Managing Director of Cara Plus

MANAGING DIRECTOR OF CARA PLUS

About Cara Collective

Cara Collective seeks to fuel a courageous national movement to eradicate relational and financial poverty. Throughourfour entities Cara Cleanslate and Cara Plus weengage job seekers employers and other organizations across the country to break the cycle of poverty through the power and purpose of employment.

At present we produce 1000 jobs each year; however our results dont just end with employment. Todaywe takethe insights gained over the past 30 years to equip other organizations and employers with practices to help build a more inclusive economy. Learn more at .

About the Cara Collective External Affairs Department

The External Affairs Department aims to advance Cara Collectives mission by amplifying our brand building strategic partnerships attracting resources and investments and driving public awareness and practice change. Through coordinated efforts across communications development and external engagement the team ensures our message resonates with stakeholders and strengthens our impact. With a commitment to storytelling relationship-building and thought leadership External Affairs connects Cara Collective to the broader community fueling growth and deepening our influence in the workforce development field.

About Cara Plus

Cara Plus is the expansion arm of Cara Collective which works with organizations around the country. Our work creates inclusive employment pathways by distilling Cara Collectives best practices and tailoring them to each organizations needs. Cara Plus does this through two distinct portfolios:

1. Workforce Development. Where we work with non-profits and workforce development programs to help them deploy sustainable pathways to self-sufficiency in their communities.
2. Inclusive Employment. Where we help employers shift their practices to improve how they recruit hire cultivate and advance untapped talent.

About the Role

We have assembled a dynamic and skilled Expansion Team dedicated to turning our vision into reality. The Managing Director of Cara Plus leads this team introducing our model to partners nationwide and representing Caras expansion efforts within the just five years Cara Plus has evolved from a start-up to a respected player in the industry. The Managing Director of Cara Plus will be instrumental in guiding us to the next phase of our growth.

Cara Plus is responsible for cultivating long-term partnerships in the non-profit and for-profit sectors based on creative problem-solving clear communication and thought partnership. The goal is to increase job and retention outcomes among our affiliates and develop learning opportunities for non-profits and employers that can show measurable impacts for their stakeholders. To contribute to these outcomes the Managing Director of Cara Plus will advance initiatives that help achieve the following outcomes:

• Change the narrative of what talent looks like and how to unlock the talent within.
• Shift how organizations create opportunities for overlooked talent to obtain retain or advance in gainful employment.
• Produce more jobs and higher retention rates for untapped talent.
• Help position Cara Collective as a sector leader in inclusive employment workforce development solutions and poverty alleviation at a local and national level.

Reports to

Chief External Affairs Officer

Direct Report(s)

The Managing Director of Cara Plus directly supervises the Director of National Workforce Solutions & the Senior Director of Community & Employment Strategies.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully an individual must demonstrate evidence of success in a previous role(s). The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge skill and/or ability required:

• 7 years of experience of successfully driving strategic planning.
• 7 years of leadership and supervisory experience
• 5 years in an external facing role managing and building multifaceted relationships.
• Demonstrated track record of developing and implementing/operationalizing large-scale initiatives.
• Demonstrated understanding and deep knowledge of Inclusive Employment and Workforce Development ecosystem is strongly preferred.
• Proven leadership and strong interpersonal and presentation skills and the ability to generate enthusiasm and confidence from others.
• Capacity to represent Cara Plus and effectively communicate how it benefits the continued growth and impact of Cara Collective with a variety of stakeholders (internally and externally).
• Insatiable curiosity and ability to connect with people of all walks and backgrounds a trusted executive for our affiliates and corporate partners but also a trusted partner to the individuals we have the honor to serve.
• Highly organized and experienced in managing multiple individuals and projects with a broad set of goals.
• Focused on outcomes over activities.
• Ability to deepen ties with a diverse team on a non-hierarchical basis.
• Ability to motivate staff and maintain consistency during periods of innovation and growth.
• Ability to prioritize critical tasks with grace and tenacious follow up in a fast-paced startup environment.
• Occasional to moderate travel necessary

Key Responsibilities

Expansion Strategy Execution and Growth (40%):

• In partnership with CEAO and CEO evaluate refine and lead the overall expansion strategy based on a strong understanding of different expansion approaches and tradeoffs.
• Develop the capability necessary systems tools and processes to ensure method fidelity and replicability across different offerings.
• Stay sharp on workforce best practices and emerging business needs and challenges based on each market.
• Support Director of National Workforce Solutions to source and assess potential affiliation partners.
• Bring learnings from Cara Pluss national network to Cara Collective to inform our approach and impact and ensure integration within the enterprise.
• React to and evaluate opportunities for growth ensuring that key projects and/or initiatives clearly align with Cara Plus strategic vision and direction.
• Working with CEAO devise implement and oversee a multi-faceted revenue strategy that secures necessary capital for expansion efforts where needed and ensure Cara Plus has a sustainable and diverse (both earned and philanthropic) funding stream over the long-term.
• Manage the P&L for the Cara Plus team with support from the CEAO to ensure operational efficacy.

Partnership Development and Cultivation (35%):

• Work in partnership with the CEAO and Development Team to cultivate strategic funders both before and after securing investment to turn them into long-term partners that can advance Cara Pluss impact and growth.
• Identify and cultivate potential channel partners to help grow both portfolios through a one-to-many approach.
• Identify strategic partners that can augment Cara Pluss offerings with complementary skillsets or knowledge to bring greater value to our clients.
• Identify and cultivate potential clients for each portfolio from initial outreach to close.
• Update strategic partners through informal and formal channels by providing updates on successes transparency on opportunities and uplifting learnings (e.g. annual reports regular communications etc.)
• Work closely with our corporate partnerships and employment services team.
• Develop strong messaging that helps convey and demonstrate Cara Pluss role in Cara Collective and the broader ecosystem and how our portfolios differ from but complement each other (including but not limited to staff customers partners funders board members etc.)
• Uplift Cara Collectives brand equity by using different media to share the Cara Method publishing thought leadership case studies being a guest speaker (at conferences on podcasts in interviews etc.).

Leadership (25%):

• Hire train supervise and evaluate Cara Plus Department personnel and consultants.
• Participate in Cara Collectives Leadership Teams providing strategic and operational input to ensure we collectively reach our goals and maximize our impact.
• Meet regularly with team members to identify priorities discuss strategies and review ongoing projects.
• Combine innovation with disciplined execution turning new concepts into clear actionable plans that drive measurable results.
• Offer direction to the team that reflects sound analysis and organizational priorities ensuring recommendations are thoughtful and context-aligned.
• Lead the team in the development of annual workplans and support tracking progress towards goals and making mid-course adjustments as necessary.
• Provide professional development opportunities and guidance to team members to help strengthen their skill sets and job satisfaction.

Workplace Type & Team Culture

Cara Collective has a strong team culture that values collaboration communication and camaraderie. We believe in the

power of working together in person which is why we expect our employees to be onsite at one of our Chicago-based

locations multiple days each week. For this role that means a minimum of three days in the office. This commitment to in-person collaboration fosters a sense of belonging and teamwork among our employees creating a supportive and dynamic

work environment. Regular travel within the Chicago area to meet with partners and employers is required along with

occasional out-of-town travel to conferences thought leadership opportunities or other convenings related to Inclusive

Employment work.

We consistently measure staff satisfaction through employee surveys and have found that year over year the vast majority

of staff agree that Cara Collective is a great place to work and grow. This high level of employee satisfaction reflects our

dedication to creating a positive and fulfilling workplace for all members of our team.

Starting Pay Range

We take budget and starting salary very seriously. We market our roles and are using a salary analysis tool called Payscale

and offer competitive market-based compensation to all employees.

This positions expected starting pay range is $115000 - $120000 annually.

Benefits

Cara Collective is proud to offer a comprehensive competitive benefit package with options designed to help you make the best decision for yourself your family and your lifestyle. Available benefits are based on eligibility. Our Total Rewards

package includes a variety of medical and dental plans vision coverage disability and life insurance 401(k)

• Medical Dental Vision Plans
• Basic Life Insurance
• Long Term Disability
• Personal Technology Reimbursement
• Starting with 17 Vacation Days 8 Sick Days 14 Paid Holidays

Employee Paid Benefits

• Pre-Tax Medical Flexible Spending Account
• Pre-Tax Dependent Care Account
• Pre-Tax Transit & Parking Options
• Supplemental Life and AD&D Insurance
• Short-Term Disability Insurance
• 401(k) Retirement Plan (employer match up to 4% upon hire & immediately vested)

As of this posting we annually review our benefit offerings to meet our employees needs and be competitive in the market. All listed benefits offerings at the discretion of the employer.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Cara Collective is committed to creating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

Cara Collective does not discriminate on the basis of race color national origin sex gender identity religion sexual

orientation age disability parental status veteran status or any other protected status under applicable laws. We

encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply. If you are a qualified candidate with a disability please email us at

if you require reasonable accommodation to complete this application

.