New York Chapter Director

Reports to: Executive Director

FLSA Status: Salaried-Exempt

Employment Type: Full-time

Hours: Monday-Friday, hybrid position, requires a mix of remote work, work on site, and in-person meetings.

Overview: African Communities Together (ACT), the largest national organization of African immigrants in the U.S., is seeking a passionate, experienced organizer to lead our largest chapter in New York State. If you’re a dynamic leader fueled by the power of African immigrant communities, we may be looking for you!

About Us: African Communities Together is an organization of African immigrants fighting for civil rights, opportunity, and a better life for our families here in the U.S. and worldwide. ACT empowers African immigrants to integrate socially, get ahead economically, and engage civically. We develop our members as grassroots leaders who take action to make social change. Since its founding, ACT has supported thousands of African immigrants with direct services, trained hundreds of new leaders, and led successful policy campaigns at the federal, state, and local levels that have impacted hundreds of thousands of immigrants. ACT’s African immigrant membership comes from a diverse range of nationalities, cultures, and languages, is religiously diverse, and is predominantly working-class and low-income. We have offices in New York City and the Washington, D.C. metro area.

Position Description: The New York Chapter Director will play a pivotal role in expanding our membership base, enhancing our campaigns, and strengthening our programs. Reporting directly to ACT’s Executive Director, the New York Chapter Director will serve as a key member of the leadership team, providing strategic and impactful leadership to drive the organization’s mission forward.

Key responsibilities include:

• Membership Growth: Expanding ACT’s base-building and leadership development programs to grow an empowered membership base.
• Campaigns and Programs: Providing strategic leadership to ACT New York City and State campaigns and programs including language justice, housing, and community jobs. Lead ACT’s local and state advocacy and support our federal advocacy on immigration policy.
• Management: Running the day-to-day work of ACT’s New York chapter and staff of ten. Directly supervise staff including the Lead Organizer, Program Manager, and Membership and Services Manager. Lead hiring, internal communication, and human resources for the New York chapter with the support of the Operations Manager.
• Public Leadership: Representing ACT in partnerships, coalitions, policy advocacy and publicly at press conferences and rallies.
• Fundraising: Working with the Executive Director and Development Director, support fundraising for the New York chapter by building relationships with funders and contributing to grant applications and compliance.

Qualifications:

We recognize that it is highly unlikely that someone meets 100% of the qualifications for a role. Indeed, studies have shown that people of the global majority and female-identifying candidates in particular are likely to “count themselves out” of otherwise well-matched opportunities due to this fact. If much of this job description describes you, please apply for this role.

• At least seven years of professional experience working in non-profit community organizations or labor unions, ideally with a grassroots membership base.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent. A relevant professional degree, such as a JD or MPA, is also desirable and will be counted towards the minimum professional experience requirement.
• At least three years’ experience of managing staff, preferably with a demonstrated commitment to equity and inclusion in the workplace.
• Cultural competency and experience with African immigrant communities.
• Ability to succeed in a collaborative community organization environment, including accountability to goals, ability to work independently, and prioritize.
• Ability to effectively and respectfully communicate, collaborate and connect with people from various backgrounds, identities, experiences, and positions.
• Ability to clearly communicate vision, goals, strategy, and outcomes, orally and in writing.
• Ability to work under time pressure and meet deadlines.
• Alignment with ACT’s mission and values.

Additional Qualifications Appreciated but Not Required

• Fluency in a widely spoken African language and/or French.
• Fundraising experience in a movement-based context.