Sr. Director, Community Resources & Engagement

POSITION SUMMARY

The Sr. Director, Community Resources & Engagement reports to the Chief Strategist, Programs. This position works closely with the Programs Team and Foundation staff to shape and implement the strategic vision for the Women’s Foundation California, ensuring that the Foundation’s programs are innovative and strategic and aligned with our core belief that those who directly experience injustice are best suited to develop solutions that ultimately benefit all Californians.

The Sr. Director, Community Resources & Engagement, in concert with the Chief Strategist, Programs and Program Manager, will lead our trust-based grantmaking in order to deepen relationships with partners and amplify their efforts. The Foundation’s grantmaking focuses on building community power through multi-issue grantmaking in three core issues areas: economic security, health and safety.  In addition, this position conceptualizes, plans and executes various programmatic collaborations and priorities in line with the Foundation’s strategic framework and program plan, including convening and engaging with movement partners, grant partners, and ecosystem stakeholders in California and beyond to be able to anticipate and swiftly respond to shifting needs. The Sr. Director, Community Resources & Engagement represents the Foundation in public settings, provides leadership in multiple social movements, and offers timely opinion and analysis to Foundation management, constituents and board members on issues impacting gender, racial, and economic justice. This position supervises 1-3 Program Managers and requires frequent overnight travel.

Essential Duties

Program Leadership & Oversight 

• Provide leadership, oversight, management and supervision for all aspects of the Foundation’s grantmaking, community convenings, and programmatic initiatives, including program design and evaluation, achieving the goals and objectives of the project(s) within the budget assigned.
• Lead and manage the Foundation’s collaborative initiative, Housing Opportunities Mean Everything (HOME) Cohort, including providing partnership and support to grantees, participating in ongoing cohort meetings and in-person gatherings, sharing the cohort’s progress and potential needs with the WFC team, planning convenings as needed, collaborating with the Partnerships team on reporting and fundraising, and representing or speaking about the HOME cohort initiative to public audiences as opportunities arise.
• In partnership with the Sr. Director, Leadership and Training Programs, ensure alignment and coordination around grantmaking practices, community convenings, policy priorities, leadership and training programs, special initiatives and other Foundation program activities.

• Support leaders and organizations in our grantmaking portfolio in building their capabilities to become more powerful in accordance with their own strategies and goals.
• Cultivate new relationships and networks to broaden the awareness and deepen the impact of the Foundation’s programmatic work.
• Co-manage our trust-based grantmaking process for current and prospective grant recipients throughout the year, implementing a transparent and time-bound process that reflects our values and strategies.
• Work with the grants management team to prepare grant recipient profiles, grant dockets, award letters, written summaries, analysis documents, and financial reports to aid staff and board members in evaluating and making awards.
• Analyze the progress of grant partners, community convenings, and special initiatives and proactively interpret and assess partner needs to determine areas of strengthening and serve as a resource as requested.
• Design and execute evaluation and monitoring processes, including conducting assessments, collecting and analyzing data, documenting results and identifying and discussing implications to be shared across the Foundation and with the Program Committee of the Board of Directors.

• Ensure an accurate, timely, efficient and transparent process for the entire Community Power Fund grant life cycle, from proposal to close (e.g., pre-award management, tracking payments, reviewing and producing relevant reports, monitoring and post-award management).
• Collaborate with the Finance Team to aid in monthly reconciliation between the grantmaking and finance databases.
• Design, plan and implement convenings for community and grant partners.

Team & Organizational Management 

• Support the Foundation’s Program Team by providing guidance, mentorship and direct supervision of staff and consultants. Create opportunities for team members’ leadership and professional development and ensure that Program team members are supported, valued, appreciated and motivated to produce high-quality work.
• Supervise 1-3 Program Managers that lead grantmaking, collaborative and emerging program(s) aligned with the Foundation’s strategic framework.
• Participate in Foundation staff and Program Team meetings on a regular basis.
• Engage in other activities as needed or assigned to successfully move the Foundation’s mission forward.

Qualifications

• Minimum 6 years of experience with progressively more responsibility planning and managing multiple mission-driven programs within a large nonprofit setting, and at least 3 years of staff supervision;
• Embodiment of trust-based values and commitment to addressing and redistributing power in philanthropy;
• Passion for and knowledge of issues and challenges faced by cis and trans women, gender-variant, genderqueer, and non-binary individuals; and trans men;
• Strong commitment to and practice of addressing white supremacy and anti-Blackness throughout the work;
• Advanced project management experience and expertise with effective project management practices;
• Excellent analytical, strategic thinking and problem-solving skills; ability to innovate, with capacity to create or seize opportunities to improve program effectiveness and organizational outcomes;
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including confidence and comfort with public speaking in front of a variety of audiences;
• Demonstrated experience overseeing programs that successfully engage diverse communities; strong understanding of best practices related to cultural competence of gender, racial, and economic justice issues;
• Solid research and analytical skills, and the ability to cull and synthesize information from large bodies of knowledge and complex concepts, and draft brief summaries, analyses, and recommendations;
• A demonstrated understanding of the philanthropic ecosystem and current trends;
• Evidenced commitment to an interdepartmental, interdisciplinary team approach to work; strong collaboration and conflict resolution skills;
• Excellent computer and technology skills including proficiency with MS Office suite and familiarity with using databases and online project management tools; must be comfortable learning and using new technology;
• Ability to conduct regular overnight travel throughout California and the United States (8-10 times per year).

Qualities

• Possesses a strong commitment to the mission, policies, goals and values of Women’s Foundation California;
• Embodiment of trust-based values and commitment to addressing and redistributing power in philanthropy;
• Committed to leading with humility, approachability, and accessibility, and helping team members grow and learn by being a mentor, facilitator and coach;
• Possesses a strong commitment to the self-reflection and interpersonal work needed to create an inclusive and grassroots-driven organization that is at the forefront of gender justice in California;
• Results-oriented and entrepreneurial;
• Able to work independently as well as within a team, set and achieve high performance goals and meet deadlines in a fast-paced work environment;
• Demonstrated ability to exercise good judgment and maintain confidentiality;
• Creative thinker, joyful collaborator, self-starter and detail-oriented communicator with a positive approach, can-do attitude and a sense of humor;
• Ability to create positive, long-term working relationships by demonstrating a commitment to teamwork and customer service, tact, dependability, diplomacy, and flexibility;
• Willingness and ability to travel to meetings and other Foundation events.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the job’s essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to remain at their desk for long periods while operating a computer to create documents, conducting Internet research and data entry, sending and receiving e-mail and participating in meetings in-person and virtually; communicate on a telephone and in person; read and write; apply logic and focus attention in the presence of distractions. Ability to travel by car and airplane for travel and occasional overnight stays within California.

Additional Workplace Expectations

WFC employees currently work remotely with a four-day schedule. However, this role requires also requires:

• Ability to work in evenings and weekends as needed.
• Ability to travel statewide, including overnight stays, to support the essential functions of the position (8-10 times per year)

All WFC employees must comply with organizational COVID-19 protocols as a condition of employment unless they have been approved for an exemption as a reasonable accommodation for a medical condition or restriction or sincerely held religious beliefs.

OUR VALUES AND COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

We value a diverse and inclusive workplace and strongly encourage people of color, LGBTQIA+ individuals, transgender people, gender non-conforming individuals, and formerly incarcerated people to apply. Our staff and board align around the following organizational values:·

Community · Wellness · Justice · Collaboration · Learning · Trust · Transformation · Joy · Abundance

As an equal opportunity employer, we recruit and hire with the understanding of systemic oppression and of the lived reality of people with marginalized identities. We also recruit and hire without regard to race, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, prior conviction, arrest history, disability, marital status, veteran status or age.

Compensation, Work Hours and Benefits

• This is a full-time, exempt position, with a starting salary range $135,000-140,000.  Salary offer will be dependent on experience.
• WFC operates on a 4-day (32-hours) work week – Monday through Thursday.
• We provide 20 days paid vacation to start which increases over time (25 days after 3 years); 12 paid sick days, 14 paid holidays, and an additional two weeks holiday at the end of the year in addition to a flexible, family-friendly schedule.
• We provide generous benefits including paid parental leave, medical, dental, vision, long-term disability, flexible spending account, a 401(k)-retirement plan match, transportation benefits, wellness stipend, and AD&D insurance with the Foundation covering 100% of the costs of the insurance package.
• WFC sponsors a Matching Gift Program contributing $2 for every $1 charitable gift made by employees, up to $1,000 per year for WFC and $500 for employees.

Applications & Deadline

Please direct any additional questions or inquiries regarding this position to [email protected]. To apply, please visit our website to upload a cover letter highlighting your interest in the position and what makes you a strong candidate and your resume.  We will review applications on a rolling basis. However, we prefer to receive applications by March 31, 2024. All documents need to be Microsoft Word or PDF files (PDF files are preferred).