Program Director, Hampton Roads Chapter

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 300,000+ 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

Reporting to the Chapter Executive Director, with a dotted-line relationship to the Senior Director of Chapter Relations, the Program Director serves as a key member of the Blue Star Families Chapter Impact Team. This integral role is dedicated to fostering exceptional membership stewardship and customer service, ensuring that every interaction strengthens a sense of belonging among military families. The Program Director plays a central role in executing programs and supporting fundraising efforts.

The Program Director will manage multiple programs for the local Chapter, including, but not limited to, projects currently within Blue Star Families’ portfolio. In addition to driving membership and volunteer growth and engagement, the Program Director will support the Executive Director on high-impact initiatives on local advocacy, fundraising, and essential operational tasks critical to the Chapter’s success.

While this role is remote, periodic out-of-town, overnight travel is an essential function. In-person time is critical to how we work — enabling deep collaboration, team alignment, creative problem-solving, and a shared sense of purpose. Team members are expected to travel several times per year for offsites, planning sessions, and company-wide gatherings. These events are essential for contributing to team outcomes, building trust across the organization, and staying aligned in a distributed environment. Participation in these in-person gatherings is a required part of the role and integral to successful performance in our remote-first organization.

*The Program Director must reside in the local community the Chapter serves.

Key Job Functions

• Manage programs and events for Blue Star Families’ local chapter, ensuring program design and execution align with current and prospective funding opportunities to maximize impact and sustainability.
• In collaboration with the Executive Director, develop and support local fundraising efforts including identifying opportunities, developing proposals, stewarding relationships, and contributing to achieving chapter revenue goals.
• Work with the Executive Director to maximize local collaborations by identifying key local private, public, and philanthropic organizations interested in supporting active duty and veteran military families.
• Support the Executive Director on local advocacy efforts, as well as other initiatives essential to the Chapter’s success.
• Build and steward relationships with local partners to support both program delivery and fundraising opportunities.
• Educate key community leaders using Blue Star Families’ Annual Military Family Lifestyle Survey.
• Seek opportunities to connect military families with the resources and programs offered by community organizations and partners.
• In collaboration with the Volunteer department, develop a volunteer management program for the chapter.
• Execute marketing and communications strategies, including social media management, to elevate the Chapter’s presence and attract membership growth.
• Implement a strategic calendar that supports Blue Star Families’ presence in community events.
• Utilize and manage project management technologies and tools to administer projects actively and effectively (HIVE, Hive Brite, Salesforce, Google Workspace Suite, Zoom, etc.).
• Engage volunteers, fellows, and interns to maximize the impact of chapter initiatives and programs.
• Support the Senior Director of Chapter Relations on key initiatives to ensure clear and achievable project objectives.
• Ensure that membership engagement remains a top priority across all interactions at the Chapter, fostering a welcoming environment that strengthens the sense of belonging within the community.
• Responsible for tracking metrics and evaluation on all programs and activities of the Chapter.
• Ensure that national policies are implemented effectively at the community level, specifically on programs and events.
• Foster an organizational culture that prioritizes strategic thinking, thoughtful planning, and collaboration both within the mission and across Blue Star Families, while reinforcing trust, commitment to the mission, and continuous professional and organizational growth.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Experience, Skills & Background

• Minimum 4-5 years of relevant experience
• Independent self-starter with exceptional interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to frequently lift and carry supplies and equipment up to 50 lbs.
• Ability to travel locally and transport equipment and supplies for Chapter events and functions up to 60% of the time
• An entrepreneurial spirit eager to engage with potential partners to build community-based solutions
• Initiative to engage with leaders in the community and on the installation(s)
• Volunteer recruitment and management experience
• Business development and fundraising experience
• Experienced in public speaking
• Excellent writing skills
• Ability to facilitate meetings and drive towards decision-making
• Project management experience
• Proficient with technology
• May be required to work nights, weekends, and holidays as necessary to carry out key job functions
• Limited out-of-town/overnight travel may be required to attend meetings, trainings, events, etc.

Desired Experience, Skills & Background

• Bachelor’s degree preferred
• Knowledge of the military family experience
• Experience with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems; and familiarity with Salesforce a plus
• Familiarity with membership-driven organizations