Senior Director, Chapter Impact

Job Title: Senior Director, Chapter Impact

Department: Chapter Impact

Location: Remote/Virtual within the continental US

Reports to: Vice President, Chapter Impact & Outposts

Direct Reports: Chapter Executive Directors in an assigned portfolio of five to six Chapters

Classification: Exempt

Anticipated Pay Range At Commencement of Employment: $106,000 - $146,000

Blue Star Families

Blue Star Families is the largest nonprofit dedicated to making military life better for families. Each year, we support over 1.5 million military- and veteran-connected family members through a national network of 450,000+ members and local chapters in communities across the country.

Our mission is simple and bold: We make military life awesome for families. 

We listen, share, partner, and act to deliver evidence-based, data-driven solutions that work for real people. We’re a lifestyle organization, a friend and neighbor, and a trusted partner. Our approach is collaborative, human-centered, and designed with the whole family in mind.

A Blue Star Family is one with an immediate family member — a spouse, parent, or child — actively serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, including the Guard and Reserves. These families face unique challenges: frequent relocations, deployments, career disruption, and isolation. We respond with research-informed programs that create connection, build resilience, and foster a true sense of belonging.

We serve with urgency but build trust over time — because change happens at the speed of trust. Whether we’re driving spouse employment, supporting caregivers, or helping communities welcome military families, we strive for upstream solutions.

Who We’re Looking For:

• Bold thinkers. Fast movers. Smart collaborators. People who want to build, lead, and drive measurable change — and who care deeply about making an impact that matters.

What You’ll Do Here:

• Solve complex challenges with data, heart, and humility
• Build cross-sector partnerships that get things done
• Help military families feel at home wherever they live

If you're ready to work in a high-performance, mission-driven environment — and to make life better for those who serve — Blue Star Families is where you belong.

General Description

Blue Star Families is building a network of high-performing Chapters. Each is led by an exceptional Executive Director who is an influential community leader, a strategic thinker, a strong relationship builder and a recognized voice for military families. To advance this vision, we are introducing a new executive coaching and regional leadership model.

The Senior Director, Chapter Impact serves as executive coach and regional manager for a portfolio of five to six Chapters. The role goes beyond operational oversight. Its main purpose is to develop exceptional leaders by helping Executive Directors:

• strengthen their executive presence
• build influence in their communities
• think strategically
• cultivate meaningful relationships
• lead sustainable, successful organizations

The Senior Director also directly supervises these Executive Directors. They hold them accountable for financial sustainability, community impact, member experience, operational excellence and overall performance.

We are seeking accomplished leaders who can turn their own career success into effective coaching. They should act as trusted advisors, strategic thought partners, candid mentors and accountability partners. We know great coaching isn't about directing every decision. It's about building the judgment, confidence, and capability of others.

We are intentionally recruiting from diverse backgrounds, with deep expertise in at least one of these areas:

• Executive influence and community leadership: building influential relationships, navigating complex stakeholder environments and establishing organizational credibility
• Entrepreneurship and strategic growth: building, growing or transforming organizations through entrepreneurial leadership and opportunity development
• Strategic communications and thought leadership: raising executive visibility, shaping organizational reputation and driving public influence through persuasive communication

Each Senior Director brings a distinct perspective to their portfolio and shares their expertise across the broader Chapter network.

As a fully remote organization, we rely on regular in-person gatherings to fulfill core business functions, including strategic planning, cross-functional collaboration, and culture-building. This role requires the ability to travel overnight several times per year to attend team offsites, leadership sessions, donor meetings, and company-wide events. Attendance and participation in these gatherings is a non-negotiable component of the position.

Key Job Functions

Executive Coaching & Leadership Development

• Serve as the primary executive coach, mentor, and strategic advisor to Chapter Executive Directors, strengthening their leadership effectiveness, strategic thinking, executive presence, and decision-making.

• Develop individualized leadership development plans, providing candid feedback, mentorship, and accountability to accelerate professional growth.
• Coach EDs to become confident, influential executives who lead with initiative, sound judgment, emotional intelligence, and strategic vision.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, peer learning, and leadership excellence across the Chapter network.

Community Influence, Strategic Growth & External Leadership

• Coach EDs in building power, influence, and credibility within their communities, positioning themselves as respected leaders and recognized voices for military families.
• Strengthen EDs' ability to cultivate high-value relationships with military, civic, corporate, government, and philanthropic leaders.
• Develop EDs' capabilities in executive communications, public speaking, thought leadership, strategic partnerships, and community engagement.
• Mentor EDs in entrepreneurial thinking, opportunity identification, innovation, and strategic growth to expand Chapter influence, sustainability, and impact.

Chapter Portfolio Leadership & Performance Accountability

• Provide direct management oversight for approximately five to six Chapters, establishing clear expectations and accountability for financial sustainability, community impact, member experience, and operational excellence.
• Maintain a regular cadence of executive coaching, strategic performance reviews, and leadership development conversations with assigned EDs.
• Coach EDs in strengthening their ownership of fundraising, strategic partnerships, team leadership, and overall Chapter performance.
• Serve as the rating official for assigned EDs, conducting performance evaluations, identifying leadership development needs, and recommending appropriate performance interventions, subject to Vice President approval.
• Provide strategic guidance on Chapter priorities, budgets, staffing, and organizational challenges while empowering EDs to lead independently.

Organizational Collaboration & Network Leadership

• Serve as a strategic partner to the Vice President, providing insight and recommendations on Chapter performance, leadership development, emerging risks, and opportunities.
• Collaborate with national departments to connect Chapters with the resources, expertise, and support necessary for success.
• Contribute specialized subject matter expertise to the broader Chapter network through cross-portfolio coaching, leadership development, and sharing of best practices.
• Elevate significant personnel, resource allocation, and organizational decisions to the Vice President with clear recommendations, ensuring consistent management standards across the network.
• Other duties as assigned.

Required Experience, Skills & Background

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent relevant professional experience.
• 8+ years of progressive professional experience, including at least five years in senior leadership, executive management, strategic advisory, or comparable roles.
• Demonstrated success leading organizations, major initiatives, teams, or complex stakeholder relationships.
• Proven ability to coach, mentor, advise, or develop senior-level professionals and leaders.
• Significant professional accomplishment and demonstrated expertise in at least one of the three specialized areas identified above.
• Strong executive presence, credibility, interpersonal judgment, and the ability to engage confidently with senior executives and influential stakeholders.
• Exceptional strategic thinking and the ability to help others navigate complex leadership challenges, identify opportunities, and make effective decisions.
• Strong emotional intelligence, active listening, and the ability to build trust while providing candid and constructive feedback.
• Demonstrated ability to influence, motivate, and develop others without relying exclusively on positional authority.
• Experience managing performance, establishing accountability, and delivering difficult feedback.
• Ability to translate professional expertise into practical, individualized coaching and measurable leadership development.
• Strong communication, relationship-building, facilitation, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to balance leadership development with organizational performance expectations and management responsibilities.
• Commitment to Blue Star Families' mission and values.
• Willingness and ability to travel regularly to assigned Chapters and organizational meetings.

Desired Experience, Skills & Background

• Prior experience as a CEO, Executive Director, entrepreneur, senior executive, regional leader, or strategic advisor.
• Formal executive coaching training or substantial demonstrated experience mentoring and developing senior leaders.
• Experience supporting geographically distributed organizations, regional operations, or chapter-based networks.
• Experience engaging influential stakeholders across corporate, civic, military, government, or philanthropic sectors.
• Demonstrated success developing individuals who have advanced into positions of greater leadership responsibility or organizational influence.
• Experience with organizational transformation, leadership development, or strategic growth initiatives.
• Familiarity with the military community and the challenges facing military-connected families.
• Experience working in a remote or geographically distributed organization.
• Familiarity with Salesforce or comparable organizational management systems.

More About Blue Star Families

Blue Star Families empowers military and Veteran families to thrive by connecting them with their civilian neighbors — both people and organizations — to create strong communities of mutual support. We believe we're all stronger when we take care of one another.

Our groundbreaking research is raising the nation's awareness of the unique challenges of military family life. With the help of neighbors across the country, Blue Star Families is overcoming the isolation and alienation of frequent moves, deployments, and reduced support from the government. Our innovative programs are solving specific challenges for military families, including fighting economic insecurity with resources that foster spouse career development, creating family strength with rich family programming, and providing critical peer support for caregivers, whose numbers are only increasing.

Blue Star Families is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. 

EEO Policy

Blue Star Families is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Why Blue Star Families?

Virtual/remote nonprofit organization that moves with you (position specific)
Career growth opportunities
Excellent benefits (403(b) with matching, Flexible Spending, Medical Insurance, Life Insurance, Short-Term Disability, Communications Allowance, and more)
Permanent Change of Station (PCS) Leave for Active-Duty Military Spouses
On-the-job professional development training
Front-line opportunity to positively impact the military experience
Competitive salaries
Workplace flexibility