ORGANIZATION SUMMARY:

World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization that is fighting for change that lasts, right here in the U.S. and across the globe. We bring sustainable solutions to the world’s greatest problems – disasters, extreme poverty, violence, oppression, and mass displacement. The organization is approximately 75 years old and has worked in over 100 countries around the world since its founding.

In the United States, we come alongside local churches, community organizations and hundreds of individual volunteers to support newly arriving refugee and other immigrant families. Today, we are proud to partner with over 6,000 local churches, and 95,000 volunteers globally to bring hope, healing and transformation to the most vulnerable.

POSITION SUMMARY:

Are you a person of compassion? An advocate for justice? Someone who stands up for the rights of the vulnerable and speaks out for the marginalized, the exploited and the forgotten? Do you believe in our calling as Christians to welcome the least of these and love our neighbor?

If you answered ‘yes’, to any of the above, World Relief, and millions of people around the world need you.

The Connect Language Center Director is responsible for the overall success of World Relief Memphis’ Connect Language Center in its mission to build belonging among newcomers to Memphis. Responsibilities include stewardship of the center’s culture that drives staff and student engagement and continuous development as well as growth of course offerings including ESL classes, a teacher training certification program, and workplace-based English programming. These innovative programs are built on a strong student-centered, results-oriented philosophy, and closely collaborate with World Relief Memphis’ holistic programming and outreach strategies. Successful candidates will possess business acumen to continue growing our fee-for-service funding model as well as the ability to build cross-culturally relationships in the community. 

Role & Responsibilities

• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Missional and Office Leadership
• Embody the mission, vision, and values of World Relief, setting an example for the office staff, volunteers, clients, and community partners
• Actively participate on the WRM Leadership Team in the setting of office-wide culture, collaboration, leading organizational initiatives and strategic planning
• Assist the Executive Director and other leaders in the setting of the spiritual tone and environment for the office
• Demonstrate a strong focus on cross-program and cross-office integration to meet program, staff, and community goals
• Actively participate in office-wide performance development initiatives to promote strong staff engagement
• Support the creation and maintenance of a healthy office culture that fosters staff and missional growth
• Integrate volunteers, church partners, and community members into all aspects of work

• Service Vision and Direction
• Envision and communicate the future of the Connect Language Center at WRM through ongoing innovation of new program offerings, flexibility, and adaptability
• Develop a strategic plan for the CLC with clear, achievable goals, assuring that department and program goals and directions are consistent with the overall direction of the Memphis office and World Relief
• Lead ongoing program development through clearly communicating and inspiring staff toward measurable goals, objectives and outcomes, and celebrating team achievements. This effort will be most consistently applied to course offerings (ESL classes, 1:1 tutoring, ConnecTEFL certification, and Company English) and the student engagement experience at the center.
• Influence staff to reach their full potential through professional development, accountability, and encouragement
• Ensure involvement in World Relief’s vision and direction through integration of all educational program components into the achievement of client and organizational goals
• Engage WRM leaders and staff to support collaboration with church partners and community organizations to enhance services offered to immigrants, including exploring partnerships that support programming inside and outside the Connect Language Center
• Ensure that the culture of the CLC is defined by respect for clients and their families; prioritizing their dignity, participation, and safety
• Maintain a working knowledge of all public and private funding sources to ensure programming of the CLC meets community needs in ways that are efficient and effective
• Review Impact Dashboard metrics with staff to ensure standards are met and work with CLC staff to ensure continued improvement and excellence
• Facilitate regular meetings with staff and with other program leaders to ensure quality, team-based language services provision
• This position will have two direct reports: Education Manager and CLC Operations Manager which each lead teams of numerous staff. Success in this role will require the director to spend considerable time listening, learning, and collaborating with the two positions and other staff upon joining and leading the team.

• External Communication, Marketing, & Collaboration
• Oversee the marketing strategy of the center within various channels such as digital, print, mass-media, and word of mouth
• Collaborate with CLC staff to gather, analyze, and record student/company/WR staff feedback for improvement and marketing purposes
• Participate in conference calls and regular communication with WR’s Home Office
• In collaboration with ELPM identify, develop, and maintain ongoing community partnerships including company English employers, referral service partners, non-profit community partners, and universities/colleges
• Maintain relationships with community leaders and English program providers to support collaborative efforts to strengthen English services to newcomers in Memphis

• Financial
• Drive and manage the business strategy and budgets of the center including projections, reporting, and expense tracking
• In cooperation with CLC managers and other organization leaders, plan annual budget for WRM’s Connect Language Center
• Monitor earned revenue from fee-for-service English products with the goal of strengthening financial performance from existing and new English products
• Pursue innovative funding models to provide funding stability for program growth while also ensuring compliance with current funding requirements
• Support WRM’s process of renewing yearly grants from state and local agencies, research potential new funding sources, and submit grant proposals and applications
• Oversee monitoring of overall department budget and individual grant budgets in collaboration with Finance & Operations Director
• Collaborate with development and CLC staff to ensure funding opportunities align with strategic vision of CLC and WRM
• Participate in fundraising activities of the office as requested

• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Strong ability to discover staff strengths, delegate tasks, and develop a collaborative team environment that functions effectively
• Enjoys learning, coaching, and developing relationships with staff and students
• Self-motivated with the ability to initiate and take high ownership of work
• Ability to manage competing priorities and delegate tasks
• Leadership and creative problem-solving skills
• Experiencing developing programs, products, and business strategies highly preferred
• Ability to manage a budget and accurately report expenses
• Strong computer skills required (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook); other design/marketing skills a plus
• Bi-lingual language skills preferred but not required
• Respect for and high value of other cultures
• Experience in cross-cultural living and work preferred

• Mature and personal Christian faith
• Committed to the mission, vision, and values of World Relief
• Desire to serve and empower the Church to impact vulnerable communities
• Able to affirm and/or acknowledge World Reliefs Core Beliefs, Statement of Faith, Christian Identity and National Evangelicals For the Health of The Nation document
• Servant leadership exhibited through a listening and learning posture
• Bachelor’s degree required; graduate level studies in non-profit or business management preferred
• Some knowledge of or experience in TESOL preferred

World Relief offers a competitive benefits package (25 hours per week):

- Medical, Dental, Vision

- Offer 16 company Paid Holidays 4 additional Personal days per year!

- Paid Sick and Vacation Time

- Paid Parental Leave (12 weeks for qualified employees)

- FSAs: Medical & Dependent Care, & Commuter Funding

- Supplemental Life Insurance (employee, spouse, and children)

- Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity, and Accident insurance policies

- Legal Shield Insurance

World Relief pays 100% for eligible employees:

- Group Term Life (employee, spouse, and children)

- Long Term & Short-term Disability

- Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D)

- Long Distance Travel Insurance

- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

World Relief - Retirement:

- 401K & Roth

- WR matches up to 4%, then an additional quarter percent up to 10%

- Eligibility: Full Time (40 hours per week) is eligible after 3 months of employment. Part time is eligible after 1000 hours in a year. 

World Relief Discounts (Immediately Eligible):

- Verizon

- Pet Insurance through Nationwide

- Home and Auto insurance through Liberty Mutual

- Working Advantage Discount Program

- Active & Fit Gym Membership

World Relief is honored to be recognized with the Gold-level Cigna Healthy Workforce Designation for exceeding the core components of our well-being program including leadership and culture, program foundations and execution, and whole person health.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

·While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to have ordinary ambulatory skills sufficient to visit other locations

·The ability to stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, and manipulate (lift, carry, move) light to medium weights of 10-15 pounds.

·Requires good hand-eye coordination, arm, hand and finger dexterity, including ability to grasp, and visual acuity to use a keyboard, operate equipment and read application information.

·The employee frequently is required to sit, reach with hands and arms, talk and hear.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

·General office setting. World Relief also offers hybrid and remote schedules for limited positions.

·Great lengths of time working on computer, reading from computer screen, entering information, standing at copier or fax machine, and some time on the phone or in virtual meetings may be required.

·Year-end archiving activities involve repeated lifting and bending.

·Physical, emotional and intellectual demands

·Equipment used: Employee computer (desktop or laptop), printer, and copier.

·All of the above duties and responsibilities are essential job functions subject to reasonable accommodation. All job requirements listed indicate the minimum level of knowledge, skills and/or ability deemed necessary to perform the job proficiently. This job description is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements. Individuals may be required to perform any other job-related instructions as requested by their supervisor, subject to reasonable accommodation. This position description is not all-inclusive and is always under review.

We are proud to be an EEO/AA employer M/F/D/V.

For World Relief staff, strong commitment to the mission, vision, and values of World Relief is essential, and Christian faith is a prerequisite for employment, based upon United States federal guidelines provided in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Legal Background in the United States

World Relief is both an equal opportunity employer and a faith-based religious organization. World Relief strictly prohibits and does not tolerate unlawful discrimination against employees on the basis of person’s race, color, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law, which does not conflict with the protections afforded World Relief as a faith-based employer.

In addition, physical or mental limitations will not be a factor in the application of World Relief's employment policies or employee practices, except for those situations in which occupational requirement make consideration of such factors necessary.

Pursuant to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 702 (42 U.S.C. 2000e 1(a) World Relief has the right to, and does, hire only candidates who agree with World Relief’s Statement of Faith.