Position Description
Faith in Place is seeking a Senior Director of Strategy to serve as a right-hand strategic partner to the CEO and a complement to the Chief Operations Officer, focused on how Faith in Place shows up in the world. This role owns the organization's external-facing strategy, from state-level program direction and outreach leadership to brand, communications positioning, and the relationships that grow our reach. This position reports to the CEO and works in close partnership with the COO and the state Outreach Directors.
Responsibilities
Strategic Planning and Organizational Growth
- Lead development of Faith in Place's multi-year external strategy, translating the CEO's and Board's vision into concrete state and organizational plans.
- Build and maintain state-level strategic plans for Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin in partnership with each state's Outreach Director, ensuring they ladder up to organization-wide goals.
- Identify and evaluate opportunities for deliberate growth (eg: new regions, partnerships, program models).
- Establish shared metrics and strategic milestones so leadership and the Board can track progress on external growth and impact.
Outreach and State Program Leadership
- Foster consistency and shared best practices across state teams while allowing for regional and cultural context.
Brand, Communications, and External Presence
- Partner closely with the Communications Director to shape brand positioning, messaging, and organizational voice across all three states and multiple faith traditions.
- Help ensure Faith in Place's public presence (eg: press, digital, events, campaigns) reflects a coherent strategic narrative in support of organizational goals.
- Represent Faith in Place, alongside or on behalf of the CEO, in high-visibility external settings (coalitions, funder convenings, interfaith gatherings, press).
Relationship Development and Partnerships
- Cultivate and deepen relationships with houses of worship, denominational bodies, coalition partners, and peer environmental and advocacy organizations.
- Identify strategic partnership opportunities that extend Faith in Place's reach and influence across Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin.
- Work with the Development team to align relationship-building efforts with funding strategy where relevant.
Key Strategic Projects and Cross-Departmental Initiatives
- Lead or oversee special strategic projects assigned by the CEO that cut across departments (e.g., new program launches, major coalition efforts, organizational repositioning).
- Ensure strategic initiatives are properly resourced, sequenced, and coordinated with Program, Development, and Operations leadership.
Navigating the 501(c)(3) / 501(c)(4) Structure
- Help ensure external strategy is coordinated across Faith in Place (501c3) and the Faith in Place Action Fund (501c4), maintaining appropriate separation of resources and activities while keeping messaging and growth strategy aligned.
- Partner with legal/compliance advisors as needed on strategic initiatives that touch lobbying, advocacy, or electoral-adjacent work under the Action Fund.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications
- 10+ years of relevant experience in nonprofit strategy, program leadership, or organizational development, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- 5+ years of experience directing and managing staff, including managing managers or regional leads.
- Demonstrated experience building and executing multi-year organizational or program strategy.
- Experience shaping brand, communications, or public-facing strategy for a mission-driven organization.
- Track record of building and sustaining external relationships and partnerships that advance organizational goals.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, comfortable representing an organization externally at a senior level.
- Strong project management skills, with the ability to lead multiple cross-departmental initiatives simultaneously.
- Passion for faith-based environmental and racial justice work, with cultural humility across diverse religious and spiritual traditions.
- Candidate must reside in Illinois, Indiana, or Wisconsin.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience working within a dual 501(c)(3)/501(c)(4) organizational structure.
- Experience in environmental, climate, or advocacy-focused nonprofits.
- Familiarity with multifaith or interfaith community organizing.
- Advanced degree in nonprofit management, public policy, communications, or a related field.
Hours
This is a full-time, exempt position. While most work is done during a standard workday, work opportunities occasionally occur on evenings and weekends, including travel across Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. For any time worked outside regular work hours, comp time will be provided.
Pay and Benefits
This full-time position's salary range is $110,250 commensurate with experience. A comprehensive benefits package is offered to full-time employees of Faith in Place. These benefits, with some employee contributions, include medical, dental, vision, life, and short-term and long-term disability insurance, and an employer-matched SIMPLE IRA plan, which begins the first of the month following employment, and a stipend to support professional development. Up to twenty (20) paid vacation days, two (2) paid personal days, and five (5) paid sick days will begin after three (3) months of employment. Monthly cell phone and internet stipends are provided along with a $500 one-time payment to help with home office needs.
To Apply
Only internal applications will be accepted through August 12.
Application Process and Timeline
- For external applicants: 30-minute phone interview
- 1-hour Zoom interview (questions will be sent in advance)
- Finalists will be asked to provide 2-3 professional references (or a supervisor's reference for internal candidates) and may be invited for a final 45-minute interview.
To apply, please submit your resume and respond to the application questions. This posting will be removed when filled.
