Job Opportunities

Deputy Director

Application deadline: January 3, 2023

Annual Salary $87,903 – $97,760
Full-Time Exempt
Must be based in Atlanta, GA or willing to relocate after hired on an agree upon time [SPARK does not pay for relocation] [temporarily remote due to COVID]

Required Travel: Due to COVID-19, SPARK staff will not be traveling until it is safe to do so. When travel can be safely resumed, expected travel is approximately 25%.

Compensation: $87,903 – $97,760 annual salary, commensurate with experience; benefits include medical, dental, visual, and paid time off

TO APPLY: Submit a cover letter, resume, and three references to info@sparkrj.org with “Deputy Director” in the subject line. In your cover letter, please describe an organizational systems challenge that you encountered and how you dealt with that situation.

About SPARK

Founded in 2007, SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW (SPARK) builds and strengthens the power of our communities and a reproductive justice movement that centers Black Women and Queer & Trans Youth of Color in Georgia and the South. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, we have fostered a dynamic, collaborative model of advocacy, leadership development, collective action, and discourse that creates change and impact for Black women and queer people’s struggles for reproductive justice.

SPARK serves as an entrypoint and leadership pipeline for new social justice leaders, and a political home for Black women and young people, centering Black queer women, trans folx and folx living outside the gender binary. We utilize arts, culture and media to build resources for and shift narratives about our communities. SPARK engages in power building through grassroots organizing, advocacy, knowledge-building, and political development of its base and members in Georgia and across the US South.


Position Summary

Reporting to the Executive Director, the Deputy Director will be a strategic thought-partner and exceptional manager working collaboratively with staff and stakeholders to build and sustain both the organization and the Reproductive Justice movement’s infrastructure in service to SPARK’s base. The successful candidate will be a proven manager with demonstrated ability to be both hands-on and agile in support of organizational goals. They will oversee a team, office management, administration, development, and departmental budgeting, and will inform and align strategic growth and programming goals to operational excellence in service to SPARK’s mission.

A successful candidate will have a passion for SPARK’s mission, values, vision, and significant experience in each of the following operational areas: administration, facilities and office management, human resources, and development. They will be a creative and strategic thinker, strong at improving and institutionalizing processes, a quick learner, and a team player committed to strengthening organizational culture.

The Deputy Director is a highly visible management position that assists the Executive Director with the development and execution of operational policies for the organization. Work to secure financial support for SPARK, write grants, oversee operations, programs, and organize fundraisers. Additionally, the Deputy Director will oversee government affairs and legislative strategy.

Role Description

Strategic Management and Organizational Leadership

  • In collaboration with the Executive Directors, the Deputy Director will be responsible for the strategic directions of SPARK.
  • Support management of the organization’s strategic plan budget and fundraising strategy.
  • Supervise and mentor senior staff to ensure quality work and accountability.
  • Ensure the operationalization and adherence to all SPARK’ policies and procedures.
  • Create a supportive environment that fosters personal responsibility and commitment to SPARK goals and values.
  • Lead and promote an organizational culture that embraces SPARK’s mission and values and works with staff to create and maintain a workplace reflective of those values.
  • Represent SPARK at conferences, professional associations, and other public venues
  • Collaborates with senior leadership to understand the organization’s goals and strategy related to staffing, organizational structure recruiting, and retention.
  • Participate in the development of the organization’s plans and programs as a strategic partner, particularly from the perspective of the impact on people.
  • Develop and track indications or organizational culture and engage employees and senior leadership to create organizational change.
  • Facilitate organizational change management and help leaders align goals with communication strategies to support desired changes.

Operational Management and Team Support

  • Direct and manage the overall operations of SPARK.
  • Oversee management of contracts, procurement, and operations.
  • Oversee human resource management at SPARK.
  • Support and oversight to the team in all program planning, budgeting, documentation and monitoring.
  • Ensure timely, accurate and quality financial and narrative reporting compliance with donors
  • Ensure efficient and functioning operation systems.
  • Foster intra-department linkages, communication and synergies within SPARK.
  • Implement and foster adherence to the established SPARK policies, regulations, guidelines and procedures and strengthen transparent governance.
  • Contribute effectively to the overall strategic visioning, conceptual development, planning and monitoring of SPARK’s work.
  • In collaboration with the Executive Directors, appoint senior leadership/management and all other employees
  • Ensure adherence to policies and statutory compliance.
  • Create and implement organizational-wide training, development opportunities, and support employee development programs
  • Lead, coach develop, and retain SPARK’s high-performance team with an emphasis on developing capacity in strategic analysis and planning and program budgeting
  • Oversee processes for review and resolution of employee grievances
  • Coordinate SPARK’s internal physical and digital security protocols
  • Share in knowledge dissemination, reporting, and communications
  • Manage the Operations Coordinator
  • Manage the Communications Associate/Manager

Internal and External Relations

  • Facilitate internal processes for SPARK staff that build skills and commitment to organizational values and social justice.
  • Demonstrate effective, values driven leadership to all SPARK staff.
  • Foster a conducive environment that is transparent, accountable and supportive
  • Work collaboratively with the Executive Directors on strategic decisions and leadership of SPARK.
  • Represent SPARK at national processes and events in and beyond.
  • Manage donor relations in collaboration with the Executive Directors
  • Coordinating and managing the board/board governance– as assigned by the Executive Director
  • Facilities management
  • Develop, implement, and oversee HR infrastructure, policies, and strategies including recruitment and hiring of new staff.
  • Supervise, train, and develop operations coordinator and any other operations/admin staff
  • Oversees Government affairs, policies, and engagement
  • Oversees Research and Advocacy
  • Share representation of SPARK in partnership with ED
  • Track and evaluate progress on internal goals and strategies
  • Plan, coordinate, and execute the annual budget process including collectively budgeting with staff and youth, managing effectively within this budget, and reporting accurately on progress made.
  • Oversee organizational development strategies
  • Work with the Operations Coordinator to plan and implement planning and staff development retreats
  • Manage the infrastructure to ensure the organizational, operational, legal and financial health and effectiveness of the organization
  • Collaborate with Executive Director and lead team to maintain and advance an organizational culture that supports work/life balance and foster positive staff relations
  • Ensure that staff members receive the evaluation, training, support, supervision and leadership development that they need to succeed
  • Work with staff to develop objective performance measurements across all sites, to ensure consistent, high quality evaluation and goal setting for all employees.
  • Instill a sense of accountability among team members by modeling tight oversight of individual and organization performance standards.
  • Recruit, hire, and oversee training and orientation of all staff members
  • Oversee and assist in grant writing and development
  • Support overall fundraising and implementation of the strategic plan (including playing a supportive role in fundraising efforts)
  • Prepare written reports, meetings summaries, and related materials as required
  • Develop funder relationships alongside Executive Director
  • Monitor fundraising and grants calendar across all implicated staff
  • Effectively collaborate with partner organizations in joint fundraising

Business Development and Programmatic

  • Manage relevant programmatic deadlines, grant deliverable, and reporting in collaboration with other programmatic staff
  • Coordinate fundraising initiatives as needed, in collaboration with the Program Director
  • Act as a thought partner to the Executive Director in thinking strategically on how to thoughtfully expand SPARK’s network, programs, how to leverage relationships, and grow relationships through targeted correspondence and/or creative outreach strategies
  • Build and maintain strong partner relationships; exceptional relationship-builder
  • Implement client outreach strategies and innovative client offerings
  • Collaborate with SPARK teammates, board, and Executive Director to produce curriculum, toolkits, and training materials for SPARK
  • Develop thought leadership around specific topics/emerging practice areas

Reporting

  • The Deputy Director will lead SPARK operations and oversee employee development, human resources, programming and development. They will report to the Executive Directors of SPARK.
  • The Operations Coordinator, Dept Director(s), and Manager(s) will report directly to the Deputy Director.

Qualifications

  • At least 10 years work experience with at least 5 years in executive leadership roles.
  • At least 5-6 years in Reproductive Justice work or movement work
  • Experience in organizational design, managing up, and leading HR/people processes in a non-profit setting is a plus
  • Demonstrated ability to develop, implement and manage business systems and processes to support a growing organization
  • Demonstrated commitment and experience working within Reproductive Justice, Queer & Trans liberation, and Black liberation organizations
  • Excellent project management skills and extensive experience developing and delivering on goals and strategies
  • At least three years of financial management experience
  • Strong written, oral, and interpersonal communications skills
  • Proficiency with project management tools, accounting software, Microsoft Office

Work Environment and Physical Demands

SPARK staff mostly work remotely, due to COVID, with some in-person activity/tasks. When not in a pandemic, we work in our SPARK office during the week, hold in-person retreats and meetings, partner meetings, conferences, and travel both locally and throughout the US. This position may require additional travel. This job will require regular work on a computer, including typing, reading a screen, video meetings, and audio calls.

To Apply

Submit a cover letter, resume, and three references to info@sparkrj.org with “Deputy Director” in the subject line. In your cover letter, please describe an organizational systems challenge that you encountered and how you dealt with that situation.

Who You Are

As the newest member of the SPARK team, you’ll have a deep attention to detail, appetite for self and organizational growth, a passion for liberation movements, and courageous yet compassionate communication skills.

  • You have a results orientation. You have an “it’s handled” mentality and have demonstrated experience coordinating successful projects independently. Because SPARK works from multiple sties on many incredible projects, we will rely on you to focus in on the mission, act decisively to ward off distraction, and assertively set clear boundaries to keep your work moving in the right direction.
  • You have a high attention to detail. You check things multiple times, have your own systems of keeping yourself organized and there’s rarely errors in your work.
  • You are creative and innovative. You can see a need and propose a solution. You’re passionate about supporting movements to be stronger, and are able to coordinate and execute on successful projects with limited guidance.
  • You lead with integrity. You care about what fixes the problem, even if it’s not what an organization (or a person) wants to hear. You stand by your work and are an honest and accountable collaborator.
  • You’re a vault. What’s said to you stays with you. You understand the risks of disclosing sensitive information and have a deep experience with managing confidentiality.

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