State Partnerships Director

Title: State Partnerships Director
Department: State Capacity Building
Status: Exempt
Reports to: Vice President, Governance and Affiliate Services
Positions Reporting to this Position: None
Location: Flexible (the employee may decide whether to work remotely and/or from an LCV office)
Travel Requirements: Up to 20%
Union Position: Yes
Job Classification Level: F
Salary Range (depending on experience): $96,418 -$144,627

General Description:

LCV believes our earth is worth fighting for because everyone has a right to clean air, water, and a safe, healthy, equitable and just community. To ensure those rights are protected, we help people use their power to shape policy, hold politicians and polluters accountable, and influence elections.

For more than 50 years, LCV has grown into a potent political force for protecting our planet and everyone who inhabits it. We have built a powerful national movement with 30 state affiliates, and grassroots and community organizing programs across the country.

LCV is seeking a State Partnerships Director who will work with our independent state affiliates to expand and deepen authentic, long-term partnerships with communities of color, low-wealth communities, working families, rural towns, and other communities most impacted by climate change, environmental harm, and threats to democracy. The goal of these partnerships is to shape community-driven equitable and just policy solutions and action that are centered in a shared vision, goals, and commitment to action that is grounded in shared power and resources, mutual respect, authenticity, and collaborative decision making. The State Partnerships Director will work closely with state affiliate staff and LCV state program leads. The ideal candidate is an experienced and effective leader, creative thinker, and effective collaborator and coach who has built multi-racial coalitions and/or partnerships grounded in principles of racial equity and social justice.

Responsibilities:

• Work with state and national staff to implement a network-wide multi-year vision and strategy for strengthening movement building efforts, with a focus on building reciprocal and authentic partnerships with organizations led by and working in low-wealth communities, communities of color, and other communities most impacted by climate change, environmental harm, and threats to democracy. Ensure resource sharing and capacity building are integrated into the strategy.
• Support individual state affiliates to build new partnerships and expand whom they engage to strengthen the political power of the climate, conservation, and democracy movements; pass stronger policies that are relevant to, and improve the lives of people most impacted by climate change and threats to our democracy; and elevate and center the perspectives and influence of these communities. 
• Collaborate with LCV program leads to share funding, capacity building, and other resources with state partner organizations and coalitions.
• Plan and implement training programs to build CVM skills in movement building, coalition building and developing partnerships, in coordination with LCV program leads and State Capacity Building staff, as needed.
• Partner with state affiliates to embed shared racial and economic justice principles into their programs and help develop tools for learning and self-assessment.
• Develop strategies and tactics with state affiliates to eliminate barriers caused by institutional racism in political and policy making structures, and work collaboratively to ensure full participation by communities of color, low-income communities, working families, and other impacted communities. 
• Support departmental program staff to advance a broad set of clean energy, environmental, and democracy policy goals that help to tackle systemic racial and economic inequities.
• Work as a member of the State Capacity Building team to craft multi-year and annual plans for building the Conservation Voters Movement’s capacity on partnerships.
• Travel up to 20% of the time for in-state visits with state affiliate staff, retreats, training, and conferences, as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Work Experience:
  • Required – At least 5 years of experience working with racially and socioeconomically diverse coalitions and/or partners, including:
    • Extensive experience building high performing coalitions and/or developing deep partnerships with racially and socioeconomically diverse groups that vary in capacity.
    • Experience mediating and resolving conflicts between partner groups.
    • Knowledge of issue advocacy — including grassroots organizing, electoral, and issue campaign strategies.
  •  Preferred – Experience developing and implementing policy advocacy campaigns. Experience working with or within environmental justice organizations and/or local and state organizations working on democracy and/or climate organizing in low-wealth communities or communities of color.
• Skills: Ability to understand structural and institutional inequity and interpersonal power dynamics and proven ability to analyze situations to engage and address them. Excellent written and verbal communication, facilitation, and public speaking skills. Emotional intelligence, strong interpersonal skills, humor, humility, compassion, patience and persistence. Demonstrated ability to develop collaborative, productive, respectful relationships with leaders and organizations representing grassroots, community-based organizations. Ability to coach and train leaders, managers, and staff at all levels on how to effectively create and manage multi-racial coalitions and/or partnerships. Ability to create, plan, and implement strategies tailored to varying geographic and political contexts.

• Cultural Competence: Demonstrated awareness of one’s own cultural identity, views about difference, and the ability to learn and build on varying cultural and community norms. Commitment to equity and inclusion as organizational practices and culture. Understands on environmental issues intersect with racism, economic and social inequality in the U.S. and has a passion for working to dismantle these systems. Interested in electoral politics and understanding of how the electoral landscape affects policy advocacy.

• Working Conditions: This job operates in a professional office environment, and routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, and audiovisual systems. This position is largely sedentary, often standing or sitting for prolonged periods. The person in this position frequently communicates with partners and must be able to exchange accurate information. Applicants need to be located in and legally authorized to work in the United States. LCV requires all employees working from our offices or participating in in-person meetings or events to be fully up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccinations, subject to reasonable accommodation as required by law.

LCV offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that includes vacation, sick and parental leave, personal days, paid holidays, health insurance (two plan options for staff to choose from), dental and vision insurance, life and disability insurance (short- and long-term), Flexible Spending Account, 401(k) retirement plan with company matching contribution, commuter benefits program, sabbatical, and student loan assistance.

To Apply: Send cover letter and resume to hr@lcv.org with “State Partnerships Director” in the subject line by September 17, 2023. No phone calls please. 

LCV is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to a racially just, equitable and inclusive workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information, or any other protected status. LCV is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please contact hr@lcv.org.

Website: https://www.lcv.org/careers/state-partnerships-director/

To Apply: Send cover letter and resume to hr@lcv.org with “State Partnerships Director” in the subject line by September 17, 2023. No phone calls please.