ROLE: Director of Language & Literacy

STATUS: Full-time Onsite, Exempt

LOCATION: Clarkston, GA and immediate area(s) (80% onsite, 20% virtual)

WORKPLACE CONDITIONS: 50% standing, 50% sitting

DIRECT SUPERVISOR: Executive Director

LAST UPDATED: February 2025

Position Summary:

Imagine the profound impact of empowering officially resettled refugees with the gift of literacy, equipping them with the tools to navigate their new home, advocate for their families, and build a future filled with possibility.

As the Director of Language & Literacy at Friends of Refugees, you won’t just lead our literacy programs; you’ll be part of a movement to empower New American families in Atlanta to build a brighter future. You’ll lead a multicultural, high-performing team, shape innovative program strategies, and be part of a talented organization that, for thirty years, has extended the hand of welcome to refugees in Georgia in hopes of creating a better tomorrow for us all.

Essential Job Functions:

Lead and Inspire a Talented Team–70%

Inspire and guide the team responsible for all Refugee Family Literacy programs, fostering a shared vision and purpose that is in conjunction with the organization’s vision statement
Supervise and coach a team of 5-7 direct reports, providing regular feedback and support for their professional development
Foster a thriving culture that enables the multicultural team to feel inspired and motivated to thrive and grow in their professional skills
Celebrate cultural and language diversity, ensuring every participant feels welcomed and empowered
Collaborate with literacy and ESOL experts to set achievable program goals that align with the current needs of the refugee families
Steward resources wisely, working with executive leadership to manage and oversee the literacy program budget

Engage and Build Partnerships–20%

Act as an ambassador of Friends of Refugees and the language and literacy programs, engaging with external donors, volunteers, and community partners
Warmly welcome and connect with visiting supporters, faith groups, donors, and volunteers
Lead with purpose, facilitating occasional prayer times that uplift the needs of families in our programs
Uphold Friends of Refugees’ fundraising values as outlined in A Spirituality of Fundraising
Support fundraising efforts, providing meaningful stories and impact metrics for grant reports, donor events, and marketing campaigns, as requested by the Partner Engagement Team

Ensure Excellence in Program Operations –10%

Keep programs running smoothly by ensuring staff have the right resources and systems in place
Ensure systems are in place for each program to collect evaluation data and stories of impact
Strategically allocate staff time to maximize program effectiveness
Prioritize safety by upholding child safety and compliance standards at all times

Competencies

The Director of Language & Literacy should demonstrate competence in the following:

Excellent interpersonal skills; able to quickly establish and maintain positive relationships with people from a range of diverse backgrounds, religions, cultures and languages
Able to inspire and motivate a diverse group of people to accomplish goals
Exhibits cross-cultural humility and the curiosity of a lifelong learner
Superior organization skills and attention to detail
Able to thrive in a collaborative environment, including working effectively with others to set goals, resolve problems, and make decisions
Knowledgeable about human resources and general management principles
Strong written and verbal communicator
Experience leading change management
Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to work in a fast-paced, rapidly changing environment
Able to confidently lead and explain the work using the foundation of FOR’s mission, vision, values and philosophy of ministry

Experience and Qualifications

Full commitment and alignment with FOR’s vision, mission, values, and philosophy of ministry; required
Active participation in a Metro Atlanta church; required
2-4 years of experience managing direct reports and leading teams; required
1-2 years’ experience volunteering or working in a multicultural setting; required
Proficient in Google Suite; required
Bachelor's degree, required; graduate degree; preferred
Training or coursework in any of the following is highly preferred: education, nonprofit administration, human development, human resources, project management, ESOL, healthcare, or public health
Nonprofit work experience; preferred
Teaching experience (volunteer or paid); preferred
Past experience working with displaced people (or personal lived experience); preferred

Company Description

friendsofrefugees.com

Friends of Refugees

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Director of Language & Literacy