Executive Director of Social Services

Executive Director of Social Services

The Executive Director of Social Services provides divisional leadership and accountability for the strategy, performance, and stewardship of social services across The Salvation Army's North & Central Illinois Division. The role sets direction across three department capacities: Program Operations; Mission Investment Management; and Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning, and ensures they are delivered to the field through a regional service model spanning Northwest Illinois, Central Illinois, and Chicago. The Executive Director leads a divisional team that holds strategy and authority for the department while putting support closest to the field through the Regional Directors of Social Services. The role advances the full mission of The Salvation Army by aligning programs, contracts, data, and partnerships in service of vulnerable neighbors throughout the Division.

Areas of responsibility include but are not limited to the following:

Strategy and Divisional Accountability

• Sets and maintains a divisional vision for social services that reflects the full mission of The Salvation Army and the variety of programs and services offered across the Division.
• Develops and successfully implements long-term strategic and operational plans that align department objectives, outcomes, and resources with mission priorities.
• Anticipates, identifies, and responds to changing issues in the social services environment, and ensures the department is positioned to serve diverse communities and clients effectively.
• Establishes the policies, procedures, and processes required for the department to meet its objectives, maintain compliance, and sustain accreditation where applicable.
• Serves on the Divisional Mission Program Committee (DMPC), ensuring program opening, expansion, modification, and closure recommendations are well-grounded before advancing for approval. Translates DMPC decisions into department-wide execution.
• Holds authority over division-wide and multi-region contracts and programs, ensuring unified oversight and continuity of compliance.

Department Leadership and Capacity Oversight

• Provides direct supervision to the Senior Director of Program Operations, ensuring program development, training, case management standards, and shared tools are available to all sites and that program sites are effectively connected to Advancement, Business Administration, and Congregational Life and Ministry.
• Provides direct supervision to the Senior Director of Mission Investment Management, ensuring contract compliance, vouchering, reimbursement, and funder relationships are managed with discipline, and that public and private resources funding field work are protected and grown.
• Provides direct supervision to the Senior Director of Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning, ensuring the divisional data architecture and impact-planning infrastructure produce verified, timely, and usable information for program, financial, and advancement decisions.
• Provides direct supervision to the Senior Director of Regional Social Services, who leads the Regional Directors of Social Services serving Northwest Illinois, Central Illinois, and Chicago, ensuring regional teams matrix effectively to sites and deliver all three capacities to the field.
• Maintains matrix relationships between divisional functional heads and their regional counterparts, resolving role clarity and escalation questions as they arise.

Field Connectivity and Program Excellence

• Ensures program sites have a clear point of contact for administrative support, program development, and capacity building.
• Provides ongoing consultation and leadership to Corps, service centers, programs, and related institutions on social service matters, including opportunities for additional funding, and program expansion.
• Oversees the deployment and ongoing effectiveness of division-wide programs and initiatives, ensuring consistent program quality, compliance, and impact.
• Ensures program evaluation practices are in place that improve service quality, support accreditation, identify funding and program development opportunities, and inform day-to-day and long-term operations.

External Representation and Advocacy

• Serves as a primary divisional resource linking the Division to the community, funding sources, and political decision-makers, and represents the Division territorially and nationally on social service matters.
• Provides internal and external advocacy and representation for divisional programs, including representation to funding bodies in consultation with other divisional departments.
• Participates in the Divisional Finance Board, Advisory Boards and Committees, Mission and Program Committees, and other bodies as required.

Cross-Departmental Collaboration

• Coordinates with Advancement to ensure verified field outcomes and impact data move from program sites to donor and funder narratives in accurate and timely form.
• Coordinates with Business Administration on financial infrastructure supporting program delivery, including cost allocation, vouchering, reimbursement, and procurement.
• Coordinates with Congregational Life and Ministry to integrate pastoral care, spiritual formation, and ministry programming with program delivery at every level of the department.

Fiscal Stewardship and Sustainability

• Conducts regular and consistent fiscal review with Finance, Program, and related department leadership to ensure long-term sustainability of social service programs.
• Ensures efficient utilization of staff and resources and identifies long-term solutions for financial stability across the department.
• Ensures every active contract has clear ownership, current vouchering, and reimbursements received on schedule.

People and Culture

• Ensures social service positions are staffed with individuals who can carry out department objectives in an environment characterized by clear vision, effective communication, teamwork, departmental collaboration, and ongoing professional growth.
• Provides leadership that enables and supports individuals in accomplishing program and department objectives.
• Acts as a representative of The Salvation Army and its mission in all internal and external relationships.

Other Duties

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive list of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Minimum Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Education: Master's degree in social work, public administration, behavioral science, nonprofit management, or a related field from an accredited institution is required.

Experience:

• A minimum of 10 years of experience in progressively responsible positions managing social service programs, preferably in a faith-based nonprofit organization.
• Experience leading staff in a multi-site environment and overseeing a multi-million-dollar contract and program portfolio across multiple funders is strongly preferred.

Licenses/Certifications:

• Credentials as a Licensed Social Worker (LSW) or Academy of Certified Social Workers (ACSW) preferred.
• Caseworker Certification within 120 days of employment.
• Valid driver's license and MVR clearance required for travel within the Division.

Skills/Abilities:

• Comprehensive understanding of the social services environment, including the requirements, expectations, and resources needed for successful human service programs.
• Working knowledge of The Salvation Army's history, mission, and structure, as well as its services, policies, and procedures.
• Demonstrated ability to lead matrixed teams and to manage staff, projects, priorities, and programs in a constantly changing environment.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret program, financial, and outcomes data and translate it into decisions.
• Strong interpersonal and written communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively at all levels of the organization and with staff at remote locations.
• Demonstrated ability to build teams and partnerships required to accomplish organizational objectives, including across departments and with external funders and community stakeholders.
• Hands-on knowledge of how to effectively work with and manage diversity in the workplace.

Job Limitations

• This individual will only commit Army resources that have been allocated or approved.
• This individual will adhere to all Salvation Army policies and procedures in carrying out the responsibilities of this position.

Physical Demands/Work Environment

In order to successfully perform the essential functions of this position, the employee is regularly required to use standard office equipment and a PC. The work environment for this position is an office environment with a low to moderate noise level. Travel by car or air within and occasionally outside the Division is required.

Competencies

• A passion for seeing clients, communities, and sites impacted through programs that fulfill the full mission of The Salvation Army.
• A commitment to working within the framework of a faith-based organization.
• A commitment to the mission of The Salvation Army.
• A decision-making approach that evaluates options