Associate Director

About Foster Village Charlotte

Founded in 2018, Foster Village Charlotte (FVC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that creates connection with dignity for children and families experiencing foster care by strengthening caregivers so they can provide the safe relationships, stable environments, meaningful engagement, and emotional support children need to heal and thrive. FVC does this by meeting urgent practical needs, offering relational and trauma-informed support, and advocating alongside families as a collective community voice.

Through its three pillars, Equip, Connect, and Advocate, FVC reduces caregiver stress and isolation while increasing confidence, capacity, and community, recognizing caregivers and parents as the primary protective factors in a child’s life.

The Opportunity

As FVC enters its next phase of growth, we seek a dynamic and strategic Associate Director to lead program development, partnerships, and organizational growth.

The Associate Director ensures that FVC’s programs, partnerships, and revenue grow together in a cohesive, sustainable way, serving as the organizational bridge between program impact, external relationships, and financial health. As clinical services transition to a contracted delivery model, this role becomes the primary program and growth leader, helping guide the organization through its next season with clarity and intention.

Reporting to the Executive Director, this role is designed for a mission-activating leader who brings people together around what matters most.

The Associate Director is a relational, values-driven leader with deep knowledge of foster care, strong communication skills, and a proven ability to build partnerships, scale impact, and lead a small team. Mission-driven and relationship-centered, this leader brings focus, momentum, and strategic clarity to growth, connecting people to purpose, aligning efforts toward measurable outcomes, and moving work forward in ways that are inclusive, grounded, and authentic.

This role supervises the Program Team (1 full-time, 3-4 part-time).

Program Strategy & Oversight

• Generate, test, and scale program concepts in response to emerging caregiver needs, system gaps, and community opportunities
• Bring a future-oriented lens to program planning, serving as the primary leader for program design, scaling, and long-term evolution over the next 2–5 years
• Drive initiatives through sustained execution by maintaining momentum from concept through implementation, iteration, and completion amid complexity and change
• Lead and ignite the program team, creating clarity, shared purpose, and forward momentum while empowering staff ownership, creativity, and growth
• Develop and lead the annual program operational plan aligned with organizational strategy
• Interpret program data and staff insight to inform continuous improvement, organizational planning, and funder communication
• Ensure quality, alignment, capacity, and coherence across all program areas
• Ensure clinical services integrate seamlessly with other FVC offerings

Partnerships & Development

• Activate and steward strategic relationships across DSS, healthcare systems, schools, foundations, and community partners, building shared ownership, alignment, and momentum around FVC’s mission
• Champion and represent FVC’s program model with external stakeholders to drive referrals, partnerships, and shared impact
• Lead grant strategy, submissions, and reporting in alignment with program priorities and growth goals
• Secure program-aligned funding through a diversified mix of grants, earned revenue, and contract-based partnerships
• Mobilize and inspire funders and partners to support Connection Cottage replication and service expansion

Internal Alignment

• Partner with the CFO to ensure program budgets, grant financials, and growth plans are aligned and sustainable
• Partner closely with the Advancement Manager to align campaigns, stewardship, and donor engagement with program priorities and long-term growth strategy
• Collaborate with the program team to support smooth delivery, shared accountability, and cross-program alignment
• Serve as a trusted, visible leader who can represent Foster Village Charlotte alongside, and at times in place of, the Executive Director, ensuring leadership continuity and clarity
• Support the Executive Director with board reporting, strategic planning, and long-range growth initiatives

Leadership Approach

• Energized by vision-setting, idea generation, and building momentum around shared goals
• Innovation rooted in community insight, tested in practice, and guided by mission
• Brings a clear, relational leadership presence that supports high expectations
• Builds clarity and momentum through communication with varied audiences
• Balances creativity with activation by leveraging and partnering well with others
• Community-centered, perspective-including, and action-oriented

Qualifications

• 5+ years in nonprofit leadership, program management, partnerships, and/or fundraising
• Strong understanding of human services or child-welfare-adjacent systems
• Experience securing grants and strategic partnership funding
• Ability to translate program outcomes into compelling funding narratives
• Strong relationship-building and strategic communication skills

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for the Associate Director is $65,000-$70,000, based on experience and qualifications.

Full-time employees are eligible to opt into the BCBS health care plan with benefits up to $450/month, 14 PTO days, 5 sick days, 3 bereavement days, 2 staff-wide wellness days, 11 holidays, 2 floating holidays, the week between Christmas and New Year’s, and a one-month paid sabbatical in the third year of employment. Eligibility for 1-2 days of remote work/week is available after onboarding.

Foster Village Charlotte (FVC) is an equal opportunity employer, and candidates of diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Apply for this job