Senior Director of Strategy

Position Description

Faith in Place is seeking a Senior Director of Strategy to serve as a right-hand strategic partner to the CEO and a complement to the Chief Operations Officer, focused on how Faith in Place shows up in the world. This role owns the organization's external-facing strategy, from state-level program direction and outreach leadership to brand, communications positioning, and the relationships that grow our reach.

This position reports to the CEO and works in close partnership with the COO and the state Outreach Directors.

• Lead development of Faith in Place's multi-year external strategy, translating the CEO's and Board's vision into concrete state and organizational plans.
• Build and maintain state-level strategic plans for Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin in partnership with each state's Outreach Director, ensuring they ladder up to organization-wide goals.
• Identify and evaluate opportunities for deliberate growth (eg: new regions, partnerships, program models).
• Establish shared metrics and strategic milestones so leadership and the Board can track progress on external growth and impact.

• Foster consistency and shared best practices across state teams while allowing for regional and cultural context.

• Partner closely with the Communications Director to shape brand positioning, messaging, and organizational voice across all three states and multiple faith traditions.
• Help ensure Faith in Place's public presence (eg: press, digital, events, campaigns) reflects a coherent strategic narrative in support of organizational goals.
• Represent Faith in Place, alongside or on behalf of the CEO, in high-visibility external settings (coalitions, funder convenings, interfaith gatherings, press).

• Cultivate and deepen relationships with houses of worship, denominational bodies, coalition partners, and peer environmental and advocacy organizations.
• Identify strategic partnership opportunities that extend Faith in Place's reach and influence across Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin.
• Work with the Development team to align relationship-building efforts with funding strategy where relevant.

• Lead or oversee special strategic projects assigned by the CEO that cut across departments (e.g., new program launches, major coalition efforts, organizational repositioning).
• Ensure strategic initiatives are properly resourced, sequenced, and coordinated with Program, Development, and Operations leadership.

• Help ensure external strategy is coordinated across Faith in Place (501c3) and the Faith in Place Action Fund (501c4), maintaining appropriate separation of resources and activities while keeping messaging and growth strategy aligned.
• Partner with legal/compliance advisors as needed on strategic initiatives that touch lobbying, advocacy, or electoral-adjacent work under the Action Fund.

• 10+ years of relevant experience in nonprofit strategy, program leadership, or organizational development, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 5+ years of experience directing and managing staff, including managing managers or regional leads.
• Demonstrated experience building and executing multi-year organizational or program strategy.
• Experience shaping brand, communications, or public-facing strategy for a mission-driven organization.
• Track record of building and sustaining external relationships and partnerships that advance organizational goals.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, comfortable representing an organization externally at a senior level.
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to lead multiple cross-departmental initiatives simultaneously.
• Passion for faith-based environmental and racial justice work, with cultural humility across diverse religious and spiritual traditions.
• Candidate must reside in Illinois, Indiana, or Wisconsin.

• Experience working within a dual 501(c)(3)/501(c)(4) organizational structure.
• Experience in environmental, climate, or advocacy-focused nonprofits.
• Familiarity with multi-faith or interfaith community organizing.
• Advanced degree in nonprofit management, public policy, communications, or a related field.

This is a full-time, exempt position. While most work is done during a standard workday, work opportunities occasionally occur on evenings and weekends, including travel across Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. For any time worked outside regular work hours, comp time will be provided.

Faith in Place is a multi-faith, environmental nonprofit 501(c)3 organization with outreach staff working throughout Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. Faith in Place's mission is to empower people of diverse faith and…