Description
About the National Guestworker Alliance
The National Guestworker Alliance (NGA) is a national organization dedicated to winning rights and respect for guestworkers and building a social movement response to the transformation of work in the United States. Anchored by the New Orleans Workers’ Center for Racial Justice (NOWCRJ), a multi-racial organization dedicated to building the power and participation of low-income workers and communities, NGA and the Workers’ Center have been nationally recognized for direct worker organizing, strategic campaigns, policy advocacy, litigation, and coalition building to advance immigrant rights, racial justice, and economic equity.
Incubated by the NOWCRJ for the last two years, the National Guestworker Alliance is in the midst of a major expansion to broaden the scope, constituency, partnerships, and geography of our work in order to organize contingent workers and the long-term unemployed into a major social movement. You’ll be part of a small but growing, fast-paced organization that will shape the face of labor in the next two decades through strategic campaigning and worker victories.
About the Position
NGA seeks a highly talented executive to work closely with the Executive Director to co-lead the organization’s major expansion. The Deputy Director will manage the day-to-day work of the organization and ensure that we’re meeting our ambitious goals. The Deputy Director will also develop and execute high-level strategic partnerships with unions, social justice organizations, funders, board members, and the media. The Deputy Director will also serve as a critical thought partner to the Executive Director and as a senior leader of the organization. This position is based in Washington, D.C.
What You’ll Do
The Deputy Director has three major areas of responsibility:
1. Establishment and maintenance of systems to ensure NGA delivers on its goals
- Build out an annual goal-setting process and develop a robust set of metrics and systems to track progress against goal ensure the organization hits its goals every year.
- Build the senior team with rock star hires.
- Ensure there are strong performance management systems throughout the organization, and support senior leaders in hiring, coaching, retention of high performers, and addressing performance issues.
- Manage department heads, including, ensuring that each team has ambitious goals and plans in place to meet them; developing their skills, including providing clear and useful feedback so they get better and better at what they do; working to ensure that top performers are retained and low performers are transitioned out; and serving as a thought partner and resource to senior leaders in their realms of responsibility, including on issues related to the management of their teams.
- Ensure smooth communication and coordination across departments, including developing a system for internal communication inside the organization and designing and leading staff meetings and strategy retreats.
- Manage the operations of the organization's senior leadership team, including monthly meetings and quarterly step-backs.
- Help to build and reinforce a strong culture of rigor, innovation, transparency, and positive engagement.
- Oversee and manage administrative, financial, and operational functions.
2. Management and expansion of NGA’s portfolio of highly strategic external partnerships
- Manage a portfolio of external ally and partner relationships, and represent NGA externally with a variety of audiences.
- Develop and execute high-level strategic partnerships with unions and social justice organizations.
- Represent NGA during negotiations and discussions with these partners. Help close the deal with key partnerships.
- Lead the senior leadership team in assessing external campaign opportunities and applying excellent judgment in figuring out which opportunities to pursue and how.
3. Serving as a senior leader of the organization
- Work closely with the Executive Director, board and other members of the senior staff to develop, articulate and implement overall organizational strategy.
- Serve as senior thought partner to the Executive Director.
- Work with the Executive Director and development staff to cultivate and support relationships with NGA’s current and potential funders.
Who You Are
Here are the key qualifications we’re looking for in this role:
- A senior executive with sound judgment and strategic problem solving skills. You have excellent judgment and can make good decisions quickly.
- A proven manager. You know what it takes to build and retain a team of high-performing
- staff obsessed with results and impact. You have high standards for success and a healthy impatience for progress.
- A self-starter with the entrepreneurial drive to make things happen. You enjoy managing change and thrive in a dynamic, quickly changing environment. You’ve built projects from scratch – so you know what victory looks like and how to bounce back quickly from defeat.
- Advocacy experience in immigrant rights, workers’ rights, and/or union organizing. Ideally you have experience with all three, but if not, you’re a quick study and can master the complexities of what we do.
National Guestworker Alliance is an equal opportunity employer. Women, people of color and LGBTQ individuals strongly encouraged to apply.
To apply: Please email a cover letter and resume to settleson@gmail.com, subject line: NGA -- Deputy Director Applications will only be accepted electronically.
Please include a daytime phone number where we can contact you. The application process will be open until position is filled.