WEPOWER
About WEPOWER
WEPOWER is building a team full of dreamers and doers. We partner with Black and Latinx communities to build power to re-design education, health, economic, and justice systems to be just and equitable for all. We engage the community and amplify their voices to inform critical decisions that impact their lives. We train community members to advocate and lead change. We invest in businesses and provide coaching and connections as they create jobs in the communities with whom we partner. We envision a future where we all have to power to lead, so every community prospers.
Join us. Let’s build together!
About the Opportunity
Reporting to the CEO, the Director of Operations & Team Development (DOTD) is an exempt full-time employee. The DOTD will lead the charge of ensuring WEPOWER has foundational and sustainable systems, tools, and practices in place to support realizing our bold vision and strategic priorities outlined for the next two years. The DOTD will develop and pilot recruitment, hiring, onboarding, performance management, technology, and administrative systems and tools. WEPOWER especially seeks a DOTD who will fully integrate our Manifesto into organizational operations.
After the First 12-24 Months, We Will Celebrate Successful…
- Pilot of a values-aligned team growth and development model that advances recruitment, hiring, onboarding, performance management, and career development.
- Design and pilot of foundational organizational manuals (i.e. employee handbook, policies and procedures) and build the existing team’s capacity to fully integrate the content of the manuals into the various strategies and programs across the organization.
- Management of WEPOWER’s daily internal operations (i.e. budget management, recordkeeping, legal, vendors, IT).
- Development/identification and launch of WEPOWER’s information technology system(s) and work with the team to integrate the system(s) and tools across the organization.
- Management of AmeriCorps grant to ensure organizational compliance, development of systems to drive efficiency and efficacy, and timely reporting to the grantor.
You Will…
Manage team growth, onboarding, performance management, professional development systems, and other human resource functions (20%)
- Continuously iterate and manage process of assessing human capital needs, developing position descriptions, recruiting, and hiring new team members.
- Partner with the CEO to manage the team’s performance management, career development, and professional development systems including onboarding, mid-year and end-of-year performance reviews, and performance improvement plans.
- Manage salary and benefits process and systems ensuring a competitive total compensation package.
Design, launch, manage, and iterate the operational systems across the organization (20%)
- Manage the process of developing values-aligned policies and procedures and ensure integration across the organization.
- Keep the CEO fully informed in a timely and candid manner of the conduct of the day-to-day operations of the organization towards the achievement of its established goals and of all material deviations from the established long-term, annual, and benchmarked goals and policies.
- Evaluate regularly the efficiency of operations according to organizational goals and priorities and apply improvements.
- Develop and manage record keeping and data management processes.
- Manage systems and tools to streamline communication with non-programmatic or fund development stakeholders.
- Manage contracts, leases, and oversight of ongoing upkeep of office.
- Ensure various the organization and team has supplies to support their operational needs.
Launch and manage the organization’s information technology systems and tools (15%)
- Research, launch, and manage technology to support organizational performance, and project management.
- Manage employee technology and equipment systems including purchase and maintenance of laptops and cellular devices.
- Continuously assess ways to leverage technology to support organizational efficiency, communication, and cohesion.
Manage the organization’s AmeriCorps grant (15%)
- Monitor grant for compliance with requirements.
- Prepare performance and financial reports for grants.
- Support AmeriCorps members and their direct supervisors with meeting grant expectations.
- Serve as the point of contact for grantor including ongoing communication, attendance to meetings and trainings, and coordination of site visits.
Finance & Compliance (15%)
- Manage financial activity in partnership with the accounting firm including departmental budgets (including signing off of invoices, quotes within mandate), payroll, annual budgeting process, and reporting to the board and development team.
- Manage relationships/agreements with external partners/vendors.
- Support and advise the CEO and Board of Directors in financial management and decision making aligned with the strategic plan.
- Ensure that the organization runs with legality and conformity to local, state, and federal regulations.
Streamline programmatic operations across the organization (15%)
- Work with program team to ensure systems are in place to support operational success of programs including use of appropriate communication and participant engagement platforms, supply maintenance, venue booking and setup, and catering coordination.
- Streamline operational systems across programs to increase efficiency and cross functional coordination and collaboration.
You Are…
Thorough. You ensure that one’s own and others’ work and information are complete and accurate; carefully preparing for meetings and presentations; following up with others to ensure that agreements and commitments have been fulfilled. You set up procedures to ensure high quality of work. You monitor the quality of work and verify information. You check the accuracy of own and others’ work. You develop and use systems to organize and keep track of information or work progress. You carefully prepare for meetings and presentations. You carefully review and check the accuracy of information in work reports (e.g., production, sales, financial performance) that you create or provided by other management, management information systems, or other individuals and groups.
Full of Business Acumen. You have the ability to understand the business implications of opportunities and decisions, and to implement successful business strategies to improve organizational performance. It requires an ability to see the big picture by combining an awareness of business issues, processes and outcomes, and the impact they have on WEPOWER’s strategic direction. You possess basic knowledge of business, incorporate business fundamentals, and understand the internal and external environment. You demonstrate strategic agility and apply extensive know of internal and external factors to drive operational decisions that support organizational success.
A Champion of Racial & Cultural Identity Development. You are self-aware including consciousness of your social identities, cultures, biases, and perspectives. You are aware of your internalized superiority and/or internalized inferiorly. You also have knowledge and appreciation of the social identities, cultures, and worldviews of other people. You consider the larger socio-political and historical context of which we are part. You have a grasp of different forms of privilege and oppression and how they affect people’s experiences, opportunities, and access to social power. You have ability to adapt to and work collaboratively with diverse people in a range of situations. You understand that people’s social identities affect their interpersonal, communication and work styles, as well as their views of conflict, notions of leadership and sense of time (among many other things). You are also able to identify and address inequities and choose appropriate interventions to create environments, policies, and practices to ensure diversity, equity, justice, and fairness.
Results Oriented. You have the ability to take direct action in order to attain or exceed objectives. You set high standards and define challenging yet feasible objectives. You evaluate regularly what the situation is regarding your objectives. You take directive action when objectives are in danger of not being attained. You look for alternatives when certain actions have not led to a desired result. You look actively for the best way to achieve goals, and consider your options carefully. You mobilize means and people, even when others need to be persuaded of its necessity. You redirect processes regularly, focusing on objectives. You do not give in, and you look actively for alternative possibilities when confronted with adversity.
Entrepreneurial & Strategic Leadership. Creator and innovator who develops new insights into situations and encourages new ideas and innovations and designs and implements cutting edge processes. Position the organization for future success by identifying new opportunities and developing or improving the strategies over time. Take calculated risks. Resilient and deal effectively with pressure; remain optimistic and persistent, even under adversity. Take initiative, have a strong work ethic, and drive towards transformative results. Strategic agility allows for proactive anticipation of future consequences and trends accurately, pivot as needed, and think strategically and analyze data as a means of capitalizing on opportunities and mitigating risk. The ability to obtain information and identify key issues and relationships relevant to achieving a long-range goal or vision. Commitment to a course of action to accomplish a long-range goal or vision after developing alternatives based on logical assumptions, facts, available resources, constraints, and organizational values.
Your Education & Experiences Include…
- Previously holding a leadership position at a startup
- Experience with managing recruitment and hiring
- Experience with designing systems and processes
- Experience with managing and using complicated technology systems
Supervisory Responsibilities
The DOTD will have the flexibility to recruit, select, and supervise interns, practicum students, fellows, contractors, and volunteers.
Work Environment
Fun. Fast. Focused. Values-driven. Community-centered. Collaborative. Innovative. Lots of brainstorming and imagining what’s possible and then chasing each possibility until it is reality!
As a startup, WEPOWER demands extreme commitment and agility, AND we value each team member’s personal life circumstances and priorities. We will work together to ensure the organization prioritizes the health, social-emotional wellbeing, and morale of each team member! Some evening and weekend work will be expected.
There will be 24-hour access to a co-working space with printing, conference rooms, phone booths, snacks, drinks, and the opportunity to be in community with other innovators, entrepreneurs, and entrepreneur support organizations.
Travel
The DOTD will travel up to 15% of their time to lead team recruitment efforts.
Work Environment
Fun. Fast. Focused. Values-driven. Community-centered. Collaborative. Innovative. Lots of brainstorming and imagining what’s possible and then chasing each possibility until it is reality! There will be 24-hour access to a co-working space, conference rooms, snacks, drinks, and other innovators and entrepreneurs.
Compensation
The salary and benefits package will be highly competitive with other organizations of similar stature and size.
Equal Opportunity
At WEPOWER, we don’t just accept difference — we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our team, our programs, and our community. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, veteran status, political affiliation or belief, or genetic information.
This position description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Other duties, responsibilities and activities may change or be assigned at any time with or without notice.
Process
ROUND 1: Submit application by June 30th at 11:59pm.
ROUND 2: Phone interview.
ROUND 3: Performance activity and full-day interview.
ROUND 4: Reference check.
START: Welcome to the team!
Sign up to be notified when new positions are posted: wepowerstl.org/careers
