Senior Director of Strategy & Impact - TriState (NY, NJ, PA, CT) Hybrid

The Director of Strategy & Impact, reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer, is a pivotal role inside Start Small Think Big. You will contribute to Start Small’s long-term success by leading our learning and evaluation processes at the organizational level and collaborate with the Executive and Leadership teams to transform those learnings into implementable solutions. The ideal candidate is process and systems driven; can leverage quantitative and qualitative assessments to identify new opportunities and challenges and execute on strategic initiatives to improve Start Small Think Big’s ability to deliver meaningful programs to our communities. You will work to redefine the organization's impact and success metrics, improve our ability to report and analyze our impact metrics, own our grant and funding reporting, and shape thought leadership and funding initiatives. 

Start Small Think Big is embarking on developing a revised strategic plan for the organization, including an org-wide commitment to an Equity Action Plan. The Senior Director of Strategy & Impact will play a critical role in our ability to deliver on these efforts. You will be responsible for surfacing data and insights that will inform our programmatic strategy as well as influence broader operational initiatives. In this role, it is critical to build a strong data-centered culture inside the organization that drives accountability and success across our programs, projects, and funding activities; and work in partnership with the leadership team to ensure the organization is responsive to our stakeholder communities. In addition, as a leader inside the organization, you will be charged with helping to build and sustain an equitable and inclusive organization, drive accountability in our work, and create an inclusive culture where all identities and lived experiences are honored. 

Key Responsibilities

Lead org-wide evaluation strategy and program guidance

• Collaborate with Programs, Senior Leadership team, and Executive teams to redefine organizational impact with a racial equity lens and in line with strategic vision for the organization. In 2023, we will be leveraging external strategic planning consultants to support revisioning of our programming and impact. This role would partner closely with our consulting team to develop new logic models to assess program activities and consider how outputs and outcomes center racial equity and own that work going forward. 
• Collaborate with Executive and Senior Leadership to put communication strategies in place to bring plans and objectives to light for Board, Staff, and key community members. 
• Build and oversee new (and revamp existing) data collection tools and procedures, including surveys, interviews, focus groups or observational data to measure the effect of an organizational strategy on different client populations 
• Collaborate with technology teams to design data infrastructure, products, or reporting tools that allow the team to respond to needs across the organization. 

Build a culture of learning 

• Build a data-rich culture across our teams. Contribute to team-wide learning and knowledge management; communicate data insights and analysis. Bring insight on “why” and “where do we go from here” into day-to-day work across teams. Ensure all teams are equipped with necessary data and analysis to drive our work forward. Work closely with Program teams to translate data findings into programmatic interventions and success metrics that are compelling to our key communities. 
• Provide data, research, and analysis to help shape a 30,000-foot view of organizational goals.
• Leverage internal and external research and analysis to identify gaps and opportunities in our work. Surface and share this research across teams to support strategic planning, thought leadership, and funding efforts. 
• Develop data and impact partnerships with community organizations, government agencies, and other interested organizations to further research and development of thought leadership. 
• Stay current on critical issues and new opportunities and present guidance to ED/COO and others. 

Support fundraising and grant management efforts 

• Collaborate with the executive and leadership teams on the creation of grant commitments (outcomes and impact) in line with our organizational goals. Collaborate with COO and Director of Finance on creation of budget models and other metrics and reports to support grantmaking initiatives.
• Develop and maintain a reporting system for all received grants. Ensure Leadership Team is apprised of progress towards grant goals.  
• Develop stories, impact statements, and engagement strategies around program strategy, outcomes, and growth initiatives to support grant making activities. 

Guide and manage staff

• Provide coaching, training, and other support for program staff on evaluation and data analysis with an equity lens so that they can make data-driven decisions and program improvements
• Build capacity on our Impact Assessment team to support macro-level thought leadership work in the small business ecosystem. This includes guiding research, investigation, data collection & analysis with internal and external data to build case studies, white papers, convenings, or other relevant materials to showcase our work and the needs of our small businesses to external stakeholders and partners. 
• Provide ongoing professional development support through meetings, one-on-ones, performance reviews. Advance the skills of this team to take on bigger projects and challenges.

Skills Knowledge and Expertise

• 7-10 years of increasing responsibility and innovation in program strategy, impact & evaluation, strategic planning, and impact assessment. 
• Deep practical experience and the capacity to build and sustain an evidence-based culture of learning and continuous improvement
• A demonstrated understanding of the role of structural racism and other biases in our society and a strong commitment to address these impacts within the context of this role. 
• Demonstrated experience in developing and implementing quantitative and qualitative tools and data collection methods that can inform impact and evaluation frameworks, program strategy, and identify the “why” behind work and outcomes. Experience in bringing equity oriented practices into data evaluation projects and spaces. Understanding of research methodologies, and human centered design practices. 
• Experience with program design, particularly working to scale programs, taking ideas to the next stage of impact and influence. Thrives in both big picture strategy and execution.  
• Data driven storyteller who can distill complex data into clear stories and insights and communicate learnings across diverse audiences. 
• Excellent computer skills and experience with Salesforce and BI software (Tableau, etc) strongly preferred. 
• Entrepreneurial acumen and drive, ability to see and respond to opportunities to strengthen and/or course correct program plan to increase impact and drive for policy and systems change. 
• Strong relationship-building, communication, and conflict resolution skills, including the ability to work effectively across cultural differences and a demonstrated commitment to ongoing learning and reflection on one’s personal identity, 
• Strong writing and editing skills, track record of effective communication that engages audiences from public, private, and nonprofit sectors
• Demonstrated ability to attract, develop, and motivate culturally diverse teams with a high level of collaboration and accountability to organizational values in action
• Deep commitment to building a positive work culture that encourages feedback related to practices including but not limited to equity and inclusion.

Benefits

• Generous PTO package (25 days) and all federal holidays
• 4-day work week (Mon - Thur)
• Sick time separate from PTO
• Hybrid work arrangement
• Paid parental leave (12 weeks for primary caregivers, 4 weeks for non-primary caregivers)
• 3 paid volunteering days
• Tuition reimbursement (after 12 months of employment)
• Training stipend
• Competitive health insurance package with contributions for employee + dependent children
• 401k with employer contributions up to $1,200 per year
• Life, AD&D insurance
• Access to various other benefits including pre-tax commuter plan, tuition reimbursement, dental and vision insurance

About Start Small Think Big

Start Small Think Big is a non-profit on a mission to catalyze entrepreneurship in marginalized communities. We connect small business owners to our network of volunteer professionals who provide the best legal, finance, and marketing services money can buy — except it’s free. 

In 2021, Start Small supported over 4,000 businesses across our three tiers of programming. Over the next two years, we are working to build the infrastructure and programming to allow us to scale to serve tens of thousands of small businesses nationwide, with a critical focus on centering racial equity in both access to and impact of our services on the small business clients and communities we serve.  

As we continue to grow as an organization, we are engaged in an intentional process to identify, understand, and address bias at all levels and advance equity from the inside out.

Our Organizational Commitments

CONSCIOUS CURIOSITY: We remain open to learning and unlearning as language and the social and economic justice frameworks we are connected to our ever-evolving spaces.

EMPATHY: We communicate with our community and each other with respect, compassion, and acceptance.

CULTURAL HUMILITY: We are committed to examining our biases, prejudices, and viewpoints and strengthening our ability to understand and connect with diverse populations and cultures.

INCLUSIVITY: We appreciate our differences and embrace people of all backgrounds and identities. We oppose racism, sexism, ageism, homophobia, or ableism of any form.

PEOPLE-FIRST: We put people first. People are at the core of our organization — above all, it is people who fuel our work — small business owners, staff, volunteers, and partners alike.

Our Partners

In order to connect small business owners with the strongest pro bono legal, financial, and marketing support to transform their growing businesses, build wealth for themselves and their families, and create jobs for others in their communities, Start Small Think Big has:

• Partnered with the majority of the top 100 U.S. law firms, including Cooley, Wilson Sonsini, Fenwick & West, Simpson Thacher, Weil Gotshal, Cleary Gottlieb, Debevoise & Plimpton.
• Partnered with some of the biggest and most well-respected financial and marketing corporations, including eBay, PayPal, American Express, Morgan Stanley, Google, Goldman Sachs, and Group Nine Media.
• Secured significant support for our work from some of the largest and most forward-thinking foundations in the space, including Kauffman, JPMorgan Chase, and Citi.