Deputy Director

Job Summary

SVILC is seeking an experienced, collaborative, and mission-driven Deputy Director to provide organization-wide leadership in program operations, grant management, regulatory compliance, employee relations, and continuous quality improvement.

Reporting directly to the Executive Director, the Deputy Director serves as a key member of the senior leadership team and the organization’s second-in-command, providing strategic and operational support to advance SVILC’s mission and organizational priorities.

This position oversees the performance, quality, and accountability of SVILC’s programs and services, ensuring alignment with contractual requirements, organizational standards, and the independent living philosophy. The Deputy Director develops systems that strengthen outcomes, improve operational effectiveness, support employees, and ensure responsible stewardship of public and private funding.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on, solutions-oriented leader who balances strategic planning with daily operations, builds positive relationships, supports organizational change, and fosters integrity, inclusion, accountability, and excellence.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

1*. Program Leadership and Oversight*

• Provide leadership and oversight of all SVILC programs, services, and program personnel.
• Ensure programs follow independent living philosophy, consumer-directed principles, and applicable contractual and regulatory requirements.
• Demonstrate and promote disability justice, consumer control, self-determination, disability culture, and systems advocacy.
• Supervise, coach, and support program managers, supervisors, and other assigned staff.
• Establish clear program goals, performance expectations, measurable outcomes, and accountability structures.
• Monitor program productivity, service delivery, consumer outcomes, and staff performance.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen services, expand community impact, and improve effectiveness.
• Facilitate coordination across programs to support integrated, person-centered services.
• Lead program planning, implementation, evaluation, and improvement initiatives.

2. Grant Management, Compliance, and Reporting

• Oversee programmatic administration, monitoring, and compliance of organizational grants, contracts, and funded programs.
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive grant management system identifying funding sources, contractual requirements, deliverables, performance measures, reporting deadlines, and responsible personnel.
• Ensure timely, accurate, and complete submission of required programmatic reports.
• Monitor grant-funded program performance and staffing allocations in collaboration with the Finance Director.
• Partner with the Finance Director to align programmatic activities and expenditures with approved budgets and funding restrictions, while maintaining separation of financial management and approval responsibilities.
• Review contractual obligations and identify compliance concerns, funding risks, and corrective action needs.
• Coordinate grant monitoring visits, audits, program reviews, and funder evaluations.
• Develop internal monitoring processes to verify documentation, service delivery, performance outcomes, and contractual compliance.
• Oversee accurate data collection, documentation, quality assurance, and reporting through applicable systems, including NATADS, Cumulus, CIL-Net, and other funder-required databases and reporting platforms.
• Coordinate grant applications, renewals, amendments, and funding proposals with the Executive Director and Finance Director.
• Maintain effective communication with funding agencies and community partners regarding performance and compliance.

3. Employee Relations and Staff Development

• Provide leadership in employee supervision, performance management, professional development, and accountability.
• Support the Executive Director in addressing employee relations, workplace concerns, and personnel issues.
• Ensure consistent implementation of policies, procedures, performance standards, and workplace expectations.
• Coordinate performance evaluations, improvement plans, and supervisory accountability.
• Promote a positive, respectful, inclusive, and professional workplace culture.
• Support recruitment, hiring, onboarding, training, and retention.
• Identify training needs and coordinate professional development.
• Address workplace conflicts and concerns promptly, professionally, and confidentially.
• Collaborate with the Executive Director and appropriate HR professionals on employment-law compliance.
• Model ethical leadership, effective communication, teamwork, and disability inclusion.

4. Organizational Operations and Systems Development

• Support the Executive Director in daily operations and implementation of strategic priorities.
• Develop, implement, and maintain standard operating procedures, organizational policies, and accountability systems.
• Evaluate processes and recommend improvements to efficiency, consistency, accessibility, and service quality.
• Support electronic systems for grant tracking, program documentation, performance monitoring, and workflows.
• Coordinate cross-departmental planning, communication, and problem-solving.
• Identify operational risks and develop improvement strategies.
• Ensure staff have training, resources, and operational support.
• Assist with organizational planning, change management, and new initiatives.
• Serve as designated organizational leader in the Executive Director’s absence, within delegated authority.

5. Quality Improvement and Performance Management

• Develop and oversee an organization-wide quality improvement and performance monitoring framework.
• Establish measurable performance indicators, dashboards, and reporting processes for all programs.
• Conduct regular reviews of documentation, outcomes, compliance measures, and operational performance.
• Identify trends, gaps, and improvement opportunities.
• Develop and monitor corrective action plans for performance or compliance concerns.
• Promote data-informed decisions and accountability.
• Strengthen consumer satisfaction, service accessibility, effectiveness, and responsiveness.
• Provide regular performance and quality improvement reports to the Executive Director.

6. Leadership, Strategic Planning, and Community Partnerships

• Serve as a trusted advisor and operational partner to the Executive Director.
• Support SVILC’s strategic plan, annual goals, and operational priorities.
• Participate in leadership meetings, organizational planning, and board reporting as requested.
• Represent SVILC with funders, community partners, government representatives, and collaborative networks.
• Identify opportunities for program development, strategic partnerships, and diversified funding.
• Promote disability justice, systems advocacy, accessibility, and inclusive community practices.
• Strengthen SVILC’s reputation, accountability, and community impact.

Minimum Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in nonprofit management, public administration, social work, human services, business administration, organizational leadership, or a related field.

Professional Experience

• · Minimum five (5) years of progressively responsible program management or oversight experience, including personnel supervision and oversight of multiple programs or service areas.
• Minimum five (5) years of grant management experience, including administration, compliance monitoring, performance reporting, and oversight of government or foundation-funded programs. Experience may overlap with program management experience.
• Demonstrated experience supervising employees, addressing performance concerns, and supporting employee relations.
• Experience developing policies, procedures, performance measures, and quality improvement processes.
• Experience managing complex projects, competing deadlines, and organizational priorities.
• Ability to interpret contracts and translate requirements into operations and measurable outcomes.
• Experience managing electronic reporting systems, maintaining data integrity, and using performance data in decisions.
• Strong written and verbal communication, organization, and analytical skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, electronic databases, and reporting systems.
• Demonstrated commitment to disability rights, consumer control, self-determination, equity, accessibility, and inclusive leadership.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in nonprofit management, public administration, social work, organizational leadership, or related field.
• Experience with a Center for Independent Living, disability rights organization, or consumer-directed human services organization.
• Knowledge of independent living philosophy, the Rehabilitation Act, and applicable state and federal disability programs.
• Experience administering federal, state, county, or municipal government contracts.
• Familiarity with California Department of Rehabilitation requirements, independent living reporting, and specialized systems including NATADS, Cumulus, and CIL-Net.
• Experience leading organizational change, operational improvement, or implementation of information systems.
• Bilingual proficiency, particularly in languages commonly spoken in Santa Clara County.
• Lived experience with disability and/or meaningful personal or professional experience within the disability community.
• Experience with strategic planning, grant development, and nonprofit leadership.
• Experience developing and managing Regional Center partnerships, including Regional Center-funded services, service coordination, contractual requirements, and collaborative program development for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Work Environment and Expectations

• This position is primarily office-based in San Jose, California, with occasional travel throughout Santa Clara County and other locations for meetings, training, and organizational activities.
• The Deputy Director must be able to work collaboratively in an accessible, cross-disability environment and perform essential functions with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Occasional evening or weekend work will be required.

Equal Employment Opportunity and Accessibility

• SVILC is committed to a diverse, equitable, accessible, and inclusive workplace. As a disability-led organization, SVILC values the perspectives, knowledge, and leadership of individuals with disabilities and recognizes lived experience as an important contribution to our work. Qualified individuals with disabilities, bilingual and multilingual candidates, and individuals from historically underrepresented communities are strongly encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodations are available throughout the application and employment process.

Pay: $115,000.00 - $135,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Education:

• Bachelor's (Preferred)

Experience:

• Program management: 5 years (Required)
• Grant management: 3 years (Required)

Ability to Commute:

• San Jose, CA 95112 (Required)

Work Location: In person