Senior Director of Operations

DC Action

Status: Full-time, exempt employee

Salary: $140,000 - $150,000

Location: Hybrid, Washington DC

Deadline: Resume reviews have begun. Apply by November 15 for best consideration. 

About DC Action

DC Action is a nonprofit advocating on behalf of DC’s young people. Its mission is to use research, data, and a racial equity lens to break down barriers that stand in the way of all kids reaching their full potential. DC Action was formed in 2020 as a merger between two long-standing advocacy nonprofits, DC Action for Children and DC Alliance of Youth Advocates.

DC Action unites all those fighting on behalf of DC’s children and youth to realize a single, shared vision for what it looks like to grow up in the District. While childhood exists on a continuum from birth to adulthood, the systems, programs, and organizations designed to support children and youth are too often fragmented by age. 

DC Action is home to DC Kids Count, a partnership with the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and a range of coalitions with a collaborative advocacy model that centers the experiences of youth, their families, and community partners. These coalitions represent a range of issues aimed at advancing  economic justice and closing racial gaps in child and youth outcomes, including cultivating a generation of empowered, engaged, and economically independent young people , universal access to out-of-school time programs and support for families with infants and toddlers. 

Together with young people, parents, and community partners, DC Action advocates with one voice for public policies that support kids from early childhood to early adulthood. DC Action works to ensure that young people have access to the housing, health care, learning spaces, jobs and other support they need and deserve. View DC Action’s Policy Priorities to learn more.

DC Action is committed to being an anti-racist organization and believes all children and youth should have the opportunity to reach their full potential regardless of their race, zip code, or family’s income. Rooted in addressing structural racism and its impact on children, youth, and families, DC Action’s strengths-based approach honors community members’ knowledge and skills so that those most directly affected by racial and economic inequity design the solutions they need. 

Position Overview

The Senior Director of Operations (Senior Director) is a new role in a growing organization. A key member of the organization’s senior leadership team, the Senior Director leads all operational and administrative functions that support DC Action’s staff to further its agenda. Specifically, the Senior Director oversees human resources, financial management, grants management, facilities/office management, board engagement, and IT, with support from outsourced consultants. The successful candidate will be a seasoned operations leader with meticulous attention to detail, an orientation to action and results, an empathetic leadership style, and a proven track record of advancing cross-functional projects.

The Senior Director will share DC Action’s anti-racism values and will be committed to its mission of using research, data, and a racial equity lens to break down barriers that stand in the way of all kids reaching their full potential. They will work across the organization to gather the input, information, and resources needed to create a strong operational functioning that supports DC Action’s organizing and advocacy work. 

The Senior Director’s leadership style will be one that is rooted in empathy and deeply invested in building an inclusive team culture and fostering cross-collaboration and systems of accountability. They will report to the Executive Director and manage relationships with outsourced financial management, grants management, and human resources consultants. DC Action anticipates that the director will build a small team of direct reports as the organization continues to thoughtfully grow.

The Director’s key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Business Operations

• Oversee business operations, including office facilities, equipment, and staff’s IT needs
• Steward relationships with vendors, including consultants, contractors, auditors, bankers, landlords, and insurance companies, among others
• Oversee a robust grants and contracts management process, including holding the organization accountable to grant budgets, deliverables, and reporting deadlines
• Lead logistics for occasional staff events, including an annual strategic retreat, including securing event space, catering, etc.
• Review contracts and oversee insurance policies to mitigate institutional risk; coordinate with legal counsel to manage liability, where needed
• Hire and supervise direct reports as the organization grows
• Cultivate a work environment that embraces data-driven decisions, collaboration, transparency, open communication, and accountability

Human Resources

• Establish and manage an internal human resources function, including, hiring and onboarding processes, annual performance management, annual training, personnel policies and practices, mediating employee disputes and incidents, and ensuring maintenance of personnel files
• With the Chief of Staff, ensure organizational culture and employee relations are values-aligned, including updating and refining human resources systems, processes, and policies through a lens of antiracism.
• Manage and negotiate renewals of payroll and employee benefits, including but not limited to dental, health and vision insurance, 401K retirement plan, student loan repayment assistance, EAP, Short Term Disability, health and transportation pretax programs; manage relationships with benefits providers. 
• Onboard and orient staff during enrollment periods and conduct periodic benefits, salary, and vendor surveys to ensure employee and organizational access to best available resources and services on the market

Financial Management

• Lead financial management function for DC Action, with support from an outsourced accounting consultant
• Oversee annual budget process, including budget preparation, managing income including grants and contracts, monitoring expenditures, supporting long-range budget planning and analysis, and administering grant awards in accordance with funders’ rules
• Work with outsourced grants management consultant to ensure that grant proposals and funder reports are submitted on time, including budgets and financial reports
• Manage DC Action’s day-to-day finances, ensuring bills, staff reimbursements, vendors, and stipends are paid on time and appropriate records are maintained
• Supervise consultants to ensure that accounting, monthly reconciliations, billing, internal controls, and taxes are organized, accurate, and audit-ready
• Work with leadership team to development department budgets and share regular expenditure reports so that departments leads can effective manage their budgets

Governance and Board Management

• Work closely with the Executive Director to staff and manage the board of directors, serving as the Executive Director’s liaison to the board
• Organize and facilitate board and committee meetings, including preparation of agenda, meeting materials, minutes, notes, and financial and other reports
• Provide periodic and relevant reports from board meetings to staff

Experience, Skills, and Qualities 

This position will be a challenging and rewarding opportunity that requires a diverse set of skills and experiences. While we understand that no single candidate can possess every qualification listed below, the following are priority areas:

• 7+ years of progressive leadership experience overseeing nonprofit administration and financial management, including budgeting, human resources, IT, and facilities.
• 5+ years of experience managing a team, including coaching and building capacity.
• Strong understanding of the uniqueness of the District of Columbia as a city-state, including the current civic and political landscape.
• Demonstrate a strong equity and justice frame, with high levels of emotional intelligence, integrity, cultural sensitivity, and interpersonal skills.
• A commitment to improving the lives of children and youth.
• Experience with grants management, including funder reporting.
• A track record of implementing human resources principles and practices and comfortable adapting processes appropriate to the organization.
• Experience developing and maintaining systems, standard operating procedures, management processes, and office policies. Demonstrated success in guiding process improvements and change management strategies. 
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills. Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the confidence to deliver and debate ideas collaboratively.
• Strong organizational and project management skills; can manage multiple priorities at once.
• Self-motivated and entrepreneurial. Works independently in a small, fast-paced organization, while collaborating with teammates and diverse partners.
• A great sense of humor. The ability to foster and maintain a positive environment while upholding rigor and high standards.
• Past work with or serving on a nonprofit board. 

Compensation

The salary range for this position is $140,000 to $150,000, with a generous benefits package, a great team, and a working environment committed to fostering staff growth and leadership. Employees receive 100% employer-sponsored medical, dental, and vision insurance, student loan assistance, employer-matched 401(k) plan, generous time off, and an employee assistance program offering counseling, mental health, and financial support.

Working Location

DC Action's offices are located in Dupont Circle. The Senior Director of Operations operates on a hybrid schedule working 3 days a week in the office to support in-person meetings with team members, constituents, and policymakers.

Application Process

DC Action has retained the services of Good Insight, a national executive search firm serving small nonprofits. Interested applicants should submit a resume and a cover letter that describes their interest in and qualifications for this role, emphasizing related leadership experience. Visit www.good-insight.org/careers to upload application materials. Direct confidential inquiries to Kate Dykgraaf and Tej Pikle at DCAction@good-insight.org. 

For best consideration, apply by November 15, 2024. Qualified applicants will be contacted on a rolling basis. Early applications are encouraged due to the pace of the search. 

Equal Opportunity Employer

DC Action recognizes and honors diversity in race, ethnicity, culture, age, abilities, gender, sexual orientation, and places where people live. We seek to reflect this diversity in all aspects of our work, including the composition of our board, staff, and volunteers. Further, DC Action seeks to be a multicultural and culturally competent organization that works for equity among all people. We strongly encourage applications from people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ community and other underrepresented and historically marginalized groups.