Chief
Program Officer

Location: Flexible. Preferred locations are NYC, LA, Denver, Charlotte, and Minneapolis

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer

THE OPPORTUNITY

From burgeoning social movements around the world to the student-led organizing work that we’ve catalyzed at Our Turn, it’s clear that young people are the most qualified to dismantle our inequitable education system and put something in its place that will serve all students. We are hiring a Chief Program Officer who will further elevate the voices of students through game-changing programs and campaigns, ultimately sparking a movement for educational equity. 

Our Turn activates the next generation of diverse civic leaders who know what’s possible for all students because they’ve built power in their communities through leadership development, grassroots organizing, and movement building. In this role, you will ignite our next chapter by driving groundbreaking issue and electoral work, launching new innovations to activate young people, and build our presence as a go-to leader in the fight for social justice. Some might say that we’re looking for a rare breed of leader. We agree. 

 

WHY WORK FOR OUR TURN?

We approach our work with the audacity of believing that students have the power to rewrite the rules of education in our country and the humility to know that thousands have come before us in this fight. We know that young people, especially young people of color, have been shut out by decision makers who shape their educational experience and respond by providing transformational leadership development and grassroots organizing experience that flip the traditional power dynamic on its head. Our team is highly collaborative and works with urgency, passion, and — most importantly — a lot of joy. We are looking for driven, entrepreneurial social justice activists to join us and continue the fight for educational equity.

We believe that supporting, developing, and retaining our team is the most critical investment we can make for achieving bold outcomes. To ensure that our team is prepared and excited to do their job with excellence every day, we offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes: a performance-based culture with generous paid time off; flexible working environment; opportunities for internal and external professional development; health, dental, and vision insurance; retirement plan with an employer match. 

 

YOUR GAMEPLAN

Campaign success (30%)

  • Launch and scale best-in-class organizing models that deliver wins for issue and electoral campaigns.

  • Harmonize our (c)3 and (c)4 work to maximize our impact, nationally and locally. 

  • Collaborate with peers on our marketing and development teams to create new platforms for student voices, which ultimately generate campaign wins. 

 

Program design (30%)

  • Refine and scale our new leadership development model to serve more student leaders across the country.

  • Research, develop, and launch new programmatic innovations that give power to young people and amplify our brand.

  • Create and communicate various means of measuring programmatic quality, so that we can effectively improve and tell our story internally and externally. 

 

Partnerships (20%)

  • Create new national and local partnerships for increasing Our Turn membership, strengthening thought leadership, and galvanizing campaigns. 

  • Increase connectivity with our student alumni and other supporters from coast-to-coast, to position Our Turn as a go-to partner for people interested in social justice. 

  • Collaborate with the development team to secure more resources for your team and the movement.

 

Team leadership (20%)

  • Lead a team of seven and support their personal and professional trajectory + wellbeing.

  • Serve as a member of the management team with responsibilities for cross-functional leadership and the success of our movement.

  • Effectively steward our brand, budget, and network so we can revolutionize the public narrative around education, young people, and civic engagement. 

 

QUALIFICATIONS

  • Rain, sleet, or snow, you deliver. Throughout your career, you’ve generated real results through programs that maximize the potential of people. 

  • A history of generating wins through issue organizing, electoral campaigns, and/or advocacy. 

  • Being a great potluck host would be nice, but even better is a demonstrable ability to build community among people of all backgrounds. (but we really do love a good potluck)

  • You’re the Etsy of program professionals with a portfolio of initiatives that you’ve created to make a positive difference in the social impact space.

  • A track record of guiding teams of direct reports to make amazing things happen, especially in the face of daunting odds. 

  • You’re more likely to “Lumos” than “Accio” because you love to spotlight the voices of others, especially the young people who have been the most affected by the inequitable education system.

 

VALUES

  • Growth. We give and get a high volume of feedback and work relentlessly to improve.

  • Voice. We exist to empower our members and create a powerful voice for students in the policy sphere.

  • Tenacity. We set big goals, persist in the face of challenges, and commit to excellence.

  • Audacity & Humility. We are willing to take risks, think big, and work hard to bring about transformational change, even while acting and listening with humility, respect, and empathy.

  • Dignity. We commit to social justice work because we believe in the fundamental value of every child and person.

  • Collaborative Leadership. Empowering others is the hallmark of transformational leadership. We emphasize both personal growth and shared responsibility while investing in our greatest resource: our people.

 

COMPENSATION

Salary for this position is competitive and depends on prior experience. A comprehensive benefits package is included.  

 

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY 

Our Turn encourages individuals of all backgrounds to apply for this position and is committed to recruiting a team that reflects the diversity of our student movement. Our Turn does not discriminate against any applicant for employment because of race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, nation of origin, disability, age, marital status, military status, or parenthood. 

 

HOW TO APPLY

Email [email protected] with a resume and a one pager about yourself, interest in the role, and a paragraph about the most compelling article you read in the past month. Please indicate in your one pager where you learned of the position. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. A limited number of candidates will be scheduled for phone interviews.