Director of Community Impact at Wellness House

Description

A Meaningful Mission

Wellness House envisions a community where all people affected by cancer thrive. Offered at no cost, and as a complement to medical treatment, our programs educate, support, and empower participants in order to help them improve their physical and emotional well-being.

Summary of Position

Supervised By: Chief Executive Officer

Status: Full time, salaried, exempt 

Hours: 40 hours per week

Location: Hybrid (In-person / remote)

The Director of Community Impact serves as a key member of Wellness House’s leadership team, responsible for strengthening and expanding relationships across the healthcare and broader Chicagoland community with the goal of increasing equitable access to Wellness House’s programs. Reporting to the CEO, this role builds strategic collaborations that enhance awareness of the organization’s mission, reduce barriers to accessing supportive care, and advance the organization’s reputation as a trusted partner in psychosocial oncology. Acting as an organizational ambassador, the Director will represent Wellness House at professional and community events, advisory councils, and collaborative initiatives to elevate our presence and influence within the regional cancer care ecosystem. This position works closely with colleagues in Programs, Marketing, Development, and Finance to align partnership efforts with organizational priorities and ensure mission impact across all initiatives.

RESPONSIBILITIES  

• Identify, develop, and maintain collaborative relationships with medical and community leaders that result in increased awareness and utilization of Wellness House programs at our main location and at partner locations.
• Cultivate and sustain partnerships with the goal of expanding the geographic reach of Wellness House programs. Work with the Senior Director of Programs to ensure appropriate programs are provided at partner locations.
• Identify and participate in community and medical advisory committees and initiatives. Represent Wellness House in professional manner as an active member and leader in these settings; seek opportunities to advance Wellness House goals because of participation.
• Direct the planning of the annual Healthcare Professional Summit. Work closely with the program team to ensure appropriate speakers are identified and secured, and that summit goals and objectives are met.
• Develop and lead external professional training events designed to elevate Wellness House’s status as a leader in psychosocial oncology. Deliver grant-funded training series to professionals throughout the state, manage post training evaluation, and lead meetings associated with the fulfillment of this commitment. 
• Lead the development and implementation of professional networking activities at Wellness House. Working with the Engagement Team, strengthen our supportive oncology network through healthcare professional programs at Wellness House. 
• Serve as the staff leadership liaison to the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Committee at Wellness House, including identifying and developing an action plan for the aims of the DEIB Committee. Ensure an appropriate level of communication is maintained between the committee, the Senior Leadership Team, and the entire staff. Develop, conduct, and monitor DEIB and cancer health equity learning opportunities for staff.
• Ensure evaluation of internal efforts towards increasing DEIB, including accessibility and/or addressing cancer health equity.
• Identify and form relationships with program leaders from other organizations, experts in the field, and/or psycho-social oncology services to collaborate with, to stay abreast in the field, and to help position Wellness House as a leader in this sector. 
• Participate in strategic planning. Contribute to the development of the annual program plan and annual marketing plan in support of the strategic goals of Wellness House and is evidence-based, aligned with organizational strategy, based on research and evaluation outcomes, and equitable and inclusive. 
• Support the evaluation of program effectiveness. Incorporate evaluation results into future planning. 
• Provide a clear understanding of Wellness House’s program utilization, impact, and participant satisfaction to the various constituents. Ensure that data on the needs of people affected by cancer is maintained, current and meaningful for program development and evaluation. 
• Partner with Senior Director of Program and program team to establish continuous quality improvement across program modalities, metrics and report on outcomes.
• Under the Director of Development’s direction, and in collaboration with the Director of Programs, write content and provide data for proposals and reports.   
• Participate in the marketing of programs through speaking engagements and other identified activities; cultivate collaborative relationships that result in greater awareness of Wellness House Programs and increased referrals to Wellness House. 
• Serve as a Wellness House spokesperson and/or participate in other civic or development activities as directed by the CEO. 
• Participate in funder site visits and major donor solicitation calls, when assigned. Attend all Wellness House fundraising events and serve as Wellness House spokesperson, cultivating donors and funders 
• Provide reports and make presentations to the Board of Directors and Executive Committee upon request. 
• Model for staff, and actively engage and contribute to, a healthy, stimulating, productive work environment where all constituents, participants, staff, volunteers, donors can “feel better inside.” 
• Provide direct service, as needed.

Other

• Report to the Office Manager, in a timely manner any observations of malfunction or inadequacy of the Wellness House facility such that it would compromise the safety of staff and/or participants, as well have a negative impact on the delivery of Wellness House programs. 
• Protect the organization's value by keeping information confidential. 
• Further Update job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities; reading professional publications; maintaining personal networks; participating in professional organizations. 
• Perform general tasks and other duties as assigned. 

Attendance at Meetings and Events 

• Staff meetings
• Departmental team meetings
• Leadership Team meeting
• Board of Directors meetings
• Annual Walk for Wellness House
• Wellness House Ball
• Large/signature program events to be determined during the year, approximately 4 per year

Requirements

Education: Bachelor’s degree in human services field required, master’s degree preferred. 

Job Experience: Minimum 7 years professional experience in community relations, healthcare outreach, or partnership development with at least 5 years of experience in a nonprofit leadership position; experience designing and implementing professional education opportunities; experience serving on medical and/or community advisory groups; experience with relationship building in medical communities.

Special Knowledge & Skills: Knowledge about the psychosocial effects of a cancer diagnosis; ability to cultivate and steward professional relationships; ability to speak in front of groups and communicate impact; knowledge about health disparities; knowledge about diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in the workplace; knowledge and aptitude working with Microsoft Office and programmatic databases.

Demonstrated Competencies: Strong interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to engage effectively with diverse stakeholders; cultural competence, resourcefulness, innovation, and perseverance; ability to interact and influence at all levels of the organization and to work collaboratively across functions and departments toward shared goals; organization and planning skills; strategic thinker with the ability to identify opportunities, develop collaborative solutions, and deliver measurable results; analytical skills; ability to handle multiple priorities; highly ethical; committed to the mission of Wellness House.  

Applications by members of all underrepresented groups are encouraged.

Wellness House is an EOE. 

Join Our Team!

At Wellness House, we are always looking for smart, dedicated experts who recognize the value of psychosocial care as a complement to medical care. A career with Wellness House provides an opportunity to use your unique skills and talents to make a difference in the lives of those impacted by cancer.

We provide opportunities for staff growth, leadership development, and team building throughout the year. We value direct communication, a mindful approach, and work/life balance. Our staff culture is intentional in our efforts to acknowledge and make space for diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging in our work with each other and in our program delivery. From snack-and-greets to staff retreats, we make sure to give our staff a chance to connect.

Benefits:

Employer paid Medical, Dental, Life, Long-term Disability, and AD&D insurance premiums 

Voluntary Accident, Critical Illness, Vision, and Pet Insurance benefits available 

403(b) with employer match 

Annual incentive bonus 

Gym on-site 

Generous sick and vacation time 

Estimated hiring range:

Final offers are based upon qualifications, years of experience, and internal equity considerations and may or may not fall within the estimated hiring range of $95,000 - $105,000.