EDC is one of the world's leading nonprofit research and development firms. EDC designs, implements, and evaluates programs to improve education, health, and economic opportunity worldwide. Collaborating with both public and private partners, we strive for a world where all people are empowered to live healthy, productive lives.

EDC is committed to diversity in the workplace.Women, minorities, people with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply.

The (SPRC) project at EDC has an opening for a full-time Director of State and Community Initiatives (Project Director I), reporting to the SPRC Contract Director at EDC. The position is eligible to work in EDC's Waltham, MA, or Washington, DC, offices and is open to telecommuters.

EDC's SPRC contract is housed within Health Promotion, Practice, and Innovation Portfolio. SPRC is the nation's only federally supported resource center dedicated to advancing the . Funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the grant is led by the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (OUHSC), with EDC as a core partner. EDC leads SPRC's State and Community Initiatives Team, which provides technical assistance (TA) and subject matter expertise to support state and community suicide prevention efforts, and build capacity and infrastructure across the US.

The SPRC Director of State and Community Initiatives (Project Director I) leads a team of Prevention Specialists based across the US, and serves on the SPRC leadership team. This position:

• Sets the overall strategic direction for capacity and infrastructure building with states and communities, including delegation of key projects and roles, high-level review of team outputs, and identification of emerging needs and opportunities
• Contributes to EDC's strategic direction for the SPRC project and related efforts
• Serves as a subject matter expert on state suicide prevention infrastructure, policy, and programming, including representing EDC and SPRC on advisory panels and expert workgroups, presenting at conferences, and responding to media requests as needed
• Empowers leadership and professional growth of team members, including those working remotely
• Coordinates closely with OUHSC and with the SAMHSA Project Officers working with state suicide prevention efforts
• Develops new approaches and fosters continuous quality improvement for group and individual capacity and infrastructure building
• Oversees team-specific projects, products, and deliverables
• Collaborates with key federal and private partners and stakeholders
• Supports EDC business development and practice leadership
• Coordinates with other SPRC teams and portfolio projects

EDC promotes a diverse and inclusive workplace, supports career paths that expand opportunity for all staff within the organization, and works intentionally to attract diverse talent. The SPRC project team at EDC is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion, and we believe diverse perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds strengthen our collective efforts to reduce suffering and loss due to suicide across the U.S.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The person in this position is expected to communicate clearly and courteously; to develop and maintain positive relationships with clients, consultants, collaborators, co-workers, field sites, and funders; and to work respectfully with EDC colleagues. The job requires adherence to EDC policies & procedures.

The SPRC Director of State and Community Initiatives (Project Director I):

• Is responsible for programmatic/technical success as well as for administrative/business/financial viability of each project
• Is primarily responsible for the production and management of resources to meet project or program development implementation objectives
• Directs
  • project and program teams in planning, project performance and deliverables, adherence to schedules, resource requirements, and quality standards
  • training and staff development for project activities
  • content development for external audiences
  • review processes and externally-facing content
• Approves plan revisions, sets priorities & strategies; evaluates progress
• Defines roles and goals
• Determines resource needs; arranges appropriate internal or subcontracted services
• Oversees:
  • internal & external communications
  • project documentation
  • staff selection and placement
  • partner relationships
  • administrative support
• Develops policies & procedures to improve project/program management efficiency, quality, consistency or effectiveness; implements and enforces Center and EDC policies, procedures or systems
• Is responsible for forecasting and budget development
• Generates additional work for EDC through business development efforts
• Offers senior-level technical content support; may act as Principal Investigator
• Presents project progress &/or results in public fora &/or publications
• Represents SPRC and EDC on expert panels and advisory groups, at conferences and webinars, and for other high-profile external events or needs

The SPRC Director of State and Community Initiatives (Project Director I):

• Promotes equity and opportunity in support of EDC's commitment to diversity
• Builds positive client, vendor, and funder relations
• Guides feedback exchanges
• Train and coaches
• Supervises technical &/or administrative staff; administrative supervision over 2-4 staff and provide technical direction to additional staff
• May organize cross-portfolio or interdepartmental activities
• May be involved directly with program participants or team members, collaborating to achieve project or program objectives
• May travel nationally on occasion(4-6 times per year)

This position requires educational achievement; excellent writing skills; demonstrable initiative, creativity, and flexibility; ability to work independently and effectively in groups; and strong interpersonal & organizational skills.

Candidates should have the following knowledge, abilities, and experience:

• State Suicide Prevention Content Expertise: Knowledge of the suicide prevention field and best practices for strategic, comprehensive suicide prevention programs. Direct experience in state suicide prevention leadership and policy strongly desired, experience in community-based suicide prevention a plus.
• Public Health Knowledge: Training and/or experience in applying a public health approach to prevention. Experience in strategic planning, multicomponent prevention programming, social determinants of health, and cross-sector collaboration a plus.
• Collaborative Leadership: Ability to lead diverse teams, develop staff, and tap into each person's unique background and experience to improve the team's overall work quality. Committed to cultural responsiveness and authentic inclusion of diverse perspectives and staff professional development and advancement.
• Management Experience: Brings a strategic mindset with the ability to manage multiple discrete projects, team workplans, and processes to ensure that high quality deliverables are produced on time.
• Relationship Building: Demonstrated ability to develop collaborative relationships with stakeholders, colleagues, partners, and funders over long distances.
• Communications: Strong written and verbal communication skills. Able to communicate effectively with diverse audiences, including funders, stakeholders, and news media. Strong webinar and in-person presentation skills.

Specific requirements:

• Master's degree or equivalent combination of training & experience required in a related discipline
• PhD or equivalent in a related discipline desirable
• 6-9 years related experience, with 2-4 years of project management experience, including budget responsibility and staff supervision
• Demonstrable leadership skills
• Excellent analytical skills and aptitude for details

Applications should be submitted directly via our website (). Applicants are required to submit both a cover letter and a resume. The cover letter should be a succinct statement of interest to include highlights of relevant qualifications and experience for the role desired, and should not exceed two pages. The resume should not exceed five pages. Applicants are advised to combine their cover letter and resume into a single file for submission. Applications without requested items will not be considered. Candidates selected for an interview may be asked to provide writing samples and/or participate in exercises to demonstrate skills and experience as part of the interview process.

As an EOE/AA employer, EDC does not discriminate in its employment practices due to an applicant's race, color, religion, sex, national origin, and veteran or disability status. EDC is a smoke-free workplace.