National Training Manager

About Advance Native Political Leadership Action Fund

Advance Native Political Leadership Action Fund (Advance) was founded to address the historical traumas, present realities, and future prospects of Native peoples in the United States. Advance is the only national Native American-led organization working to address the vast disparity and unique barriers that exist for Indigenous people in U.S. politics. We are focused on increasing the visibility and representation of Native Americans, especially Indigenous women, in elected offices at all levels by recruiting and training emerging candidates and leaders, and building and connecting national and state-based networks for political organizing. By expanding Native representation in elected office, we actively shape a future where our government is truly reflective of all our communities. Native peoples are ready to serve in leadership with talents rooted in values that make our ancestors proud.

About the Role

Advance Native Political Leadership Action Fund is seeking a highly skilled Training Manager to join our growing team. The Training Manager will report directly to the National Program Manager and lead the project management and coordination of all training programs under the Native Leadership Institute, inclusive of the full recruitment and selection lifecycle, trainer network development and management, curriculum adaptations, and event planning for up to a dozen in-person and virtual trainings per year. Advance Native Political Leadership is looking for candidates who are energetic and enthusiastic about developing quality training programs, a systems-thinker who can develop and maintain tight project management plans, schedules, and budgets, and who can identify and coordinate with outside vendors, partners, and internal experts as needed to create, develop, and execute a comprehensive curriculum for Indigenous audiences across the country. If you believe in the transformative power of leadership development programs, have a minor obsession for consistent and quality slide decks, and geek out over well-executed, experiential events – you've found your home!

Roles & Responsibilities

These responsibilities are an estimation of the role. The role may change based on applicant skill sets, interests, and evolving needs of the organization.

• Training Management (40%)
  • Develop and deliver excellent, timely, and innovative training programs that demonstrably grow the number of skilled Native candidates and field experts across the country through webinars, in person trainings and other formats;
  • Have complete ownership over and hold responsibility for updating the Native Leadership Institute’s operations manual;
  • Maintain detailed project plans, schedules, and budgets for all NLI events and activities, ultimately serving as the team’s chief project manager for all event related activities;
  • Coordination of travel, accommodations, vendors, logistics, and run of shows for the NLI in-person trainings and events;
  • Manage email coordination, updates, welcome packages, graduation gifts, gift inventory, and other items as needed with participants of NLI using the operations manual;
  • Work with state-based partners to roll out and adapt NLI programming to state-specific needs, establish locations, identify key stakeholders, manage project plans, and coordinate with partners to successfully bring the training programs to new states;
  • In coordination with National Program Manager, develop, maintain, and coordinate supplemental trainings for interested parties, partners, and alumni;
  • Manage, track, and process invoices, contracts, expenses, and reimbursements for Native Leadership Institute (NLI) training, events, and participation.

• Recruitment (30%)
  • Maintain and refine NLI recruitment lifecycle: send applications to interested Native leaders, schedule interviews, and select NLI classes in coordination with National Program Manager;
  • Maintain updated database of applicants to NLI programs, with status of application, contact and demographic information, class year/number, and pathway to office;
  • Maintain strategic recruitment relationships, in coordination with Strategic Partnerships Fellows, coordinating with vendors, state partners, and tribal leaders to drive increased recruitment for NLI programs.

• Trainer Network (20%)
  • Identify and recruit regional and national Native experts to serve as trainers and facilitators of NLI training programs;
  • Lead the development and coordination of train-the-trainer retreats to ensure trainers are well-verse in NLI philosophy, curriculum, practices, and facilitation methodologies;
  • Lead the hiring and evaluation of contract trainers on an ongoing basis;
  • Manage trainer network, scheduling, invoices, and contracts to ensure timely payment of network.

• Curriculum Development (10%)
  • Work with Programs team to maintain a high-quality curriculum and support updates as necessary;
  • Manage and coordinate local and state based partnerships and leaders to modify the Native Leadership Institute state focused curriculum including planning, project management, vendor coordination, co-recruitment drives, and training execution and communication with participants.
  • Other duties as assigned.

To be successful in this role you should have the following experience & qualifications:

• Two-year College Degree or equivalent 3+ years of experience in a related field including in a project management, event planning, or programmatic role;
• Demonstrated ability to plan and execute events ranging from intimate gatherings of less than 10 to conferences of 100+;
• Experience developing and maintaining organized, comprehensive, and detailed project management plans in google sheets;
• Attention to detail is a must – this isn’t just a line, this is critical to success in the role.
• Demonstrated ability to organize personal task lists, maintain through notes and action items, manage your time, self-establish deadlines and communicate resources needed effectively;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, both in professional communications and communicating research findings;
• Excellent problem solving skills: demonstrated ability to find creative solutions even on projects you’ve never worked on before;
• Experience working with tribes or within Indian Country or a strong willingness to learn;
• Demonstrated ability to actively listen; think strategically, proactively and creatively;
• Demonstrated willingness to be a team player with experience working in fast-paced, evolving environments that require lots of collaboration, transparency, and an all hands on deck approach
• Dedicated to building power for Native communities through technology and recognition that democracy and civic engagement are vital to protecting sovereignty;
• Ability to work long hours and weekends as required.

We hope you bring one or more of these skills:

• Experience working on political campaigns or with candidates directly or through project based work;
• Cultural Competence: Demonstrated awareness of one’s own cultural identity, respect for differences, and the ability to learn and build on varying cultural and community norms;
• Commitment to equity and inclusion as organizational practice and culture;
• Demonstrated ability to communicate technical findings and concepts to non-technical audiences;
• Must have a flexible training style to accommodate audiences who are not technologically proficient;
• Comfort working remotely, experience collaborating with teams / staff remotely;
• Experience or exposure to specific tools: Wordpress, Salesforce, Google Suite, and task management software (e.g. Monday, Asana).

Working at Advance:

This position is salaried within a range of $60,000 - 75,000 and comes with a generous package of comprehensive benefits. Including but not limited to:

• Comprehensive medical, dental & vision
• Flexible spending account for medical and dependent care
• Retirement Plan (401k, IRA) – we offer a max 5% match on 401K contributions if you save at least 6% per pay period
• Generous paid time off package (Vacation, Sick, & Public Holidays) and additional all-staff “rest days” (Spring & Fall Break, Extended Winter Break)
• “Summer Fridays” – a 4-day workweek from early June to late August
• $1,500 per year for professional development training and/ or coaching
• Additional benefits including working from home, including compensation towards cell phone, Internet and other necessary equipment.

This is a remote position and requires consistent phone and internet access at your home office location. This position may require up to 20% travel. We are not offering U.S. visa sponsorship for this role.

How to Apply

Please submit your resume and a cover letter addressing the following questions:

(Keep responses to each question no more than three paragraphs.)

1. Based on your knowledge of the historic and current barriers to Native political representation and power and your existing knowledge of Advance, what would you identify as the top three barriers existing for Indigenous people in U.S. politics? There is no right or wrong answer, this is just in your opinion.
2. Can you give an example of a time when you built a program, project, or event to fruition, from conception to execution? What were some of the successes and lessons learned?
3. How do you keep yourself organized when you have multiple moving pieces on our plate? Any systems, strategies, or approaches you use? How do you keep stakeholders informed and involved?

Interview Process

Qualified candidates will participate in a series of interviews. There will be three to four 1-hour interviews, and one 1-hour exercise over the course of six weeks.

Advance Native Political Leadership Action Fund is an equal opportunity employer. This means that we don't discriminate against people because of their race, ethnicity, sex, age, religion, national origin, marital status, pregnancy, personal appearance, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, or political affiliation.