Senior Director of Program Strategy and Impact in Chicago, Illinois at Centers For New Horizons Inc

Location: Chicago, IL
Work Setting: 100% Onsite (In-Person)
Reports To: Executive Director
Salary Range: $100,000–$120,000 annually

About Centers for New Horizons
Founded in 1971, Centers for New Horizons is a mission-driven nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering children, youth, and families to become self-reliant and thrive. With more than 100 full-time employees, many of whom live in or near the communities they serve, Centers delivers high-quality programs across seven locations throughout the Bronzeville and Riverdale neighborhoods on Chicago’s South Side, reaching more than 1,000 individuals every day.
Through education, workforce development, behavioral health, housing, and supportive services, Centers is committed to strengthening communities, expanding opportunities, and creating measurable, lasting impact for the families it serves.

Position Summary
The Senior Director of Program Strategy and Impact serves as a strategic partner to the Executive Director and is responsible for advancing organizational strategy, performance measurement, and continuous quality improvement across the agency.
This role will lead the development of organization-wide strategies, performance metrics, and evaluation frameworks that support data-informed decision-making, organizational effectiveness, and measurable community impact. The ideal candidate is a strategic and analytical leader who enjoys translating complex data into meaningful insights that drive organizational growth and improve outcomes for children, youth, and families.

Essential Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership
Partner with the Executive Director to develop and implement organization-wide strategic initiatives.
Identify opportunities to strengthen programs and improve organizational performance.
Monitor industry trends, best practices, and emerging opportunities that support organizational growth.
Foster collaboration across departments to achieve strategic goals.
Performance Measurement and Data Analytics
Develop and implement organization-wide performance measurement frameworks.
Establish, monitor, and analyze Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
Design executive dashboards and reporting tools that provide actionable insights.
Ensure data integrity, consistency, and accessibility across programs.
Translate data into strategic recommendations that support executive decision-making.

Continuous Quality Improvement
Lead continuous quality improvement (CQI) initiatives across the organization.
Develop systems that promote accountability, learning, and operational excellence.
Partner with program leaders to improve performance through data-driven decision-making.
Recommend process improvements that strengthen organizational outcomes.
Organizational Effectiveness
Support organizational planning and strategic decision-making.
Facilitate cross-functional initiatives that improve efficiency and service delivery.
Build organizational capacity around performance management and evaluation.
Promote a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning.

Community Partnerships
Build and maintain strategic partnerships that strengthen organizational impact.
Represent Centers for New Horizons in community collaborations and external meetings.
Support initiatives that increase organizational visibility and thought leadership.

Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree required in Business Administration, Public Administration, Public Policy, Nonprofit Management, Social Work, Education, or a related field.
3–5 years of experience in strategy, operations, organizational effectiveness, program evaluation, performance management, consulting, or a related leadership role.
Demonstrated experience developing KPIs, dashboards, performance metrics, and organizational reporting.
Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex data and translate findings into strategic recommendations.
Experience leading cross-functional initiatives and driving organizational change.
Excellent communication, presentation, and relationship-building skills.
Strong project management, organizational, and problem-solving abilities.

Preferred Skills
Strategic Planning
Data Analytics
KPI Development
Organizational Effectiveness
Program Evaluation
Performance Measurement
Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI)
Process Improvement
Change Management
Executive Reporting
Community Engagement

What Success Looks Like
In this role, you will:
Develop meaningful organizational KPIs that improve executive decision-making.
Build dashboards that provide visibility into organizational performance and program outcomes.
Strengthen data-informed decision-making across the agency.
Improve program effectiveness through measurable outcomes and continuous quality improvement.
Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuous learning.
Strengthen partnerships that enhance organizational impact and community visibility.

Why Join Centers for New Horizons?
As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, you’ll have the opportunity to influence organizational strategy, improve operational effectiveness, and help drive meaningful change for children, youth, and families across Chicago.
If you’re passionate about using strategy, collaboration, and data to improve organizational performance and community impact, we’d love to hear from you.

Benefits and Perks
Centers for New Horizons offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your health, well-being, and professional growth, including:
Competitive salary of $100,000–$120,000 annually
Medical Insurance
Dental Insurance
Life Insurance
Paid Vacation and Sick Leave
11 Paid Holidays
401(k) with Employer Match
Paid Birthday Off
Student Loan Forgiveness Eligible Employer
Equal Opportunity Employer
Centers for New Horizons is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all employees are treated with dignity and respect. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected status under applicable law.