Director of Partner Programs

Hello from Rockwood! As we embark on a search for a Director of Partner Programs, we’re so excited to share about this role and our organization so you can consider whether this opportunity would be right for you!

ABOUT ROCKWOOD

Rockwood supports leaders to transform themselves, their communities, and the world towards equity, liberation, and sustainability for all. We do this by providing powerful and effective training to individual leaders and cohorts, thereby strengthening the organizations and movements they represent. Since 2000, we have trained over 10,000 alums—of which 66% are people of color, 78% are women or non-binary, and 31% LGBTQ-identified. For more about our evolution and impact, please visit this link.

Our commitment to values influences every aspect of our organization—what we do and how we do it. Rockwood’s core values include:

• Trust and integrity
• Love, laughter, and holding each other in community
• Transformation
• Healing, sustainability, and self-care
• Equity

Rockwood is committed to embodying a Pro-Black, Pro-Indigenous, anti-white-supremacy culture framework across the organization. Over the next two years, we will evolve much of our work to reflect this framework, while meeting the needs of our partners, and customizing for each. We are looking for candidates who are motivated by and aligned to this direction, and who are also comfortable with the necessity for and role of mobilizing resources for our work.

ABOUT THE ROLE

We’re looking for a Director of Partner Programs to drive Rockwood’s overall client-based program implementation by supporting and managing a team of five high-performing project managers (called “Program Managers” at Rockwood), and by managing our overall client-based program training portfolio. Ideal candidates embrace and excel at managing a high volume of complex projects; and have a solid track record of effectively coaching and developing team members who do so as well. The Director of Partner Programs is a critical co-leader of the Program Department, working closely with the Resource Team, Program Operations Team, and Training & Curriculum Team. This role serves on Rockwood's Leadership Team and reports to the Managing Director.

The Director of Partner Programs will be charged with upholding the balance of our:

1. Impact: You ensure that Partner Programs support leaders to transform themselves, their communities, and the world towards equity, liberation, and sustainability for all.
2. Financial Health: You foster a balance between accessibility to our programs and financial sustainability for Rockwood.
3. Organizational Sustainability: You effectively steward staff time and energy so team members can make a sustainable impact in roles over time.

The salary for this full-time, exempt position is $135,000. Rockwood offers annual stipends for your wellness and professional development specific to your needs; a 32-hour, Monday to Thursday workweek with occasional work on Fridays as needed; and a competitive benefits package. This is a remote position based in the United States. Annual travel for a team retreat and occasional travel within the continental U.S. are required.

What You’ll Do

Management of Project Managers To Deliverables

You’ll lead a team of five skilled Program Managers responsible for managing high-priority, overlapping projects, and ensure the consistent delivery of successful, high-impact programs. Your leadership will be crucial in maintaining strong participant experiences while fulfilling Rockwood’s partnership deliverables. You’ll support this team to success by ensuring high quality work in a complex and relationship-driven work environment. Your project management responsibilities include: 1) assignment of projects, 2) ongoing support and accountability for program deliverables, and 3) debriefing projects and leading the team to continuously learn and improve.

Team Management, Coaching, and Development

We’re a people first organization, and it’s essential that you prioritize the experience, growth, sustainability, and development of the Partner Programs team. Your people management responsibilities include: 1) hiring for any open positions, 2) providing ongoing coaching and development for Program Managers, 3) conducting regular 1:1 check-in meetings with team members, 4) giving feedback and conducting performance reviews, and 5) holding regular team meeting spaces.

Strategic Partner Stewardship

Our partner relationships (the work we do with our clients and funders) are very important to Rockwood. We work with our partners to recruit participants, tailor the curriculum and experience for cohorts, and ensure that we both meet the needs of our partner while staying true to Rockwood. Your partner stewardship responsibilities include: 1) engaging directly with partners at the vision stage alongside our Resource Team, 2) support for Program Managers to build and steward strong partnerships in each of their programs, and 3) ensuring all deliverables across contracts are complete, and 4) working toward long-term partnerships and repeat engagements with existing partners.

Internal Collaboration

The Private Programs team collaborates with every other team at Rockwood, and cannot succeed without strong collaboration with each team. Your collaborative responsibilities would include: 1) direct collaboration with other team leaders and members, 2) supporting strong collaboration among Program Managers and the rest of the organization, and 3) assessing and improving systems for how teams collaborate.

The Must-Haves

Ability to Lead a Complex Constellation of Projects to Successful Completion

• You manage people who manage complex projects with overlapping deadlines and multiple partners to success and completion.
• You’re adept at making decisions when needed, and also at bringing the team along and seeking their perspective on work upfront.
• You’re an excellent planner who can check in on many moving pieces in a series of projects - and you’re able to respond to new information or requests for adaptations in ways that allow the overall plans to move forward.
• You see the forest and the trees, and you know when to look at each and how to maintain strong relationships while tending to the work at multiple levels, solving problems, and holding accountability for people and processes.

Effective People and Team Management

• You put people first, listen deeply, build mutual respect and trust, and help team members to learn, develop, and grow in their roles.
• You’re skilled at constructing and delivering feedback, giving clear and impactful assignments, and managing teams toward results.
• You’re skilled at hiring, developing, shaping the makeup of a strong team.

Reliable and Consistent Partnership

• You’re a dependable colleague and partner. You do what you say you’ll do, and your commitments are trusted by all who engage with you.
• When there are problems, you proactively suggest and collaborate on solutions that meet the needs of all partners involved.
• You communicate clearly and directly in meetings, conversations, and in writing.

Self-Aware, Heart-Centered, Equitable Leadership

• You bring self-awareness, self-reflection, an analysis of systems of oppression and race equity, and you want to and are able to continue to learn and grow.
• You lead with courage, heart, and equity at the center.
• People who work with you understand what is expected of them and how the team will work together on any given project.
• You operate with a high level of discernment when responding to requests and issues, resolving underlying issues that present in the context of partnerships.

THE APPLICATION PROCESS

Please submit your resume and answers to the three questions below to jobs@rockwoodleadership.org. We expect to close applications on Monday, September 30, 2024 (but please be aware that in some cases we may close positions earlier than our anticipated date).

Application Questions

1. In 200 words or fewer, please share your programmatic experience or experience managing programs.
2. In 200 words or fewer, please share your experience managing people.
3. In 200 words or fewer, please share what embodying a Pro-Black, Pro-Indigenous, anti-white-supremacy culture means to you.

You can expect to hear back about the status of your application by October 17, 2024.

Rockwood Leadership Institute is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions on the basis of merit. Rockwood prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, creed, sex, marital status, registered domestic partner status, age, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship status, or any other consideration protected by federal, state, or local laws. People who identify as Black, Indigenous, of color, trans, GNC, non-binary, of any gender identity, and/or LGBTQIA+ and people with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

Finally, thank you for taking the time to read this job description. We’re looking forward to getting to know you!