The National Association of Counties announces an opening for a Program Director in the County Solutions and Innovations Department.  Under the direction of the department director, this position focuses on community and economic development, resilience, and transportation and infrastructure issues. The Program Director is responsible for organizing, facilitating and convening leadership networks of county government officials with federal officials, business leaders, philanthropic organizations, technical experts and other stakeholders. The Program Director will work directly with federal agencies, corporate partners, private foundations and NGOs.

Primary duties and responsibilities: This position assumes primary responsibility for the day-to-day management of multiple training, technical assistance and research projects designed to elevate thought leadership.

• Planning and implementing workshops, presentations and meetings for NACo conferences. Includes designing and delivering educational trainings and peer exchange programming, including planning and implementing high-level roundtables, standalone regional conferences and professional training events.

• Providing ongoing technical assistance to county officials; responding to requests for information; making presentations at national, regional, state and local meetings; facilitating the exchange of best practices and programmatic information between county officials; and acting as liaison between NACo members and government agencies and non-profit organizations.

• Identifying emerging trends and best practices in economic development, resilience, energy, planning, sustainability and transportation, and using this information to design and launch new programs, including innovative approaches to local government official training and capacity building.

• Building relationships with national and local government officials, and business and civic leaders to secure new business opportunities and strategic partnerships.

• Directing the day-to-day quality, conduct and completion of project deliverables; including supervising and managing budgets, professional staff, interns and contractors to complete projects.

• Monitoring and ensuring the overall fiscal health and financial administration of grant and sponsor-funded projects.

• Aligning project activities with the NACo strategic vision and coordinating closely with the Legislative Department, Public Affairs, Counties Futures Lab and other departments to achieve NACo’s organizational priorities and measure meaningful results for counties.

• Providing staff support for NACo advisory committees and affiliate organizations, that correspond with resilience, community and economic development, transportation and infrastructure, arts and culture, planning and emergency management.

• Representing NACo in organization-wide activities, including conference planning and implementation, membership recruitment and retention, marketing, website updates and maintenance, County News articles and contributions, and internal and external meetings.

• Responding to and tracking inquiries from grantors/contract officers regarding submitted proposals and existing grants.

• Working to educate potential grantors about the role of county government and to establish relationships with them to support county government efforts.

• Writing grant proposals that meet the needs of counties establishing project objectives, activities and deliverables; developing project budgets; and coordinating project communications with funding agencies, NACo staff and members.

• Other duties as assigned.