Executive Director of Human Rights Spokane

Executive Director, Human Rights Spokane

Human Rights Spokane is committed to advancing civil and human rights, building an inclusive community, and combatting hate.

Human Rights Spokane (HRS) seeks an experienced, collaborative, and community-centered Executive Director to provide strategic and operational leadership and fundraising for the organization, and to advance its mission of advocating for human rights so that all people in our region feel welcomed, safe, valued, and free from hate. This position will be filled on a contract (consultant) basis for year one, with minimum fundraising expectations to be met by the end of the first year as a condition of renewal for subsequent years.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to satisfactorily perform each of the essential duties/responsibilities listed below. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties/responsibilities of this job.

1. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director serves as the organizations senior leader and primary ambassador. The Executive Director is responsible for translating the Boards strategic direction into day-to-day work that advances effective programs, partnerships, fundraising, community engagement, and organizational operations. A special and intentional focus on fundraising (private donors, corporate and foundation gifts, and grant writing) is a firm requirement for year one.

1. The Executive Director will cultivate trusted relationships across Spokane County and the broader region, bringing together community organizations, civic institutions, businesses, educational institutions, faith communities, public agencies, and residents around the shared work of protecting human dignity, addressing discrimination and hate, and strengthening an inclusive community.

1. Be intentionally and strategically present in the community, especially with at-risk and marginalized communities, including communities of color, the LGBTQ community, diverse faith communities, and immigrant communities. Serve as the public-facing subject-matter expert on human rights in Spokane. A successful Executive Director will be a first call for comment from local media and a first choice for governmental committees and advisory groups whenever an incident involving hate crimes or hate speech occurs in the community.

1. The Executive Director will be a thoughtful coalition builder who can work effectively across differences, elevate the work and leadership of community partners, and establish Human Rights Spokane as a trusted convener, resource, and advocate for human rights throughout the region.

1. Educate the community, the media, and local government bodies, including through social media, about hate, bias, and threats of all kinds to human rights.

1. Manage HRSs collaboration with the State of Washington and the Washington State Attorney Generals Office on hate crime reporting and victim assistance.

1. Manage Board of Directors meetings, including agendas, attendance, and minutes.

1. Keep Board members engaged, informed, and accountable for the tasks they have committed to complete as members of a working Board.

1. Take the lead in working with existing Board committees to oversee the planning and execution of the annual HRS Champions Banquet each November.

1. Oversee the finances and financial activities of HRS, in coordination with the Board Treasurer. HRS is a small organization with a limited number of financial transactions each year, most of which are already handled by the Board Treasurer.

1. Use appropriate administrative, fiscal, physical, and technical safeguards to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and security of sensitive information entrusted to HRS, including information provided by individuals who report hate incidents or seek victim assistance, in compliance with all applicable privacy laws (including, where applicable, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)).

1. Regularly use all forms of communication (email, text, phone, etc.) and the database practices necessary for this position, as directed by the Board.

1. Work as a team member with the Board, volunteers, and community partners to ensure that HRSs outcome measures are achieved.
2. Perform other duties consistent with this role as reasonably assigned by the Board.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must meet the minimum qualifications listed below. These qualifications are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required to perform this job.

Education/Experience: To perform this job successfully, an individual must have a college degree from an accredited college or university. A strong candidate should have experience in working for and/or leading nonprofit organizations or nonprofit efforts.

Certificates/Licenses: Trainings, certificates, or formal experience in the area of human rights theory/practice, DEI, Cultural Awareness, anti-hate crime fields preferred. Must have a valid Drivers License and ability to drive for work use. The individual must successfully pass initial and on-going background checks applicable to position.

Physical Abilities: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to:

• Regularly sit, stand, climb, walk, hear/listen, talk
• Frequently lift up to 10 pounds, pull/push, carry, grasp, reach
• Occasionally crawl, stoop, kneel
• Clearly see 20+ feet, with or without corrective lenses, ability to focus

Mental & Other Skills/Abilities: To perform this job successfully, an individual must have the:

• Adaptability: ability to adapt to changes, delays or unexpected events in the work environment; ability to manage competing demands and prioritize tasks; ability to change approach or method to best fit the situation.
• Analytical Ability: ability to maintain focus for extended periods of time; ability to complete research projects with resourcefulness and persistence; ability to synthesize complex or diverse information; ability to use intuition and experience to complement existing data.
• Attendance: ability to consistently arrive and be able to work as scheduled.
• Computer/Technical Ability: working knowledge of: Word Processing software, Spreadsheet software, Internet software
• Dependability: ability to follow instructions, both in written and verbal format; ability to respond to management direction; ability to complete tasks on time or notify the appropriate person with an alternate plan when necessary.
• Interpersonal Skills: ability to maintain satisfactory relationships with others, excellent customer service skills and a good overall understanding of appropriate human relations. Awareness of and sensitivity to the service populations culture and socioeconomic characteristics.
• Judgment: ability to make prudent and timely decisions; ability to exhibit sound and accurate judgment; ability to explain reasoning for decisions.
• Language Ability: ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations; ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals; ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.
• Mathematical Ability: ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals; ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.
• Motor Coordination: the ability to coordinate eyes, hands, fingers, and feet accurately and handle precise movements.
• Problem Solving Ability: ability to identify and/or prevent problems before they occur; ability to formulate alternative solutions to problems when necessary; ability to transfer learning from past experiences to new experiences of similar nature.
• Quality Management: ability to complete duties, on time and with absolute precision, at least 95% of the time; ability to edit the accuracy and thoroughness of ones work as well as the work of others; ability to constructively apply feedback to improve performance, ability to generate ideas to improve and promote quality in work.
• Reasoning Ability: ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists; ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
• Supervisory Skills: this position supervises volunteers and paid consultants

While performing the essential duties/responsibilities of this job, the Executive Director will be:

• Noise Conditions: exposed during a shift to constant or intermittent sounds at moderate to loud levels of sound dependent upon daily activities.
• Exposure to Trauma: The Executive Director may interact with community members who have experienced hate, discrimination, violence, or other trauma, and may be exposed to distressing information about hate incidents.