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State Manager – North Carolina

About Black Futures Lab

The Black Futures Lab works to make Black communities powerful in politics. BFL transforms Black communities into constituencies that build and wield independent, progressive, Black political power. The problems facing Black communities are complex, and their solutions require innovation, experimentation, and Black political power.

The Black to the Future Action Fund is a 501(c)4 that works to transform Black communities into constituencies that build independent, progressive, Black political power in cities and states. We work to enact policy that improves the lives of Black people. We work to ensure that Black people have what all people deserve–dignity, safety, and power.

To make Black communities powerful in politics, Black Futures Lab:

  • Educates, Activates, and Motivates Black Voters
    • Black Futures Lab engages Black voters over the long term, empowering Black voters to share the community problems that affect their lives. BFL energizes Black communities to hold elected leaders, officials, and decision makers accountable for implementing policies that improve the lives of Black people.
  • Builds the Capacity of and Invests in Black Organizing Infrastructure
    • Black Futures Lab is committed to building power – and that takes resources. In partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, BFL’s Black Organizing Innovations Project awards grants to community organizations working to engage and activate Black communities. Recent grantees have received between $125,000 – $250,000 in key states such as Georgia, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Louisiana, and California.
  • Collects and Uses Relevant Data to Transform Communities
    • Black Futures Lab has launched the Black Census Project 2022, the largest survey of Black people in the United States in 157 years. The information gathered from the Census will be used to identify priority issues for Black communities, inform public policy, and shape an agenda created for Black people, by Black people.

The Opportunity

Black to the Future Action Fund is hiring for a shared State Manager position. This is a shared position with Black to the Future’s sister organization The Black Futures Lab.

The State Manager carries out the programmatic work of the Black to the Future Action Fund by building strong relationships with organizers, organizations, and elected officials in North Carolina; activating and mobilizing those relationships to meet the programmatic and strategic goals of the organization; and developing new relationships, partnerships, and collaborations.

The State Manager is supervised by the Field Director. In addition, this role will manage organizers. The position is based in North Carolina, and some duties may be performed remotely due to the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. Travel throughout the state is required.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Staff Management

  • Provide supervision and support to volunteers, temporary staff, and state-based organizers through weekly check-ins and weekly planning calls.
  • Train volunteers, temporary staff, and state-based organizers to lead effective and efficient organizing campaigns in Black communities.
  • Design and coordinate all state-based plans, ensuring collaboration with and implementation by the Lead Organizer.

Organizing

  • Oversee a volunteer-led organizing program focused on engaging and activating Black voters.
  • Oversee statewide civic engagement, advocacy, and electoral programs in Black communities.
  • Serve as chief strategist on local and state issues.
  • Engage, educate, and activate current and potential Black voters across North Carolina, with a particular focus on engaging rural residents in Eastern North Carolina and Durham, Guilford, Orange, Mecklenburg, and Wake counties.
  • Motivate and inspire new people to become politically engaged in ways that ultimately results in the expansion of the Black electorate and their ability to wield independent, Black political power.
  • Provide thought partnership on developing and executing statewide long-term and short-term strategic campaigns.
  • Mobilize Black communities to drive policy change efforts at the local and state levels.
  • Collaborate with organizational leadership to develop synergy and alignment across North Carolina focused issue campaigns, policy, movement politics, communications, and power building efforts.
  • Develop and lead activities that connect current and potential supporters to the Black Futures Lab community, while moving them up the ladder of engagement.
  • Conduct nonpartisan voter registration, education, and turnout efforts targeting Black voters.
  • Design and achieve metrics and goals.
  • Build Black Futures Lab’s supporter community.
  • Build a local volunteer base through outreach, 1-1 relationship building, leadership development, political education, and regular engagement.
  • Work with the Political Department to develop strategy to get progressive Governors and Secretary of States elected and to govern with progressive values.

Partnerships

  • Develop relationships and collaborate with elected officials/community members/organizations, and identify opportunities to partner in an effort to build and wield independent Black political power.
  • Represent the organization publicly and in coalitions, in addition to identifying, managing, and growing a portfolio of external allies and partners.
  • Facilitate and maintain relationships with Black-led grassroots organizations.
  • Regularly track and document active campaigns and priority issues for Black Futures Lab’s partner organizations, identifying and implementing ways for the Black Futures Lab to support.
  • Maintain regular communication with and engagement of partner organizations.
  • Represent the organization at local and statewide coalition tables.
  • Facilitate and provide technical assistance on civic engagement with local partners and the greater, black-led organizing community in North Carolina.

The aforementioned responsibilities are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel classified in this manner. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Candidate Profile

While no one candidate will possess every quality outlined for this position, a successful candidate will bring many of the following professional qualifications and personal attributes:

Movement Leader

The State Manager will be a strategic leader with experience spearheading transformational electoral organizing efforts, building grassroots power, and developing relationships to drive collective movement-building. They will have an ability to develop and drive an ambitious program to mobilize the Black community around winning state elections and key policy campaigns. Moreover, this leader will bring an inclusive lens and perspective to building political power and a passion for ensuring that the voices of the Black communities are centered.

Adaptable Change Agent

The State Manager will enlist support behind a unified strategy to drive effective execution. They will be a creative thinker with the ability to help lead Black to the Future and Black Futures Lab in developing innovative approaches to identifying, engaging, and growing its base of new and existing supporters. As a strong people leader, the State Manager will be an adaptable coach and mentor who can lead teams in a dynamic, ever-changing political landscape.

Bridge Builder

Critical to success in this role, the State Manager will be skilled at building and sustaining excellent relationships across Black Futures Lab. They will be an active partner with a demonstrated ability to connect and build bridges, including guiding the team in establishing deep, productive relationships with grassroots leaders.

Other factors for success include:

  • Inclusive management – Passion for building healthy teams that allow each team member to contribute to their fullest and thrive; bring experience providing leadership in development of inter-team communication and cohesiveness, sustaining culture, and supporting volunteers, staff, and organizers during organizational growth.
  • Strategy and vision – A strong track record of winning electoral campaigns and organizing Black communities in campaigns for racial justice, social justice, or related organization(s).
  • Organizational mindset & leadership – Demonstrated strategic planning skills, including an understanding of organizational, communications, political, and policy elements.
  • Interpersonal communication – Superb interpersonal skills, with an impressive history of forging strong relationships with multiple internal and external stakeholders.
  • Engagement – Experience working with a wide range of external partners, from grassroots organizers to established advocacy and policy organizations, with an inherent understanding of how to collaborate effectively.
  • Judgment and trust – Integrity, coupled with outstanding judgment and decision-making skills; an ability to be honest about personal opinions, share problems appropriately with leadership, and balance competing demands to make well-informed and strategic decisions.
  • Political & movement orientation – Have a proven commitment to racial or social justice movements, interested & immersed in the social and political landscape.
    In addition, strong candidates will offer:
  • Understands and can demonstrate and teach the mechanics of grassroots organizing; minimum of 5 years of grassroots organizing in Black communities in North Carolina required.
  • Established relationships and familiarity with North Carolina’s issue landscape, organizing groups, and institutions.
  • 5-6 years of demonstrated field organizing and managing organizers and volunteers.
  • Very well organized; excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Demonstrated ability to collaborate with colleagues and outside organizations and be able to multitask without sacrificing quality of work.
  • 4-5 years of demonstrated experience utilizing traditional and new organizing tactics/strategies to engage Black communities (i.e., canvassing, house meetings, SMS campaigns, and virtual events).
  • Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
  • Ability to foster a cooperative, team-oriented work environment.
  • Demonstrated previous experience organizing in Black communities in North Carolina, with a particular focus on engaging rural living North Carolina residents.
  • Proven ability to work in a manner that respects differences in race, ethnicity, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, religion, ability, and socio-economic circumstance.
  • Experience with organizing databases, VAN, Every Action, Hustle, etc.
  • Proficiency with G-suite.
  • Ability to work irregular hours, including evening and weekend events as necessary. Willingness to travel.

Compensation & Benefits

Pay for this position is commensurate with experience and responsibilities. The salary range for this position is $90,000 – $115,000. This position comes with medical and dental benefits, generous paid vacation, sick time, and holidays. This position is full-time, salaried, and exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Contact

Koya Partners, the executive search firm that specializes in mission-driven search, has been exclusively retained for this engagement. Chartise Clark and Tracy Michelle León of Koya Partners have been exclusively retained for this search.

To express interest in this role please submit your materials here. All inquiries and discussions will be considered strictly confidential.

Koya Partners is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email NonprofitSearchOps@divsearch.com. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.

Applications received via email or outside of the designated process will not be considered. Black Futures Lab, Black to the Future Action Fund, and Resilient Strategies LLC are equal opportunity, affirmative action employers. Folks who are queer, trans, non-binary, Black, Indigenous, people of color, disabled, parents, are/have been system-impacted, are immigrants, and anyone who has experienced systemic oppression and/or gender-based violence are encouraged to apply.