Vice President, Programs & Outreach

We are seeking a dynamic and experienced Vice President of Programs & Outreach to lead our organization's program strategy and implementation efforts.
The ideal candidate will be a strategic thinker with a proven track record in program management and leadership.
Special Olympics Louisiana transforms lives through the joy of sport, every day, everywhere.
We are part of the world’s largest organization for people with intellectual disabilities: with millions of athletes in countries across the world and millions more volunteers and supporters.
We are also a global and social movement.
Through the power of sports, people with intellectual disabilities discover new strengths and abilities, skills, and success.
Our athletes find joy, confidence, and fulfillment on the playing field and in life.
They also inspire people in their communities and elsewhere to open their hearts to a wider world of human talents and potential.
The mission of Special Olympics Louisiana is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, and participate in the sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes, and the community.
Our vision is to promote acceptance, inclusion, and well-being for people with intellectual disabilities through sports.
The Vice President, Programs & Outreach oversees the organization’s primary mission of improving opportunities for athletes to perform at their best through sports and all programs which cater to athletes and their families, including health, education, and leadership.
The ideal candidate will be comfortable in a role that blends partnership management, collaborative development, and program planning with basic operational and logistical responsibilities required to ensure plans are well executed.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities: Sports Operations Establish and monitor procedures related to athlete, Unified Partner and Class-A volunteer registration and tracking Ensure procedures are in place for all state competition events and registration of athletes and coaches at upper-level regional, national, and international competitions Oversee quality competitions at all levels of the program, ensuring that all SOLA competition programs are administered in accordance with approved policies, rules and standards set forth by SOI Program Development and Management Oversee the Health Impact Project Plan outlining the objectives, activities, performance measures, timeline, and budget needed to support the SOI global strategic health plan and vision of inclusive health for all people with intellectual disability Oversee the implementation of Young Athletes programming in both the community and school setting Assist with the recruitment of Healthy Athletes Clinical Directors, and other key stakeholders such as athletes and families, in an effort to meet health program objectives Manage fitness programs statewide, including opportunities created through specific grants received throughout the year Oversee Unified Champion Schools® program, ensures that staff working on this project are achieving recruitment and retention targets, and that health and fitness are being incorporated into school-based programming Ensure that a strong Athlete Leadership Program is developed and active within the program.
Management of Local Training Programs - Responsible for the development and support of Local Training Programs, including monitoring local program budgets Development and Management of Stakeholder Relationships - Develop and manage partnerships at a state level with key stakeholders from the government, NGOs, academic and private sector to foster collaboration and support for the project Project Sustainability - Provide support to Special Olympics Louisiana development team in regard to grant writing, fundraising and partnership cultivation to bring new resources that support the projects sustainability Project Reporting and Financial Management - Ensure high level of accountability through clear and consistent communication, fiscal accountability and reporting on program implementation and status toward achieving Evaluation and Risk Management - Participate in monitoring and evaluation efforts by collecting and providing data on performance measures and objectives related to the Healthy Communities criteria and facilitating data collection and site visits by SOI program evaluation team.
Strategic Planning - Create and implement high-level strategies which support the organization’s strategic plan and key priorities Management - Supervise, train, and evaluate program team of 7, including remote staff and interns Professional Development - Maintains professional and technical knowledge by participating in educational opportunities; reviewing professional publications; establishing personal networks; benchmarking state-of-the-art practices; participating in professional societies Collaboration - Collaborate with President/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to ensure that overall program goals are in line with organizational priorities.
Required Skills: Leadership – The capacity for leading and managing a diverse group of people; Foster a high-performance culture characterized by service leadership, collaboration and transparency that will result in strong team morale, effective talent utilization, and partnership across functional areas of the organization Communication - Effectively listens to and understands others; clearly conveys one’s thoughts and ideas.
Ability to collaborate with teams and define personal roles and responsibilities; which includes the ability to extrapolate plans and create results through critical thinking and exercising sound judgment Change Management – Develops workable implementation plans; Communicates changes effectively; Builds commitment and overcomes resistance; Prepares and supports those affected by change; Monitors transition and evaluates results Capacity Building – The ability to effectively build organization and staff capacity, developing a high performing workforce (staff and volunteers) and the processes that ensure SOLA operates effectively and efficiently Results Oriented – Relentlessly pursues improvement and results; Creates a culture of mutual accountability Ethics/values – Works by SOLA’s core values and constructively challenges direct reports to practice SOLA’s core values Integrity/Trust – Maintains the confidentiality of SOLA’s financial and corporate data Planning/Organizing – Prioritizes and plans work activities; Uses time efficiently; Plans for additional resources; Sets goals and objectives; Organizes or schedules people and their tasks; Develops realistic action plans Responsibility and Accountability – Takes personal responsibility and ownership for adhering to all company policies and procedures while also completing work timely and in accordance with performance expectations; holds others accountable for agreed to actions, sets priorities and milestones, assigns realistic time frames Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience 3 years program management experience Experience working with individuals with disabilities preferred Excellent project management skills and team-oriented approach Proficient in the use Microsoft Office Business Applications (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook) Able multi-task and adapt to change when needed Requires Valid Driver’s license and ability to operate a motor vehicle and insurance Must be able and willing to travel is 25-35% throughout the State of Louisiana for Special Olympics events Physical Requirements: Physical Activity Level: Sedentary physical activity performing non-strenuous daily activities of an administrative nature Physical Demands: Able to lift, carry pull, or move objects up to 25lbs in weight, Substantial movements (motion) of the wrist, hands, and/or fingers in a repetitive manner Work Environment: Climate controlled office environment at the SOLA state office location Full-time position The person in this role must be able to travel on the weekend and be available for evening and weekend SOLA events.
Due to the numerous responsibilities of the Vice President, Program Operations, traveling time and other requirements of the position, the 8:00 a.
m.
to 5:00 p.
m.
concept of work time-frame is impossible to consider.
The Vice President, Program Operations,, as well as other key staff of Special Olympics Louisiana, must operate with a time-frame concept of “whatever time it takes to insure quality results”.
The position can be performed virtually in a telework arrangement as needed with approval from the President/CEO of SOLA This job requires routine driving to attend and support various program events throughout Louisiana, all year round Special Olympics of Louisiana offers a competitive salary with excellent benefits, 401(k) and a positive work environment.
It is the policy of SOLA to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.
In addition, SOLA will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.