Job Posting

In December of 2022, the Kent County Board of Commissioners approved the allocation of $4M to the Kent County Domestic Violence Community Coordinated Response Team (DVCCRT) to support the creation of the Domestic Violence Action Network (DVAN) as part of an effort to transform the way Kent County responds to domestic violence and creates greater safety for survivors and the community. With a robust, data-driven, trauma-informed, and collective-impact infrastructure, DVAN addresses domestic violence as a public health crisis and drive inclusive and integrated solutions. DVAN, particularly the DVAN Director, serves as a backbone entity using a collective impact model, continuous communication for shared learning, a measurement system to track progress for equitable and sustainable change, and mutually reinforcing activities. Currently, DVAN has launched three workgroups focused on: governance of DVAN; criminal justice response to domestic violence; and community-based response to high lethality domestic violence cases.

DVAN is looking to hire someone with entrepreneurial skills who is willing to build something from the ground up. In this role, you will have the opportunity to build relationships with people and groups with a long history of collaboration, as well as groups that have never worked together before and support our community’s innovative approach to reducing domestic violence. DVAN is looking for someone with a leadership style that is committed to equity and inclusion, someone who is willing to jump into something without a road map, and someone that can thrive in ambiguity.

Key stakeholders

DVAN is a new, more robust, and structured entity that will be developed from the long-standing collaboration of the DVCCRT. DVAN represents a collaboration between systems and organizations throughout Kent County with a committed focus to reduce domestic violence in our community. A steering committee of DVAN members, primarily representing service providers and those with direct involvement in reported domestic violence cases formed at the end of 2023 and provides support to the DVAN Director and overall DVAN efforts. Steering Committee members includes representatives from the Kent County Prosecutor’s Office, Grand Rapids Police Department, Puertas Abiertas, Safe Haven Ministries, the Men’s Resource Center, representative of a culturally-specific group, a survivor leader and the YWCA West Central Michigan. The steering committee is also committed to hiring a full-time staff member to coordinate the collective impact efforts of the DVAN.

Job Description

The DVAN Director is a full-time, exempt position. This position offers a flexible work environment between office and community locations. Using a collective impact model, the DVAN Director will serve as the backbone entity and uphold the key principles of this approach: 

1. A common agenda developed and driven by all community stakeholders
2. Shared measurements
3. Mutually reinforcing activities
4. Continuous communication
5. A backbone team 

Funding for the role is supported by Kent County ARPA funding that continues through December 31, 2026. The goal of DVAN is to secure additional funding to continue successful work of the group. 

Reporting Relationships 

The Executive Committee functions as the supervisory body for the DVAN Director. The Executive Committee is comprised of officers (2 Co-Chairs, a Treasurer, and a Secretary) of the Steering Committee, whose governance is established through an Operating Agreement. Key partners with representation on the Steering Committee including YWCA West Central Michigan, Safe Haven Ministries, Puertas Abiertas, Kent County Prosecutor’s Office, Grand Rapids Police Department, Men’s Resource Center, 61st District Court, and a Survivor Leader.

 Safe Haven Ministries operates as the fiduciary of DVAN. 

Responsibilities 

Vision/Strategy: 15% 

• Provide visionary, adaptive leadership, modeling the DVAN’s values and commitment to a collective impact approach
• Help to identify, build relationships and recruit participation in the shared agenda work, with a particular focus on systems and people that have historically not been centered in work to decrease domestic violence in our community 

Project Management: 25% 

• Assist Steering Committee and workgroups in developing SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound), and work plans with timelines
• Monitor work plans and ensure continued progress in work plans in support of the shared agenda

Facilitation/Coordination: 25%: 

• Provide support, and when needed, direction to DVAN workgroups to align their work with the shared agenda
• Ensure effective facilitation of all work groups, and ensure regular reporting of activities across work groups
• Coordinate meetings of Executive Committee, Steering Committee, and DVAN workgroups including managing meeting calendars, and building agendas 

Administration/Communications: 25% 

• Complete required grant reporting and engage in funding solicitation and grant writing to further the goals and priorities of DVAN
• Develop and maintain shared communication mechanisms for DVAN, the Executive and Steering Committees, and DVAN workgroups (i.e. collaborative work platforms, document sharing/storage platforms, DVAN website, and social media channels)
• Work with DVAN assistant to draft and/or collect minutes from DVAN and workgroup meetings, and maintain relevant records and materials from meetings
• Develop and execute the DVAN budget with the DVAN Steering Committee, and in close collaboration with Safe Haven’s Accounting Manager, oversee financial reporting and ensure timely submission of financial reports to funders and Executive Committee 

Community Engagement and Fund Development: 10% 

• Build the backbone’s identity as a respected, neutral convener among a multi-sector spectrum of Kent County stakeholders
• Cultivate excellent relationships and collaborative approaches with organizational partners and community members
• Identify potential funding sources to support DVAN’s goals and priorities, with a particular focus on continued funding post-ARPA funding (current funding ends December 2026)
• Communicate the vision and objective of DVAN to the community and potential partners;
• Develop and maintain relationships with potential funders and participate in relevant networks to work towards a diversification of funding for DVAN
• Acting as a neutral arbiter, help resolve disputes and disagreements in direction among work groups and Steering Committee 

Qualifications 

• Experience building collaborations and/or coalitions with preferred understanding of collective impact theory of change
• Strong facilitation, consensus building and conflict management skills
• Understanding of systems thinking and demonstrated success leading and working within multi-sector teams
• Strong organization and project management skills for coordination of activities 
• Orientation to a learning mindset and innovative solution building
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize complex and manage multiple projects with minimal supervision
• Committed to community centered leadership rooted in equity and inclusion 
• Familiarity with local area resources and stakeholders and/or domestic violence preferred
• Ability to build authentic relationships with diverse stakeholders 
• Ability to travel across Kent County

Compensation 

In addition to a salary range of $70,000 – $75,000, the benefits package includes:

• Medical insurance
• Health Savings Account or Flexible Savings Account with $600 employee match 
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• PTO of 4 weeks, with an increase to 6 weeks after 2 years of service 
• 2% of annual salary contribution to a Simple IRA plan
• Holiday observance of 11 paid holidays and 1 floating holiday
• Enrollment in Pine Rest’s Employee Assistant Program at no cost to you 
• Cell phone allowance 

How to Apply

Interested applicants should submit a resume and cover letter to info@stopkentviolence.org with a subject line of “DVAN Director”. Applications are being accepted on a rolling basis, with the first round of review beginning the week of February 12.