Bus Federation

Strong preference for Los Angeles, CA; New York, NY; San Francisco/Bay Area, CA; or Washington, DC.

The next Executive Director of the Bus Federation will lead and manage an organization that has emerged in recent years as a key grassroots operation, empowering young Americans to make changes in their own communities and across the country. The Executive Director works with a dynamic and inspiring crew of stakeholders – two boards of directors with twenty engaged, active, and fabulous members; a national staff currently comprised of seven talented, fierce individuals; nine affiliate organizations comprised of some of the brainiest and hardest-working folks in the field; and over four thousand partners. This individual will raise and direct millions of dollars while repping the views and values of the majestic Millennial generation in some of the most powerful rooms in the country. 

ABOUT THE BUS FEDERATION

In 2009, four local, youth-led organizations launched the Federation to strengthen their own institutions, adapt our organizing model into new communities, and support the grassroots work we love around the country. Since that launch, we have grown, we have succeeded, we have learned a ton, and we found ourselves changed by our organizing. We learned that some strategies work everywhere — trust and empower young people to build power and set priorities in their communities — and that some tactics have only localized impact. And we learned that Beyonce’s “Feelin’ Myself” can be nicely adapted into a celebration of voting.

Since the founding, the Bus Federation has been responsible for some huge victories, including:

• Creating and managing National Voter Registration Day.
• Writing and passing the nation’s first Automatic Voter Registration law.
• Beating big corporations at the ballot, even while being outspent 10-1, to advance clean energy in Boulder, CO.
• Helping force reform to Stop and Frisk in Chicago.
• Engaging millions of young people in elections, not just at the Presidential level, but for school board, prosecutor, sheriff, legislature, governor, and ballot measures.

We are now in more than twice as many states and our footprint touches both oceans, the Gulf of Mexico, and Great Lakes. Our budget this year is roughly $3 million, twice that when you include all of our Affiliates. Our partners for National Voter Registration Day are reflective of the nation as a whole, diverse in geography, race, ideology, partisanship, age, and gender.

Our next Executive Director will inherit an organization in a great moment of transition. Our staff, board, and Affiliates have found agreement to move forward on a number of strategies that will further increase the importance and prominence of our organization, including:

• Our first-ever national issue campaigns, to advance the values of our generation at a national level.
• Enhanced communications strategies, including a likely name change and national brand strategies for the first-time in our history.
• Accelerated growth of our network into more states and communities, to ensure that more young Americans have support to build politically powerful organizations.

Our organization is a true Federation. Our local organizations ultimately govern our institution – we live to serve local organizing. The next Executive Director will lead an increasingly powerful organization, but must be capable of managing and guiding key relationships without significant hard power. This kind of network, full of incredible leaders at all levels, will be ready to pass new groundbreaking policies, grow into even more states, and engage millions through new creative ideas, while staying fresh and relevant for each new generation.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

The Executive Director of the Bus Federation is responsible for leading and managing the organization, specifically in the following ways:

1. Strategic Leadership: Responsible for organizing a diverse set of stakeholders, including staff, board, and affiliated local organizations, to set the strategic direction of our youth organizing network. Creative, open-minded thinker willing to balance integrated political, financial, national/local, and short-term and long-term strategies.
2. Fundraising: Responsible for raising organizational budget ($3 million and growing) and supporting local organizations in their fundraising. Develop and execute organizational fundraising strategy and serve as lead pitch-maker and relationship builder with funders. Write compelling fundraising documents and pitches. Responsible for bringing in new donors and maintaining relationships with existing donors. Requires frequent travel and communication with donors.
3. Management: Responsible for managing relationships with donors, staff, board, partner organizations, media, and other stakeholders. Knows how to delegate, share power and recognition, and instill a culture of creativity and productivity. Responsible for setting and managing to annual organizational and financial goals.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

In addition to the skills associated with the job responsibilities, we’re looking for particular strengths in the following areas:

• Commitment to the Mission. Dedication to grassroots, local organizing and empowering state/local organizations to lead our work. Commitment to trusting young leaders. Understanding of local grassroots organizations - bonus for understanding of federated organizations with local affiliates.
• Champion of Organizational Diversity and Equality. Lift up leadership of young people of color. Personal understanding of racial justice and equity.
• Organizer at Heart. Inclination to lead via organizing rather than by decree. Ability to build strong teams to accomplish goals without a need to bottom-line everything. Talented in coalition and team building.
• Financial Management. Understanding of financial management and financial controls. Experience crafting and managing budgets and familiarity with financial reporting and compliance.
• Communication Skills. Strong oral and written communication skills. Ability to write compelling fundraising documents and bottom line key communications with various stakeholders. 

ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

• Multi-tasker with excellent time management skills
• Ability to operate without significant administrative support
• Playful, funny, upbeat
• Familiarity and comfort with voter file and interfaces, social media platforms, Google Apps
• Ability to travel frequently (2-4 times per month, on average)

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

The Bus Federation is an equal opportunity employer committed to a diverse work environment. People of color, young people, people with disabilities, people of diverse sexual orientations, gender expressions, and identities are encouraged to apply.

LOGISTICS

Strong preference for Los Angeles, CA; New York, NY; San Francisco/Bay Area, CA; or Washington, DC. In 2017, the Bus Federation will relocate our current HQ in Portland, OR to one of these four locations, depending on the Executive Director hiring. We want to be headquartered in a vibrant city with proximity to other partner organizations, an engaged donor community, and additional media and social media outlets.

Compensation: starting salary of $75,000-$100,000 per year, depending on experience and location. Benefits package worth approximately $7,000 annually includes health insurance, retirement contribution (SEP IRA), cell phone reimbursement, professional development, and generous paid time off, including paid family and medical leave.

TO APPLY 

Please email [email protected] as a single document (.doc or .pdf) including the following:

• a cover letter, explaining why you want this job and what makes you well-suited to the position (please, show some personality);
• a resume;
• three references.

Please reach out to [email protected] with any questions.

APPLICATIONS WILL BE REVIEWED ON A ROLLING BASIS. FINAL DEADLINE TO APPLY IS JANUARY 6TH, 2017.