Director, National Jobs for All Network

The Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy (The Institute) advances research to understand structural inequalities and works to identify transformational ways to promote equity. As a premier cross-disciplinary hub, the Institute draws on faculty across The New School in New York City, which has long fostered innovative thinking about power, structure, design, politics, economics, and society. The Institute engages researchers and practitioners including community and business leaders, policymakers, philanthropists, and journalists in order to increase economic inclusion, civic engagement, and social equity.

The National Jobs for All Coalition, which does business as the National Jobs for All Network (NJFAN), is dedicated to the proposition that meaningful employment is a precondition for a fulfilling life, that every person who wants to work should have the right to a decent job, and that a job guarantee is necessary to fulfill that right. Recognizing that racial equity and mobilizing political power are critical toward achieving a more just economic system, NJFAN and the Institute are partnering to advance the next phase of NJFAN’s evolution.

The Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy at The New School seeks a Director for the National Jobs for All Coalition. The Director will create and lead the coalition’s development of strategies and programs to advance economic justice for all through full employment policies, including a job guarantee, in full partnership with the Institute.

Reporting to the Founding Director of The Institute and the NJFAN Board of Directors’ Executive Committee, the Director will create a forward-oriented community - and roadmap for change to re-craft a political economy that promotes economic justice for all through full employment via a federal job guarantee. The Director shall direct all NJFAN activities except for lobbying as defined under the Internal Revenue Code and interpreted by the Internal Revenue Service. The Director will be provided with an annual job performance evaluation by the Executive Committee.

The successful candidate will have a demonstrated commitment to economic justice-related work as well as experience in leading and executing high quality programs. The candidate for this role must be a self-starter who also enjoys working in collaborative teams and recognizes they are joining a project in its early phases of growth and opportunity and beginning a new chapter which builds upon NJFAN's long history of economic justice activism.

The position will be term-limited, with an initial term of 3-years and a start date as soon as possible. This is a full-time grant funded position with continued funding for the role contingent upon additional grant funding.

The New School and the Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy are strongly committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace and particularly seek applications from members of underrepresented groups, as well as candidates who share this commitment.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic and organizational leadership

• Develop, in consultation with the Institute and NJFAN's Board of Directors, and execute long-term strategies to advance NJFAN's mission, visibility, and vision, remaining adaptable to changing circumstances.
• Serve as the chief public spokesperson for the organization, in consultation with the Executive Committee and the leadership of the Institute.

Program development, implementation and evaluation

• Clearly define and develop the scope of the next phase of the job guarantee work, in full partnership with the Institute.
• In collaboration with the Institute, strengthen and refine all aspects of NJFAN's communications vehicles, from web presence to external relations with the goal of creating a stronger brand.
• Organize, with strategic partners, national convenings on full employment/job guarantee.
• Develop, maintain and strengthen NJFAN strategic and programmatic partnerships.
• Prepare and circulate the NJFAN Newsletter on a regular basis (schedule to be determined); seek ways to expand its reach.
• Seek ways to increase circulation and notice of educational and advocacy documents produced by NJFAN.
• Effectively communicate NJFAN's mission to the public, stakeholders, funders, and partners.
• Ensure effective monitoring and evaluation of programs and fundraising efforts to measure successes that can be effectively communicated to the board, funders, and key stakeholders.
• Other programmatic activities as needed.

Operations and Administration

• Serve as the key point person in NJFAN's relationship with the Institute.
• Develop and manage all financial operations for NJFAN, including the annual budget, financial planning, and ensuring compliance with financial regulations.
• Engage in Institute staff meetings as required and collaborate with Institute colleagues to integrate the project across various programmatic and policy areas.
• Hire, lead, supervise and support onboarding of other NJFAN team members as needed and within the Institute's requirements.
• Coordinate work of volunteers in NJFAN programming.
• Other operational responsibilities as determined by the Executive Committee.

NJFAN Board of Directors

• With the board chair, plan quarterly board meetings and agendas; organize logistics needed to execute successful meetings.
• With the board's secretary, ensure timely creation and distribution of board meeting minutes.
• With the board chair, plan and execute monthly executive committee meetings.
• Staff the nominations and finance committees.
• Serves as ex officio member of the board and of each committee.
• With the board's executive committee, create an Expert Advisory Group of former board and full employment experts; maintain relationships with each member and engage their expertise as needed.

Fundraising

• Identify, prioritize, and pursue promising funding opportunities from appropriate public and private sources, including individuals, foundations, government entities as appropriate.
• Maintain appropriate and timely communications with donors.
• Foster a culture of philanthropic entrepreneurship throughout the organization as it grows.
• Participate, as needed, in the institute's fund development conversations.
• Other fundraising tasks as needed.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• 10+ years proven track record of excellence in economic justice work; professional experience in public policy analysis and advocacy;
• Ability to see strategic vision as well as ways to operationalize that vision;
• Experience in program development and operations, especially in a new and greatly expanded venture involving civil society, think tank, policy organization, policy-engaged academia, or other societal change-oriented team;
• Ability to connect to audiences (especially non-academic) via writing and speaking; Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated experience managing down, laterally, and collaborating up for successful outcomes;
• Comfort juggling multiple responsibilities for multiple stakeholders.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Previous experience serving in a nonprofit executive role.

WORK MODE

Hybrid - Employees hired for this position primarily work remotely with the occasional on-campus presence required with advanced notice. Employees in this role will also be expected to use their best judgment to be on campus when necessary in order to best fulfill the responsibilities of their job descriptions.

SALARY RANGE

$150,000 - $165,000 annually

We look forward to receiving your application!