MOVEMENT GOVERNANCE DIRECTOR

MOVEMENT GOVERNANCE DIRECTOR

THE ORGANIZATION: TakeAction Minnesota is a multiracial people’s network that brings democracy alive in communities across our state. We connect individuals and organizations to each other, creating a powerful force that makes change happen where it wasn’t possible before. Since its founding 14 years ago, TakeAction Minnesota has grown its breadth and depth. Our membership has grown 10-fold and touches every legislative district in the state. Our social media presence is robust. Our grassroots leadership is well-trained and shapes and implements the strategy of our various campaigns. As a result, TakeAction Minnesota has a track record of shifting the political landscape, advancing democracy and justice through bold policy campaigns, grassroots organizing, leadership development, movement politics, and strategic communications. 

POSITION SUMMARY: TakeAction Minnesota’s Movement Governance Director is responsible for building and leveraging movement governance and infrastructure throughout Minnesota. At TakeAction, movement governance is about leveraging the governing power we build through our organizing, political, policy, and communications work into powerful, impactful co-governing relationships among movement organizations and government allies. This role will oversee programs within a movement governance team, including movement politics and BIWOC organizing, with an eye to how that power results in concrete, meaningful change in Minnesotans’ lives. This role will also act as a leader both internally with staff and members, and externally with partners and elected officials. This position is tasked with taking the foundation we have laid co-governing with allies at all levels of government to its next level. The Movement Governance Director persistently and effectively makes people-centered governance a reality, and is laser-focused on relationship, strategy, and impact.

PRIMARY FUNCTIONS — Essential duties and responsibilities may include, but are not limited to the following:

  • Lead TakeAction’s work to strategically and powerfully partner in an ongoing way with movement organizations and government allies. This role will lead the creation and execution of a next-level movement governance program at TakeAction.A successful movement governance program will build our movement’s capacity to co-govern with allies in elected and appointed office, their staff, and partner organizations, all by keeping people at the center. It will thread the needle from our political leadership development to our endorsements to our electoral organizing to how we support and lead issue campaigns with our elected champions, holding a vision of a renewed and reinvigorated democracy and managing the execution of that vision. The Movement Governance Director partners closely with the Public Affairs Director and Executive Director to leverage our power and bring our full organization into deep partnership with government allies.
  • Ensure strategic flow of power from our electoral work to our issue campaigns and back again. This role will develop and hold the strategy for ensuring we are not leaving power on the table across our governance work, and therefore increase the power TakeAction leverages in the public arena, as well as deepen transformative relationships with member-leaders and government allies.
  • Strategize around our organizational role and pivots as part of our “flying squad.” As our world continues to shift and rise-up more frequently, in more places, our organization needs to remain clearly focused on our unique role and capacities. And, we must simultaneously be nimble, ready to pivot and show up when the moment calls for it. The Movement Governance Director is a key role on our staff that maintains capacity to jump in last-minute, to strategize with elected and appointed officials in response to emerging opportunities, and to ensure we show up with our base and our elected champions during “movement moments.”
  • Be a leader within our people-power infrastructure and organization. Serve as an excellent supervisor for managers and leads on our organizing team. Ensure that staff show up with our values and enact our operating principles: being people-centered, acting with integrity, and working with determination and hustle. Ensure that staff deliver on their goals and outcomes, and get investment and development as they organize. Oversee staff who lead and execute programs within movement governance, including movement politics and our BIWOC organizing, to ensure power-building in these arenas results in people-centered governance. Be a thought partner, trainer, and coach with our movement politics leadership program, bring an organizing approach to all movement governance work, and develop movement governance content necessary for training and organizing.
  • Raise resources and support the financial sustainability and public positioning of the organization. Shape and inform fundraising strategy, build and maintain relationships with funders and national partners, and manage relationships with key individual donors. Propose work that advances our organizational priorities and goals by writing proposals, reports, and meeting with funders and donors as needed. Work closely with the finance, operations, and development staff to ensure overall fundraising targets are being met and organizational budgets are developed and managed effectively.

EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

  • At least five years of experience in leadership, policy, and/or organizing roles within movement
     organizations or government.
  • At least two years of supervision experience with proven results, and a deep investment in staff growth and development.
  • A vision for movement governance and a fierce commitment to it. Tangible examples of experience operationalizing visions with colleagues, partners, and members.
  • A proven track record of delivery and ability to work in a fast-paced environment. This person will find energy in the opportunities that come as the political landscape shifts.
  • A natural sense of curiosity about people and the ability to relate to them, and a willingness to name a vision for others and hold them accountable to it. Experience organizing colleagues, staff at partner organizations, community members, elected officials, and government staff around their stories, hopes, fears, and challenges via campaigns and policy work.
  • Excellent facilitator of meetings and trainings, including agenda-setting, landing lessons and objectives, and moving participants into deeper engagement.
  • High-capacity, high-impact team leader who can manage multiple projects simultaneously, sees and seizes strategic opportunities and intersections, and brings their team along with them.
  • Ability to pay attention to the details, be vigilant about tracking goal progress, and meet deadlines. Computer literacy and experience with MS Office Suite.  
  • Willingness to speak up, suggest new ideas, receive feedback, adjust plans to ensure successful completion of goals, and be part of the solution. 
  • Excellent communications skills through a variety of channels, including written and oral. 
  • A demonstrated commitment to economic, racial, and gender justice and commitment to progressive political change. 
  • Enthusiastically promote TakeAction Minnesota’s goals and priorities in compliance with all policies and procedures, and have a deep investment in our shared agenda for change. 

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT: 

Work will be temporarily performed from home, due to the current COVID crisis. A job in this category may require walking or standing to a significant degree or may involve sitting most of the time with long periods of computer work and heavy phone usage. Flexibility to work outside normal business hours that include evenings and weekends, and work extended hours to accomplish requirements of the position. 

SALARY/BENEFITS/OTHER INFORMATION 

  • Salary starting at $70,000 a year, dependent on experience. Category: Director 2. 
  • Full medical insurance, dental insurance, retirement packages. 
  • Ongoing leadership development of staff, including access to relevant trainings and conferences. 

REPORTS TO & LOCATION 

  • This position reports directly to the Deputy Director. 
  • Position is located in St. Paul, but will be temporarily performed from home due to COVID-19 and will
    require occasional travel.  

HOW TO APPLY  

Send electronic cover letter, resume and three references (at least one of whom is a current or former supervisee) attention Amanda Otero, Deputy Director, care of workwithus@takeactionminnesota.org with the subject line MOVEMENT GOVERNANCE DIRECTOR by no later than 11:59 pm on August 30th, 2020.

NO PHONE CALLS or EMAILS WILL BE ACCEPTED. 

TakeAction Minnesota is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from people of color, persons with disabilities, LGBT individuals, and women.