Senior Director of Strategy, Innovation & Organizational Development (Volunteer)

Senior Director of Strategy, Innovation & Organizational Development (Volunteer)

PromiseInnovation | Strategy, Innovation & Organizational Development

Organization: Mentor A Promise (MAP)

Division: PromiseInnovation

Location: Remote with NYC-based collaboration as needed

Commitment: Approximately 5–10 hours per week

Type: Volunteer Senior Leadership Role

Minimum Commitment: 6-month commitment required

Reports To: Chief Strategy & Impact Officer

About Mentor A Promise

Mentor A Promise (MAP) is a New York City–based nonprofit organization serving children and youth ages 5–18 experiencing housing instability through mentorship, literacy, social-emotional learning, educational enrichment, workforce development, creative opportunity, advocacy, housing innovation, and community-centered support.

As MAP continues to grow, our ability to create lasting impact depends on our capacity to think strategically, embrace innovation, strengthen organizational effectiveness, and continuously improve how we serve children and families.

Innovation at MAP is not simply about creating new ideas—it is about building better systems, stronger teams, and sustainable solutions that advance our mission.

About PromiseInnovation

PromiseInnovation is MAP's strategy, innovation, organizational development, and enterprise transformation division.

The division leads strategic planning, organizational effectiveness, innovation, change management, capacity building, and cross-divisional strategic initiatives that strengthen MAP's long-term sustainability and impact.

PromiseInnovation transforms vision into action by helping the organization anticipate change, solve complex challenges, improve organizational performance, and build the systems necessary for long-term growth.

Role Overview

The Senior Director of Strategy, Innovation & Organizational Development serves as the operational leader of PromiseInnovation, providing strategic and day-to-day leadership for the division while advancing Mentor A Promise's long-term organizational strategy.

Working closely with the Chief Strategy & Impact Officer, executive leadership, and division leaders, this role translates organizational vision into measurable action by leading enterprise strategic initiatives, strengthening organizational effectiveness, driving innovation, and supporting sustainable growth.

The Senior Director oversees the division's departments, ensures successful execution of strategic priorities, fosters cross-functional collaboration, and helps build the organizational capabilities that maximize MAP's long-term impact.

The ideal candidate is a strategic, collaborative, and systems-oriented leader with experience in organizational development, innovation, strategy execution, and enterprise transformation.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Planning & Enterprise Strategy

• Lead implementation of MAP's strategic plan and enterprise priorities
• Translate long-term organizational goals into actionable initiatives
• Facilitate strategic planning sessions and organizational retreats
• Develop strategic roadmaps and implementation frameworks
• Monitor organizational progress toward strategic objectives

Innovation & Organizational Transformation

• Lead enterprise-wide innovation initiatives and transformation projects
• Identify emerging opportunities that strengthen MAP's mission and impact
• Support development of pilot programs and organizational innovations
• Promote a culture of creativity, experimentation, and continuous improvement
• Strengthen MAP's capacity to adapt and evolve

Organizational Development & Effectiveness

• Improve organizational systems, structures, and operational effectiveness
• Lead capacity-building initiatives across divisions
• Support change management and organizational development efforts
• Develop frameworks that strengthen collaboration and accountability
• Advance organizational excellence through continuous improvement

Strategic Performance & Decision Support

• Develop dashboards, metrics, and performance indicators that measure strategic progress
• Monitor enterprise initiatives and organizational outcomes
• Provide executive leadership with strategic recommendations and insights
• Analyze trends and organizational performance to inform decision-making
• Strengthen evidence-based strategic planning

Leadership & Cross-Divisional Collaboration

• Provide leadership to directors, managers, and project leaders within PromiseInnovation
• Partner with division chiefs to align enterprise priorities
• Support cross-functional strategic initiatives
• Foster collaboration and organizational alignment
• Build strong relationships across the executive leadership team

Organizational Growth & Future Readiness

• Monitor nonprofit, technology, and social sector trends
• Evaluate emerging opportunities and best practices
• Support long-term organizational sustainability and growth
• Strengthen MAP's innovation ecosystem
• Help position the organization for future opportunities and impact

Leadership Responsibilities

The Senior Director provides leadership and oversight for:

Strategic Planning

Responsible for:

• Enterprise strategy
• Strategic planning
• Organizational roadmaps
• Strategic implementation

Innovation

Responsible for:

• Innovation initiatives
• Pilot programs
• Organizational transformation
• Continuous improvement

Organizational Development

Responsible for:

• Capacity building
• Change management
• Organizational effectiveness
• Leadership development

Enterprise Performance

Responsible for:

• Strategic dashboards
• Performance measurement
• Organizational analytics
• Executive reporting

Potential Reporting Structure

Director of Strategic Planning

Director of Innovation & Emerging Initiatives

Director of Organizational Development

Director of Enterprise Project Management

Director of Strategic Intelligence & Research

Organizational Development Specialists

Strategic Project Managers

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in strategy, organizational development, management consulting, innovation, nonprofit leadership, business transformation, or related fields
• Strong strategic planning and enterprise leadership experience
• Experience leading cross-functional initiatives and organizational change
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and executive presentation skills
• Strong systems thinking and analytical abilities
• Passion for organizational excellence and mission-driven innovation

Why This Role Matters

The organizations that create lasting impact are those that continuously learn, adapt, and improve.

Strategy provides direction.

Innovation creates opportunity.

Organizational development builds capacity.

The Senior Director of Strategy, Innovation & Organizational Development helps ensure that Mentor A Promise grows intentionally, operates effectively, and remains prepared to meet the evolving needs of children and families.

This role transforms vision into execution and ideas into lasting organizational impact.

Success Measures

• Achievement of enterprise strategic priorities
• Successful implementation of organizational transformation initiatives
• Increased organizational capacity and effectiveness
• Growth of innovation initiatives and pilot programs
• Strengthened cross-divisional collaboration
• Advancement of organizational performance and strategic outcomes
• Development of high-performing teams and organizational leaders

Leadership Participation

The Senior Director of Strategy, Innovation & Organizational Development is expected to:

• Attend one weekly Senior Leadership Meeting
• Conduct regular check-ins with direct reports
• Participate in executive strategy and organizational planning sessions
• Support cross-divisional collaboration and enterprise initiatives

Volunteer Expectations

• Approximately 5–10 hours per week
• Minimum 6-month commitment required
• Maintain timely and professional communication
• Collaborate through MAP systems and communication platforms
• Support MAP's safeguarding standards, mission, and organizational values
• Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement

What You'll Gain

• Executive-level leadership experience within a growing nonprofit organization
• Opportunity to shape enterprise strategy and organizational transformation
• Collaboration with executive leaders across multiple disciplines
• Professional references and letters of recommendation
• Meaningful impact helping build the organizational systems that support children and families experiencing housing instability

How to Apply

Interested candidates should apply directly through Idealist and include their resume and cover letter.

Please highlight experience involving strategic planning, organizational development, innovation, management consulting, change management, nonprofit leadership, or related disciplines.

Help build the strategy, innovation, and organizational excellence that will shape the future of Mentor A Promise and expand opportunities for children and families.

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with our organization. At this time, volunteer opportunities are limited to individuals based in the United States due to legal, safeguarding, data-privacy, and programmatic requirements. We appreciate your interest in our mission and your understanding of these constraints.