SMAC Director Job Description
Director
Students Making a Change (SMAC) – San Francisco, CA 94112 Salary depending on experience ($75,000 – $80,000 per year)
Full-time, flexible summers (6-8 weeks off, per year) given academic-year focus
Applications reviewed on a rolling basis
Students Making a Change (SMAC)’s core belief is that Black and Brown students are the experts of educational equity and have the knowledge, drive and passion to fight for a just future by designing strategies that will transform community colleges. Community colleges are the backbone of California’s economy and bridge into meaningful jobs. It is essential that we level the playing field so everyone can fully access college opportunities. Since its inception in 2010, SMAC has become the central student voice for equity at City College of San Francisco. Over the past 9 years, SMAC fellows and members have, again and again, engaged administrators, faculty, staff and even Trustees, to ensure equity is at the center of all key decision-making on campus. In addition, SMAC students have pushed State college officials to reform placement policies and practices, and instead adopt equitable multiple measures assessments. SMAC is now emerging as one of the most important community college student voices in the state.
SMAC’s year-long fellowship program provides an opportunity for Black and Brown students to lead equity initiatives on their community college campus and to partner with other organizations to advance higher-education equity statewide. Throughout their fellowship, students receive leadership training, mentoring and academic support, and a living wage for their work. SMAC identifies concrete, measurable goals to carry the work forward and continues to achieve powerful outcomes for underrepresented community college students. To achieve these goals SMAC uses a unique approach, bringing together student voice and perspective, leadership development, and institutional knowledge. The Director has the opportunity to support student leadership and make a significant impact on student equity in San Francisco and throughout California — all with the support of an experienced and knowledgeable advisory board.
https://www.studentsmakingchange.org/
Who We’re Looking For:
The Director is the type of leader who creates other leaders, who thrives in new situations and sees potential everywhere. The Director will be constantly aware of the historical, economic, and political context of SMAC’s work and the preciousness of resources for underrepresented community college students — both time and money. Most of all, the Director will believe wholeheartedly in the ability, potential, and power of community college students and always put their growth and success first. The Director holds personal and professional values that center the lived experiences of community and its youth, and believes that equity and justice will only be achieved by these young people taking action.
This is a perfect position for a dynamic leader with vision and organizing experience, who is ready for a position supervising and inspiring young organizers of color to build on a strong foundation of local and statewide organizing and policy wins. The Director is able to:
- hold the larger organizational vision while simultaneously curating a highly-supportive, rigorous, and meaningful fellowship program
- identify leadership qualities and cultivate skills among students who have been historically left out of traditional leadership opportunities and decision-making spaces
- create a fun and supportive family environment that builds on the existing culture of
Summary
The Director will guide the vision, mission and organizing/program in collaboration with the Advisory Board and student leaders, and serves as the primary supervisor of the development and execution of the SMAC Fellowship, campaigns, and statewide policy priorities. The Director, in collaboration with the Program Coordinator and student leaders, will lead SMAC through coalition building, the development of local, regional and statewide partnerships, and build organizational infrastructure. The position is based in San Francisco and includes travel around the bay and to Sacramento and SoCal to collaborate with policy partners, and to support students with advocacy and political education events. The Director will spend a significant amount of their time in the field, supporting the Program Coordinator and serving SMAC Fellows on- and off-campus.
This position is accountable to SMAC’s Advisory Board and will be the primary contact for the Fiscal Sponsor.
Organizational Development & Governance:
- Strategic & Operation Planning: Oversee and manage organizational development, including strategic and operational planning. This includes providing leadership for the organization’s political direction and ensuring accountability to underrepresented community college students and key
- Advisory Board: Report to and work with the Advisory Board, and participate in deliberations and decisions of the
- Public Representation: Represent SMAC’s mission publicly on local, state, national and international levels as appropriate to: Underrepresented Students of Color communities at-large; People of Color, Immigrant, First-Generation College Student, Former Foster Youth, and the Formerly Incarcerated; funders and other relevant organizations, networks and coalitions as well as in organizing/public policy environments and to the media.
- Fiscal Oversight: Providing fiscal oversight for organizational and program budgets in collaboration with budget lead on Advisory Board
- Organizational Vision & Strategic Direction: Understanding and driving SMAC’s organizing strategy aligned with our mission, vision and organizing principles, informed and shaped by SMAC Fellows and our membership
Fundraising:
- Planning: With support from the Fundraising Consultant and Advisory Board, develop and sustain multi-tiered fundraising strategies in development and grassroots fundraising to support long-term organizational mission and
- Grants and Donor Tracking: In collaboration with and with support from the Advisory Board and Fundraising Consultant, develop systems of grant/donor tracking and reporting, including utilizing software to better synthesize our data and
- Fundraising Strategy: Guide the development of the organizational fundraising strategy as well as drive the strategy along with the Fundraising Consultant to implement the strategy.
Management & Supervision:
- Staff Support and Supervision: Oversee the management of the organization’s staff (Program Coordinator, On-Site Coordinator and 6-8 Fellows), prioritizing participatory decision-making practices that reflect SMAC’S mission and values. Support sustainable and positive culture amongst staff and student Support a staff culture of feedback and accountability.
- Staff Leadership Development and Evaluation: Support the leadership development and coordinate the regular evaluation of staff including facilitating the development of individualized staff Leadership Plans and support
- Fellow Recruitment/Retention: In collaboration with Program Coordinator, manage database of student leaders and alumni, while developing systems to track their recruitment, retention, and leadership
- Supervise Consultants/Contracted Employees: Ensure that consultants and contracted employees provide services to SMAC as
Campaign Development:
- Campaign Strategy: Support Program Coordinator with development and implementation of goals and strategy developed and adopted by SMAC Fellows, in coordination with Advisory Board, community partners and stakeholder groups. Coordinate implementation of local, statewide, and regional coalition
- Campaign Messaging & Materials: Oversee and support the development of campaign materials, messaging, and distribution, including social media and website communication strategies.
- Progress Tracking: Track progress and success of
- Direct Actions: Attend and provide staff support for direct actions and related events on
State and Local Partnerships:
- CCSF Campus-Specific Issues: Keeps informed about campus-specific issues, informing other staff and board members of those issues, and responding to them as Statewide Community College Issues: Keeps informed about statewide issues through reading/analyzing State Chancellor reports/communications, articles and activities of statewide groups such as CCO (Campaign for College Opportunity), RP group (Research & Planning), Statewide Academic Senate and others.
- Partner Relations: Develop and maintain relationships with statewide organizations that work with higher education and support campaign objectives such as the State Chancellor’s Office and CCO.
- Regional Work: In collaboration with Program Coordinator, coordinate regional Community College leadership-building strategy by identifying student leader partners at Bay 10 community colleges and building
Other Staff Duties:
- Student Trainings: In collaboration with Program Coordinator, create and implement relevant trainings retreats for student advocacy and
- Retreats & Key Meetings: Regularly staff SMAC Fellow retreats and Leadership
- Develop action plans for all responsibilities collaboratively with the Advisory
- Other duties as assigned and agreed
Recommended Qualifications, Skills, and/or Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree preferred
- 3-4 years related experience and/or training in campaign development, grassroots organizing, education advocacy, racial justice and/or community leadership development
- Experience with power analysis and mapping
- Experience with student organizations or student government campaigns
- Commitment to building student power, sharing decision making, taking direction from students, and amplifying SMAC’s mission and social justice initiatives
- Ability to represent and include communities of color and other underrepresented groups
- Ability to cultivate relationships with likely and unlikely allies, including negotiation and conflict resolution skills
- Excellent written, verbal, presentation and analytical skills; internet and media research skills
- Willing to execute day-to-day tasks and work independently
- Proficient in Microsoft Office (including Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Google Apps Experience in social media messages and comfort using Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (?)
- Able and willing to travel independently, periodically work evenings and
Please submit a letter of interest and a resume to:
Lena at lena@studentsmakingchange.org