AVP, US PROGRAMS

JOB SUMMARY:

The Executive Director of CARE’s US Program will lead the next phase of growth in applying successful anti-poverty tools from around the world to the United States. CARE has succeeded in starting community savings groups—modeled after Village Savings and Loans Associations—in four American cities. CARE has also responded to emergencies in the US through its CARE Package Relief Network of 50 community-based organizations, like its Humanitarian Partners platform in the Philippines and other countries.

The ED will engage stakeholders in creating a vision and growth strategy for CARE’s US Program that centers gender equity, social justice, and anti-racism. This position will motivate a team of talented staff to deepen their impact, capacities for MEAL, and application of global best practices to CARE’s US work.

The ED will work closely and directly with CARE’s CEO and Vice President for US Programs and Policy, as well as with board members and senior leadership across CARE, to carry out a joint vision. The ED will represent CARE in numerous external fora and in the media.

CARE seeks a visionary leader with a demonstrated track record of excellent execution and impact on endemic poverty in the United States.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Strategy, Execution and Resource Mobilization

• The ED of US Programs will lead in creating a common vision and bold strategy for CARE’s programming in the United States and is responsible for executing on the vision and strategy. The ED will set annual and multi-year KPIs for program elements and report progress against these indicators.
• The ED has primary responsibility for raising the necessary funds to achieve the vision, implement the strategy, and grow the program. The US Program budget is currently about $5 million and has the potential to be in the tens of millions. This person will mobilize resources from new donors and networks that have not historically worked with CARE. They will broker partnerships and cultivate relationships of a diverse variety of stakeholders.
• This position will ensure that a diverse, motivated, and high-functioning team is in place to grow with excellence in all programs. This includes actively applying CARE’s tools and best practices from its international work on gender equity, MERL, humanitarian response, disaster preparedness, village savings and loans associations, and other areas to the US Program. This leader will help link US Programs and the team to other parts of CARE to foster strong cross-functional collaboration and communication.

Community Trust and CARE Package Relief Network Growth

• The ED will be responsible for the success of the program’s two flagship initiatives: Community Trust (a domestic application of CARE’s Village Savings and Loans Associations) and the CARE Package Relief Network (CPRN).
• Community Trust is in a test-and-learn phase in which CARE is experimenting with various delivery modalities. The ED will work with the team and local partners to develop learning questions, gather data to answer these questions, and lead the organization in creating a growth strategy for Community Trust, if that potential is present. The ED will work closely with the President, Vice President of US Programs and Policy Advocacy, and the Resource Development Team to secure major investments to scale Community Trust across the United States.
• The CARE Package Relief Network is made up of 50 small to medium sized locally-rooted community organizations. The ED will be responsible for further formalizing, growing, and building the capacities of this network to respond to emergency needs in communities. In particular, the ED will push forward the expansion of the CPRN in key geographies such as the Atlantic Gulf coast, which experiences frequent weather-related disasters.

Innovation Hub Programs

• Part of the US Program is operating CARE’s Innovation Hub within the Atlanta headquarters, which leases space to community organizations, holds local-global Tuesday Talks in which community activists from the US and abroad exchange ideas, and other programming that promotes social justice.
• The ED will ensure the successful operations of the Innovation Hub, continue to attract social entrepreneurs and community leaders to utilize the Hub and create new programming that will link US and global anti-poverty programs.

External Representation

• The ED of US Programs will frequently speak externally representing CARE and its approach to US programming

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s in business and/or nonprofit administration, community development, or related subject or equivalent combination of education and work experience.
• Operational experience:
  a. Master’s in business and/or nonprofit administration, international development, or related subject or equivalent combination of education and work experience. Experience leading complex multistakeholder operations.
• Social justice frame
  a. at CARE we believe that poverty is not natural — but a solvable global injustice. Our domestic program requires a leader who is committed to changing how power operates and how to make systems and institutions more just. This person should be able to speak passionately and personally about social justice and be fluent in systems change perspectives and creating theories of change.