Job Announcement

Portland Jobs with Justice Seeks Executive Director

Portland Jobs with Justice (JwJ) is a coalition of 100 labor, faith, community, youth, and student organizations taking action for workers rights and economic justice with a racial and gender justice lens in the Portland Metro area.

Portland Jobs with Justice has operated as a long-term, formal coalition for more than 25 years. Our lasting relationships help build the power needed to win real changes in the lives of working families & our communities. We seek out strategic fights that build power for working people and address the root causes of problems facing workers and communities. In recent years Portland JwJ has helped win a statewide minimum wage increase, as well as stopped the Trans-Pacific Partnership and working with the City of Portland to divest from socially irresponsible financial institutions.

In this moment, our Solidarity Squad and the work we do with immigrants rights organizations in Portland is setting a model for the entire Jobs with Justice national network for how to keep our communities safe in this period. Two new areas of work center racial justice and gender justice at the intersections with workers rights and economic justice and position us as leaders and innovators locally and nationally: advancing racial justice and Black Lives Matter in bargaining for the common good with our labor union partners, and our new collaboration to train working people – people of color, LGBTQ people, women, and young workers – in their rights at work, workers safety and health, and organizing and leadership development.

Portland JwJ is seeking an Executive Director to lead the organization in its next stage. The ideal candidate will excel at developing and implementing a strategic vision, building and maintaining relationships, marshalling resources, and building consensus among diverse stakeholders with different priorities to enable effective work together on a common goal.

This position reports to our Executive Committee and currently supervises two staff organizers.

Job Responsibilities:

The Executive Director will lead Portland JwJ to win justice in workplaces and communities through:

Supporting and Supervising Staff:

  • Hire, evaluate, and terminate staff as appropriate in conjunction with the Board
  • Provide consistent staff supervision
  • Lead ongoing organizational planning to support the development of staff workplans and goal setting
  • Identify opportunities for staff development

Administration, Fundraising, and Management:

  • Develop the organization’s annual budget and fundraising plan in coordination with the staff and Board
  • Raise the annual budget with the support of organizational leaders and staff
  • Build and maintain relationships with foundations and other major donors
  • Manage grant proposals and reports
  • Plan and lead implementation of  annual grassroots fundraisers with leaders and staff
  • Financial compliance with all local, state, and federal reporting requirements and fees

Board and Leadership Cultivation:

  • Manage relationships, communication, and coordination of the Board with the support and leadership of Board Co-Chairs
  • Work with Board Co-Chairs to plan regular meetings, delegate responsibilities to Board members, and ensure follow through
  • Serve as the primary spokesperson for the organization; represent Portland JwJ to elected officials, the media, the general public, and at a variety of labor and community coalition tables
  • Work with Board and staff to recruit new organizational members to Portland JWJ

Campaigns and programs:

  • Work with staff organizers and partner organizations to develop campaign and programmatic plans and strategy, and to choose new campaigns and programs when appropriate
  • Supervise organizing staff to track progress, evaluate, and problem solve

Required Qualifications:

The Executive Director will have:

  • Outstanding leadership skills, and the ability to connect with and build effective teams of diverse partners across the community
  • A strong commitment to and understanding of worker justice and the labor movement and diversity, equity and inclusion of people of color, women, young people, LGBTQ people, immigrants and refugees, and many other members of our communities
  • Demonstrated skill and experience in developing campaign and program strategy, managing campaigns and programs, and helping others to mobilize coalition partners around campaigns.
  • Strong managerial skills and the ability to develop and implement an organizational vision.
  • Strong ability to develop and maintain funder relationships
  • The ability to mobilize grassroots support
  • Demonstrated success managing multiple simultaneous projects and organizational needs
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills
  • Ability to provide oversight for finances and record-keeping

Term of employment: This is a full-time position. We are seeking someone to start as soon as April 15, 2017, with a strong preference for a start date of no later than April 30, 2017.

Compensation: $50,000-60,000 based on experience, fully paid health and dental benefit, generous leave policy

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled, though candidates are strongly encouraged to submit their materials immediately. Please send a cover letter, resume, and three professional references with emails and phone numbers to jobs@jwjpdx.org.

Portland Jobs with Justice is an equal opportunity employer. We strongly encourage people of color, women, LGBTQ, and differently-abled people to apply.