Jobs

Senior Director, Democracy

About the State Innovation Exchange
The State Innovation Exchange (SiX) is a 501(c)(3) policy, strategy, and resource center for progressive
state legislators. We empower, embolden, and equip state legislators to build and wield progressive
governing power by/with/for the people they represent. We do this by providing legislators with the
tools needed to shape impactful public policy and building their capacity to lead with their
constituents. We foster long-term collaboration between legislators- across chambers, across regions,
and across state lines – and with grassroots movements.
Our vision is an equitable, resilient, healthy, and prosperous future for every person in the United
States, which is secured and safeguarded by progressive state legislators. SiX’s sister organization, SiX
Action is a 501(c)(4) that works alongside SiX to build the capacity of state legislators by providing
policy development, communications tools, and technical assistance.
Position Summary
The SiX Democracy Project is a national project team that empowers and emboldens state legislators to
be dynamic advocates for a powerful, inclusive, and participatory democracy. The SiX Senior Director of
Democracy leads this team, bolstering a democracy lens throughout SiX’s programmatic work
organizing state legislators and movement partners, ensuring the country’s democratic systems are
inclusive and racially just. This position will design and implement cross-state and national projects to
advance democracy policies, from voting rights to combating abusive preemption policies and beyond.
This position reports to the Senior Vice President of State Strategy and Services and will work closely
with program leads at SiX.
Strong candidates will have a demonstrated history of equitable participation in coalitions, experience
in democracy policy and/or organizing, a race-forward understanding of democracy issues, a history of
being a strategic innovator on legislative advocacy, demonstrated leadership in building programs and
leading teams, and a collaborative and collegial stance.
At SiX, we commit to equal pay for equal work. To counter pay inequality and uphold internal parity, we
use a nonnegotiable starting salary system, while benchmarking our pay to highly competitive markets
in the nonprofit sector. The starting salary for this position is $110,000.
In addition, SiX offers competitive benefits including generous healthcare coverage options for you and
your family, life insurance, a retirement match, flexible schedule, and a generous leave and holiday
schedule. This is a full-time, exempt position. SiX is a fully remote organization; however, this position
may require travel throughout the U.S.
Note: Research suggests that women and BIPOC individuals may self-select out of opportunities if they
don’t meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage anyone who believes they have the skills and
the drive necessary to succeed here to apply for this role.
Role Responsibilities
All staff at SiX have personalized role responsibilities – the outcomes and impacts you are expected to
deliver as part of your unique role within the organization. As the Senior Director, Democracy you
report to the Senior Vice President of State Strategy and Services, and you will be responsible for
delivering on the following expectations in your day-to-day work:
1. Program Strategy and Oversight – Democracy Project: Design and oversee strategy,
implementation, and impact for the Democracy Project, a multi-year project to build the
capacity of state legislators to fight for a radically inclusive, participatory democracy, working in
close coordination with legislators, local and national partners, and SiX overall. Candidates
should have a proven track record designing and successfully executing national advocacy
campaigns, with specific experience working at the intersection of democracy and racial equity.
Ideal candidates will harness their robust network of relationships with state and national
democracy and civic engagement advocacy organizations in service of this work.
2. Program Implementation: Support the Democracy Project and SiX program staff to expand the
network of state legislator Democracy Champions and oversee the development of projects,
training and policy materials, communications tools and other project deliverables. Candidates
should have demonstrated experience working in state legislative ecosystems, with a deep
understanding of the barriers and resource limitations that hamper the efforts of state
legislators to advance pro-democracy reforms and / or a history of working with democracy
champions who have advanced positive reforms. Notably, the Senior Director, Democracy will
develop a cohort of state legislator Democracy Champions and support the development of
enhanced policy literacy, strategy, motivation, skills and abilities to champion key state
democratic policies, proactively drive public narrative, and build momentum toward national
level change.
3. Partnerships: Identify, establish, cultivate and maintain relationships with key democracy reform
partners and coalitions. Coordinate with local, state and national partners to execute projects
and pursue shared policy goals. Ensure internal coordination across departments for
partnerships that have multiple touchpoints. Candidates should have an expert understanding
of the dynamic and complex democracy reform field and utilize that to inform the direction of
the program.
4. Internal Collaboration: The Senior Director, Democracy will work closely with the organization’s
program teams and coalition partners to drive existing programming, and create and execute
new programming. This position reports to the Senior Vice President of State Strategy and
Services and will work closely with fellow program leads, including the Senior Directors of
Legislative Affairs, the strategic initiatives and services team leads and the legislative team.
Additionally, The Senior Director, Democracy will capitalize on our matrixed organizational
model — national programming and cohorts of hundreds of legislators organized around key
issues combined with on-the-ground staff serving as trusted strategic advisors to legislators in
key states. This work will be complemented with our wrap-around support services, including
training, research and communications, targeted at state legislators who operate with
little-to-no staff support.
5. Staff Management: Supervise, support and build out the Democracy Project team. Cultivate an
environment of positive team building and drive organizational culture-building activities.
Support staff in identifying opportunities for advancement of SiX’s Democracy Project, set goals
and achieve objectives, and oversee and track team progress toward the organization’s and
portfolio’s overall programmatic goals. Oversee the execution of special projects, as necessary.
Ensure Democracy Project staff are collaborating across the organization, as necessary.
Candidates should demonstrate a strong history in staff management rooted in a commitment
to feedback, culture building, and accountability. Ideal candidates will have experience
managing remote staff distributed across the country.
6. Fund Development: Represent the Democracy Project to foundations, individual donors, and
donor collaboratives. Provide high-level support for all funding streams, including the
completion of grant reports, grants management and oversight, and national meetings where
required. In collaboration with the SiX Vice President of Development, lead the development of
proposal renewals, proposal design and grant writing for projects in your portfolio and engage
in fundraising for the organization. Candidates should possess strong written and verbal
communication skills that can clearly, concisely, and compellingly convey essential
programmatic information.
7. Financial Oversight: Develop, monitor, and course-correct Democracy Project budget where
needed to ensure alignment with internal controls and funder compliance. Candidates should
have direct experience managing program budgets and using/maintaining operational data.
8. External Affairs: Represent the organization and serve as a spokesperson and thought leader
with legislators, the public, the progressive ecosphere and members of the press. Advance the
organization’s reputation, profile and brand with key stakeholders. Ensure departmental
participation in national conferences and events. Candidates should possess strong written and
verbal communication skills that can clearly, concisely, and compellingly convey essential
programmatic information. Ideal candidates will have a demonstrated record of leading on
democracy issues nationally and / or across multiple states.
9. Organizational Alignment: Ensure that the Democracy Project meets its organization-wide
expectations with regard to living our organizational values, practicing equity and inclusion,
ensuring compliance with applicable rules and regulations, and achieving coordination and
cohesiveness with SiX’s strategic plan and overall programmatic goals. Candidates should
demonstrate a history of stewarding organizational transformation and/or culture change work
within a dynamic and multi-racial setting.
Core Competencies
All staff roles at SiX are grounded in a set of core competencies that are standardized across the
organization based on the type of role you hold. As the Senior Director, Democracy you will be
responsible for delivering on the following core competency expectations in your day-to-day work:
1. Equity and Inclusion. You are able to consistently integrate your deep understanding of key
equity concepts into work projects and interactions by addressing structural implications and
disproportionate impacts of policies, activities, and decisions on race, gender, class and other
group identities within the context of job responsibilities and projects.
2. Strategy and Implementation. You are able to provide strategic consultation and advice in the
formation, oversight, and execution of your team’s work and their deliverables. You ensure
ongoing programmatic excellence and accountability for your team in alignment with SiX’s
organizational strategic plan and funder requirements. You are able to successfully implement
the core activities of your department/issue area through direct program implementation
and/or the management of staff who are responsible for program implementation.
3. Staff Management. You are able to support and cultivate staff. You effectively engage in and
resolve conflict and you are able to adeptly manage across lines of difference within a
multi-racial organization.
4. External Partner Management and Movement Building. You are able to identify, cultivate, and
maintain successful partnerships with external stakeholders in the implementation and impact
of your department/issue area. You possess the ability to identify, recruit, hire, delegate, and
manage contractors and/or vendors to implement components of the work, on an as needed
basis.
5. External Communications and Brand Management. You are able to adeptly represent the
organization and serve as a spokesperson and thought leader with legislators, the public, and
members of the press. You advance the organization’s reputation, profile, and brand with key
stakeholders. You possess excellent written and verbal communication skills.
6. Knowledge Management. You are able to provide consultation and input on the design of
systems, processes, and tools to better support the facilitation, collection, and sharing of
knowledge that is generated by your portfolio. You ensure consistent data collection and
analysis on key project outcomes. You work collaboratively with the senior management team
to integrate cross-program activities and functions.
7. Financial Oversight. You are able to assist with managing the resources of your
department/issue area. You manage your team to provide timely, accurate financial
information, as needed, and comply with all internal financial protocols.
8. Fund Development. You are able to successfully secure resources for your department/issue
area. You are able to effectively design funding requests, and communicate those ideas, both in
writing and in-person, to targeted audiences.
9. Compliance. You are able to ensure that all activities within your program area/department, as
well as the staff you manage, comply with relevant nonprofit laws and adhere to internal
policies, practices, and protocols.
10. Organizational Culture and Values. You are able to ensure that you and the staff you supervise
practice and uphold the organization’s values in your day-to-day and long-term work. You
steward and exemplify an organizational culture that is productive, collaborative, and equitable.
Organizational Values
All staff at SiX are responsible for upholding our organizational values, which were developed
collaboratively by all staff. These describe the way we strive to do our work together and the kind of
organizational culture we want to build. As the Senior Director, Democracy you will be responsible for
demonstrating the following behaviors in carrying out your day-to-day work:
1. Equity and Inclusion. Actively practice our commitment to racial, gender, economic, and social
justice. Demonstrate an openness to cultivating progressive, inclusive leadership and welcoming
different learning and leadership styles. Seek and accept feedback about ways to strengthen
your awareness and understanding of how to create more inclusiveness in your speech and
behavior. Practice humility and continuous learning. Commit to repairing relationships with your
speech or behavior has promoted inequity or exclusion.
2. Collaboration. Proactively build relationships with your colleagues and partners. Demonstrate
respectful speech and behavior. Be honest, kind, and direct in instances of conflict. Adopt a
stance of “having each other’s back.” Resist habits of individualism and competition in favor of
turning toward and building with one another.
3. Accountability. Demonstrate the ability to own and achieve your responsibilities at work. Attend
to both the results and the process by which you achieve your results. Pay attention to details,
anticipate roadblocks, offer solutions, drive work forward, include relevant stakeholders when
making decisions, follow through with delivering high-quality work on time.
4. Integrity and Trust. Do not withhold information but democratize knowledge. Acknowledge
both your successes and your mistakes. Practice forthrightness, “saying the thing,” graciously
giving and receiving feedback, and building your own skills and capacity as well as that of your
colleagues.
5. Initiative and Tenacity. Take responsibility for your success and the success of your teammates.
Demonstrate the ability to manage and successfully execute on the work in the context of a
remote organization. Offer and seek answers and options proactively, in consultation with your
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supervisor, colleagues, and partners. Challenge implicit assumptions and create explicit
agreements.
6. Flexibility. Embody a “getting to yes” attitude and a propensity for working through roadblocks,
building consensus, and course correcting when necessary. Engage in continuous learning and
reflection. Seek feedback. Apply your learnings to subsequent projects and responsibilities.
Welcome change and seek ways to adapt to new information, people, and circumstances.
7. Innovation. Commit to learning and growing the organization’s work. Stay open to possibility.
Greet new opportunities with curiosity and a sense of possibility and openness. Contribute to a
culture that lets us grow, try new things, succeed (or fail), and learn from our efforts.
How to Apply
Interested applicants should submit a compelling cover letter and resume to
jobs@stateinnovation.org. Please indicate the position you are applying for in the subject line of the
email. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Priority will be given to candidates who
apply by February 10, 2023.
The State Innovation Exchange is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage people of color,
women, LGBTQ folks, and immigrants to apply for open positions. We do not discriminate on the basis
of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, national origin, age,
martial, and/or veteran status or any other characteristic or activity protected by federal, state, or local
law.

Job posted: 2023-02-02