To apply, email a resume and cover letter to Juanita Johnson, jjohnson@advancememphis.org.

Director of Programming

Advance Memphis is a Christ-centered nonprofit dedicated to building pathways to economic mobility by equipping individuals with job readiness skills, vocational training, and holistic support grounded in biblical values. Through long-term relationships with participants and employers, Advance Memphis helps people access dignified work that leads to stability, growth, and transformation for families and communities.

Reports To: Executive Director

Position Summary

The Director of Programming provides strategic, relational, and operational leadership for all participant-facing programs at Advance Memphis. This role is responsible for ensuring that programs are mission-aligned, outcomes-driven, biblically grounded, and effectively integrated with employment pathways and social enterprise operations. The Director of Programming oversees curriculum, facilitation quality, participant experience, and program outcomes, while collaborating closely with other Directors to advance holistic economic mobility for participants.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic & Programmatic Leadership

• Provide vision, strategy, and leadership for all Advance Memphis programs, ensuring alignment with the organization’s mission, values, and strategic plan.

• Translate organizational strategy into clear program goals, annual plans, and measurable outcomes.

• Evaluate and continuously improve program models to strengthen participant engagement, learning, and long-term employment success.

• Ensure program design reflects biblical principles, trauma-informed practices, and dignity-of-work values.

Program Oversight & Excellence

• Oversee all participant-facing programs, ensuring consistency, quality, and mission alignment across diverse program models

• Programs include:

  • Employment Education & Staffing

  • Work Life

  • Financial Literacy

  • Addiction Recovery

  • Counseling Support

• Ensure clarity of purpose, outcomes, and participant pathways within and across programs.

• Maintain working knowledge of all curricula and program content; identify gaps and opportunities for enhancement.

• Ensure facilitators and instructors are properly trained, certified, and supported.

• Observe programs and provide regular coaching and feedback to facilitators.

Participant Outcomes & Data Integrity

• Ensure accurate and timely collection, analysis, and reporting of program data and outcomes.

• Use data to inform program decisions, improvements, and resource allocation.

• Collaborate with Development and Operations teams to support grant reporting, outcome measurement, and compliance requirements.

• Ensure participant progress aligns with readiness matrices and employment benchmarks used across the organization.

Leadership & People Development

• Provide overall leadership and supervision for all programs and staff within Advance Memphis programming.

• Lead, coach, and develop program managers who, in turn, lead and develop their respective teams, ensuring strong leadership at every level of the organization.

• Build healthy, mission-aligned teams by investing in leadership development, team building, and a positive organizational culture rooted in trust, accountability, and shared purpose.

• Ensure effective staffing, structure, and leadership coverage across all programs, including instructors, coaches, counselors, and employment development staff.

• Establish clear expectations, accountability, and support for program leaders and frontline staff to drive excellence and consistency.

• Foster a culture of learning, collaboration, spiritual formation, and continuous improvement across all programming.

• Conduct performance evaluations, provide coaching, and support professional development for program staff.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with the Director of Warehouse Operations and Director of Operations to ensure strong alignment between programming, employment pathways, and social enterprise operations.

• Partner with Operations, Finance, and Development teams to support grant strategy, outcome reporting, and organizational sustainability.

• Collaborate with leadership overseeing AM Staffing to ensure the staffing program effectively balances revenue generation with participant development and mission impact.

• Serve as a key member of the senior leadership team, contributing to organizational planning, problem-solving, and decision-making.

Decision-Making & Problem-Solving

• Make timely, thoughtful decisions that balance mission impact, participant needs, staff capacity, and organizational sustainability.

• Address complex challenges with a systems-level perspective, identifying root causes and implementing durable solutions.

• Engage staff and peer directors in collaborative problem-solving while maintaining clear accountability.

• Communicate decisions clearly and ensure effective execution across programs.

Organizational Standards Accountability

In addition to the responsibilities above, the Director of Programming is expected to:

• Live out Advance Memphis’ Christian mission, affirming the dignity and value of every participant and staff member.

• Demonstrate a strong commitment to relationships, teamwork, and long-term impact in the community.

• Communicate clearly and professionally with participants, staff, partners, volunteers, and stakeholders.

• Manage time effectively, meet deadlines, and follow through on commitments.

• Maintain confidentiality, integrity, and professionalism at all times.

• Participate fully in leadership, staff, and planning meetings.

• Perform other duties as assigned by the Executive Director.

Success Metrics:

The success of the Director of Programming will be evaluated using clear, measurable outcomes, including but not limited to:

• Achievement of program-level outcomes across all Advance Memphis programs, including completion, placement, retention, and participant growth metrics.

• Demonstrated alignment and integration across programs, resulting in clear participant pathways from training and support to employment and long-term stability.

• Quality, consistency, and fidelity of curriculum delivery and participant experience across diverse program models.

• Effective leadership and development of program managers, evidenced by strong team health, clarity of roles, and staff engagement and retention.

• Accurate, timely, and actionable program data used to inform decision-making, continuous improvement, and grant reporting.

• Effective stewardship of resources, including staffing, budgets (as applicable), and program capacity.

• Strong cross-functional collaboration with Operations, Social Enterprise, and Development teams.

• Demonstrated embodiment of Advance Memphis’ mission, values, and Christian leadership in organizational culture and decision-making.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; graduate degree preferred or commensurate experience.

• Senior-level experience in program leadership, education, workforce development, or nonprofit programming.

• Demonstrated ability to lead teams, manage complexity, and drive measurable outcomes.

• Strong relational, communication, and coaching skills.

• Experience with data-informed decision-making and program evaluation.

• Commitment to Advance Memphis’ Christian mission and values.