| Location | Syracuse, NY |
Position Title: Director of Dialogue\n \nDepartment: Center for Dialogue and Action\n \nReports To: President/CEO\n \nLatest Revision August 2026\n \nClassification: Full Time/Exempt \u2013 Grade 6 (2-Year Position)\n \nSalary Range: $75,0000 \u2013 85,000\n \nView/Download a PDF Version of This Job Posting\n \nAgency Mission\n \nInterFaith Works affirms the dignity of each person and every faith tradition, builds racial and religious equity, and creates bridges of understanding among us.\n \nThe Center for Dialogue and Action\n \nIFW created the Ahmad and Elizabeth El-Hindi Center for Dialogue and Action (CDA) as a regional hub for constructive community engagement using a racial equity lens in conjunction with a dialogue-to-action model to address critical community concerns. We bring together disparate groups of people to foster mutual understanding and trust. Dialogue programs address community concerns and encourage understanding across racial, ethnic, religious, and community differences. The Center builds upon multiple successful agency models of dialogue, including interfaith dialogues, community-police dialogues, school-based dialogues, racial equity dialogues, and more. IFW asserts that cross-cultural dialogue adds value to community planning processes and leads to lasting, positive interpersonal and community change. The Center is a merged entity that houses the Agency's dialogue, food justice, and interfaith initiatives.\n \nPosition Summary:\n \nThe Director, under the guidance of the President/CEO, is responsible for the overall operation of InterFaith Works' dialogue programming, which falls under the Agency's Ahmad and Elizabeth El-Hindi Center for Dialogue & Action.\n \nThe Director is responsible for three concurrent mandates:\n\n Stewarding current programs: Stewarding what exists. Assume oversight of IFW's current school-based dialogue programming and staff, ensuring continuity, quality, and staff support.\n Rebuilding community dialogue for the current moment: Building on prior community dialogue programming, work with the community, local organizations, and national dialogue and conflict-resolution organizations to determine, given today's context and environment, what community dialogue should look like in Central New moving forward, then design, launch, and secure funding for that programming.\n Developing new fee-for-service offerings: Explore and develop dialogue-rooted training and facilitation services IFW can offer on a fee-for-service basis (for example, conflict mediation training or facilitator development for outside organizations and companies). These offerings should be rooted in dialogue methodology; where relevant, the Director may draw on expertise from IFW's other centers (Center for New Americans, Center for Healthy Aging) at their discretion, but development and ownership of these products sit within CDA.\n \nTerm and Evaluation Structure:\n \nTerm: This is a two-year, Director-level position. Should the program achieve sufficient traction and funding to continue beyond the initial term, this role can continue or evolve into an ongoing position.\n \nEvaluation Structure: Formal check-ins at 90 days, 6 month and 12 months, in addition to a comprehensive evaluation at month 24.\n \nIFW recognizes that genuine community and institutional listening, particularly partnership-building with local partners and national dialogue organizations, takes time. Year one is expected to prioritize discovery, relationship-building, and design; year two is expected to prioritize funded launch and delivery.\n \nSuccess Metrics\n\n 6 months: Assessment of existing school-based programming and staff completed; initial conversations begun with potential local partners and at least one national dialogue field organization; initial funding prospect list identified\n 12 months: A clearly articulated, community- and partner-informed approach to what dialogue programming should look like in Central New York going forward, why it is important, and how to assess its impact over time; at least one grant submitted with a high likelihood of success; an established working relationship with local partners and national dialogue field organizations, where appropriate\n 24 months: New community dialogue programming launched and operating, reflecting the redesign work above; funding secured or in a credible pipeline beyond the initial two-year term; at least one fee-for-service offering piloted; school-based dialogue programming maintained without disruption throughout.\n \nQualifications:\n \nThe successful candidate has experience in the practice and philosophy of dialogue as a tool for human and community transformation; experience in racial equity and community change, community organizing experience; skills in human service administration and program development and delivery; demonstrated management experience including supervision of staff, budget, finance and fund development; awareness of and interest in the Central New York region; high level of initiative including the ability to be a self-starter with creativity and enthusiasm for this work; proven ability to be an effective manager and leader; ability to handle a variety of tasks and responsibilities effectively; ability to work with diverse groups of people with diplomacy and discretion; and ability to assume leadership in planning and programming for all areas related to dialogue & action.\n \nEssential Functions:\n \nPriority Areas of Work:\n\n Oversee continuity of youth and adult school-based dialogue programming on ending racism in all its forms.\n Design and launch new community dialogue programming.\n Develop dialogue-rooted, fee-for-service training and facilitation offerings.\n \nVisioning and Planning:\n\n Envision annual and long-term plans to utilize dialogue to advance InterFaith Works' mission.\n Identify annual and long-term human and financial resources needed and develop support and interconnection to foster understanding across differences and racial equity.\n Determine the annual community issues and priority areas, population groups, and key projects to address through dialogue programming.\n \nPartnership and Collaboration Development:\n\n Identify and build strategic relationships and collaborative partnerships with community and national partners to support new dialogue programming and fee-for-service offerings aligned with InterFatih Works' mission of bridge building and advancing racial and interfaith equity.\n Identify and build strategic relationships and collaborative partnerships with community and national partners to support and advance community dialogue programming.\n Represent InterFaith Works to the community to promote understanding and develop supportive relationships.\n Build and maintain strong working relationships with government agencies, area businesses, funding sources, and other human service agencies, particularly prospective fee-for-service clients.\n Where relevant to new offerings, coordinate with the Center for New Americans and Center for Healthy Aging to draw on their expertise.\n \nProgram Development and Evaluation\n\n Assure the development of program materials to empower the annual and long-term vision, including the variety of dialogue models used in racial equity and interfaith understanding programs.\n Set standards for recruitment, training, and support for the cadre of facilitators, and ensure racial and religious diversity among these volunteers and contractors.\n Establish metrics for overall program evaluation and empower staff and consultants to carry out the evaluation of each initiative and project.\n Report impact, accomplishments, and community change to the Board of Directors and the wider community.\n \nCommunity and Public Relations\n\n Develop and maintain relationships with business, educational, government, funding, and non-profit partners to ensure support for CDA's agenda and programs.\n Promote CDA programs with internal and external print and electronic media.\n Participate in appropriate community organizations and coalitions that further the work of CDA.\n \nFiscal and Fund/Program Development\n\n Work with InterFaith Works Chief Financial Officer to develop an annual budget for dialogue programming and new initiatives.\n Oversee annual program budget to ensure expenditures are in line with annual budget plans.\n Work in tandem with the President/CEO and Chief Development Officer to secure funding for new community dialogue programming and fee-for-service offerings through grants, corporate partnerships, and fee-for-service revenue.\n Lead the planning and implementation of the annual Building Bridges Festival, which helps fund CDA activities.\n \nManagement and Supervision\n\n Supervise existing dialogue program staff, ensuring continuity and support during this transition period.\n Hire, cultivate, and supervise additional staff, consultants, and facilitators, as necessary, as new programming and offerings are built out.\n Abide by a strict code of confidentiality in all matters related to IFW and its members. Conduct annual evaluations of program staff.\n Assure appropriate selection and supervision of consultants, interns, and volunteers, as necessary.\n \nOther duties as assigned\n \nTo Apply: Please send cover letter and resume to Rick Lee, Director of Human Resources, at [email protected].\n\n