WHAT YOU WILL BE COUNTED ON TO DO Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every one of the qualifications as described in a job description. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may be one who comes from a less traditional background.
As the Deputy Director of Administration, you are the senior strategic leader responsible for the vision, effectiveness, and long-term direction of The Pathfinder Network's organizational support team, including Operations, Finance, and People & Culture. Partnering with the Executive Director, Senior Leadership Team, and Leadership Team, you strengthen the systems, resources, culture, and organizational capacity needed to achieve the agency's mission, vision, values, and strategic priorities. You lead through Directors and other agency leaders, creating clarity, accountability, and collaboration across functions while ensuring infrastructure is integrated, responsive, compliant, and positioned for sustainable growth. This position carries primary accountability for the administrative health of the agency, exercising delegated authority during the Executive Director's absence. You lead by example, modeling and driving a culture of accountability and support, and lead in shaping a workplace where people feel valued, supported, and inspired to do their best work.
This position supervises the Organizational Support Team leadership, currently including the Director of Finance, Director of Operations, and Director of People & Culture. The Deputy Directors jointly support cross-organizational alignment, leadership effectiveness, delivery of agency strategy, and organizational success and sustainability while maintaining primary accountability for their respective portfolios.
We are seeking an inspirational, inclusive, and relational leader who can deliver with excellence and who will help us grow the agency and our impact serving justice involved individuals, families, and our communities.
Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Organizational Capacity
- Drive the vision, strategy, and long-term priorities for the Organizational Support Team, ensuring alignment with the agency's mission, vision, values, and strategic plan.
- Partner with the Executive Director and Senior Leadership Team to translate organizational priorities into clear administrative, financial, operational, and workforce goals.
- Anticipate organizational needs and strengthen the capacity, structures, systems, and resources necessary to achieve the agency's current and future priorities.
- Serve as a senior leader in organizational effectiveness, readiness, sustainability, and the continuous development of TPN's internal infrastructure.
- Lead Organizational Support functional team and participate in Functional Lead meetings to lead and drive agency strategic priorities.
- Co-lead Leadership Team meetings alongside the Deputy Director of Programs and help ensure coordinated effort across the agency.
- Represent the Executive Director in internal and external forums when delegated and speak for the agency's administrative and operational commitments.
- Serve as the Executive Director's principal thought partner and confidential advisor.
Organizational Stewardship & Systems Integration
- Provide strategic leadership and oversight of Operations, Finance, and People & Culture, ensuring these functions are aligned, integrated, and positioned to support the agency's mission.
- Strengthen organizational infrastructure, systems, and processes to promote effectiveness, sustainability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
- Ensure Directors have clear accountability for functional strategy, day-to-day management, performance, staffing, and results within their areas of responsibility.
- Promote and ensure intra and interdepartmental collaboration, systems integration, and coordinated solution generation to ensure delivery of functional department and agency goals.
- Identify cross-functional gaps, duplication, or inefficiencies and lead improvements that make organizational systems easier to navigate, more responsive, and more effective.
Financial, Operational & Risk Stewardship
- Partner with the Director of Finance and Executive Director to align financial planning, resource allocation, and organizational priorities.
- Ensure financial strategy, forecasting, daily operations, and decision-making support organizational sustainability, growth, and mission impact.
- Provide strategic oversight of organizational risk, compliance, internal controls, administrative policies, and operational readiness in partnership with functional Directors and the Executive Director.
- Ensure Operations systems and infrastructure effectively support staff, programs, facilities, technology, safety, continuity, and changing organizational needs.
- Use organizational and financial data to identify risks, trends, capacity needs, and opportunities for greater efficiency and effectiveness, and ensure appropriate mitigation or improvement plans are implemented.
- Hold and protect confidential information with consistent discretion.
- Ensure the Executive Director is briefed and decision-ready: surface emerging risks and opportunities early and directly.
People & Organizational Culture
- Provide strategic leadership and oversight of workforce planning, organizational development, and employee experience in partnership with the Director of People & Culture.
- Promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, empowerment, and belonging that supports employee and organizational success.
- Develop and sustain leadership capacity and continuity, organizational readiness, and a strong internal talent bench to support continuity and future growth including intentional development pathways for staff with lived experience.
- Provide strategic direction for employee and leadership learning and development, ensuring workforce development priorities build capacity and align with organizational goals.
- Ensure people systems, policies, and practices are aligned with organizational values, equity commitments, legal requirements, and the agency's approach to shared leadership.
Staff Support, Training, and Supervision
- Provide leadership, direction, and support to Directors within the Organizational Support Team.
- Directly supervise, develop, and evaluate Director-level staff, providing coaching, feedback, and support to strengthen leadership effectiveness.
- Support Directors in navigating complex organizational challenges, decision-making, and cross-functional priorities.
- Work to create and maintain a workforce reflective and responsive to the communities we serve. Prioritize lived experience and help sustain an agency culture that supports a diverse, representative, and stable workforce.
- Champion a culture of wellness, regulation, relational leadership, and accountability, including the agency's Creating Regulation and Resilience communication model.
Senior Leadership
- Examine, develop, implement, document, and communicate the goals, priorities, and values of the agency.
- Provide strategic and visionary leadership for the agency in partnership with the Leadership Team.
- Prepare for, attend, and participate in leadership meetings and other meetings to work towards fulfilling agency mission, vision and values.
- Lead and serve on initiatives, temporary teams and work groups.
- Collaborate with agency staff and stakeholders to carry out the mission of TPN.
- Represent the agency positively and build relationships with stakeholders and the communities we serve.
- Model and drive a culture of accountability and support, in alignment with the Two Accountabilities.
- Support agency growth and sustainability and model the values and mission of TPN.
- Serve as the Executive Director's designated backup when delegated, supporting continuity of leadership and decision-making during periods of absence.
- Maintain a working knowledge of the agency's programs sufficient to speak credibly about TPN's participants, programs, and outcomes.
Participation in Shared Leadership ( = 5% of your time)
- Be a champion in the shaping and sustaining of a diverse, equitable, inclusive and just workplace, with a focus towards creating racial equity.
- Participate on cross-departmental teams or committees regarding organizational policies, processes and work environment.
- Participate in Temporary Teams, Equity Team, Employee Resource Groups, and other teams.
- Contribute individualized skills, knowledge, experience, and expertise to help the agency reach its mission.
WHO YOU WILL BE COUNTED ON TO BE Required Cultural Values: Staff are expected to embody certain cultural values to support TPN's mission: communicate effectively, value one another, show respect, demonstrate accountability, display a high level of self-awareness, participate in shared leadership and continuous growth and learning, live values of diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging and engage in personal work to further DEIJB values and impact.
Commitment to Racial Justice. Staff are expected to interact effectively across racially diverse teams, partners, and experiences, apply a racial equity lens in their work and commit to the ongoing work required to move TPN toward a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive and just organization.
Requirements
Experience and skills we are interested in: - Master's degree in business administration, nonprofit management, organizational leadership, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and significa