**Please submit all applications to Koya Leadership Partners.
About ActBlue
ActBlue is a force for radically increasing grassroots political power on the left. We achieve that by building infrastructure and tech to drive long-term structural change. We’re driven by the belief that our democracy works better when more people participate in civic life and when our campaigns and nonprofits are powered by the people they serve. That’s why we’ve built a powerful online fundraising platform for Democratic candidates up and down the ballot, progressive organizations, and nonprofits.
Our tools make it possible for anyone to build a grassroots campaign or movement and give donors an easy and secure way to support their favorite candidates and causes. Every major Democratic campaign counts on ActBlue as their fundraising platform, and millions of donors trust us as the place that makes it easy to give. In 2019 and 2020 so far, over 21,000 campaigns and organizations have used our platform to raise more than $3 billion with an average contribution size of $35. We are looking to position ActBlue to be a long-term resource for the left and to grow to meet the evolving needs of the donor, campaign, and nonprofit base we serve.
How ActBlue Works
We are a nonprofit organization and we want as many groups as possible to be able to use our tools to create strong grassroots fundraising programs. Our platform is available to Democratic candidates and committees, progressive organizations, and nonprofits that share our values for no cost besides a competitive processing fee on donations.
We take care of building fundraising tools and technology so the groups using our platform can focus on engaging and communicating with their supporters.
We also know that a critical part of bringing grassroots fundraising to thousands of campaigns and organizations is helping them learn how to use the tools strategically. We have a dedicated donor support team, and our digital fundraising experts share their knowledge and work with fundraisers by providing training, insights, and other support.
Why Tens of Thousands of Campaigns, Organizations, and Nonprofits Trust Us
Even when campaigns end, our innovation continues. Our engineers are constantly A/B testing our contribution forms, creating new features, and staying on top of the latest advances in online security. And millions of donors can give to any group using our platform with a single click because they’ve saved their payment information through our ActBlue Express feature.
The best part? All of our tools and features come standard for any group using our platform, so a local food bank or candidate for school board can benefit from the same fundraising tools used by someone running for president.
For more information on ActBlue, please visit actblue.com.
The Opportunity
The Chief of Staff will have a bird’s eye view across the organization, connecting the dots and providing strategic guidance as ActBlue continues to scale and grow. The main functions of the role will be to provide support to the Executive Director, facilitate strategic planning across the organization, spearhead special projects, coordinate internal communications, provide operational support, and streamline processes to ensure effectiveness.
A skillful conversation facilitator, problem solver, and seasoned leader, the Chief of Staff will have the authority and confidence necessary to make thoughtful and considered decisions and will be content out of the spotlight, focused on internal operations. A key part of the Chief of Staff’s portfolio will be the development and implementation of internal communications and they will be tasked with owning internal written and verbal communication, meeting structure and cadence, and inter-departmental messaging. Our Chief of Staff will be sought after by their peers as a sounding board, collaborator, and implementer. They will share ActBlue’s commitment to racial equity and be a partner in our growth towards becoming an anti-racist organization. We’re looking for someone with integrity and discretion who works to build and maintain trust with all coworkers and will be game to work daily with our Executive Director as ActBlue continues to grow and mature.
Key areas of responsibility will include:
Strategic Planning and Alignment
- Managing the annual strategic planning process, acting as project manager and ensuring alignment between work plans and strategic goals.
- Stewarding the implementation of strategic plans by tracking progress towards milestones, collaborating with senior staff to troubleshoot challenges, and coaching senior leaders in the execution of their plans.
- Overseeing the creation of new processes and/or tools in collaboration with the Executive Director and senior staff to ensure projects are delivered on time, on budget, and within the scope set forth in their plans
Direct Support of the Executive Director
- Operating as an advisor to the Executive Director, facilitating effective decision making
- Supporting the workload of the Executive Director and prioritizing time by managing information flow, resolving issues, providing analysis and advice on key needs, and delegating internal and external inquiries to the appropriate individual
- Organizing content and logistics for Board meetings and other events, overseeing the assembly of Board books in advance of Board meetings, including collecting reports from various staff
- Managing other projects as assigned by the Executive Director, driving the end-to-end scoping, planning and management of projects to produce high-quality, timely deliverables
- Dedication to helping build an inclusive culture and functioning through a racial equity lens
Support Leadership Team Structures & Workflows
- Executing efficient regular management team meetings, leading those proceedings, setting agendas, and guaranteeing follow up actions
- Demonstrating an inclusive culture of giving and receiving feedback to facilitate ongoing learning and org development.
- Serving as a sought after sounding board to ActBlue’s high-performance senior management team
- Developing and implementing trainings and retreats to expand the capacity and team building of senior leaders
Organizational Development and Internal Communications
- Managing internal communications and messaging to staff
- Coordinating and running our weekly all-staff call and other org-wide meetings and events
- Delivering important ActBlue information with inclusive and clear methods for maximum comprehension and visibility
- Systematizing knowledge management, so internal teams have accurate and up-to-date information on project execution, pipeline items, and external facing communications.
- Advising senior leaders on organizational structure development with an eye to equity, efficiency, and scalability
Chief of Staff Profile
The Chief of Staff will support the Executive Director in executing great decisions, will serve as an analyst and decision-framer on one hand and project manager, change agent, and coach on the other.
Qualifications
- Ten or more years of relevant professional experience
- Exceptional leadership and communication skills – a good listener who can be both empathetic and pragmatic
- Desire to help us build a better, more equitable ActBlue, experience with implementing socially equitable business practices and reforming organizational culture a plus
- Demonstrated success leading multi-year strategic planning processes and shepherding stakeholders through that work
- Experience working closely with C-Suite level staff
- Strong communication skills and experience writing in a shared, organizational voice
- Flexibility and the ability to handle the uncertainties associated with a fast-paced environment
- Strong learning orientation and growth mindset – the ability to learn from mistakes, the desire to continuously improve, and the capacity to exemplify these traits to staff
- Strategic management mindset and goal setting experience
- Familiarity with Democratic politics or the progressive movement a plus
- Background in organizational development preferred
- Understanding of the operations and management of nonprofit organizations
Contact
Liz Lombard and Angie Sessoms of Koya Leadership Partners have been exclusively retained for this search. To express your interest in this role please submit your materials here. All inquiries and discussions will be considered strictly confidential.
ActBlue is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against candidates on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, or veteran status. Women, people of color, LGBTQIA2S+ individuals, and members of other minority or marginalized groups are strongly encouraged to apply.
About Koya Leadership Partners
Koya Leadership Partners, a member of the Diversified Search Group, is a leading executive search and strategic advising firm dedicated to connecting exceptionally talented people with mission-driven clients. Our founding philosophy—The Right Person in the Right Place Can Change the World—guides our work as we partner with nonprofits & NGOs, institutions of higher education, responsible businesses, and social enterprises in local communities and around the world.
For more information about Koya Leadership Partners, visit www.koyapartners.com.
