Program Director, Equity and Inclusion
National Civic League
Job Announcement
About Us
The mission of the National Civic League is to advance civic engagement to build equitable, thriving communities. The League strengthens democracy by increasing the capacity of our nation’s people to fully participate in and build healthy and prosperous communities across America. Through our All-America Cities program and tools like the Civic Index and All-America Conversations toolkit and National Civic Review, we help local governments, civic leaders, nonprofit organizations, businesses and others work together to improve health, education, economic prosperity and other qualities. More information is on our website.
Description of Job
This position directs activities of the National Civic League in implementing programs to advance equity and inclusion for populations of all identities, including by race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, citizenship status and nationality. Much of this work supports a grant from the WK Kellogg Foundation to promote racial equity and healing in the League’s All-America Cities and other programs. Under this grant, the League works with other partner organizations to encourage cities to examine the underpinnings of racial bias and traditional human hierarchy and to advance racial equity locally through policy, programs and civic engagement. As part of this partnership the League will make racial equity a key ingredient of the 2022 and 2023 All-America City Awards, leverage its Model City Charter and Civic Index to support racial equity and provide direct assistance to cities nationwide related to racial equity and healing. The League will also work with the Kellogg Foundation and consultants to conduct internal work to help the board and staff infuse racial equity into our communications and organizational processes.
The position also provides support for other programs of the National Civic League, such as our work related to environmental sustainability, age-friendly communities and youth civic engagement. The position also helps develop new programs, partnerships and funding.
As one of the League’s four program directors, this position reports directly to the League President. While the League’s main office is in Denver, CO, remote and hybrid work are options.
This is an exempt, at-will, position with full benefits and a performance-based pay plan. Benefits include 20 paid-time-off days during the first two years, 12 paid holidays, fully covered health insurance for the employee only, life insurance, a 403(b) savings plan with a percent match in employer contributions, partial reimbursements for parking and cellphone and disability insurance.
Pay Range: $60,000-$90,000
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Public Administration, Political Science, Public Policy, Pre-Law, Communications, Sociology, or other field of study related to the work assignment; AND
At least two years of responsible professional experience in a nonprofit or government agency doing similar work, including creating and implementing program strategies and setting goals and objectives.
Substitutions
Professional experience in the areas noted above which provided the same kind, amount and level of knowledge acquired in the required education, may be substituted on a year-for-year basis for the bachelor’s degree. A graduate degree from an accredited college or university in Public Administration, Political Science, Public Policy, Pre-Law, Communications, or a field of study related to the work assignment may be substituted for one (1) year of experience.
Preferred Qualifications
The following supplemental experience, competencies and abilities are highly desirable for this position and will be considered in selecting the successful candidate:
- Graduate degree in a related field;
- Proven expertise in nonprofit program implementation and/or racial equity;
- Demonstrated ability to establish collaborative partnerships and effective working relationships with a variety of internal and external customers and diverse communities;
- Successful experience in program development and fundraising;
- Outstanding skills and abilities in verbal and written communications; ability to adapt a style to fit audiences of varying technical levels, and at various levels within an organization, in large groups and individual settings;
- Excellent skills in consensus-building, persuasion, negotiation and influence, including the ability to navigate in a complex political environment; ability to inspire trust in others and use influence and social capital to drive initiatives;
- Ability to work well with clients regardless of position and authority, contribute to governing boards and committees, and adhere to clear lines of responsibility and accountability;
- Excellent skills in project management and facilitation, including establishing goals and timetables, tactical plans, securing and coordinating resources, monitoring progress, engaging and working with other personnel or teams, measuring results, developing contingencies, and reporting out;
- Ability and motivation to develop creative solutions to complex, interpersonal, process, and systemic challenges;
- Excellent judgment and decision-making skills; makes decisions in accordance with upper management’s philosophy, values and goals; perceives items and issues that are of great importance and initiates action proactively and within appropriate boundaries;
- Ability to collect, organize, analyze, and interpret data and information, and to identify the impact information may have on seemingly unrelated areas; and
- Ability to adapt work behavior and methods in response to new information, changing conditions, or unexpected obstacles.
Conditions of Employment
This is an at-will position, with a three-month probationary period and annual performance evaluations. The successful candidate in this position will be willing to travel up to 25% of the work time throughout the U.S. and be willing and able to perform work in excess of 40 hours per week as work dictates. A copy of our Employee Handbook is available upon request.
To Apply:
Please send a résumé with cover letter to Doug Linkhart, President of the National Civic League, at DougL@NCL.org or by mail to National Civic League, Attn: Doug Linkhart, 190 East 9th Ave., Suite 200, Denver, CO 80203. Deadline for applications is December 17. Please call or email with any questions, 303-571-4343.
The National Civic League is committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity, and does not discriminate in the terms, conditions, or privileges of employment on account of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, or otherwise as may be prohibited by federal and state law.
