Deputy Executive Director for Strategy & Culture
ACLU

New York, New York

Posted in Not for Profit and Charities


This job has expired.

Job Info


ABOUT THE JOB

The ACLU seeks a full-time position of Deputy Executive Director for Strategy & Culture in the Executive Department of the ACLU's National office in New York, NY.

The Deputy Executive Director for Strategy & Culture provides day to day management for the Executive Department of the ACLU, the critical nerve-center of a 600-person+ national nonprofit with an operating budget of over $350 million, and 1.64 million supporters. The Executive Department stewards the strategic vision for a 102-year-old legacy institution whose mission is to create a more perfect union - beyond one person, party, or side - to realize the promise of the U.S. Constitution for all and expand the reach of its guarantees. The ACLU advances liberty and justice in the courts, in the legislatures, in the streets, and at the ballot box. Defending and advancing these fundamental rights and core values requires an exceptional executive function, led by the Executive Director and supported by the Deputy Executive Director.

Reporting to the Executive Director, the Deputy Executive Director for Strategy & Culture serves as chief counselor and principal partner to the Executive Director, providing executive-level leadership, strategic advice, and management oversight. The Deputy Executive Director for Strategy & Culture leads in parallel to and collaboration with the Deputy Executive Director for Operations. The Deputy Executive Director for Strategy & Culture oversees the critical functions of organizational strategic planning and programmatic priority setting; leads ACLU's equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging (EDIB) initiatives; and shares board governance responsibilities with the Director of Board Governance and Deputy Executive Director for Operations, under the principal leadership of the Executive Director.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Management, Leadership & Oversight

  • Serve as "first among equals" on a Senior Staff team reporting directly to the Executive Director, responsible for setting institutional programmatic priorities to guide the overall direction and long-term future of the organization and embedding within them - and across the organization - a commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging
  • Provide primary leadership for the 21 individuals who comprise the senior leadership of the national ACLU
  • Lead and shape strategic vision of the organization, in concert with the Executive Director, ACLU Senior Staff and other senior leaders in the organization
  • Lead, convene, and set the agenda for staff convenings including but not limited to: all-staff meetings, regular Senior Staff meetings, Senior Leadership meetings, annual retreats, and strategic planning sessions where organizational priorities are discussed and decided
  • In conjunction with the Executive Director, oversee efforts to set, execute on and assess the organization's top priorities and overall strategies. With a team of staff to be hired in the Executive Department, the Deputy Executive Director for Strategy & Culture will be responsible for:
    • Identifying programmatic priorities and leading organization-wide strategic planning processes
    • Integrating ACLU strategies and ensuring collaboration and adherence to goals and priorities
    • Mobilizing the organization's resources to respond rapidly and effectively to civil rights and civil liberties threats
    • Rigorously evaluating and continuously improving approaches and goals
    • Identifying and incubating new capacities, leaders, pilot projects that bring innovative perspectives and approaches to the organization in leadership and skill development
    • Identifying relevant institutional policies in line with strategy
    • Optimizing the implementation of strategies and improving coordination and alignment across teams and amongst senior leaders
    • Provide leadership in cross-functional strategy projects
  • Maintain a significant fundraising portfolio and manage donor relationships
  • Publicly represent ACLU with the media and external constituency groups including community, governmental, as well as donors and private organizations to build engagement with ACLU's mission and priorities
  • Manage the Executive Department's budget and staffing
  • Engage in special projects and other duties as assigned
  • Center principles of equity, inclusion, and belonging in all work, embedding the values in program development, policy application, and organizational practicesand processes
  • Commitment to the mission of the ACLU
  • Demonstrate a commitment to diversity within the office using a personal approach that values all individuals and respects differences in regards to race, ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, disability and socio-economic circumstance
  • Commitment to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and/or conflicts
Culture
  • In concert with Deputy Executive Director for Operations, center principles of equity, inclusion, and belonging in all work, embedding the values in program development, policy application, and organizational practices and processes
  • In partnership with the Chief People Officer, manage and further develop executive coaching program for ACLU senior leaders and organization-wide training programs for all staff
  • Lead internal engagement efforts to foster collaboration and community (partnering with Internal Communications), including:
    • Identify and ensure execution of staff convenings including all-staff meetings, Senior Leadership, senior staff meetings
    • Partner with Human Resources Department on Leadership Roundtable, Office Hours, Community Hour meetings
    • Develop and execute ongoing inspirational approaches, activity, and engagement for staff
    • Serve as a thought partner, change catalyst, and culture lead for ACLU senior leaders
    • Act as a navigator for inter-leadership conflict resolution
    • Oversee staff engagement surveys and ensure accountability and learnings from the feedback, directing relevant stakeholders and departments on key findings and the institutional response
  • Manage critical EDIB commitments and organizational investments including management of EDIB staff:
    • Manage the Chief Equity & Inclusion Officer who leads a team responsible for fostering an equitable, diverse, and inclusive ACLU
    • Serve as a member of the Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Council (EDIC), a cross-departmental and cross-functional committee that serves in an advisory capacity for organizational EDIB priorities
    • Initiate and oversee programs to build capacity and opportunity for underrepresented staff
    • Optimize the implementation of strategies and improve coordination and alignment across teams and amongst senior leaders
    • Act as a navigator for inter-leadership and inter-organizational conflict resolution
    • Identify relevant institutional policies in-line with equity, inclusion, and belonging
Advice, Counsel & Executive Director Support
  • Serve as a principal thought partner on issues of strategy and culture to the Executive Director, helping the Executive Director resolve key challenges, offering perspectives that may be less visible and helping identify risks and tradeoffs, particularly on programmatic and overall management matters
  • Ensure that the Executive Director's time, assets, skills, and relationships are leveraged to advance the organization's mission and goals
  • Advise the senior-most leaders of the organization on behalf of the Executive Director; serve as a proxy for the Executive Director when designated, functioning as the Executive Director in the Executive Director's absence (and in coordination with the Deputy Executive Director for Operations)
  • Interpret and carry out the Executive Director's vision and strategic intent; assist staff and senior leadership colleagues in understanding the Executive Director's priorities
  • Act as "early warning system" for issues growing in priority from all parts of organization, particularly on programmatic and overall management matters
  • Be "connective tissue," interpreting and executing the Executive Director's vision and strategic intent, and convey to the Executive Director significant issues or needs of staff and others
  • Ensure the Executive Director's bandwidth is best deployed when furthering a programmatic priority or engaging in a decision-making process at the right moment
Board Governance
  • Assist the Executive Director (in partnership with the Deputy Executive Director for Operations and the Director of Board Governance) in providing support to the National Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the National Board to center principles of equity, inclusion, and belonging in all of their work, embedding the values in program development, policy application, and organizational practices and processes
  • Serve as the National Equity Officer (NEO), a Board-designated position responsible for ensuring the ACLU's commitment to and investments in EDIB are integrated and aligned across the nationwide enterprise and for regular reporting to the National Board on ACLU National's staff demographic census, identifying trends and assessing progress
  • Prepare an annual report to the National Board on ACLU National's staff demographic census, identifying trends and assessing progress
  • Support the National Board of Directors in meeting its diverse recruitment goals, act as an emissary in recruiting and retaining diverse board members
  • Serve as corporate officer of the ACLU and ACLU Foundation, as needed and dictated by organizational policies
EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS
  • A dedicated social justice advocate, activist and leader
  • An individual with deep and unflinching commitment to securing the rights and liberties of all people in the United States
  • A deep and demonstrated commitment to the advancement and protection of civil liberties and civil rights
  • A principled leader committed to the nonpartisan nature of the organization
  • An ability to represent and stand-in for the Executive Director when needed
  • A superb listener, who inspires trust and confidence, remains open to the ideas of others and is not threatened by input and feedback from others
  • An outstanding communicator with top-flight public speaking and media presence, and an ability to speak and write forcefully and persuasively on a broad range of issues to diverse audiences
  • Excellent organizational and interpersonal skills, including exceptional attention to detail, the ability to resolve disputes and maintain a high degree of discretion and confidentiality
  • A proven management style that is accessible, flexible, decisive, and inclusive
  • A team builder, who inspires staff to work together in pursuit of a common mission and holds them accountable for the accomplishment of objectives
  • Ability to negotiate conflict and maintain constructive working relationships with people at all levels within and outside of the organization
  • A leader who seamlessly moves between confidence and vulnerability, empathy with clear-eyed vision
  • Unimpeachable integrity, self-confidence, and a high level of energy
  • Leadership and a proven track record of creating and managing high impact programs in support of civil liberties or other related advocacy campaigns
  • An experienced strategist who is adept at planning, prioritizing, organizing and following through
  • Significant experience in a senior leadership role in a comparable advocacy organization or nonprofit
  • Seasoned experience in building organizational equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging at a comparably sized advocacy nonprofit
  • A proven record of initiating programs to build capacity and opportunity for unrepresented staff
  • Deep understanding of the legal and philosophical principles underlying civil liberties
  • Outstanding management skills and experience in deploying human capital and financial resources towards key program goals
  • A seasoned and effective manager with a record of developing and maintaining a highly talented and diverse staff and managing budgets and administration; a person who provides clear direction, delegates well and assumes ultimate responsibility
  • Proven experience in organizational and staff development, strategic management and strengthening relations among affiliate and/or regional offices
  • Demonstrated and proven leadership experience operating successfully in an organization with a federated structure with multiple chapter and affiliate offices and coalition partners in diverse communities
  • Ability to work across multiple disciplines and to more directly engage coalition partners, donors and activists in ACLU's programs
  • Adaptability and an ability to adjust and operate in ambiguity
  • An ability to work calmly and effectively under pressure and to transmit that composure to others
  • A well-honed sense of humor; an ability to laugh with others and even at oneself
  • Outstanding communication skills, demonstrated ability to handle controversial issues, to respond rapidly to crises, and to translate complex information for broader audience
COMPENSATION

The annual salary for this position is determined by market data of comparable nonprofits. Salaries are reflective of positions based in Washington, DC or New York, NY, where our National offices are headquartered. This salary will be subject to a locality adjustment (according to a specific city and state), if an authorization is granted to work outside of the location listed in this posting.

ABOUT THE ACLU

The ACLU dares to create a more perfect union - beyond one person, party, or side. Our mission is to realize this promise of the United States Constitution for all and expand the reach of its guarantees.

For over 100 years, the ACLU has worked to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States. Whether it's ending mass incarceration, achieving full equality for the LGBTQ+ community, establishing new privacy protections for our digital age, or preserving the right to vote or the right to have an abortion, the ACLU takes up the toughest civil liberties cases and issues to defend all people from government abuse and overreach.

Equity, diversity, and inclusion are core values of the ACLU and central to our work to advance liberty, equality, and justice for all. We are a community committed to learning and growth, humility and grace, transparency and accountability. We believe in a collective responsibility to create a culture of belonging for all people within our organization - one that respects and embraces difference; treats everyone equitably; and empowers our colleagues to do the best work possible. We are as committed to anti-oppression and anti-racism internally as we are externally. Because whether we're in the courts or in the office, we believe 'We the People' means all of us.

The ACLU is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. The ACLU encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status and record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Black people, Indigenous people, people of color; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex people; women; people with disabilities, protected veterans, and formerly incarcerated individuals are all strongly encouraged to apply.

The ACLU makes every effort to assure that its recruitment and employment provide all qualified persons, including persons with disabilities, with full opportunities for employment in all positions.

The ACLU is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please email benefits.hrdept@aclu.org. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.

The Department of Education has determined that employment in this position at the ACLU does not qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.


This job has expired.

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