Helen Keller International

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

Director, US Vision Program

(New York, NY)

Guided by the remarkable legacy of its co-founder, Helen Keller, Helen Keller Intl partners with communities striving to overcome longstanding cycles of poverty. By delivering the essential building blocks of good health, sound nutrition and clear vision, we help millions of people create lasting change in their own lives. Working in more than 20 countries – across Africa, Asia, Europe and the United States – and together with a global community of supporters, we are ensuring every person has the opportunity – as Helen did – to reach their true potential.

Recognizing a lack of accessible, adequate vision care among low-income adults and children in the US, Helen Keller established the US Vision Program (formerly known as ChildSight^®), which currently operates in CA, MN, NJ & NY. Since 1994, Helen Keller has provided free vision screenings for more than 2.1 million individuals in the United States and provided more than 350,000 of them with prescription eyeglasses to solve common vision problems. 

Helen Keller is seeking a strong manager and leader who can provide consistent management of program activities to achieve deliverables, and an innovator with an entrepreneurial mindset who can develop new partnerships and pursue advocacy initiatives that expand the scale and scope of existing services.

Functional Relationships

The Director, US Vision Programs reports to the Vice President, Eye Health and leads the Program Management Team. The position directly supervises a team of professional level staff, including four Program Managers, a Program Finance Officer and dotted line supervision to a Development Officer. Additionally, the Director works closely with colleagues at all levels of Helen Keller’s global management structure and may be called upon to participate in global working groups or steering committees. Helen Keller has a matrixed reporting structure. Regular communication and a spirit of teamwork among colleagues, both hierarchically and laterally are essential to make this structure thrive.

Helen Keller’s programs require close relations with partnering schools and community organizations, donors, and local, state and federal agencies. The Director will represent Helen Keller at relevant external meetings.

Scope of the Position

The Director will lead the US Vision Program team; build strong relationships with donors; represent Helen Keller with key stakeholders; and work with the VP, Eye Health to develop strategic priorities for the US Vision Program portfolio, including the identification and development of new business opportunities and advocacy for improved access to eye health services within the communities in which we work.

The Director has overall responsibility for ensuring technical and operational excellence in the delivery of all activities to achieve the objectives established in grants and strategic plans and representing Helen Keller to disseminate findings and secure and expand funding for program activities in the US. This position is based in New York with regular travel to program sites required.

Specific Responsibilities:

Overall Management and Leadership

• Provide strategic vision and direction for overall program design, implementation, and proposal development; work closely with the US Vision team to accomplish the strategic goals.
• Lead and oversee all aspects of the implementation of vision programs and the management of the state project offices.
• Represent Helen Keller in formal and informal meetings with government officials, donor agencies, and technical advisory groups pertinent to Helen Keller program activities

• Identify opportunities and generate funding from local, state and federal agencies, and donor organizations.
• Develop and nurture local and state donor relationships and identify potential partners to participate in joint proposals.
• Lead and prepare concept papers and proposals and provide other information as needed for submission to donors and others for fundraising and marketing purposes.
• Model collaboration for your matrixed team: effectively consult and inform colleagues to maximize efficiency and knowledge sharing and integrate guidance and direction from subject matter experts in your office and elsewhere in the global organization to maximize performance.
• Build a highly effective Program Management Team, recruiting, supervising, mentoring, and evaluating staff, and engaging in frequent performance conversations with team members.
• Delegate authority, consult with, and guide staff to achieve goals and contribute to an atmosphere conducive to professional growth and development.
• Ensure accountability to program participants, partners, colleagues, and donors by providing ongoing feedback in a context of mutual respect.
• Participate in the recruitment process of colleagues as requested by management.

Programmatic

• Oversee and coordinate the program portfolio to ensure the highest level of program quality and accountability, while fostering continuity through local partnerships.

• Provide technical input to the government, donors, and technical advisory groups pertinent to Helen Keller program activities.
• Ensure implementation of strong program monitoring, evaluation and learning functions.
• Oversee research design, methodology and dissemination of information needed to monitor and evaluate program activities and/or advance programmatic and policy changes.
• Disseminate findings from Helen Keller programs that are of importance to decision-makers in a position to fund or implement programs in designated US states.
• Keep the local and state partners and others informed about progress of the programs, plans for the development of new programs/activities and donor involvement in the overall program.

Operations and Finance

• Supervise all aspects of people management in the state offices; including hiring and managing human resources, leading initiatives to develop staff capacity, and promoting team morale and retention.
• Provide oversight to finance and administrative services including procurement, property management, facilities management, and staff safety and security.
• Work with relevant global colleagues to manage the development and implementation of annual state budgets.
• Authorize expenditures for grant or contract allocations and ensure compliance with procedures required by grant or contract agreements.
• Ensure the preparation and accuracy and timely submission of financial and narrative reports that comply with grant or contract agreements and ensure compliance with all aspects of donor funding and Helen Keller policies.

Qualifications

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including an ability to effectively lead a team, communicate a vision, make timely and transparent decisions, and manage conflict.
• Demonstrated capacity to mobilize program funding including donor cultivation and proposal writing.
• Demonstrated ability to supervise financial management, develop and create budgets, monitor financial status, and hold budget owners accountable.
  • Excellent and written English language skills, including the ability to quickly synthesize complex technical and programmatic issues into concise communications. 
  • Well established and practiced organizational and planning skills.
    • Collaborative, flexible and solution-oriented. An ability to maintain balance when under stress.
    • Ability and willingness to:
      • flex work hours to accommodate multiple time zones, as needed.
      • travel at least 10% to conduct visits to state offices.
      • Personal commitment to Helen Keller’s mission and goals and the values embodied by our co-founder, Helen Keller: compassion, grit, and optimism.

• Computer literate in use of word-processing, spreadsheet and statistical software.

• Helen Keller Intl requires that all US staff must be up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccinations, which includes one booster.

Education and Experience

• A Master’s Degree in public health, public administration, or similar, and 10 plus years directly relevant work experience, or equivalent combination of education and work experience.
• Experienced and capable manager with at least 5 years supervising staff, fostering collaborative cooperation among diverse teams and managing grant-funded programs.

• Experience in community-based health services, engagement, advocacy (local and national), and/or community development, a strong plus.

Compensation

The midpoint of the salary range for this position is $110,000 with a minimum of $88,000 and a maximum of $132,000.

Actual base salary will vary based upon, but not limited to, relevant experience, base salary of internal peers, and business sector.

To Apply

Qualified candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to HKI.Recruitment@hki.org noting the job title in the subject line.  Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Helen Keller is dedicated to building an inclusive

workforce where diversity in all its forms is fully valued.

Helen Keller is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you

are a qualified individual with a disability and need to request an accommodation during the application or interview process, please contact us at the email above or call +1 646-356-1789.

Organization Details