Senior Director, Programs

Senior Director, Programs (Neighborhoods and Network)1 day ago Be among the first 25 applicants About Us Build It Green (BIG) is a California-based nonprofit working to transform housing and neighborhood development so that they nurture people, places, and nature. Were pragmatists who believe homes and neighborhoods can be shaped in ways that support ecological health, social equity, and community vitality in our statewithout tradeoffs between them. To achieve meaningful change, we design our programs around thinking frameworks that help usand our partnerssee things differently and pursue transformative results. These frameworks are central to what sets BIG apart. In recent years, BIG has shifted focus from individual homes to neighborhood-scale work. Weve built strong, collaborative relationships with both neighborhood-scale leaders and building and development professionalsanother distinguishing feature of our approach. As our work evolves, these connections will enable us to drive unique and impactful results in places throughout California. Our beliefs and commitments regarding neighborhood development are outlined in the Regenerative Neighborhood Development Creed. If this creed resonates with you, youre aligned with BIG. Learn more about BIG at (url removed). About You You are deeply committed to helping both human and natural systems thriveand frustrated by the idea that supporting one must come at the expense of the other. Youve worked for at least five years, and ideally a decade or more, as a leader engaging with players like community-based organizations, neighborhood residents, government agencies of all levels, and partners like real estate developers, builders, and advocacy groups on issues of residential real estate development and land use planning. You are driven by the connection between people and places and see potential for evolving how homes and neighborhoods are built into a system that nurtures people, places, and nature. You understand that this transformation requires systems change and are eager to engage in the often messy processes that are necessary to create systems change. Your career to date may have been focused on a one issue area, discrete constituencies, or a single neighborhood, city, or region. Now though, you are drawn to working across places and sectors to develop new thinking skills and capabilities among changemakers to synergistically advance social equity and environmental vitality through the development of homes in neighborhoods. You see yourself working in close collaboration with changemakers leading to a movement that transforms neighborhood leadership, policy, and the residential building industry. Youre confident in your ability to design and lead transformational programs and in ensuring their lasting impact. Youre an organizational leader who knows that success is tied to the growth of the entire team. You thrive in spaces where convention is challenged and understand that change requires doing things differently. At the same time, you're pragmatic and results-oriented. If this sounds like you, wed love to hear from you What the Work Looks Like Transforming how California builds homes and neighborhoods to holistically benefit people and nature requires programs that shift perspectives, build practical skills, and deliver tangible results. As BIGs Senior Director, Programs (Neighborhoods and Network) you will, upon joining the team, be responsible for taking programs that the organization has recently put in place and evolving them to ensure program beneficiaries will receive value, that this value aligns with the systemic impacts BIG aims to achieve, and that the program portfolio produces revenue so that the work of BIG can be sustained and continue to evolve. In the months and years ahead, you will play key roles in maturing programs and designing them to maximize impact. As part of our leadership team, you will also be a leader in evolving and supporting our internal team culture so that how we work aligns with the spirit of our external work. You will not be alone. Consistent with BIGs collaborative spirit, you will work closely with BIGs Executive Director and other leadership staff, the programs team, our board of directors, and key partners. BIG is a small team; you will have the opportunity to be involved in the design, leadership, and execution of programs and shaping new ways of creating systems change. As part of BIGs leadership team, you will play a meaningful role in crafting BIGs direction, both programmatic and operational, work plan, budget, and revenue strategy. You will supervise 1-2 program staff initially, and perhaps more as BIG grows. Responsibilities Building off of design that has already been done, over your first year you will enhance the Regenerative Neighborhood Initiative (RNI), our program that enables neighborhood stakeholders to reveal the potential of their place, consider environmental and social issues holistically, and envision how housing development can be a catalyst for nurturing a neighborhoods human and ecological vitality. You will ensure the program provides value to participants, leads to tangible neighborhood outcomes that align with community-driven aspirations, generates revenue, and leads to a transformative movement that reshapes how homes and neighborhoods are built across the Bay Area and our state. Evolving our California Housing System Innovators Networkan entity we have convened for three years to enable cross-sectoral changemakers to build relationships and envision what system transformation may look likeinto a group that serves as the connective tissue across BIGs programs and enables participants to transform systems rather than simply accomplish programmatic outputs and outcomes. Ensuring all of our programs are woven together rather than siloed, collaborating with the Executive Director, other staff, and external partners to add your unique insights regarding BIGs other core programs focused on the builderdeveloper sector. Developing your own capability to understand the thinking frameworks and practices that ground BIGs work and having the patience to build the ability and will to apply them to programs. Working with staff and partners to develop their capabilities regarding these thinking frameworks as you develop your own capabilities. Supervising 1-2 program staff to ensure effective program design and delivery and that both you and the staff grow capabilities during the work that can benefit each of you as individuals, BIG as an organization, and system transformation. Working in close cooperation with other key staff, such as communications staff, and partners in the design and implementation of the programs you direct. Serving as a member of BIGs leadership team, helping to shape overall programmatic and operational direction, including but not limited to work plan, budget, revenue development strategy, methods for tracking progress, and organizational culture. Bringing your unique knowledge regarding housing and neighborhood development and networks to the BIG team and our overall ability to see the whole of the fields we are trying to shape. Requirements We understand no single applicant will possess all of these skills and qualifications. If you feel you meet most of them and find this opportunity exciting, we encourage you to please apply Five-plus years of management/leadership experience in elements of neighborhood development, community organizing/advocacy, network facilitation, and/or issues like housing development, land use planning and policy, etc. A track record of successfully designing and implementing programs, as well as managing and evaluating them to ensure their success and sustainability; requires strong project management and attention to detail. Excitement to be part of an organization taking early-stage programs and evolving them to maximize their potential and impact. Staff management experience and the ability to nurture staff into becoming their most effective selves. A demonstrated ability to collaborate with coworkers and outside partners. A deep commitment to transforming the practice of housing and neighborhood development and the strength to maintain this commitment in the face of skepticism. A dedication to the value of collective action in achieving systems change and the understanding of how an organization can spark change that ultimately requires multiparty collaboration to be successful. An understanding that current approaches within the sector will not achieve the environmental and human vitality objectives for which we strive and the willingness to go through a personal development process to establish the skills and capabilities to approach work in a transformative fashion. A selfstarter with initiative, commitment to quality work, and good judgment, even with lighttouch management. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Strong interpersonal skills, and a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice that values and respects all individuals regardless of race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression/identity, religion, ability and socioeconomic circumstances. Ability to build trust and work collaboratively with, and for the mutual benefit of, coworkers, professionals, and neighborhood residents/leaders. A combination of education and/or demonstrated success in development/construction, urban planning, neighborhood development, environmental/social justice/racial justice advocacy, and/or other related fields. Comfort in both leading and doing; the humility to roll up sleeves and get s]]>