Senior Director, Center for Racial Economic Equity (Application Deadline: April 11, 2024)

About JFF 

Jobs for the Future (JFF) drives transformation of the U.S. education and workforce systems to achieve equitable economic advancement for all. Seeing that millions of people are unfairly shut out of quality jobs and the chance for a better life, our goal is to align education, workforce, and employment changemakers toward a shared North Star: In 10 years, 75 million people facing systemic barriers to advancement will work in quality jobs.  

To achieve that goal, we design solutions, scale best practices, influence policy and action, and invest in innovation. With a staff of more than 300 people across the country working remotely and in offices in Boston (headquarters), Washington, DC, and Oakland, California, we operate at the national, state, and local levels, forging deep partnerships with employers, investors, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and education and workforce development providers to break down barriers and reimagine what’s possible.   

We’re on a path of ongoing growth and expanding impact. We have an operating budget of $105 million, and we’re funded by dozens of leading government agencies, foundations, and corporations. Learn more about JFF and join us as we build a future that works—for everyone.  

DEIBW at JFF  

Diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and well-being (DEIBW) are core to JFF’s North Star and mission. We employ and build diverse teams across race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity and expression, age, and lived experiences and are constantly working toward ensuring these differences are celebrated and included. We aim to cultivate a culture that centers the overall care, well-being, and success of the employee through flexible work hours, balanced workloads, professional development, and equitable career advancement opportunities. Learn more about what DEIBW looks like in practice at JFF.  

We seek to invest and learn from those who represent the communities we serve, particularly individuals from populations who have been explicitly or implicitly excluded from the workforce. Knowing its importance to the success of our work and the engagement of our staff members, we aspire to attract and retain a diverse team and welcome people of all backgrounds to apply to our open roles. In alignment to JFF’s North Star, we strongly encourage individuals whose highest level of education attained is less than a 4-year degree; People of Color; and people with records to apply. 

About the Position  

JFF’s Center for Racial Economic Equity (CREE) aims to advance equity in education and the labor market, with an initial focus on accelerating the advancement of Black learners and workers. We seek to create a world where race is no longer a determinant of education and economic outcomes—a world where Black learners and workers secure quality jobs in high-growth sectors, succeed in their careers, and experience economic advancement without facing obstacles based on their race. We aim to identify solutions and best practices to achieve two foundational priorities: disrupt occupational segregation and eradicate the Black-white wealth gap. We do this through research, thought leadership, network building, and advisory services. In the future, we plan to expand our efforts to serve additional populations, including Latine, Indigenous, and AANHPI learners and workers. Check out our impact stories here. 

This is a new position that is focused on designing, managing, and growing a national Racial Economic Equity Network. Reporting to the Vice President, CREE, the Senior Director will lead efforts to bring together a racially diverse group of leaders and organizations engaged in racial equity work to develop shared goals and metrics, disseminate best practices, and collaborate on joint policy, advocacy, media, and fundraising efforts. This will include iterative and collaborative strategic planning to shape this Network, ongoing event and convening design and facilitation, relationship management to recruit and engage members and funders, and communications and business development efforts to ensure the reach and sustainability of the Network over time.   

This is an entrepreneurial, hands-on role within JFF to stand up and secure funding for new bodies of work which center on racial equity, build upon a successful early-stage Center, and integrate the Center’s goals and work across the organization. The team environment is creative, impact-oriented, generative, and highly collaborative.   
 

What You'll Do   

Design, manage, and grow a national Racial Economic Equity Network 

• Build and develop the Network’s vision, strategy, business development, and growth plan around developing Racial Economic Equity network 
• Partner with colleagues in the Center on Racial Economic Equity, other senior leaders across JFF, and external subject matter experts (including the Center on Racial Economic Equity’s advisory council) to inform the Network’s design and implementation 
• Integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion principles into the Network strategy 
• Lead evaluation and continuous improvement efforts for the Network by creating and monitoring progress towards the Network’s key performance indicators, both in terms of engagement goals as well as external impact measures 
• Serve as the lead/sponsor of cross-functional project teams across JFF to execute Network strategy, including planning and execution of creative engagement activities and convenings, development of high-quality deliverables, and ensuring strong communication with Network members 
• Lead business and partnership development for the Network through design and scoping, proposal development, relationship management, and opportunity pursuit in alignment with JFF’s strategic priorities  
• Build relationships with partners at philanthropies, corporations, postsecondary institutions, nonprofits, think tanks, social enterprises, and more for both fundraising and to recruit potential Network members 

Build and strengthen the Center’s thought leadership and visibility efforts with external events and communication strategy  

• Partner with JFF’s Marketing and Communications team to develop annual strategic communications around the goals for the Center  
• Build thought leadership across the Center on issues relating to racial economic equity by representing JFF externally at national conferences, in meetings with senior leaders, in newsletters, op-eds, and other published products to raise visibility and attention to the network 
• Author blogs, reports, and other communications products that contribute to JFF’s thought leadership in the field  
• Serve as point for the Center’s presence at cross-JFF conferences and summits, including Horizons 
   

Oversee and implement operational best practices to enhance thought leadership and network strategy  

• Collaborate with colleagues within the Center to build and create solutions to advance our OneJFF philosophy along with the priorities of the Center and to create structures, processes, and systems to enable successful implementation of thought leadership and network initiatives 
• Contribute and lead fundraising efforts to achieve the Center’s annual goals and targets 
• Oversee knowledge management efforts across the Center to inform and improve Network-wide decision-making  
• Maintain deep and broad knowledge about latest trends and research in education and workforce reform, to advance racial equity and economic mobility to help guide thought leadership  
• Serve as a subject matter expert on practices that advance equity in education and the labor market by providing guidance and strategic support to partners in the field and colleagues at JFF to shape program design and development 

Who You Are   

• You bring experience in leading and advancing racial equity work and have a demonstrated track record of deep knowledge of and experience with network theory, development, support, and engagement. (New hires at the Senior Director level at JFF typically bring 15+ years of prior professional experience through a combination of full-time, part-time, internship, and/or freelance positions) 
• You are a trusted and collaborative partner to leaders within the education and workforce development ecosystem 
• You have a successful track record in building new strategies, programs, or initiatives from scratch that are grounded in racial and economic equity 
• You are skilled at proposing creative ideas and innovative solutions to advance racial equity work, while also ensuring that decisions, teams and processes respect individual differences and support DEIBW across the organization 
• You know how to advance a team’s or organization’s influence through thought leadership around racial equity best practices, specifically for Black Americans, and bring energy for leading strategies to serving other populations including Latine, Indigenous, and AANHPI learners and workers 
• You have experience leveraging research and data around best practices from external organizations, in creating strategy to inform and continuously improve the effectiveness, innovation, and quality of cross-organizational project work 
• You are a strategic, analytical thinker who blends being visionary with operationally getting work done; you have experience managing disparate and competing priorities with multiple timetables and deliverables, while keeping projects and teams on track and on budget  
• You have demonstrated success cultivating and managing relationships with existing and new funders, writing or leading the development of concepts and proposals, and raising money that advances an organization’s work  
• You are a strong communicator (verbally, in writing, and/or when presenting) and can tailor your content and approaches to inform and inspire various audiences; you have experience serving as the external face of your projects, teams, and/or organization  
• You model inclusive leadership, working effectively with colleagues from a diverse range of backgrounds, and building and stewarding an organizational culture that embraces diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and wellbeing  
• You possess high energy and passion for JFF’s mission and the ability to apply JFF’s core values to all areas of your work 
• You are able and willing to travel up to 30% for project support, convenings, conferences, and other meetings. 

What We Offer  

At JFF, we’re fueled by the desire to create a world where everyone has equal opportunity for economic advancement. Our team works hard to push the boundaries of what is possible, and in return, we provide a gratifying work experience, competitive salaries, and a comprehensive benefits program that includes flexibility and choice as core values to support people wherever they are in their lives and careers.  

JFF has offices in Boston, Oakland, and Washington, DC; employees are welcome to use JFF office space to work in-person or hybrid, or completely remote. To improve the employee experience and promote productivity while working remotely, JFF offers an annual home office stipend to all regular full-time and part-time employees. In addition, new employees receive office equipment as needed.   

The hiring range for this role is $140,0000 - $175,000 annually, in alignment to JFF’s Senior Director salary band and our compensation philosophy. Starting salaries for new hires will be determined based on a combination of the new hire’s relevant experience and market demands.  

To Apply  

As part of your application, please include your resume and a thoughtful cover letter, addressed to Michael Collins, Vice President for the Center of Racial and Economic Equity, outlining how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of the position. 

We are accepting applications through April 11,2024. Applications submitted by that date will be reviewed and candidates will receive updates on their candidacy by the week of April 15th. 

At JFF, we’re also committed to accessibility and want to ensure that everyone, including people with disabilities, can fully access and engage with our application and hiring process.  

If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability and/or have specific access/accommodation needs in order to fully participate in our hiring process, please contact us at hiringaccommodations@jff.org. 

Positions at JFF are not eligible for employer-visa sponsorship or open to F-1 student visa holders.