Title: Chief Program Officer

Reports To: Chief Executive Officer

Department: Administration

Location: Oakland, CA

Schedule: Monday through Friday, occasional weekend events

Travel: Local travel may be required, hybrid

Salary: $175k - $195k

Employee Status: Regular, Full-time, Exempt

Union: N/A

Supervises: 6 area leaders

Benefits:

Two weeks of paid vacation a year, sick time, 14 holidays, up to five floating holidays based on employee status, medical and dental benefits on the first of the month following 30 days of employment, life insurance policy at no cost to employee (with the option of increasing policy amount), flexible spending account for medical and dependent care costs, commuter benefits, 403(b) with employer match, and other benefits. We foster a joyful workplace and offer opportunities for professional development and growth.

Agency Summary

The Unity Council is a non-profit Social Equity Development Corporation with a 60-year history in the Fruitvale neighborhood of Oakland. Our mission is to promote social equity and improve quality of life by building vibrant communities where everyone can work, learn, and thrive. Our holistic programs reach approximately 8,000 individuals and families annually and provide tools, knowledge, and resources to achieve long-term educational, career, and financial goals. Programs include: early childhood education, youth mentorship and leadership development, employment services, career readiness training, housing and financial stability, senior citizen services, affordable housing and neighborhood development, and arts and cultural events. Our work expands beyond the Fruitvale district and reaches across Oakland and Concord. The Unity Council employs a diverse workforce of 350 people who reflect the linguistic, cultural, and ethnic identity of the communities we serve.

The Unity Council’s dynamic program areas span from prenatal to youth to adult and senior services, including small businesses and advocacy. Nearly 300 diverse, multilingual employees work in our program areas, located at 7 Head Start centers, a career and resource center, a senior center, a small business assistance center, multiple affordable housing sites, and multiple OUSD schools. Our early childhood education, workforce, youth and housing related services have grown in recent years and are prime for scaling and elevating their impact.

Position Summary

The Chief Program Officer (CPO) position will strengthen and expand our programmatic reach and advocacy outcomes. The CPO will be responsible for setting the vision and leading the design, implementation and evaluation of programmatic services and advocacy initiatives to improve life outcomes for people of color, immigrants and low-income residents. These services and initiatives are grouped across five verticals: early childhood education, community programs, economic development, reentry social enterprise, and systems change advocacy. The CPO also oversees a data and evaluation team. The vertical/department leaders are highly independent and collaborative, and the CPO will build on internal integration and collaboration to reach our social equity goals. The CPO will have the opportunity to work closely with the CEO on elevating our impact and service models, and to demonstrate and accelerate population-level outcomes. This role is excellent for a seasoned public health or community health professional, with proven expertise in building teams, and leading social service or educational programs.

Responsibilities

Program & Advocacy Management:

• Set and monitor the vision, strategy, goals and models for impactful services, in partnership with area leaders, and in alignment with TUC mission, culture, and CEO guidance.
• Ensure TUC programs have adequate resources to thrive, through budget forecasting and adequate staffing, and join efforts to secure a diverse set of funding and/or revenue streams.
• Lead the scaling and growth of programs based on strategic goals and ecosystem opportunities.
• Lead the data and evaluation team, to monitor program goals, contractual obligations, and compliance with data collection, analysis and reporting.
• Advance and st andardize social equity and DEIB frameworks, policies and practices across service areas.
• Cultivate relationships with internal and external leaders, partners and stakeholders; build intentional, effective partnerships, leverage resources, and respond to emerging community needs.
• Cultivate programmatic and cross-departmental relations to achieve integration and collaboration.
• Regularly evaluate and share impact and effectiveness of program and advocacy strategies and activities.
• Partner with CFO and department leaders to create and monitor departmental budgets and follow protocols.

Program & Advocacy Strategy Leadership:

• In collaboration with the CEO and department heads, set and co-lead integrated programmatic and advocacy strategies that support The Unity Council’s mission and goals.
• Represent the organization at high level tables and gatherings to elevate The Unity Council’s work and join local and regional multi-sector collaborations that strive for impactful community- and population-level outcomes.
• Develop systems and processes to set department-level strategies and processes, in partnership with COO.
• Assess and drive special projects and opportunities to innovate and accelerate progress toward outcomes based on the unique needs and input of our priority populations.

Team and Staff Development:

• Develop and implement strategies that will maximize integration and synergy among program areas.
• Support department leaders to achieve outcomes, evaluate staff performance, celebrate achievements, and implement DEIB strategies.
• Work closely with Human Resources to ensure program staff has clear opportunities for skill development and career progression.

Qualifications

• You’re hungry to make a difference, and passionate about social equity and supporting and uplifting residents across our geographic footprint.
• You have 10+ years of professional experience, including at least 5 years in leadership and management positions aligned with The Unity Council’s program areas.
• You have experience building, managing and scaling multiple programmatic strategies, models and teams.
• You have driven outcomes across a diverse range of internal and external programs and initiatives and have experience building positive relationships.
• You have led organizational strategic planning processes, including goal setting and budget forecasting.
• You have successfully led complex, long-term projects that involve a diverse range of internal and external stakeholders.
• You have excellent verbal and written communication skills with a focus on being able to motivate individuals and groups or entities to support your organization or initiatives.
• You demonstrate a strong sense of integrity, executive-level judgment, positivity and strong commitment and alignment with The Unity Council’s mission and values.
• You thrive in a dynamic environment through self-management, relationship building, collaboration and a willingness to adapt to changing priorities.
• You have experience managing city, county or state contracts, and large budgets exceeding $1 million.

Essential Functions

• Advance computer skills with strong MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and social media skills.
• Regularly required to operate standard office equipment (personal computer, photocopier, fax, etc.).
• Ability to work on a computer for up to 6 hours a day.
• Regularly required to sit for long periods of time, and occasionally stand and walk.
• Regularly required to use hands to operate computer and other office equipment.
• Close Vision required for computer use.

Pre-Employment Requirements

Background/fingerprints

This description is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of duties, responsibilities or requirements for the position. This position may change or assume additional duties at any time.

***Please submit your cover letter and resume.***

The Unity Council is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Women, people of color, and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.