The Texas Freedom Network (TFN) seeks a full-time Senior Program Director to work in our Austin office. TFN (tfn.org) is a statewide non-partisan, grassroots organization that is building an informed and effective movement working toward equality and social justice.

The Senior Program Director will ensure our teams are connecting and operating well internally and that our programs are visible and connected to state and national partners in our field, well-represented and understood by funders, and on a path for ongoing growth and success in the future.

Areas of Responsibility:

Ensuring program effectiveness:

  • Drive annual program planning and support ongoing strategic direction and development

  • Drive learning & evaluation processes to ensure our programs are on track to achieve the goals and timelines set out in annual planning and that we are continuously evolving and improving

  • Ensure effective interdepartmental and intradepartmental communication and connectivity so that critical information and programming are being shared and acted upon in a relevant and timely manner

  • Provide mentorship on organizing, advocacy and electoral work at the local and state level

  • Oversee program development, evolution and new program creation in partnership with Executive leadership and program staff

  • Stay laser-focused on overall priorities and deploying or re-deploying resources to their highest, best use for the overall organization 

  • Stay up to date about the dynamic movement, political and electoral landscape in Texas, including what’s happening with major players and stakeholders


Recruiting, training and mentoring staff:

  • Build a high-performing, inclusive team of program leaders, with equitable hiring and performance management best practices

  • Ensure that managers are effectively recruiting, training & managing staff on their teams

  • Ensure there are no gaps in development opportunities by race or gender

  • Advise on management and personnel issues for each program’s leadership

  • Make sure all program staff (especially those on the margins) have the support they need to thrive


Fundraising:

  • Support development team with grants and individual donors where needed

  • Keep development team apprised of program process and outcomes 

  • Network and cultivate relationship with donors where appropriate


Representing TFN:

  • Participate in public speaking opportunities about our programs 

  • Strategic network and relationship cultivation with current and key prospective partner organizations and coalitions

  • Participate in coalition activities as a decision-maker for the organization


Equity & Inclusion:

  • Monitor program results by race and gender to spot gaps and disparities

  • Engage and support staff to identify ways to improve on DEI efforts within programs and events


Compliance & Risk Management: 

  • Work with CFO to ensure that all reporting is correct and done on time and that all programs are legally compliant with our C3/C4/PAC regulations

  • Ensure program staff are adequately trained and supported to meet reporting and legal compliance requirements


Organizational Leadership

  • Serve on the Leadership Team with the President and CFO

  • Give input on strategic decisions and collaborate on other issues as needed

  • Be a thought partner on strategy, management, vision and program development

  • Ensure that all organizational decisions from leadership are translated to and through the program teams

  • Represent programmatic work with Board of Directors


The Approach:

Political & movement orientation - you consider yourself to be part of the progressive movement, interested & immersed in the social and political landscape in Texas.

Expert manager of people & projects - you build strong teams and know how to get great results with and through others. 

Visionary + strategic - you are focused on day-to-day performance, but are also able to pick your head up, step back, imagine different futures and what it would take to get there.

Organizational mindset & leadership - You model a high bar for performance and are able to balance the best interests of both your team AND the organization at the same time.

Judgement & Trust - you operate with great integrity, keeping confidences as needed, being honest about your opinions, sharing problems appropriately with leadership, and balancing competing demands to make solid decisions

Interpersonal communication - you skillfully communicate with your team, offering useful feedback with a growth mindset, staying in tune with peoples’ emotional state, and are able to resolve conflict directly and effectively. 

Relationship-builder - you build enthusiastic buy-in and trust with individuals from a wide range of backgrounds and partner organizations by centering and building strong relationships.

Proactive problem-solving - you are able to move your team and the organization through challenges and towards solutions by seeing both the detail and the big picture. Importantly, you see ahead, coming up with alternate paths forward before little things become big things and you know there are rarely only two choices in any situation. 

Flexibility - you are comfortable operating with uncertainty and change, ready to take advantage of unexpected opportunities and adapt quickly as the context shifts. 

Commitment to TFN core values & strategic approach - you identify deeply with the vision and values TFN holds as well as its approach to base-building and organizing 

Commitment to learning & applying an Equity & Inclusion Lens- You bring insight and a practical lens to places where identity, equity, and power intersect with the work. You can recognize ways that your and others’ identities show up and play out in the work, especially as a manager, and are committed to ongoing learning and practice in this area.


Compensations and Benefits:

Salary range is $90,000 – $110,000. Excellent benefits include health, dental and vision insurance, 401(k) plan, generous paid time off.

Applicants will be considered and interviewed on a rolling basis. Deadline: November, 15, 2020.

Texas Freedom Network is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. TFN 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, or disability.
This position has been filled. Would you like to see our other open positions?