Executive Director

Position: Full-time, Exempt

Reports to: Board of Directors 

Organization Overview

Latino Union is a member driven organization committed to building power for low-wage immigrant and US-born workers and dignified, respectful work and lives. The organization collaborates with low-income immigrant and U.S.-born workers to develop the tools necessary to collectively improve social and economic conditions. Latino Union members work to defend the rights and dignity of contingent workers, including the right to immigrate, work, live free of oppression and violence, and provide for oneself and one’s family. The organization is firmly grounded at the intersection of racial/ethnic equity, labor, and immigrant rights.

Women temporary workers founded Latino Union of Chicago in 2000 to improve working conditions in temporary employment agencies and in the communities where they lived and worked. Latino Union has expanded to include several initiatives to protect worker rights. The Albany Park Workers Center is an alternative to street corner day labor hiring sites. As the only day laborers central hiring and education hub in the Midwest, it is a safe place for employers to connect with landscaping, construction, moving, maintenance and home and office cleaning professionals. The Immigrant & Worker Action Project provides day laborers and household workers with individualized support for wage theft and immigration cases.

The Day Labor Program reaches hundreds of construction and landscaping industry day laborers each year with vital information on preventing construction accidents and wage theft, as well as workforce development and education services. Programs include workplace health and safety training certification, for over 500 workers to date, and credentials in green cleaning, child development, and elder care.

Latino Union has been critical in founding coalitions, leading campaigns, and organizing workers to advocate for policy change. For example, the Chicago Coalition of Household Workers is a group of nannies, house cleaners, and homecare workers creating justice in their workplaces, homes, and communities. Latino Union is also a founding member of the Just Pay for All Coalition, the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, and the Raise the Floor Alliance.

Many of these campaigns have resulted in meaningful policy changes. Latino Union member advocacy was successful in establishing the Day Laborer Protection Act, which regulates temporary hiring agencies statewide to protect workers’ rights. In more recent years, legislative accomplishments include the Illinois Domestic Workers Bill of Rights and the Cicero Sanctuary Law. Moreover, Latino Union is widely recognized for May Day marches that mobilized over 1 million people and extensive public education and outreach efforts, particularly around illegal ICE raids and immigrant rights.

For more information about Latino Union visit https://www.latinounion.org/.

Position Summary:                                  

A Transformative Leader with a Commitment to Organizing and Social Justice

Latino Union is seeking a transformative leader, with organizing as a passion and social justice as a mission. The ideal candidate is committed to equity and shared decision making in every aspect of the organization. Latino Union is a fully bilingual, member-centered and worker-driven organization invested in individual growth, community solidarity, and movement building. Its next leader will embrace these values, build on the established foundation, and help guide the organization to its next level of impact.

We are a grassroots organization whose work is shaped and informed by members and organizers. We navigate between members, staff, and Board to achieve this. Organizing is demanding and requires flexibility; the executive director must lead by prioritizing and supporting a balance between work and personal life with self, directors, organizers, members and board.

The executive director leads the organization, aligns operations with values, and manages the administrative and organizing teams. Building on the strong infrastructure established in the last five years, the next leader of Latino Union will expand the organization’s impact and ensure it remains sustainability. The leader provides and assures mentoring, guidance, supervision, and professional development for all team members.

The ideal candidate will have a successful track record of results as an executive leader in a member-driven organization, with a specific emphasis on labor and immigrant organizing, worker protection, training, and empowerment, movement building, and advocacy. The Executive Director represents Latino Union with key external partners, coalitions, and institutional funders to enhance Latino Union’s leadership profile at the intersection of labor rights, immigrant rights, and racial/ethnic equity. The Executive Director works to ensure that the vision and voices of day laborers and household workers are reflected at every level of the organization. The Executive Director will lead the organization in its next phase of development with a strong emphasis on maintaining its core mission and investing in care, development and advancement of staff while expanding its sustainability, visibility, reach and impact.

 Responsibilities                                     

Leadership, Management and Organizational Strategy

• Inspire team members, and support staff skill/knowledge development, to achieve Latino Union's organizational goals and program objectives, strengthen core functions, and develop resilience against environmental threats, uncertainty, and volatility.
• Open and foster spaces where workers can grow and develop their leadership through skill development, organizational representation, and program development.
• Make final HR determinations for staff matters within the organization adhering to the organization’s HR policies and procedures.
• Recruit and support members of the board of directors. The Executive Director must demonstrate a working knowledge of bylaws and other governing documents, to communicate these operational guidelines to board members and in preparation for the annual meeting where board elections take place.
• Facilitate the budget development process and maintain a high level of fiscal responsibility, including efficiency of financial management processes such as budgets, business processes, information systems, and financial reporting.
• Lead fund development efforts including cultivation and communication with a wide array of partners and funders, and explore innovative revenue generating opportunities including social enterprise.
• Promote a positive office culture through encouraging and modelling a balance between work and personal life. Encourage an environment where emotional energy is recognized and where collaborative decision-making is utilized.
• Work with the board to ensure staff needs and efforts are recognized, and to ensure compensation is fairly structured to allow for sustainability and growth.
• Represent Latino Union in relevant external settings, constituencies, and coalitions.

Program Oversight and Impact

• Lead the coordination of Latino Union’s programs and activities to align with the organization's values and overarching vision.
• Oversee the coordination, integration, and delivery of all programs and activities ensuring that expectations of members, constituents, clients, funders, partners, and other stakeholders are consistently met.
• Monitor emerging needs among Latino Union's member base and integrate members’ lived experience in program strategies and the policy agenda.
• Directly supervise organizing directors and program administrators, while also providing the space and support to allow them to fulfill their role as staff liaisons.
• Analyze and assess program impact based on data collected to ensure grant compliance and to inform the programmatic and operational decision-making process.

Organizing and Strategy Development

• Work closely with the board, worker members, and staff to develop and implement the organization’s strategic plan.
• Promote engagement, capacity building, and leadership development among worker members, staff, board members, and volunteers.
• Engage key stakeholders in setting the organization’s policy and advocacy agenda.
• Lead and participate in coalition building and advocacy strategies to achieve policy goals.
• Ensure equitable participation and shared decision making throughout the organization.

Experience and Qualifications                          

• A minimum of three (3) years of experience in an executive or senior leadership role in an organization focused on organizing or worker protections. Experience will be strongly taken into consideration.
• Strong track record in program planning, organizational structure, budgeting, administrative operations, and fundraising.
• Demonstrated experience in member-based engagement and leadership development, shared decision making, and participatory advocacy agenda setting.
• Demonstrated understanding of the fundamentals and challenges of labor organizing and non-profit sectors.
• Comprehensive knowledge in strategy planning and execution, and discipline in delivering high quality/high impact solutions and interventions.
• Expertise in one or more of the following areas: labor organizing, policy and advocacy, movement building, coalition building, social enterprise, popular education, restorative justice and strategy development.
• Must be bilingual – Spanish and preferably bicultural.

Competencies                                       

• Experience as leader in labor organizing, movement building, and member- driven nonprofit organization.
• Proven success in program development and performance.
• Strong track record of financial sustainability, including revenue generating social enterprise implementation and success.
• Demonstrated expertise in racial/ethnic equity.
• Understands issues facing low wage workers, immigrant communities, and other communities of color.
• Ability to apply racial equity analysis in the labor rights, gender violence, immigrant rights, and organizing sectors.
• Comfortable in relationship and consensus building with diverse stakeholders.
• Prioritizes worker member experience in developing strategies, decision making, and goal setting within the organization.
• Commitment to growth within the organization and continual learning.
• Self-directed individual who is an independent thinker and can nurture a team-oriented environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Well-organized individual with high ethical standards.
• Experience in working in a multiracial, multicultural environment.
• Dedication and ability to work flexible hours.

Personal Characteristics                              

• Orientation to and background in servant leadership.
• Belief in the power of worker members to drive an organization.
• Investment in the development of team and worker members.
• Passion for Latino Union's mission and purpose, and ability to communicate this passion to others.
• Ability to serve as an advocate and exemplar for the vision, values, and mission of Latino Union.
• Demonstrated strong interpersonal skills and high degree of emotional intelligence.

Work Environment   

Includes office and field activities.

Salary

Salary range is between $58,000 to $63,000, commensurate with experience. Compensation package includes health insurance and additional funds for professional development.

Additional Information

Consideration will be given to qualified candidates on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

All inquiries will remain confidential until establishment of mutual, serious interest and provision of references for review. Latino Union has retained ARISE Consulting, Inc. to conduct the search for their executive leader. Questions regarding the role or position description may be submitted to ARISE Consulting, Inc at LUexecutiveSearch@gmail.com.

To apply for this leadership role, please submit your cover letter, resume, and three references to LUexecutiveSearch@gmail.com

Latino Union is an Equal Opportunity Employer