What are the Project Leader's roles and responsibilities?

Project Leaders serve an important role at Community Partners and provide critical stewardship for their projects’ missions. They are responsible for leading overall program operations, ensuring financial sustainability, and the day-to-day supervision and evaluation of all project employees and volunteers. Community Partners depends on the cooperation of project leaders, employees, and volunteers to ensure the smooth operation of all projects under our fiscal sponsorship.

Specific responsibilities that all project leaders are expected to fulfill include:

Adhering to Community Partners’ policies and procedures

• Agree to learn and observe policies and procedures outlined in the online Project Handbook and Employee Handbook

• Participate in Community Partners’ project orientation session, along with your advisory board chair
  
  
• Ensure that project staff, volunteers, and partners understand and observe Community Partners’ policies and procedures
  
  
• Regularly communicate with program staff on program changes or updates, special events, fundraising activities, board development, budget changes, and current contact information
  
  
• Complete Annual Project Reports, which includes general project progress and information needed for insurance purposes (we will provide reminders and online forms)
  
  
• Complete and sign year-end letters acknowledging activities accomplished over the previous year
  
  
• Acknowledge that the project you lead is a project of Community Partners on all public materials such as websites and brochures, and in communications with all donors or potential donors

Managing risk

• Notify Community Partners staff of potential risks or liability issues (such as difficult employee situations, pending layoffs or terminations, accidents or injuries, large events, or long-distance travel by project participants)
  
  
• With guidance from Community Partners staff, ensure project compliance with applicable employment laws, rules, and regulations
  
  
• With guidance from Community Partners staff, adhere to all federal, state, and city rules for lobbying and political activity

Securing all project funds and resources and responsibly allocating their use

• Work with advisory board members and/or fundraising staff or consultants to generate all funds needed to sustain project activities; projects must have at least six months of committed funding before staff members can be hired
  
  
• Manage project finances in accordance with Community Partners’ policies and procedures
  
  
• Develop internal systems to track project activities as required

• Submit all proposed contracts, grant agreements, and MOUs to Community Partners for review, approval, and signature
  
  
• Develop an annual budget and regularly review the project’s fiscal status with the financial services team

• Resolve any excess expenditure or unallowable costs of the project in a timely manner
  
  
• Prepare narrative reports to help funders understand the impact of their investments (grants, contracts, and/or other contributions) in your project

Managing staff, volunteers, and advisory board members

• Notify Community Partners’ human resources team of plans to hire new staff before circulating any job descriptions or making job offers
  
  
• Notify Community Partners’ human resources team of any employee or volunteer status changes, including terminations, before making any changes
  
  
• Provide project employees and volunteers clear direction, set appropriate work standards, and ensure a fair work environment
  
  
• Review staff job performance at least annually, and address any employee performance issues in consultation with Community Partners
  
  
• Maintain regular communication with the project’s advisory board, consult with the advisory board when appropriate, and keep Community Partners informed of all current advisory board members’ names, contact information, and dates of their terms