JPD - Strategic Initiatives Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Job Title: Strategic Initiatives Manager
Grade: 19 Step 355
Non-Union :
Salary: $85,241

Job Summary
The Strategic Initiatives Manager leads and coordinates complex, cross-functional initiatives that advance the strategic priorities of the Juvenile Probation and Court Services Department. The position is responsible for moving high-priority organizational initiatives from concept through planning, execution, evaluation, and transition to sustained operations.
Working across operational divisions and organizational functions, the Strategic Initiatives Manager develops project structures, establishes timelines and deliverables, coordinates stakeholders, monitors progress, identifies and resolves barriers, and ensures accountability for assigned initiatives. The position provides Department leadership with clear and timely information regarding project status, risks, resource needs, decisions, and outcomes.
The Strategic Initiatives Manager works with a high degree of independence and collaborates with Department leadership, key personnel, community partners, and other stakeholders necessary to advance Department priorities.
The position requires strong strategic thinking, project leadership, organizational judgment, and the ability to move complex work forward through collaboration and influence across areas where the position may not have direct supervisory authority.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities
Strategic Initiative Leadership

1. Leads the planning, coordination, execution, and monitoring of complex Department-wide initiatives and special projects.
2. Translates strategic priorities and organizational goals into actionable project plans with clearly defined objectives, deliverables, responsibilities, timelines, and measures of success.
3. Provides structure and leadership to initiatives involving multiple operational divisions, organizational functions, and external stakeholders.
4. Maintains responsibility for assigned initiatives from initial planning through completion, evaluation, and transition to ongoing operational ownership.
5. Ensure initiatives remain aligned with the Department's mission, strategic priorities, organizational values, and intended outcomes for youth and families .

Project & Portfolio Management

1. Develops and maintains project plans, workplans, timelines, milestones, decision points, deliverables, and accountability structures for assigned initiatives.
2. Monitors progress and proactively identify delays, dependencies, competing priorities, resource limitations, and other risks to successful execution.
3. Develop strategies to resolve barriers and escalate matters requiring leadership intervention or decision-making.
4. Coordinates work across multiple project teams and organizational functions to ensure activities remain aligned and responsibilities are clearly understood.
5. Maintains accurate project documentation and provides timely status updates to Department leadership.
6. Assists leadership in prioritizing initiatives and evaluating organizational capacity to undertake new projects.

Cross-Functional Coordination

1. Convenes and facilitates cross-functional workgroups, planning teams, stakeholder meetings, and other collaborative processes necessary to advance assigned initiatives.
2. Establishes clear roles, responsibilities, expectations, and decision points among project participants.
3. Builds productive working relationships across organizational boundaries and promotes shared accountability for project outcomes.
4. Coordinates with operational leaders to ensure strategic initiatives are responsive to service-delivery needs and operational realities.
5. Collaborates with internal subject matter experts to ensure legal, fiscal, workforce, policy, technology, data, practice, and other organizational considerations are appropriately addressed.
6. Leads and supports the development of Requests for Proposals (RFPs), scopes of work, and other procurement-related documents necessary to advance strategic initiatives, including defining program requirements, deliverables, performance expectations, and desired outcomes.
7. Collaborates with Finance, Contracts, Legal, operational leadership, subject matter experts, and other stakeholders throughout the procurement process to ensure solicitations accurately reflect Department needs and strategic objectives.

Strategic Planning & Organizational Priorities

1. Supports development, implementation, and monitoring of the Department's strategic priorities and organizational goals.
2. Assists in translating strategic goals into measurable initiatives, activities, timelines, and outcomes.
3. Monitors progress toward assigned organizational priorities and assist leadership in identifying areas requiring additional attention or intervention.
4. Conducts research, environmental scans, benchmarking, and other analysis to inform development of strategic initiatives and organizational improvements.
5. Prepare recommendations, briefings, presentations, reports, and other materials to support leadership decision-making.

Risk, Problem Solving & Executive Support

1. Proactively identifies organizational, operational, fiscal, stakeholder, and implementation risks associated with assigned initiatives.
2. Analyzes complex problems, develops options, and recommends practical solutions to Department leadership.
3. Identifies decisions requiring leadership action and ensures leaders receive the information necessary to make timely and informed decisions.
4. Maintains appropriate visibility into project progress while independently resolving matters within the scope of assigned responsibilities.
5. Anticipates potential barriers and works proactively with appropriate stakeholders to prevent or mitigate project delays.

Implementation & Transition

1. Partners with the Implementation Specialist to assess implementation readiness and develop strategies that support successful organizational adoption and sustainability.
2. Coordinates with key personnel as appropriate to support successful execution.
3. Ensures project planning addresses communication, workforce, policy, resource, technology, training, data, and operational needs.
4. Establish transition plans identifying the operational or functional area responsible for ongoing ownership once an initiative becomes established.
5. Conducts or coordinates post-implementation reviews to identify lessons learned and opportunities to strengthen future Department initiatives.

External Partnerships & Representation

1. Coordinates with courts, government agencies, community-based organizations, service providers, funders, consultants, and other external stakeholders when necessary to advance assigned initiatives.
2. Represents the Department on committees, workgroups, planning bodies, and other collaborative efforts related to assigned strategic priorities.
3. Develop and maintain productive relationships necessary to support successful project outcomes.

Other Duties

1. Maintains confidentiality and exercises discretion when working with sensitive organizational, personnel, legal, youth, or operational information.
2. Participate in training, professional development, and continuous learning opportunities.
3. Remain current on research, emerging trends, and best practices in juvenile justice.
4. Performs other related duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

1. Knowledge of strategic planning, project and program management, organizational change, process improvement, and public-sector or human-service operations.
2. Strong project leadership skills, including the ability to translate complex organizational priorities into actionable plans, timelines, deliverables, and accountability structures.
3. Strong critical-thinking and problem-solving skills with the ability to identify risks, analyze complex issues, develop options, and recommend practical solutions.
4. Ability to lead complex cross-functional initiatives and influence results through collaboration and relationship-building without relying on direct supervisory authority.
5. Ability to manage multiple high-priority initiatives, competing demands, dependencies, and deadlines while maintaining attention to detail and organizational priorities.
6. Ability to communicate complex information clearly and concisely to Department leadership, staff, and external stakeholders.
7. Strong facilitation, written communication, presentation, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
8. Ability to exercise sound independent judgment, demonstrate initiative, maintain confidentiality, and appropriately identify matters requiring leadership attention or decision-making.

Minimum Qualifications

1. Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
2. Two (2) years of progressively responsible professional experience involving project or program management, strategic initiatives, organizational improvement, program development, administration, or other related work.
3. An equivalent combination of relevant education, professional training, and experience may be considered.
4. Primary residence in the State of Illinois within 90 days of the date of hire.
5. Pass a pre-employment medical exam, drug screen, and background check (LEADs and CANTS).
6. A negative result from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services child abuse registry.

Preferred Qualifications

1. Experience leading or coordinating complex projects or initiatives involving multiple stakeholders or organizational functions.
2. Experience developing project plans, implementation strategies, Requests for Proposals (RFPs), scopes of work, or other complex organizational documents.
3. Experience supporting organizational change, process improvement, program development, or implementation of new initiatives.
4. Experience working in government, courts, human services, juvenile justice, or another complex organization.
5. Training or certification in project management, implementation science, change management, or a related area.