Managing Director

United We Dream (UWD) is the largest immigrant youth-led community in the country. We create welcoming spaces for young people – regardless of immigration status – to support, engage, and empower them to make their voices heard and win!

With an online reach of over 5 million every month, more than 1,000,000 members, as well as 4 statewide branches and local groups across 28 states, UWD is made up of fearless young people fighting to improve the lives of their members and their families. Our vision is a society which celebrates our diversity and believes in a multi-ethnic, intersectional path to getting there. Over 60% of our members are womxn and 30% identify as LGBTQ.

Whether we’re organizing in the streets, building innovative technology systems, opening doors for LGBTQ immigrant youth, clearing pathways to education, stopping deportations or creating alliances across social movements, United We Dream puts undocumented immigrant youth in the driver’s seat. UWD is a fast paced, dynamic organization which has become a leading voice in social change and has appeared in every major news outlet in the country.

We are driven by the priorities and needs of our members; have trained thousands of individuals; and have supported countless local organizing groups. Our grassroots-driven approach has a proven record of success and we’re looking for talented folks to join our team!

Learn more about United We Dream by visiting www.unitedwedream.org.

Position Summary

United We Dream is seeking a Managing Director to support the organization in its next chapter. We are looking for a strategic, insightful, and mission-driven leader who thrives on creating community and building momentum in service to a common cause. Reporting to and working in partnership with the Executive Director (ED,) the Managing Director works to connect the dots across UWD, ensuring that organizational management, culture and practices best serve our strategic priorities and commitment to immigrant youth, racial and economic equity. In this  role on UWD’s executive team, the Managing Director will see how their unique contributions can further our mission, while identifying larger operational patterns and opportunities within our organization to build power.

The Managing Director is a top advisor to the Executive Director on strategy, program, internal operations and team management, and external relations. The role involves a combination of internal and external leadership, including managing key strategic partnerships, while also overseeing the internal communications and systems of the organization. As a member of both the Senior Team and the Planning Team, this position works closely with the Chief Operating Officer, the Organizing Director, the Senior Marketing & Creative Director, and other members of the Senior Team.

The ideal candidate will be passionate about UWD’s mission and be highly motivated about working in a fast-growing organization. They must be committed to fighting for freedom and dignity for all communities of color, a skilled multi-tasker, reliable and committed to meeting deadlines while working collaboratively across teams in a fast-paced environment. 

This is a full-time exempt position based in Washington, D.C. Periodic travel expected, when we are out of the pandemic. Although not required, major plus if you are multilingual.

Responsibilities 

• Advisor: Serves as thought partner and councilor to Executive Director on strategy, program, internal operations and team management, and key external relations. Represents the Executive Director and speaks with their voice in both internal and external settings.

• Internal Leadership: Supports Executive Director in leading a strategic, impactful, and equitable organization, including culture and internal communications. Staffs the Executive Director in internal settings and drafts materials--all staff communications, talking points, etc.--to contribute to their effective team-building and leadership. Leads all-staff meetings.
• Leads on team culture and management. Serve as a visible and active member of the Planning Team (PT) along with the Executive Director, Chief Operating Officer, Senior Marketing and Creative Director and the National Organizing Director
• External Leadership: Owns key external organizational partnerships and strategy with the Executive Director. Holds priority partnerships and leads for sensitive external political interactions.
• Your work will span across the whole organization and will include cross-cutting areas such as how departments communicate so that the work does not fall through the cracks

• Special Initiatives: Leads organizational projects or initiatives, in coordination with the planning team on internal projects. Significant role in internal equity and team culture work.

Organizational Leadership

• Support fundraising: Collaborate with ED and Development Department team in fundraising strategy for organizational priorities
• Demonstrate embodied leadership: Prioritize taking care of your physical and emotional health as a key component of thriving in your role. Practice self-care behaviors in ways that work best for you and proactively encourage your staff to prioritize self-care as well. Project trust & confidence in your abilities and skills and recognize the achievements and abilities of others
• Strengthen the culture: Ensure a safe, welcoming, and inspiring organizational culture for staff to excel in. Role model and uphold UWD’s values of creating an inclusive and equitable working environment

Desired Qualifications and Skills

• 5+ years of experience in the progressive, non-profit or movement space
• A critical thinker and a capable, flexible, curious generalist.
• You’ve developed and executed a project plan involving many moving pieces and collaborators.
• You can communicate clearly, especially in writing, and understand your audience and their interests.
• Experience with the building of management, coaching and leadership development.
• The ability to build strong relationships internal to the organization and external for the organization
• Experience with seeing the long vision of an organization while understanding the details lead to the end goal.
• Experience with being able to conceptualize and approach problems and solutions in a proactive, constructive, and innovative manner that will result in improved performance across the organization.
• Strong followthrough with principals and with organizers.
• Strong writing and communication skills
• A passion for the mission: We believe that those closest to the pain are the closest to the solutions, therefore you must be committed to UWD being an immigrant youth-led organization

Interpersonal Skills

• An exceptional team player; exemplifies a work style that is flexible, respectful, collaborative and nimble;
• Can build trust, confidence, and followership of diverse range of staff, fellow, partner organizations - across race, gender, and other identities
• Demonstrated record of mentorship and leadership development in previous positions

Cultural Competency

• Strong understanding of the immigrant experience
• Understanding of race, gender, sexuality and other aspects of identity, and their intersections, and how that plays out in the work
• Demonstrates self-awareness of their own multiple group identities and their attendant dynamics, and can adapt the approach as needed
• Ability to build strong relationships and trust across race, gender, class, and other group identities, both internally and externally
• Experience working in communities of color and/or building multiracial organizing efforts
• Knowledge of immigrants rights’ policy and organizing landscape, preferably with lived experience as an undocumented person, immigrant, or immigrant family 

To Apply

Please visit:  https://glymph-consulting.breezy.hr/p/4eb5124d94c6-united-we-dream-managing-director

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UWD is an equal opportunity employer; people of color and individuals from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. UWD does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic background, citizenship status, religion, political orientation, genetic information, sexual orientation, age or disability.