About Us: Jobs

About CPL
The Center for Progressive Leadership (CPL) is a national political training institute that develops diverse leaders who can effectively advance progressive political and policy change.

Since 2003, CPL has trained over 6,000 future candidates, political professionals, advocacy leaders, and organizational staff. With a deep commitment to developing diverse, progressive leaders, over 55% of CPL’s trainees are people of color and nearly 60% are women. These leaders are truly changing the face of politics in this country.

CPL has a national headquarters in Washington, DC and six permanent state offices (Arizona, Colorado, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin). Through these offices, CPL runs intensive leadership programs for diverse progressive leaders, including:

• State Political Leaders Fellowships: CPL’s flagship training program recruits, trains, mentors, and networks promising political leaders, organizational directors and future candidates in our target states. The Fellowship consists of 9-months of intensive training, group workshops, mentorship and one-on-one coaching for 30-50 working adults to give them the tools, resources, and knowledge needed to become effective candidates, organizational leaders, and organizers in their communities.

• Local Candidate Training Programs: 4-5 month training programs for future candidates with an emphasis on recruiting and supporting promising leaders from underrepresented communities.

• New Leaders Fellowship: a six-month, part-time program for talented young people of color, women and members of the LGBT community. 

• New Leaders Internship: CPL's New Leaders Internship Program is a ten-week paid summer internship program in Washington, D.C. for young people from underrepresented communities across the country.

• Civic Engagement Academies: 4-5 month training programs for grassroots civic leaders. CPL’s Civic Engagement Academies are run in conjunction with local grassroots organizing groups in our state offices.

• The Executive Fellowship: a new nine-month fellowship program for future nonprofit senior and executive leaders in Washington, DC. 
  

In addition to these programs, CPL is looking to steadily expand our training and leadership development across the country. Through our existing and new programs, we seek to support the next generation of diverse national progressive political, advocacy, and policy leaders.

CPL’s 50 staff and faculty across the country work every day to identify, recruit, train, coach, and mentor promising and diverse progressive leaders. Over the next three years, CPL has plans to add new state offices, develop and launch additional political leadership programs, expand our staff and faculty team, and train thousands of diverse progressive leaders. For more information, visit our website at www.ProgressiveLeaders.org.

Job Description:

The core responsibility of the President of the Center for Progressive Leadership is to drive the success and growth of the organization through strategic leadership, board and team management, fundraising, and operational oversight. The President will serve as the chief spokesperson for CPL and shape the strategic direction of the organization for years to come.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Leadership
The President will work with the board and staff to shape the strategic vision of the organization, including program improvement, new program development, and operational structuring. The President will shape the strategies of the organizations to achieve the organization’s vision of creating widespread progressive political and policy change and closing the representation gap for underserved communities. The President will ensure that all teams are working towards the goals of the strategic plan and regularly updating and adjusting the strategic plan as necessary.

Fundraising
A core priority for the President will be leading CPL’s national fundraising efforts—approximately 60% of the President’s time will be spent fundraising. The President is responsible for securing CPL’s budget ($2.4 million in 2011), including attracting and managing individual donors and foundations and ensuring continued earned revenue growth.

The President will increase individual and foundation support for the organization while developing strong relationships with the national progressive donor and foundation community.

Staff Supervision, Development and Leadership
The President will be responsible for the oversight and management of the operations of CPL and its 20 full-time staff and 30-40 part-time faculty. In this role, he/she is responsible for setting organizational objectives, ensuring that all teams are achieving these objectives, and coordinating operations across teams.

The President is also responsible for ensuring that the hiring, retaining, developing, and terminating, if necessary, of staff is occurring across the teams in order to effectively meet program, fundraising, communications, operations, and finance goals. The President will also be directly responsible for the oversight of five of CPL’s senior staff (VP of State Operations and Directors of Operations/Finance, National Programs, Technology, and Development), including all management, evaluation, and development of these staff members.

High Quality Leadership Programs
The President will ensure that all CPL’s leadership programs are of high quality, efficient, and impactful. The President will ensure the CPL team is regularly redeveloping programs to ensure that they are meeting our goals of creating long-term progressive policy change.

Board of Directors
The President reports to the Board of Directors and is to work with the Board to ensure that CPL is fiscally sound and continues to deliver high-impact programs that achieve our vision, while effectively building the capacity and sustainability of the organization. Specific reporting of the President is to the Chair of the Board of Directors.

The President will develop a strong working relationship with the Board of Directors. He/she will have the ability to guide the Board in carrying out CPL’s mission, vision and goals. Work with the Board of Directors may include, but not be limited to: (i) organizing Board meetings; (ii) planning the agenda of Board meetings with the Chair, and (iii) working with the Board Treasurer to review monthly finances; and (iv) providing regular reports on financial and programmatic progress to the board.

The President will also foster good relationships between the Board, staff, donors and other present and potential stakeholders. The Board of Directors, in turn, will ensure sound management practices in their responsibility for governance of CPL. The President will be included in all Board deliberations except those that involve discussion of the performance of the President.

Fiscal Management
The President has responsibility for the sound fiscal management of CPL, monthly financial reviews with the Board Treasurer, and regular reporting to the board.

Performance Review
The Board of Directors, in collaboration with the President, at the end of the first six months of his/her employment and annually thereafter, will establish yearly performance goals for the President, which will serve as the basis upon which the President’s annual performance will be measured.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Key Requirements

• Ability to be a dynamic representative of CPL with funders, partners, and trainees
• Deep understanding of and commitment to political leadership development
• Extensive experience working with diverse communities and a demonstrated commitment to increase political representation for people of color, women, LGBT individuals, and low-income individuals
• Demonstrated success in fundraising and donor engagement

Additional Requirements

• At least eight years demonstrated experience in a senior management role.
• Strong training and facilitation skills
• Demonstrated experience in strategic management and organizational development
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and writing skills
• The ability to lead and supervise staff proactively and fairly
• Be team oriented and enjoy working collaboratively
• Proficient with general office software and technology
• Bachelor’s Degree or higher
• Prepared to travel regularly (8-12 times per year) to visit state programs and fundraise

CPL is an equal opportunity employer. People of color, women and people who identify as LGBTQ are encouraged to apply.

Location:
This will be a full-time position with a preferred location in Washington DC.


Salary & Benefits:
Salary for this position will be commensurate with the candidate’s level of relevant professional experience.

To Apply:
Please send your resume and a cover letter in a single document to presidentsearch@progressiveleaders.org

Resume submission deadline is September 10, 2011.