Dragonfly Central

The Arc Central Chesapeake Region, Easton, Maryland

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The Arc Central Chesapeake Region is partnering with Dragonfly Central to find a Director of Strategic Initiatives. The Director will lead key strategic priorities from The Arc’s Easton office, including stewarding the strategic priorities of the President & CEO.

The Position

The Director of Strategic Initiatives will drive the organizational strategic planning process and help steward the achievement of the strategic priorities of the President & CEO, including growth, legal strategy, and risk management. The Director of Strategic Initiatives will lead key strategic priority growth areas and initiatives with a focus on the effectiveness and efficiency of organization-wide processes and systems. This role provides invaluable exposure to our strategic vision and senior leadership’s breadth and depth of work. This position will project manage a variety of strategic priorities and transformational initiatives. The Director of Strategic Initiatives is a member of the Expanded Executive Leadership Team and Leadership Council.

Roles and Responsibilities

The Director of Strategic Initiatives must facilitate and/or support work groups related to strategy development and implementation, growth planning, and annual planning process; communicate progress, challenges and outcomes of strategic projects. In addition, the Director will:

  • Lead the expansion of The Arc to new geographic regions; Work in partnership with the Chief Program Officer and other leaders to ensure consistency in services delivered and quality.
  • Manage organizational initiatives and work groups; Lead cross-functional teams to address emerging needs; Design and implement new processes or systems; Support the implementation of organizational change.
  • In a consultive manner, partner with leadership at every level, from executives to direct support professionals on strategic initiatives and growth, ensuring alignment with division(s)/department(s) goals and organizational strategy  
  • In partnership with key leaders, establish and implement metrics for monitoring strategic planning activities, objectives, and growth strategies.
  • Identify and engage additional stakeholders necessary to support the success of strategic initiatives.
  • Ensure that all growth strategies operate consistently and ethically within the mission and values of The Arc.
  • Prepare and submit an annual operational budget to the VP of Finance for review and approval, manage effectively within this budget, and report accurately on progress made and challenges encountered; Work with leadership to ensure strategic initiatives and growth strategies are prioritized in the budget process.
  • Support the President & CEO and SVP of Administration & General Counsel with key operational initiatives.
  • Manage and coach employees that are both directly and indirectly assigned.

Other Functions

  • Represent The Arc with external constituency groups, including community, governmental, and private organizations.
  • Support the development and management of policies, procedures, and standard operating procedures.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.

Experience and Attributes

  • BS/BA in business or nonprofit management or related field and five years of progressive leadership experience in management consulting, strategic planning, or growth initiatives
  • Master’s degree in business management and project management certification (PMP) is a strongly preferred
  • Excellent oral and written communication; strong interpersonal skills with the ability to manage positive communication in difficult situations and the ability to provide candid/constructive feedback
  • Strong and creative problem-solving, critical thinking, and strategic planning skills, including the ability to disaggregate problems and structure complex issues
  • Excellent collaboration and influence skills, demonstrating an ability to navigate organizational relationships, incorporate differing perspectives, develop recommendations, and generate consensus with partners across teams
  • Demonstrated and proven ability to build relationships affecting organizational change, including in situations where there is an indirect management relationship
  • Strong presentation design and slide development skills
  • Strong data analysis skills and familiarity with data-driven decision-making
  • Displays maturity, flexibility, comfort with ambiguity, and a sense of optimism/can-do attitude
  • Ability to take initiative, manage priorities, and work independently
  • Ability to work well under pressure in an ever-changing environment
  • Proficiency in MS Word, Excel, Outlook, and knowledge of outcome systems required

In addition to a competitive base salary of $125,000, The Arc also provides a comprehensive total rewards (benefits) package which includes access to robust health, vision, and dental insurance; EAP; FSA; Basic Life Insurance and AD&D coverage; STD and LTD; 403(b) with up to 4% employer match; PTO, as well as 12 paid annual holidays per year. Typical work schedule is Monday through Friday during The Arc office hours, with frequent night and occasional weekend meetings or events. This position is eligible for moderate telework. Telework days are not guaranteed.

Application Process

The Arc Central Chesapeake Region is partnering with Dragonfly Central to find the best candidate for the Director of Development position. To apply, email a cover letter that details your fit with the position’s requirements and a chronological resume to StrategicInitiatives@dragonflycentral.org. For all other inquiries, contact Ginna Goodenow at ginna@dragonflycentral.org.

The Arc Central Chesapeake Region Enterprise

The Arc Central Chesapeake Region (The Arc) began in 1961, founded by a group of parents who wanted equity, access, and opportunity for their children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). At our core, The Arc believes that people with IDD deserve the same opportunities for self-determination and self-advocacy as any other community member. The Arc’s growth over the last six decades has been in response to community-identified needs. We are providing—and often creating—the services that people tell us they need to live the life they choose for themselves.

Today, The Arc supports more than 3,000 people with IDD and their families throughout Maryland, providing comprehensive programs and services that support the full spectrum of a person’s life, from birth through retirement, and all the joys and opportunities in between. All our programs and services are designed to empower and support people with IDD and provide greater self-determination in how they live, work, and connect with their communities.

The Arc’s Core Values are evident in all aspects of our programs and services. These values are:

  • We embrace individuality. We see the whole person, celebrate our differences, and offer the people we serve, and our team, opportunities tailored to them.
  • We are heart-driven. Every interaction matters to us; we go the extra mile to care for the people we serve and our team.
  • We take strategic risks. Fueled by the urgency of our mission, we continually push for better and more innovative approaches.
  • We are action-oriented. We are creative, resourceful, and have a “get it done” approach to overcoming challenges.
  • We promote equity and respect. We value the different identities and experiences of the people and communities we work with, and we build respectful relationships to meet them where they are.

The Arc partnered with employees from across the organization and community members to develop the value statements above, which reflect who we are as an organization and how we approach our work.

The Arc welcomes employees of diverse backgrounds, striving to create a workplace where all feel valued for their contributions. We actively incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) best practices into every practice and policy. It’s more than mandatory employee training—it’s at the very root of our organizational culture. How power is distributed, who contributes to decision-making, the distribution of workloads, and the representation of diversity across the organization are all factors in how The Arc’s leadership team guides the organization.

The Arc is constantly finding new ways to invest in its employees’ personal and professional success to create an environment where people can be their authentic selves and feel a sense of belonging.

About The Arc’s Subsidiaries

What’s unique about The Arc is our focus on innovation, commitment to community-based services, and tremendous growth. The Arc is an entrepreneurial organization, and strongly values innovation informed by community needs. It is the driving force behind the growth of The Arc and the development of new programs, services, and subsidiaries throughout our history.

Chesapeake Neighbors

The Arc’s work in providing quality, safe, affordable housing for people with IDD showed our leaders the need for affordable and accessible housing in the greater community. Recognizing this need for affordable housing throughout Maryland, The Arc founded Chesapeake Neighbors in 2007 as a nonprofit subsidiary dedicated to the development and management of affordable housing for all. Today, Chesapeake Neighbors owns and operates 70 units throughout Maryland with goals of increasing to 100 units by 2025.

Chesapeake Community Development

In 2021, The Arc founded Chesapeake Community Development, a Community Development Corporation (CDC), to serve as our acquisition and development arm. Under this model, Chesapeake Community Development purchases properties and stewards projects through development while Chesapeake Neighbors provides ongoing leasing, management, and maintenance services throughout the life of the property. Over the next two decades, Chesapeake Community Development will become an essential part of our overall community development strategy on the Eastern Shore where we anticipate adding approximately 150 units of affordable housing in mixed-use zones.

For more information about The Arc, see www.thearcccr.org. For more information about Chesapeake Neighbors, see www.chesapeakeneighbors.org.

The Arc is an equal opportunity employer. The Arc provides equal opportunity to all qualified candidates without regard to race, color, religion, ethnicity, sex/gender, national origin, age, marital status, military/veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, genetic information, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. The Arc Central Chesapeake Region is proud of its commitment to and celebration of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) throughout all aspects of its operations, vision, mission, and leadership.