Director of Strategic Initiatives

Description
The Center for Urban Community Services (CUCS) is a premier human services organization in New York City, dedicated to addressing homelessness, poverty, and mental illness. With an annual operating budget exceeding $100 million, CUCS empowers thousands of individuals each year through integrated housing, health, and social services. Our 700+ employees deliver innovative programs, including supportive housing, medical and mental health care, employment assistance, and professional training for service providers. As a leader in the sector, CUCS is committed to expanding its impact and enhancing financial strategies to support its mission of fostering stability and opportunity for the communities we serve.

The Director of Strategic Initiatives (DSI) reports to the Chief Strategy Officer and serves as the organization's internal strategic consultant, partnering with executive leadership, programs and departments across the agency to advance organizational priorities and improve operational effectiveness. The Director leads enterprise-wide strategic initiatives from concept through implementation by providing consultation, project management, facilitation, organizational analysis, and change management expertise. Working collaboratively with department leaders, the DSI identifies opportunities for improvement, develops practical solutions, facilitates cross-functional collaboration, and monitors implementation to ensure strategic initiatives are successfully executed and aligned with organizational goals. The position also provides leadership to the Strategic Operations Department, including the Quality Assurance and Research, Evaluation & Analysis teams, ensuring their work supports agency priorities, organizational learning, and continuous improvement.

Essential Functions include, but are not limited to:

Provide overall leadership and management of the Strategic Operations Department, including the Quality Assurance and Research, Evaluation & Analysis teams, ensuring departmental priorities, resources, and initiatives align with the agency's strategic goals.
Directly supervise, coach, mentor, and develop Strategic Operations management and staff by establishing departmental goals, work plans, budgets, performance expectations, and professional development opportunities while fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Partner with the Chief Strategy Officer, Leadership Team, and program/department leadership to identify strategic priorities, organizational opportunities, and initiatives that support the agency's mission, long-term goals, and operational objectives.
Lead enterprise strategic initiatives from concept through implementation by developing project plans, facilitating cross-functional collaboration, monitoring progress, resolving barriers, and ensuring successful execution of organizational priorities.
Conduct organizational assessments, needs analyses, and environmental scans to identify emerging trends, operational challenges, service delivery opportunities, and innovative practices, and develop recommendations, implementation strategies, and action plans that support organizational growth and strategic decision-making.
Develop and monitor organizational performance measures, dashboards, and key performance indicators to evaluate progress toward strategic objectives and support data-informed decision-making.
Collaborate with programs and departments to assess operational performance, identify opportunities for improvement, document current and future-state workflows, and implement solutions that improve quality, efficiency, productivity, and service delivery.
Provide strategic consultation, project leadership, and change management support to programs and departments by facilitating implementation planning, stakeholder engagement, communication strategies, and adoption of new processes and practices.
Foster collaboration across Strategic Operations and throughout the organization to strengthen communication, organizational learning, performance measurement, quality improvement, and evidence-based decision-making.
Develop project governance standards, implementation tools, reporting structures, and project tracking processes that promote consistent execution, accountability, and successful delivery of enterprise initiatives.
Prepare executive-level reports, presentations, and recommendations that communicate project progress, organizational performance, emerging risks, strategic opportunities, and implementation outcomes.
Advise and support operational leadership in identifying organizational risks, strengthening regulatory compliance, coordinating audit readiness, monitoring corrective action plans, and supporting Medicaid compliance, quality assurance, and incident review activities.
Leverage organizational data, reporting tools, and technology solutions to support organizational performance, strategic planning, operational effectiveness, and evidence-informed decision-making.
Represent Strategic Operations on agency committees, leadership workgroups, and cross-functional initiatives, serving as a trusted strategic partner to executive and operational leadership.
Monitor departmental resources and budgets to ensure effective allocation, operational efficiency, and alignment with organizational priorities.
Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements
Bachelor’s Degree, Master’s preferred (public health, social work, administration & management), or a related field)
Eight (8) or more years of progressively responsible leadership experience in strategic planning, organizational effectiveness, project management, quality improvement, performance management, or a related field, including experience leading complex cross-functional initiatives and supervising professional staff
Practice Management Professional, LEAN/Sigma Six, or CCMP Certification preferred
Exceptional verbal, written, presentation, and facilitation skills.
Ability to use a structured problem solving framework to design and implement strategic initiatives supporting organizational decision-making and planning.
Project and program management experience leading complex, cross-functional initiatives and analyzing impact against key performance indicators.
Strong analytical, critical thinking, and data-driven decision-making skills.
Ability to build relationships, influence stakeholders, and foster cross-functional collaboration.
Strong interpersonal, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills.
Excellent organizational, time management, and prioritization skills.
Demonstrated leadership, coaching, staff development, and performance management skills.
High level of integrity, professionalism, discretion, and sound judgment.
Strong technology skills, including Microsoft Office suite, project/program management software, data visualization and analytics software, working knowledge of electronic health records (EHR), emerging technologies including AI; and other organizational technology platforms.
Self-motivated, adaptable, and able to work independently and collaboratively.