About KIND
Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) is a global leader in the protection of unaccompanied and separated children who are forcibly displaced from their countries of origin. Launched in 2008, KIND champions a world in which every child’s rights and well-being are protected throughout their journey to safety.
Building on its extensive programming and successful model in the United States, KIND is expanding in the Americas and Europe to bring its experience to bear in working with unaccompanied and separated children. Our work focuses on addressing the legal and mental health needs of this population; building strong partnerships and engaging in training and capacity strengthening with governments, NGOs, and the private sector; and advocating for systemic and pragmatic reforms to advance the rights of unaccompanied and separated children.
Position Summary
KIND seeks a Senior Director, Application Solutions who will play a leadership role by overseeing and contributing to the development and operations of KIND's expanding cloud and application solutions in support to both internal and external stakeholders. The incumbent plays a crucial part in ensuring that KIND’s cloud security, application operations, artificial intelligence infrastructure, are optimally aligned with its mission and operational needs. Supporting the Chief Technology Officer’s vision, the Senior Director, Application Solutions will actively champion the mission of KIND and foster collaboration with internal and external stakeholders throughout the organization working closely on both operational and programmatic fronts.
This is a remote position based from any location in the U.S.
Essential Functions
- Strategic Leadership
- Develop and implement a Cloud first strategy aligned with the organization's objectives, fostering innovation and efficiency
- Contribute the exploration and adoption of emerging technologies to enhance business processes and competitive advantage
- Provide visionary leadership to the applications team, promoting innovation and continuous improvement.
- Application Solutions and Operations
- Responsible for the strategic direction, management, and operational excellence of KIND applications. This includes overseeing the deployment, administration, and optimization of case management platforms, and key Microsoft technologies such as Office 365, SharePoint, Teams, Dynamics 365 CRM, Power Platforms, Azure, and other related applications.
- Lead the solution design, architecture, implementation, and support of new application solutions
- Responsible for analyzing complex systems, identifying security vulnerabilities, and developing strategies to protect sensitive information and mitigate risks.
- Engage and collaborate with cross departmental resources to seek out opportunities to enhance the efficiency of KIND’s Applications and their operations
- Budget Elaboration and Financial Management
- Develop and manage Application Operation’s annual budget, aligning expenditures with strategic priorities and financial targets
- Monitor budget performance, analyze variances, and implement corrective actions as necessary to ensure fiscal responsibility and resource optimization
- Vendor and Contract Management
- Cultivate and manage relationships with IT vendors and service providers, ensuring alignment with business objectives and performance expectations
- Participate in the negotiation of vendor contracts, and administer SLAs, service agreements, while recommending terms and conditions optimization to mitigate risk and drive value
- Team Management
- Lead, coach, and mentor Application Solutions staff, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement to achieve high performance
- Facilitate professional development opportunities and skills enhancement initiatives to empower team members and foster career growth
- Promote a positive, supportive, and inclusive team environment aligned with KIND’s diversity, equity, and inclusion principles
Qualifications And Requirements
- Advanced degree in computer engineering or related field
- Minimum of 8 years of leadership experience demonstrating a track record of delivering successful IT design, development, and implementation
- Minimum of 5 years of proven experience in managing and optimizing Microsoft applications, including Office 365, SharePoint, Teams, Dynamics 365, and Azure
- Minimum of 5 years of experience supervising teams with demonstrated skills in fostering team trust, commitment, conflict resolution, employee wellness, and motivation to accomplish team goals
- Relevant certifications such as Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert, Dynamics 365 Fundamentals, and Power Platform are highly desirable
- Exceptional leadership and innovation skills; including change management, diplomacy, strong communication and interpersonal skills, the ability to build trust, unquestioned integrity, and pragmatism.
- "Ability to perform technical work while also being able to develop and implement processes and procedures.
- Exceptional communication and relationship building skills; effective at building trust and working directly with stakeholders across all levels of the organization
- Proficient in researching and remaining current with evolving AI and cloud technologies.
- Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (such as Teams, Excel, etc.)
- Ability to work collaboratively and multi-task in our KIND environment, managing numerous priorities and emerging opportunities
- Excellent organizational skills with the ability to work on multiple projects in a deadline-oriented environment; ability to prioritize tasks and delegate as appropriate
- Ability to work effectively with people of diverse backgrounds, lived experiences, and communication styles
- Commitment to prioritizing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, as well as embracing transparency and authenticity in daily work life.
- Be disciplined and nimble to ensure delivery on our core mission of access to justice and protection of children’s wellbeing and rights
- Ability to multitask and work with a sense of urgency in a dynamic, fast-paced environment
- Committed to practicing and supporting wellbeing and a work-home life balance.
- Experience working and communicating in a remote environment.
Our Benefits
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance with KIND paying 100% of the employee only portion of the premium for one of the two medical plan options, dental, and vision
- Pre-tax flexible spending account (FSA) for both medical and dependent care
- Pre-tax transit and parking spending account
- Employer-paid life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment insurance
- Employer-paid short and long-term disability insurance
For a complete list of benefits, please click here.
Our Focus on Wellness
KIND recognizes that our ability to help our clients starts with helping our team members. KIND has prioritized wellness for employees through Mindfulness and Wellness Trainings, Wellness Platforms, Employee Assistance and Resilience Programs, Time Away and Office Wellness Activities.
For more information regarding our Wellness initiatives please visit this link.
Application Instructions
To be considered for this role, please submit an employment application at supportkind.org/join-the-team, along with your resume and cover letter.
KIND has an organization-wide commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. We strive to create a work environment where everyone has a sense of belonging. Individuals from historically underrepresented or underserved communities are strongly encouraged to apply.
Disclaimer: KIND is committed to an ethical recruitment and hiring process and maintains a firm “no fees” recruitment policy. We will never charge a fee or ask for money as part of the application process. KIND also conducts all interviews via telephone or video conference, and at no time will KIND engage in a text or mobile app-based application or interview process. For more information, please visit the following website: https://supportkind.org/join-the-team/kind-employment-practices/.
