Senior Director, Network Strategy and Membership Engagement

About EdLoC

EdLoC’s mission is to ensure young people of color have the supports needed to thrive, capitalize on opportunities, and build generational wealth. 

We do so by ensuring that young people of color from low-income communities have access to wealth-building opportunities that enable them to break the cycle that impedes their and their families’ economic prosperity over time.  According to researchers from UC Davis’s Center for Poverty and Inequality, “One-third to one-half of children who are poor for a substantial part of their childhood will be poor as adults,” making intergenerational mobility in the United States lower than in any other developed nation in the world.  EdLoC aspires to a day when living in poverty does not determine the fate of your family, generation after generation. 

EdLoC’s belief is that by building a network of values-aligned leaders of color, we can pursue the most innovative, effective, life-altering, and rapid solutions to positively impact young people of color’s access to social capital.  Capital that will eventually allow them to build legacy, or intergenerational, wealth. 

About the Role

Education Leaders of Color (EdLoC) is seeking a dynamic, results-driven, and entrepreneurial executive to serve as our Senior Director of Network Strategy and Membership Engagement (SD, NSME). This role is designed for a leader with a proven track record of driving high-impact, transformational initiatives at an organizational, school, or systems level. The ideal candidate is deeply committed to economic equity and success for young people of color from low-income communities, eager to help a young nonprofit establish a national presence, and passionate about fostering the growth of leaders of color and supporting the leaders who are leading this work.

Reporting directly to the CEO, Sharhonda Bossier, the Senior Director will serve as the face of the EdLoC network, providing visible and influential leadership to members, shaping a cohesive network strategy, and ensuring an affirming, end-to-end member experience. As a key member of the senior leadership team this role will contribute to EdLoC’s strategic planning, budgeting, and organizational leadership, with a focus on advancing racial and economic equity. The Vice President will oversee a $1 million network budget, contribute to the organization’s $6–7 million operating budget, and play a pivotal role in planning EdLoC’s 10-year national convening.

This role requires an entrepreneurial spirit, strong decision-making autonomy, and the ability to revamp and optimize membership processes to engage a diverse and growing membership base, particularly increasing Latinx and APIA representation in the network. The Senior Director will leverage data-driven insights to enhance member engagement and ensure the network’s alignment with EdLoC’s mission and values.

Key Responsibilities

Shaping Network Strategy (30%)

• Develop and execute a long-term vision and strategy for the EdLoC network, positioning it at the intersection of social justice, economic equity, and racial equity, while expanding membership to include leaders who reflect the full spectrum of leaders of color.
• Lead and manage a growing  Network team, fostering a dynamic, inclusive, and results-driven culture that champions solidarity and inclusion across the organization.
• Stay informed on trends in the field and member needs to design timely, relevant, and mission-aligned programs. Identify priorities, gaps, and opportunities to enhance program impact.
• Create and measure meaningful member engagement opportunities by collecting and analyzing data to evaluate program effectiveness and inform continuous improvement.
• Revamp the membership process to engage members throughout their lifecycle with EdLoC, ensuring robust systems for data collection and retention for both active and inactive members.
• Drive membership growth by at least 20% annually, with a strategic focus on increasing Latinx & APIA representation.

Managing External Partnerships (30%)

• Cultivate and manage strategic partnerships with donors, community agencies, funders, government officials, and other stakeholders to support EdLoC’s network services and member support.
• Build robust, values-aligned relationships to expand organizational capabilities and advance a national agenda for equitable systems change.
• Effectively communicate EdLoC’s mission across the wealth-building, racial equity, and social justice sectors to strengthen partnerships and influence key stakeholders.
• Leverage an established network of contacts to enhance EdLoC’s visibility and impact.

Catalyzing Collaborative Strategies (15%)

• Lead efforts to document and share stories of member leaders and organizations successfully advancing EdLoC’s Values in socioeconomic equity and wealth building.
• In collaboration with the Senior Director of Strategy and Programs, design communication strategies to establish EdLoC as a thought leader at the intersection of socioeconomic prosperity, racial equity, and social justice, addressing generational poverty.
• Collaborate with the CEO  to support fundraising campaigns, strengthen the funding base, and develop successful grant proposals.
• In collaboration with the Chief Policy Officer, contribute to the creation of key organizational materials, such as Op-Eds, infographics, videos, and reports, to advocate for policies and practices that disrupt generational poverty.

Expanding System and Social Impact Investments (15%)

• In collaboration with the Director of Operations and Special Projects, oversee the planning and management of EdLoC’s social investment initiatives, including The Boulder Fund and Microgrant funds, with an annual budget of up to $2 million.

Contributing to Organizational Leadership (10%)

• Collaborate with the executive team to establish organization-wide strategic plans, goals, and impact metrics.
• Guide goal-setting for the Network team, ensuring alignment with individual, team, and organizational priorities.
• Work with the Chief Executive Officer to maintain systems and processes for effective program staff management and an organizational structure that supports EdLoC’s goals.
• Supervise, coach, and support program staff to ensure programmatic success and professional growth, fostering synergies across Network team areas.
• Lead annual planning and manage budgets for Network programs, ensuring alignment with the $6–7 million organizational operating budget.
• Plan and execute EdLoC’s 10-year national convening, taking full responsibility for its success.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Public Policy, Communications, or a related field.
• Experience:
• 10–15 years of senior-level experience in nonprofit, education, philanthropy, or grassroots organizations, with a track record of leading innovative, mission-driven programs, ideally serving low-income youth or communities.
• Proven experience building and scaling programs or initiatives, not just sustaining existing ones, with a strong reputation and established network of contacts.
• Prior leadership experience managing people and teams during organizational growth, including demonstrated ability to lead complex projects from planning to execution, effectively managing timelines, deliverables, and cross-functional collaboration—often coordinating workstreams with individuals who are not direct reports through influence, clear communication, and strong relationship management.
• Experience developing multi-sector partnerships that shift political power through social justice grantmaking, government funding, social impact investment, or similar mechanisms.
• Technical Skills:
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Google products, databases, and online project management tools; willingness to learn and adopt new systems.
• Comfortable managing a $1 million network budget and contributing to a $6–7 million organizational operating budget, with the ability to read, develop, and anticipate budgetary needs.
• Language: Bilingual (English/Spanish) a plus.

Attributes

• Entrepreneurial Spirit: Demonstrates strong decision-making autonomy, capable of listening to the organization and members to make informed, strategic choices within the established budget and messaging framework.
• Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking: Exceptional ability to synthesize information, ask insightful questions, and pivot quickly on content and budget priorities.
• Strategic Vision: A creative and strategic visionary who can translate ideas into actionable programs and lead teams to execute them effectively.
• Communication and Presence:
• Strong public speaking and presentation skills, comfortable addressing audiences of 500+ and facilitating meetings with diverse stakeholders, from district superintendents to nonprofit directors and C-suite executives.
• Ability to position themselves as an expert with gravitas, confidently engaging with seasoned leaders while remaining quick on their feet and open to feedback.
• Relationship Building:
• Ability to build trust, influence members, and foster relational connections to drive collaborative action.
• Commitment to working with diverse communities, particularly increasing Latinx and APIA representation, and finding shared goals across varied perspectives.
• Leadership and Collaboration:
• Ability to foster a cohesive team dynamic and support organizational growth.
• A creative, joyful collaborator and self-starter with a positive approach, can-do attitude, and a sense of humor.
• Adaptability: Comfortable managing complex programs, allocating resources across disciplines, and juggling competing priorities in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.

Nontraditional Hours/Travel: 

Willingness to exceed typical job expectations when required, including working late hours or weekends for project deadlines, events. Travel is expected 40% of the time.

Location: 

The SD, NSME is a full-time, remote position.  Fully functioning home office required.

Salary and Benefits

• Salary for this role falls between $180,000 and $200,000, commensurate with relevant experience and qualifications. 

• Monthly stipends to support remote engagement.
• Competitive health care benefits, including vision and dental.
• Immediate 401K match of 50% up to 10% of salary.
• Company-paid life insurance.
• Flexible time off with a minimum of three weeks of vacation, plus all federal holidays (11 days).