Director, Essential Support

Job Description

Job Description

About A Wider Circle

The mission of A Wider Circle is to advance equity in the greater Washington, DC region by fostering the exchange of goods, skills, and connections from neighbor to neighbor, and by engaging in advocacy to address the root causes of poverty. Our Essential Support Program provides individuals and families with furniture, clothing, and other basic items to help meet immediate needs and support long-term stability.

Job Summary

Schedule: On-site, Mon-Fri, 8:30 AM–5:30 PM (with one remote day per week TBD after 90 days)

We are seeking a collaborative and experienced Director to lead our Essential Support department. This individual will provide department-wide direction for our furniture and clothing distribution programs, overseeing staff, operations, and program effectiveness to ensure exceptional client service and meaningful impact. The Director will cultivate a culture of collaboration, accountability, and excellence while strengthening systems, developing leaders, and advancing the department's priorities.

The Department serves more than 5,000 individuals per year through on-site appointments and deliveries. The Director oversees a department of about 10 full-time individuals, including a Senior Manager, Senior Coordinators (who double as "Floor Managers" during furniture appointments), Coordinators, and Fellow(s). There are also up to five interns each semester and dozens of volunteers who assist in day to day service delivery.

The ideal candidate brings strong people management and organizational leadership experience, a commitment to social and economic justice, and the ability to balance big-picture thinking with practical problem-solving in a dynamic, mission-driven environment. This is a high-impact, full-time role for someone who is passionate about building strong teams, improving services, and ensuring our programs continue to meet the evolving needs of the communities we serve.

Key Responsibilities

Department Leadership & Staff Development

• Lead the Essential Support department by fostering a collaborative, high-performing, and client-centered environment.
• Oversee staffing, recruitment, onboarding, performance management, and professional development for Essential Support staff, interns, and volunteers. Some of these responsibilities will be co-led and shared by the Senior Manager of the department, who reports to the Director.
• Coach and mentor managers to strengthen leadership capacity, accountability, and consistent decision-making across the department.
• Foster effective department communication and facilitate regular team meetings to ensure alignment, collaboration, and continuous growth.
• Ensure staff have the tools, guidance, and support needed to navigate complex client situations with empathy, professionalism, and consistency.

Program Strategy & Operations

• Provide strategic oversight of the furniture, clothing, and related Essential Support programs, ensuring high-quality, efficient, and equitable service delivery.
• Establish operational priorities, policies, and procedures that support organizational goals and enhance the client experience.
• Develop and monitor departmental goals and key performance indicators, using program data and client outcomes to evaluate effectiveness, identify opportunities for growth, and inform decision-making.
• Ensure accurate documentation, data integrity, reporting, and compliance with organizational policies and funder requirements.
• Oversee scheduling models, client flow, and operational systems, including CRM processes and data management, to maximize program effectiveness and staff capacity.
• Drive innovation within the department by developing and implementing new initiatives, pilot programs, and operational improvements that enhance Essential Support services in line with our mission and strategic plan.
• Serve in a Floor Manager role as needed, overseeing client service delivery for the furniture distribution program.

Organizational Leadership & Collaboration

• Manage department resources, annual operational budgeting, and priorities to ensure effective allocation of staff capacity, program funding, and operational resources.
• Partner with organizational leadership to develop long-term plans for expanding and/or strengthening Essential Support services.
• Collaborate daily to weekly with other department leaders across the organization to align efforts, strengthen partnerships, and support organization-wide initiatives.
• Represent the Essential Support department through external communication and relationship-building with community partners and stakeholders.
• Serve as a member of the organization's leadership circle of directors and managers, contributing to organizational planning, policy development, and strategic decision-making.
• Serve as Manager on Duty (MOD) as needed in the absence of the Operations Manager.

Required Qualifications

• At least 4 years of relevant professional experience working in a nonprofit or similar settings, including 2 years of people and/or project management
• Bachelor's degree
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills; able to motivate and manage teams
• Demonstrated ability to juggle multiple priorities and lead through ambiguity
• Comfort with technology: familiarity with Google Suite (e.g., Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Sheets) and ability to quickly learn CRM systems

Preferred education and experience

• Master's Degree
• Experience working with individuals and families living in poverty, exercising cultural sensitivity and trauma-informed program design
• Experience working with client management and scheduling systems (we use Apricot and Acuity now but will transition to LiveImpact by end of year)
• Bilingual in Spanish is a plus

Work authorization/security clearance requirements

• Must be authorized to work in the United States

Work environment

The Director, Essential Support will work in an office located in a renovated warehouse environment.

Physical demands

Must be able to move around a warehouse environment for extended periods, lift up to 20 lbs occasionally, and work in variable temperature conditions.

Other duties

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing 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.

Travel required

Occasionally (generally no more than twice monthly), the Director will need to drive to and from our DC location or other local stakeholders within the same day.

Affirmative Action/EEO Statement

A Wider Circle is committed to having a team that is diverse and ensuring that all qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, gender (including gender identity or expression), religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, age, veteran status, or other non-merit factor. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.