Vacancy: Director of Leadership Programs – REMOTE

About Equality Federation and Equality Federation Institute:

Equality Federation is the movement builder and strategic partner to state-based organizations advocating for LGBTQ people. From Equality Florida to Freedom Oklahoma to Basic Rights Oregon, we amplify the power of the state-based LGBTQ movement.

We work on critical issues—from advancing workplace fairness and family recognition to defeating anti-transgender bathroom bans and HIV criminalization laws—that affect how LGBTQ people experience the world from cradle to grave.

We are a highly motivated and organized group of professionals who operate in distributed organization; our entire team works remotely, collaborates online, and gathers for in-person staff retreats and member convenings several times each year.

The Opportunity:

We are adding an experienced leader who is passionate about LGBTQ equality, social justice, leadership development, and organizational capacity building to our team. Reporting to the Senior Director of Programs, you will head up our Leadership Program, one of our two major program areas. Your mission will be to ensure that state equality groups build power by developing and supporting strong, resilient, and adaptive leaders in sustainable organizations.

We believe that where we call home matters. Our local communities and home states impact so much of our day to day lives—especially for LGBTQ people who face different laws, climates and policies depending on where they live. That is why state and local leaders working for LGBTQ equality are such an important part of our movement. You’ll get to work with remarkable leaders, staff, and boards through coaching and mentoring, on-site and online facilitation and planning with member organizations, and by convening them for powerful opportunities to connect and learn together.

Your skills in building trusting relationships, facilitating organizations and coalitions in planning the way forward, and creating opportunities for learning from experts and peers will be critical to your success. You are excited about travel and getting on the ground, where the work is happening. A racial equity analysis informs your approach to building leaders and organizations.

You will work remotely and may be based anywhere in the contiguous United States with broadband internet and access to a major airport.

Key Objectives and Responsibilities:

Build organizational and leadership capacity in Equality Federation member organizations. Equality Federation prioritizes building strong organizations and leaders. You will lead these efforts, both developing and delivering content and managing consultants and other Federation staff who do so. Our current projects include:

• Emerging States: targeted organizational and leadership development for 5 low-capacity states.
• Raising the States: fundraising capacity building project in partnership with Network for Good.
• General organizational and leadership development for our member groups: theory of change and goal setting with boards; training and supporting boards on governance; and training and facilitating planning for state staff; coaching for board and leadership staff.

In addition, you will partner with other EFI staff on these leadership development projects:

• Executive Director Development: Partner with Senior Director of Programs on running New ED Boot Camp and providing coaching to several EDs each year.
• Field Development: Partner with Director of Advocacy Programs to support training, coaching and leadership development opportunities for state field leaders.

With primary responsibility for our annual Leadership Conference and three regional summits, you will ensure these signature events are well-organized, promote peer-learning, and showcase the latest information, trends and strategy.

• Lead the team of Federation staff and consultants that plan and execute the conferences.
• Manage development of content for workshops and plenaries.
• Foster an experience that encourages relationship building.

You’ll also lead our project to build LGBTQ organizational leadership on state-level HIV policy:

• Support our member groups and statewide coalitions advancing HIV policy goals in our current priority states: Kentucky, Louisiana, and Ohio.
• Convene a peer-learning cohort of member organizations actively working on HIV policy, including both priority states and other organizations.
• In partnership with the Advocacy Program, provide education opportunities about HIV policy to our entire membership through our convenings.

Finally, we expect this team to grow, and you’ll manage additional leadership program staff or contractors, including contract coordinator for conference. A program associate position will be hired in the next year, subject to funding availability.

Key Competencies and Experience:

• Facilitation and training
• Coaching and mentoring
• Planning and developing theory of change/strategic frameworks
• Relationship and coalition building
• Program development and evaluation
• Demonstrated commitment to advancing LGBTQ and/or progressive issues
• Strong racial equity analysis
• Project management
• Grant writing, or writing program goals and objectives
• Ability to travel up to 30%

Additional Competencies and Experience:

• Education in organizational theory, group dynamics, leadership theory, nonprofit or business administration
• Experience working in or with small/midsize nonprofit organizations
• Event/conference planning
• Experience building teams and supervising employees and contractors
• Experience working remotely