Senior Specialist, Collective Impact, Mississippi
Summary
The Collective Impact Senior Specialist has primary responsibility for the development, coordination and management of collective impact projects initiated in Mississippi. The Senior Specialist learns local organizational/service landscapes, builds networks and assesses readiness for collective impact, and works collaboratively to achieve results selected by an established group of leaders in identified communities. This role engages local schools, community organizations, businesses and other stakeholders in efforts to implement a shared community vision to improve outcomes for students, families and community members.
What You’ll Be Doing (Essential Duties)
Partnership Scoping (25%)
Prior to formal partnership formation, the Senior Specialist will focus on the following:
- Build relationships and knowledge to establish a full understanding of the landscape and pertinent historical context of efforts to improve children’s well-being within communities across the state.
- Develop and deploy tools to determine communities’ readiness for results-based collective impact.
- Work with Save the Children’s national team and partners to support identified communities in formalizing collective impact partnerships.
Partnership Management (25%):
- Instigate and coordinate development of a cross-sector “Leadership Table,” comprised of local institutional and community leaders with authority and accountability for achieving the shared vision.
- Initiate and foster partnerships with school districts, community members, business leaders and other existing collaborations (e.g., Promise Neighborhoods, community collaboratives) to accelerate outcomes and ensure the growth and sustainability of partnership efforts.
- Provide ongoing support and leadership for Leadership Table and working group meetings.
- Coordinate with other organizations in the field to maintain a full understanding of the current landscape of local, regional and state activities in order to promote integration and collaboration within and across multiple sectors.
- Project Management (20%): In collaboration with the Leadership Table, coordinate the work of multiple partners, advance their collective work through results-based methods and hold them accountable for action items needed to achieve objectives.
- Collaborate closely with national management team, Save the Children Community Engagement staff and other Collective Impact Specialists to share progress, synthesize learning and make course corrections with implications for all collective impact communities. Plan, deploy and monitor budget aligned with partners’ work.
- Capacity Building (5%): Develop personal results based leadership skills through available opportunities provided by Save the Children and partners.
- Facilitate the development of a shared vision that will guide transformative change in identified communities and support community partners in adopting performance measures and targets that accomplish community driven goals.
- Advance and model Results Count Leadership competencies: 1) Be results-based and data-driven; 2) Bring attention to and act on disparities; 3) Use oneself as an instrument of change; 4) Master “adaptive leadership skills”; and 5) Collaborate with others to align actions and move work to result.
- Communication (10%): Facilitate smooth and consistent communication among all members of the initiative by coordinating regular updates (email, phone and/or in person) to ensure alignment of activity.
- Continuous Improvement (15%): Coordinate the development and implementation of a shared measurement system that will track common outcomes and indicators across the initiative and use results to inform learning and continuous improvement.
- Create and disseminate regular reports on group progress against goals and indicators.
Required Qualifications
- You have a minimum 5-7 years' experience relevant to area of expertise;
- Bachelor degree or equivalent relevant experience required;
- Professional level of technical or managerial knowledge, skills, and experience to provide the technical and management support related to various size programs, grants or projects;
- Proven dedication to equity and inclusion in education and economic opportunity;
- Exceptional interpersonal skills and comfort in collaborative networked environments;
- Strong financial management, analytical and strategic planning skills;
- Proven organizational and project management skills;
- Demonstrated success in working independently in ambiguous contexts, with strong attention to details
- Willingness and ability to travel up to 40%
This position may require the incumbent to operate a motor vehicle to fulfill certain essential functions of the job. The incumbent should maintain a valid driver’s license and remain in compliance with any Save the Children policies pertaining to the safe operation of motor vehicles.
Preferred Qualifications
- Knowledge of collective impact and results-based leadership
Why you should join the Save the Children Team…
Save the Children US offers outstanding benefits that include health, dental, vision and life insurances, pet insurance, short-term and long-term disability coverage, an Employee Assistance Program, 403(b), generous vacation, personal sick leave, family leave, parental/adoption leave, commuter benefits, dress for your day, and much more.
Click here to learn more about how Save the Children US will invest in YOU!
About Save the Children
Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming their lives and the future we share.
Save the Children is committed to conducting its programs and operations in a manner that is safe for the children it serves and helping protect the children with whom Save the Children is in contact. All Save the Children representatives are explicitly prohibited from engaging in any activity that may result in any kind of child abuse. In addition, it is Save the Children’s policy to create and proactively maintain an environment that aims to prevent and deter any actions and omissions, whether deliberate or inadvertent, that place children at the risk of any kind of child abuse. All our representatives are expected to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with this commitment and obligation. Any violations of this policy will be treated as a serious issue.
We provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, ancestry, sexual orientation, national origin, age, handicap, disability, marital status, or status as a veteran. Save the Children complies with all applicable laws.