma-informed care.
- Set clear performance expectations, conduct formal reviews in accordance with the agency’s review cycle, and address performance concerns in partnership with Human Resources.
- Resolve escalated staff, participant, and operational issues, involving senior leadership when appropriate.
Program Oversight and Quality
- Hold overall accountability for program quality, safety, and compliance with agency policies and applicable regulations across assigned programs and sites.
- Review and approve site-level programming, activities, and events proposed by the Program Leaders to ensure alignment with community needs and agency standards.
- Establish consistent standards, practices, and tools across program sites while allowing for site-specific adaptation.
- Facilitate regular cross-site communication to align on shared priorities, challenges, and lessons learned.
Financial Management
- Develop and manage division budgets; approve expenditures and budget adjustments; and monitor variances in partnership with Finance.
- Manage Division’s financial activity to meet the approved budget.
- Delegate responsibility for designated program budgets to Program Managers and review budget performance regularly.
- Support staff in managing program budgets to promote fiscal responsibility and allocate resources effectively. Work closely with the Fiscal Department to review monthly revenue and expenses and keep programs within budget.
- Support staff in meeting grant and contract requirements, including completing deliverables on time and communicating with funders. Adapt service delivery to meet regulatory and contractual obligations and client needs.
- Provide the COO with monthly budget reports and updated forecasts.
Fund Development
- Identify and secure funding through grants, sponsorships, and partnerships to sustain and expand program services.
- Coordinate with the Development Department in Fund Development activities.
- Serve as the primary contact for funders and maintain final accountability for grant and contract deliverables, including those managed by Program Managers.
- Ensure grant and contract reporting requirements are met accurately and on time.
Community Engagement, Partnerships, and Advocacy
- Ensure that services, activities, and events respond to the needs and priorities of residents, rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all model.
- Build and maintain relationships with community leaders, schools, city and county agencies, coalitions, and local organizations serving communities near each site.
- Lead community needs assessments and use findings to keep programming responsive to changing neighborhood needs.
- Represent the agency at neighborhood meetings, community events, coalition meetings, public forums, and funder meetings.
- Lead advocacy efforts on local, state, and federal policies affecting the communities served, and guide the Program Manager’s related advocacy work.
Policy Development and Communications
- Review, create, and approve policies and procedures developed for assigned programs and services, ensuring alignment with agency-wide policies and applicable regulations.
- Oversee internal and external communications for assigned programs, including the bi-weekly internal bulletin produced by the Program Manager, and participation in the Highlights and Hopes monthly communication.
Data, Evaluation, and Reporting
- Establish outcome measures, logic models, and evaluation processes for the Family Resource Centers.
- Ensure the Program Manager collects accurate participation, attendance, and outcomes data at each site.
- Review and approve program reports, and report on outcomes and community impact to senior leadership, the Board, and funders.
- Ensure grant and contract reporting requirements are met accurately and on time.
- Use data and participant feedback to guide continuous improvement across sites.
QUALIFICATIONS:
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
- Master’s degree from an accredited institution in social work, public administration, education, communications, theology, child development, health sciences, social services, psychology, or a related field - or an equivalent combination of bachelor’s degree and related experience.
- At least five (5) years of management or leadership experience.
- At least three (3) years of job-related experience in family, child, or youth development; community engagement; or program development, with demonstrated knowledge of culturally diverse communities and their needs.
REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
- Strong English reading, writing, speaking, and comprehension skills; bilingual proficiency in Spanish preferred.
- Knowledge of local community resources, organizations, and service systems.
- Strong coordination, organizational, and time-management skills, including the ability to lead effective meetings, prepare agendas and minutes, and track action items.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality and professional boundaries.
- Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, and manage multiple responsibilities.
- Ability to work effectively and collaboratively with internal and external partners.
- Experience working with people from diverse cultural, social, and economic backgrounds, with demonstrated cultural awareness and sensitivity.
- Flexibility, initiative, and adaptability in a fast-paced, changing, and sometimes stressful environment.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Excel. Experience with Constant Contact and Canva preferred.
- Ability to model the agency’s values of service, justice, and compassion, and to carry out agency strategies, policies, and decisions professionally.
- Experience providing leadership, guidance, and mentorship to program staff and fostering a positive, supportive work environment.
- Successful experience in securing funding to support programs.
- Proficiency in financial management, including budget development and monitoring in a large-scale government, corporate, nonprofit, social enterprise, or hybrid organization.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
- Ability to work at a desk for extended periods of time.
- Ability to use a computer workstation.
- Ability to lift up to 25 lbs.
- Ability to travel to agency sites within Santa Clara County.
OTHER QUALIFICATIONS:
- Criminal background check via Livescan fingerprint.
- Automobile, valid driver’s license, and auto insurance per agency policy; or have access to reliable transportation.
WORKING CONDITIONS:
- The position requires daily in-person presence at the assigned office and sites.
- Most work is done in a comfortable office environment.
- May need to travel to other agency sites within Santa Clara County.
HOURS AND OTHER CONDITIONS:
- Standard office hours are Monday - Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- This is a full-time, exempt position. Hours and days of work will vary according to workload demands; some evening and weekend work will be required.
This position description outlines the general nature and responsibilities of the role but is not exhaustive. Duties may be modified to respond to client needs and agency operations.
Catholic Charities is a non-profit, non-discriminatory service organization and employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, or disability. Persons seeking employment are entitled to freedom from harassment and retaliation and reasonable accommodation for qualified disabilities.
