About Liberation Ventures 

Liberation Ventures (LV) is building the power to win federal, comprehensive reparations for Black Americans. LV is a field catalyst and intermediary, and exists to support the incredible field of people and organizations across the country building momentum toward that north star. LV is guided by five organizational beliefs.

LV’s three pillars of work include:

• Mobilizing abundant resources by investing in organizations that accelerate the reparations movement & co-creating grantmaking strategies with practitioners in the field 
• Spreading irresistible narratives by building narrative power, amplifying the stories of our movement, and framing reparations as the issue of our time
• Strengthening movement capacity through relationship and connective tissue building, research, and tailored organizational development support

Liberation Ventures is laying the groundwork to secure racial repair, at scale, in our lifetime. LV is building a multiracial democracy that works for all of us – and realizing a dream in our name, where reparations for Black people unlock true belonging for us all. To find out more about LV’s work, visit Liberation Ventures’ website.

About the Opportunity

Working closely with the Co-Founder & CEO, the LV team, and LV’s movement partners (grantees), LV is seeking its first-ever Vice President of Movement Building to build and execute a strategy for LV’s third pillar of work: strengthening movement capacity. This is an opportunity for a seasoned and innovative movement leader, ready to dive head first into the Black reparations ecosystem with great humility, wisdom, and courage.

This individual will lead key elements of LV’s strategy to holistically support organizations in the movement, as well as the movement as a whole, to accelerate progress toward financial and nonfinancial reparations. Within their role, they will help set internal strategy, build deep and trusting relationships with partners, support coalitions, and learn the ins and outs of a field with roots as old as this country itself. One part campaign director, one part strategist, one part program officer, and one part consultant/coach/cheerleader, this person's work will dynamically answer the question: “what does the reparations movement need, and how can Liberation Ventures fulfill those needs?”

This position reports to the Co-Founder & CEO.

Areas of Leadership

Mission and Values Alignment: This person understands the dynamics of at-scale movements for justice and political and cultural change, and can hold the complexity required to be deeply accountable to a myriad of stakeholders.

• Key qualifications: 
  • Deep belief in Liberation Ventures’ mission
  • Demonstrated commitment to LV’s beliefs in practice 
  • Strong understanding of LV’s field of work — racial, economic, and gender justice and their intersections, and the systems and structures that cause ongoing harm in these areas
  • Able to hold multiple truths at the same time related to running a liberatory organization within a capitalist system, and able to take decisive action from that position
  • Understands complexity as it relates to identity; able to hold and understand parts of one's identity that are historically marginalized as well as parts of one's identity that are historically powerful
  • Able to see, name, and navigate power and privilege dynamics in a group and contribute to a working environment where all people are equally valued, feel cared for, and are accountable to each other

Accountable and Compassionate Management: This person will manage a team infused with collaboration, growth, care, and equity. 

• Key qualifications: 
  • Exceptional project management skills; strong attention to detail and equitable, streamlined processes; highly organized and able to manage multiple streams of work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
  • Exceptional written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
  • Track record of building “high EQ” teams dedicated to personal and professional growth
  • Track record of serving as a thought partner and strategic advisor to executive leaders as well as reporting to and managing a board of directors
  • Track record of building strong partnerships with team members at all levels of an organization; relational, collaborative approach to management and leadership

Movement Building Strategy: This person will develop a tailored strategy for how LV connects and supports movement partners and the reparations movement writ large, and operationalize that strategy to meet organizational needs across the movement (e.g., strategic planning, fundraising, communications, etc.). They will do this through providing some direct support as well as managing others (either contractors or other LV staff), attending events across the country to maintain an up-to-date perspective on movement progress, opportunities, and challenges, and partnering with organizations on the ground to implement successful initiatives, campaigns, etc. 

• Key qualifications: 
  • Strategic and informed decision maker; able to zoom out and see the full picture, synthesize data from many different sources, identify implications for Liberation Ventures, operationalize those implications into organizational plans/priorities, and communicate them with clarity and nuance
  • Strong and humble listener: able to receive feedback from partners and act on it with humility and care
  • Experienced movement leader with a strong network of existing relationships inside the progressive/social justice movement
  • Experience developing a strategy for how to support many different actors – across sectors, geographies, identities, and more – in coalescing as a field to achieve at-scale political and cultural change, together
  • Highly innovative and adaptable; passionate about staying abreast of current shifts and trends in the field, and able to track opportunities, challenges, and progress within the movement across the country over time and adjust LV programs accordingly

External Partnerships: This person will build deep, personal relationships with LV’s 40+ movement partners (grantees) and other organizations across the movement (e.g., nonprofits, academics, researchers, activists, artists, etc.). They will contribute to and co-lead LV's 2025 grantmaking process (which will begin in mid-2024), as well as serve as an advisor on other LV strategies and programs (e.g., research strategy, narrative change strategy), elevating the needs and learnings from conversations and collaborations with movement partners.

• Key qualifications:   
  • Experienced relationship builder with peers, movement leaders, and funders from all backgrounds; skilled at building new partnerships through tensions and nuances that exist in the field
  • Skilled at articulating strategic goals and organizational tradeoffs; able to hold boundaries and complexity in live dialogue with partners
  • Comfort with public speaking and engaging with diverse audiences. Ability to communicate effectively via multiple platforms and in person, in both small and large groups
  • Track record of creating conditions for healing, repair, and wellness across people and organizations within a movement

Work Environment

This position is open to people in any location in the US. Liberation Ventures has a flexible, remote working environment. The Liberation Ventures team has quarterly in-person retreats, usually in New York City. This position requires regular travel; approximately 1-2 domestic trips per month.

Position Type

The Liberation Ventures Vice President of Movement Building is a full-time (100% FTE) position. Liberation Ventures is a fiscally sponsored organization of PolicyLink, a 501c3 nonprofit headquartered in Oakland, California. PolicyLink’s 501c3 number is 94-3297479.

Compensation & Benefits

PolicyLink offers competitive salaries based on the experience and skills of employees. The starting salary range for the position is $150,000 - $190,000, dependent on experience. PolicyLink provides an excellent and comprehensive benefits package that includes unlimited vacation, medical, dental, vision, 401k match, ancillary benefits, access to Flexible Spending Accounts, commuter expenses, and generous leave benefits.

For this position, Liberation Ventures also provides a professional development stipend, coaching stipend, and annual healing bonus.

Liberation Ventures intends to spin out of PolicyLink within the next few years to become its own independent 501c3. At this time we will create our own benefits package, and plan to add a sabbatical policy, reimbursement for identity affirming medical care (e.g., fertility treatment), and more.

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EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYMENT

PolicyLink strongly values equity and believes in a just and fair society where all can participate, prosper, and reach their full potential. We work towards a more inclusive world and as such we are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, skin color, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, military status, pregnancy, or parenthood. PolicyLink is committed to maintaining a diverse and multicultural working environment.