The Programs and Services Department reaches more than 1 million children and individuals with family strengthening services and about 120 children are placed with international adoptive families each year. Managed by U.S. and in-country staff, these programs and services are carried out in close cooperation with partner agencies, orphanages and other child service providers, government child welfare agencies, local and regional officials, funding agencies, and others. This department continuously evaluates opportunities to expand or deepen program services, while maintaining high standards of quality and transparency for sustainable development and child welfare impact.

POSITION SUMMARY:

Represents Holt International’s adoption programs and services. Ensures that constituents and prospective families’ contacts with Holt adequately reflect the agency’s commitment to personal and timely services and supports the agency’s goal of finding families for children who need adoption services. Coordinates communication with Inquiry, Waiting Child, Program Directors, branch offices and contributes to creation of adoption information material. Provides education and resources for prospective adoptive families to ensure families and external constituents understand the current profile of children eligible for intercountry adoption. Maintains breadth and depth of knowledge to ensure families receive current information on child profile and all adoption services provided by Holt International. Builds relationships with prospective families and external organizations, partners and constituents to create opportunities to share about children in need of intercountry adoption. Works collaboratively with Philanthropy and Communications and Creative Services teams to create content, communicate and reach prospective adoptive families. Identifies and implements creative engagement strategies to reach prospective adoptive families. Contributes to and coordinates ideas to create high quality, effective and creative marketing content and campaigns intended to increase the number of adoptive families who apply to Holt International. This may include blogs, email communications, social media posts, and other shareable content. Works with the Philanthropy and Communications team to ensure marketing-related activities for Holt’s family recruitment strategy are initiated and completed in a timely manner. Assists with Inquiry Services as needed.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

1. Provides information about current profile of children available for international adoption by sharing information about the profile of child from each country program, context on reason these children need international adoption to provide permanency. Educates prospective families on how to best meet the needs of children with complex social and/or medical histories and support families through their process of determining their eligibility for specific countries and ability to meet the needs of the children available for adoption in that country.
2. Identifies and develops relationships with experienced adoptive families successfully parenting children with specific identified needs.
3. Ensures accuracy of data and documents utilized by inquiry, branch and adoption services staff to improve consistency and messaging for the recruitment of families.
4. Maintains awareness of all intercountry adoption programs at Holt to ensure the appropriate number and type of applications are received throughout the year.
5. Hosts informational sessions in person or virtually to inform prospective adoptive families about Holt’s adoption services and program options.
6. Works collaboratively with program teams to ensure accuracy on child placements and assists in identifying families able to serve as resources for prospective families.
7. Expands family recruitment efforts by brainstorming and initiating new marketing and networking efforts to reach potential adoptive parents by fostering relationships with adoptive families, adult adoptees, churches and corporate entities and creating opportunities to engage families, adoptees, non-profit and advocacy groups, churches and corporate entities to participate in Holt’s mission and promote international adoption. Assists in creating shareable content appropriate for specific networks to distribute. Responds to inquiries about opportunities for involvement with Holt.
8. Expands Holt’s “pathway” messaging stream, which targets families who have requested adoption information but have not yet applied to adopt to include alumni families and other prospective families.
9. Assists in developing social media posts and emails to reach prospective families.
10. Coordinates with Creative Services regarding family recruitment needs.
11. Increase volume of applications for waiting children by coordinating with Waiting Child Program to review and identify deferred applications and engage families on personal level to identify a waiting child (or waiting child profile) that might be appropriate.
12. Tracks and analyzes the motivation for families not choosing Holt and working to remedy those deterrents. Listening to and understanding the fears and concerns of potential adoptive families with the intent to remove hurdles to begin the adoption process. Enhancing public education by seeking opportunities for Holt to be featured in media outlets and developing a base of contacts to promote media-worthy events. Creating campaigns to grow our email list organically. Creating communication processes with the Inquiry teams and Adoption program staff to most efficiently disseminate family-specific information. Developing and launching social media advertising campaigns.
13. Contributes to team effort by exhibiting cooperative and effective work relationships, such as, responding positively to challenges, assignments, inter and intra departmental requests; seeing beyond own tasks to help fulfill the organizational goals.
14. Contributes to a positive, productive work environment by meeting attendance and punctuality guidelines and pre-arranging time off with appropriate notice; being aware of and following established company policies; treating all people with dignity and respect; exhibiting good listening and comprehension skills including giving and welcoming feedback.

IMPACT OF RESULTS: Contributes to efforts to increase the number of appropriate applications returned to Holt. Maximizes family recruitment efforts by outreach to Holt’s partner agencies and adoptive parents. Ensures a family’s first contacts with Holt are positive.

SUCCESS FACTORS:

This position maintains timely communication and support to adoptive families. Develops and maintains effective relationships with Adoption Service Directors and staff, Branch Offices and Philanthropy and Communications and Creative Services teams. Identifies partner organizations or churches with interest in adoption and who may allow opportunity to partner with Holt. Works effectively with colleagues and families. Promotes understanding of adoption related issues through communication with families. Promote public’s understanding about child profile available for adoption from each country including older children and children with special needs.

Requirements:

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE (MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS):

Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, communications or related field, with 3 years of experience in international or domestic adoption or child welfare preferred. A combination of education, work experience and extensive volunteer experience in similar work settings may be considered to replace international adoption experience. Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite including Outlook, Word and Excel. Must be able to learn and retain extensive operating knowledge and have the ability to adapt to changes in procedures and processes. Preference for candidate with knowledge of international adoption processes, family functioning and child development. Understanding of adoption issues; dynamics of building families through adoption, grief related to infertility, separation and loss, developmental and medical conditions of childhood, complexity of older or sibling adoption, psycho-social family assessments, screens applicants for openness and ability to parent a child with the unique needs of children placed through intercountry adoption. Experience providing excellent customer service is essential. Excellent writing and computer skills and experience in office software and database required. Requires high level of independence. Required to have 30 hours of training in emerging adoption issues every two years.

INFORMATION PROCESSING:

Strong organizational skills. Ability to develop and analyze systems of information and documents related to the families applying to Holt; distributing information and communicating with Holt staff, cooperating agencies, and families. Embracing diversity, respecting cultures and traditions of variety of countries. Consistent use of; excellent oral and written communication skills, creative problem solving, good judgment, and appropriate solicitation of supervision. Thorough knowledge of Holt’s database.

SCOPE OF RESPONSIBILITY:

Ability to screen families for eligibility and appropriateness for intercountry adoptions process. Provides education and information to prospective adoptive families about the profile of child the family is eligible for. Establishes realistic expectations and lays groundwork for good working relationship with the agency. Ensures applicants are those that can successfully complete the adoption process. Ability to work independently, take initiative and recommend new ways to achieve agency objectives.

INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION:

Superior written and verbal communication skills required. Ability to exercise courtesy and tact in communications and contact with the general public. Ability to work effectively with other staff and other departments when there may be differing expectations. Ability to manage difficult situations and families in a sensitive manner.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY: N/A

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