Executive Director

Company: Next City
Location: Colorado Springs
Posted on: November 11, 2024

Job Description:

The Colorado Springs Pro-Housing Partnership (COSPHP) is seeking its first full-time Executive Director to guide the organization from fledgling non-profit to powerful force on local housing policy and major outpost in the statewide and national housing justice movement.About the COSPHPThe COSPHP's mission is to build power among housing insecure residents of Colorado Springs to win concrete changes to city policy, resource allocation, and development processes needed to ensure everyone in Colorado Springs has a safe, stable, and affordable place to live. It was founded in 2019 as an informal housing advocacy group and shifted direction in 2022 to focus on grassroots organizing. In 2024, it hired its first and only full-time staff member, opened an office space, and was recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)3 non-profit. It is now ready to expand to three full-time staff, including an Executive Director and two organizers. The founder and current Interim Executive Director has chosen to transition into the role of Lead Neighborhood Organizer. Our organizing work focuses on specific neighborhoods, apartment buildings, and mobile home parks, as well as with the unhoused community-the places the housing crisis is showing up most severely-because we believe the people most impacted by housing injustice must lead the movement to address it. We organize residents around issues they identify-displacement due to gentrification, mistreatment from landlords, over policing, etc.-with the dual goals of winning changes on their issues and building power towards city-level housing policy change in the future. Right now, we are organizing within four such communities:

• The Mill St neighborhood, to combat gentrification and displacement through a Community Benefit Agreement
• Tenants of public housing, against mistreatment from building managers
• The unhoused community, to improve local shelter, outreach, and long-term housing solutions
• A coalition of five neighborhoods at risk of gentrification, to create an anti-displacement toolkit for the cityThe COSPHP has and will continue to utilize non-hierarchical decision-making structures to guide its work-while the Executive Director will serve in a coaching and managerial role, they will not have final authority on organizational strategy or personnel decisions. ResponsibilitiesThe Executive Director will be responsible for collaborating with the Board, staff, and resident leaders to develop and implement a strategic vision that deepens the impact of the COSPHP. Their responsibilities will include:Managing the team:
• Providing guidance and support to a small team of community organizers
• Collaborating with organizers on resident-led campaigns
• Supporting organizers' professional development through training, coaching, and evaluation
• Leading organizing efforts on specific resident-led campaigns as neededBuilding out internal operations:
• Creating and managing internal systems to guide the work of the organization, including strategic planning and goal setting, capacity building, data tracking, HR, legal, and financial management
• Creating and leading democratic decision-making structures for staff and resident teams
• Developing organizational policies and procedures
• Creating and executing, with the support of other staff and the Board, an annual fundraising planSupporting and building out the Board:
• Collaborating with the Board on long-term organizational strategy
• Identifying and recruiting additional Board members
• Collaborating with the Board Chair on Board meeting agendasExternal communications:
• Representing the COSPHP at public events or to the media, when appropriate
• Other duties as neededQualificationsRequired:
• At least two years of experience managing a team of employees
• At least two years of organizing experience (labor, tenant, community, or other)
• A demonstrated understanding of and commitment to grassroots organizing as the primary vehicle for positive social change
• The ability to organically relate to people of all backgrounds, including people with lived experience with homelessness and housing insecurity
• Experience with and understanding of fundraising and grant-making processes
• Strong relationship building and communication skills
• Strong time management skills
• Proficiency in EnglishStrongly preferred:
• A history of grassroots community work in Colorado Springs
• Familiarity with the local, statewide, and national philanthropic landscape
• Knowledge of local, statewide, or national housing policy and market dynamics
• Experience working with a nonprofit board of directors
• Experience with organizational finance and budgeting
• Experience building an organization or project from the ground up
• Proficiency in SpanishTime CommitmentThe Executive Director will work 30-50 hours per week, recognizing that organizing work ebbs and flows-some periods of time will be busier than others. Hours are irregular, with frequent work evenings and weekends, but the ability to flex hours to take personal time during regular working hours (9-5) to compensate for work in the evenings and on weekends. Work is primarily in-person, with the option to work virtually available when it doesn't interfere with the organization's work. The Executive Director must live in the Pikes Peak Region.Pay and BenefitsThe COSPHP Executive Director position salary is $80,000 per year, with opportunities for raises and cost of living adjustments after the first year. All COSPHP employees will also receive a $350 monthly healthcare contribution, 20 days of Paid Time Off, 10 days of sick leave, and the following holidays:

• Martin Luther King Day
• President's Day
• Memorial Day
• Juneteenth
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• US Indigenous People's Day
• Veteran's Day
• The week of Thanksgiving
• The time between Christmas Eve and New Years DayIn addition to the specific benefits listed, The COSPHP will do its best to be flexible to accommodate employees' needs as they relate to ability, health, and family obligations. This position is fully funded for 2025 and 2026 and we expect that the team will be able to continue to fund it beyond 2026.Application Process and Start DateApplications open November 6th and close December 15th. To apply, submit a resume; a cover letter detailing why you are interested in this role, how your previous experiences prepares you for it, and how you understand the dynamics responsible for our city/nation's housing crisis; and two references to cspringsphp@gmail.com. A member of the hiring committee will follow-up with you on next steps for your application by January 8th. The start date for the position is flexible, between January 15th and March 1st.The COSPHP is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, or ability status. Rather, we understand that the leadership and expertise of people with historically marginalized identities and lived experience with housing injustice must be centered within the organization and the movement we are building-those with these identities and experiences are highly encouraged to apply.
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Keywords: Next City, Commerce City , Executive Director, Executive , Colorado Springs, Colorado