Director, Capacity Building Services (Chicago / Hybrid)

Work. Serve. Thrive.

Imagine a place where your talent can make a meaningful difference in peoples' lives. Working at Feeding America is a uniquely rewarding experience in which our employees work together as vital parts of a much larger mission. We are innovative, mission-focused, diverse, collaborative, values-driven and focused on results.

Feeding America is the nation’s largest charity and the leading domestic hunger-relief charity in the United States. Our mission is to feed America's hungry through a nationwide network of member food banks and engage our country in the fight to end hunger.

Learn more about Feeding America  here .

This position is based out of Feeding America’s Chicago office. At Feeding America, we believe in offering a flexible work environment. Employees can be in the office an average of 2-3 days a week (when not travelling for work) and work from home on other days. Employees also have access to a 30-day “work anywhere” program during the course of each calendar year that can be combined with PTO and/or holidays.

The Opportunity

The Director, Capacity Building Services is responsible for developing, implementing, and continuously improving Feeding America's enterprise-wide approach to capacity building. This role serves as the steward of the organization's Capacity Building Way of Working, ensuring teams across the national organization have the tools, processes, resources, and support needed to design and deliver high-quality, consistent capacity building services that strengthen network capabilities and advance shared priorities.

As a capacity building strategist and subject matter expert, this role partners with leaders and teams across Feeding America to develop capability continuums, design integrated capacity building plans, and embed effective capacity-building practices into enterprise processes and service delivery. The Director serves as a strategic thought partner to the Vice President, Network Capacity Building, representing the department across organizational initiatives, leadership forums, and key cross-functional partnerships.

Compensation

Here at Feeding America national organization, equality is central to our mission and is an integral part of our compensation policies and structures. As such, we maintain transparent salary ranges and clearly defined practices for how our team, including new hire salary offers, moves through these ranges. You can expect us to offer the best salary up front based on these clearly defined pay practices with little room for negotiation. We make exceptions for highly experienced (multiple years of at-level experience) new hires in accordance with our pay practices. Once hired, employees have the opportunity to progress through salary ranges via regular merit increases and step promotions.

Salary Range: $127,932 - $132,932 Based on Experience

Responsibilities:

- Partners with the Vice President, Network Capacity Building to develop, implement, and continuously improve Feeding America's enterprise-wide Capacity Building Way of Working, establishing the frameworks, standards, tools, and processes that enable consistent, high-quality capacity building services across the organization.
- Serves as Feeding America's internal capacity building subject matter expert and strategic advisor, partnering with leaders and subject matter experts across the organization to design capacity building strategies, capability continuums, services, and resources that strengthen network performance and advance organizational priorities.
- Leads efforts to strengthen and streamline capacity building practices across Feeding America by identifying opportunities for improvement, applying lessons learned, and supporting adoption through consultation, training, coaching, and change management.
- Builds and maintains strategic partnerships across departments to align capacity building efforts, integrate learning and evaluation practices, reduce duplication, improve efficiency, and strengthen organizational impact.
- Provides strategic leadership and oversight for Collaborative Capacity Building Services, partnering with member leadership teams to develop and execute multi-year capacity building plans that address evolving needs and deliver measurable outcomes.
- Leads and develops a high-performing Capacity Building Services team while positioning the function as a center of excellence that captures, synthesizes, and shares insights, leading practices, and innovations across service lines and organizational teams.
- Supervises the Manager, Capacity Building Services and Coordinator, Capacity Building Services, fostering a culture of collaboration, learning, innovation, and accountability.
- Serves as a strategic thought partner and proxy for the Vice President, Network Capacity Building, representing team priorities and interests in across the Network department, cross-departmental, and network-wide initiatives (i.e., special projects, committees, conferences, task forces, and strategic initiatives on behalf of Network Capacity Building).
- Partners with the Vice President, Network Capacity Building and Development staff on donor proposals, grant reporting, stewardship activities, and other capacity-building funding opportunities.

Required Experience and Qualifications:

- 10+ years of experience in nonprofit leadership, organizational development, consulting, strategy, capacity building, learning and development, or related fields.
- Demonstrated experience designing and implementing organizational or enterprise-wide frameworks, methodologies, processes, or service models.
- Experience facilitating complex, cross-functional planning, design, and strategy development processes.
- Exceptional consultation, facilitation, relationship-building, and influencing skills with the ability to work effectively across a matrixed organization.
- Strong strategic thinking, systems thinking, project management, and continuous improvement capabilities.
- Outstanding written, verbal, presentation, and stakeholder engagement skills.
- Experience leading teams and developing staff in a collaborative and inclusive environment.

Preferred Competencies, Experience and Certifications:

- Experience as a leader in the Feeding America network or a national federated nonprofit.
Required Leadership Competencies:
- Fosters an Enterprise Mindset
- Fosters an Open and Supportive Environment
- Leads with Accountability
- Collaborates Internally and Externally
- Focuses on People and Teams
- Manages Organization and Business Complexity
- Communicates with Impact and Influence

Feeding America’s goal is to attract, develop, retain, and promote a talented diverse workforce where all employees feel a sense of belonging and contribute to a culture that values differences, ideas, and experiences. We intentionally seek out diverse perspectives and skills on our teams, knowing that it makes us stronger as an organization and better equipped to serve our neighbors in need. We encourage all individuals, including those from historically under-represented communities and individuals with lived experience of hunger, to apply.
Feeding America participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. If E-Verify cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, this employer is required to give you written instructions and an opportunity to contact Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or Social Security Administration (SSA) so you can begin to resolve the issue before the employer can take any action against you, including terminating your employment. Employers can only use E-Verify once you have accepted a job offer and completed the Form I-9.