Asset Building Director

Lawrence CommunityWorks, Inc. is a community development corporation that weaves together community planning, organizing, and asset-building efforts with high-quality affordable housing and commercial development to create vibrant neighborhoods and empowered residents. By facilitating conversations and action on community priorities, LCW engages partners and a network of youth and adult residents in opportunities to move themselves and the city of Lawrence forward. 

The Asset Building Department provides financial, homeownership and employment programs with the objective of helping low- and moderate-income residents achieve greater financial stability and long-term upward economic mobility.  Our programs equip residents with financial knowledge, general and industry-specific work skills, and ongoing social/ peer support, in an empowering and motivating environment that fosters personal and community progress and success. 

The Director of Asset Building is a management position responsible for the oversight of the Asset Building Department and all its programs and initiatives.  We are seeking a highly-motivated, visionary, knowledgeable, organized and enthusiastic leader with a passion for positive community and systemic change. The Director will lead a nationally recognized array of financial empowerment, housing and workforce programs, and a department of hard-working, dedicated staff, in meaningful, high-impact, life-changing work for residents and the community. The candidate will demonstrate strong strategic thinking skills and expertise in mission-driven approaches to individual and community economic mobility and empowerment.

Responsilities

• Successful delivery of programs and initiatives, such as the Lawrence Financial Opportunity Center – a model of service integration with a focus on helping individuals achieve long-term upward financial mobility through improved income, credit score and net worth. Specific program strategies include: Financial Education, Workforce Development, Adult Basic Education, Financial /Career Coaching, Individual Development Accounts (IDA), Lending Circles, CreditBuilder (Twin Accounts), the Homeownership Center and other programs that may evolve under the Asset Building umbrella.
• Providing leadership to a talented and passionate team of staff, instructors, interns, and volunteers.
• Fostering an aspirational, positive, can-do culture; celebrating and championing staff, program and participant accomplishments and successes.
• Applying LCW network-centric principles, including the design and integration of activities that promote peer to peer support, connectivity and community engagement in a financial empowerment setting.
• Sustain a culture of open dialogue and communication.
• Upholding sound department financial management practices: developing program budgets and following fiscal control protocols, following the direction of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
• Collaboratively supporting fundraising strategies in coordination with the Resource Development Department, including providing timely performance reports and guidance and participating in relationship building with funders.
• Applying “continuous improvement” performance evaluation practices: ensuring proper data collection, quantitative and qualitative analysis and measurement, reporting, and feedback loops.
• Build partnerships with pertinent professionals, organizations and institutions that will enhance LCW’s financial and asset building programs.
• Develop and coordinate marketing/ outreach strategies and protocols in collaboration with LCWs’ Marketing Committee.
• Coordinate efforts related to advocacy and consumer protection policies for consumers that combat scams/schemes that are financially harmful to members of the community.
• Engage in organization-wide initiatives
• Any other duties as assigned by Senior Management.

Qualifications:

·         Bachelor’s degree

·         Minimum 3 years supervisory experience ideally in a financial education and/or coaching, community organizing, or community-based service setting

·         Demonstrated experience in leading financial education and counseling/coaching, adult education and/or asset building programs; deep content knowledge of program curricula and strategies

·         Profound knowledge of socio-economic factors and their influence on family and individual financial progress

·         Understanding of financial empowerment and capabilities strategies including money management techniques, overcoming financial barriers, incentivized savings, goal setting, visioning and transformation of money beliefs

·         Ability to lead a complex multi-faceted team through a variety of dynamic initiatives and projects

·         Able to coach, train and develop talent

·         Analytical, results oriented, critical and independent thinker

·         Excellent organizational skills and ability to proactively manage multiple priorities

·         Demonstrated ability to build and maintain multi-level relationships and networks – junior and senior, for-profit and nonprofit, and with diverse backgrounds

·         Willingness to learn, absorb, and practice LCW’s Network-centric approach to community-building

·         Remain focused in the face of pressure, deliver against timelines, not intimidated by tasks/time limitations

·         Excellent written and oral communication and interpersonal skills

·         Fluency in Spanish and English preferred

Compensation & Benefits:

Salary: $60,000-$70,000

Benefits: Health, Life, Dental, Retirement, Vacation, Personal

How to apply: Send Cover Letter and Resume

Norma Pagan

Lawrence CommunityWorks, Inc.

168 Newbury Street

Lawrence, MA 01841

978-681-3115

recruiting@lawrencecommunityworks.org