Co-Executive Director (Organizing & Programs)

Location: Los Angeles, CA Reporting To: Board of Directors Compensation: $130,000 - $150,000 plus benefits Priority Application Deadline: Friday, July 17 Start Date: September 2026

ABOUT LABWC

Our mission is to increase access to quality jobs, reduce employment discrimination, and improve industries that employ Black workers through action and unionization. Founded in 2011, LABWC was the first worker center in California dedicated to tackling the Black jobs crisis head-on. Since then, it has grown into a nationally recognized organization at the forefront of advancing Black worker power, economic justice, and workplace democracy. Through leadership development, worker organizing, policy advocacy, and movement-building, LABWC equips Black workers to challenge systemic inequities and build collective power in their workplaces and communities.

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

The Co-Executive Director (Organizing & Programs) co-leads LABWC’s vision, strategy, and power-building efforts—leading organizing, campaigns, direct action, and leadership development efforts that grow Black worker power and advance economic justice across Los Angeles and beyond.

KEY PRIORITIES DURING YOUR FIRST YEAR

WHAT YOU WILL DO

Co-Develop the Vision & Lead the Strategic Direction for LA Black Worker Center - 30% Alongside the Co-Executive Director (Operations & Finance), develop and champion a bold vision that grows LABWC's base, deepens power, and delivers material benefits to Black workers across Los Angeles. Lead strategic planning processes that align organizational resources with member needs, movement priorities, and the evolving political and economic landscape, in service of long-term organizational goals. Serve as an ambassador for LABWC across Black worker movements, labor, and broader social justice ecosystems—advancing LABWC’s leadership, strengthening its influence, deepening relationships, and expanding its thought leadership locally, regionally, and nationally. Foster strong, trust-based partnerships with the 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) Boards, ensuring effective governance while helping shape the development of the 501(c)(4)'s advocacy strategy and board infrastructure. Manage and Develop a Team & Build a Culture Rooted in Care - 30% Manage a team of 4 senior leaders—providing coaching and resources to strengthen team leadership, staff support, and cross-team collaboration. Foster an organizational culture that reflects LABWC's commitment to the well-being and prosperity of Black workers, creating the conditions for staff to thrive, grow, and sustain themselves in movement work. Build systems and practices that strengthen cross-team collaboration, accountability, shared ownership, and organizational alignment. Provide strategic leadership and organizational support to the Southern California Black Worker Hub, an initiative incubated at LABWC, through board service, regular partnership with the Hub Director, and ongoing alignment with shared goals and priorities. Lead and Bridge Organizing, Programs & Policy Strategy - 25% Lead organizing and direct action strategy by building campaigns rooted in member and Black worker priorities, working in coalition to drive aligned and disciplined execution toward shared goals and outcomes. Design and strengthen workforce and leadership development programs that provide Black workers with ongoing training, upskilling, career navigation, and leadership-building opportunities that expand access to quality jobs and economic mobility. Develop and advance a policy and advocacy agenda rooted in Black worker experiences, driving local and statewide policy change that expands rights, protections, and economic opportunity for Black workers. Fundraising, Communications & Narrative Stewardship - 15% Co-develop and lead a deeply relational fundraising strategy in collaboration with the Director of Development to grow and diversify revenue sources beyond grants, strengthen long-term financial sustainability, and steward the organization's $6 million operating budget. Collaborate closely with the communications team to shape LABWC’s narrative and communications strategy — centering storytelling, member and Black worker voices, strengthening member engagement, and advancing narrative change across media, policy, and public discourse.

WHO YOU ARE

Mission & Values Alignment. You believe in building a world where Black workers thrive in an equitable economy. You are committed to increasing access to quality jobs, reducing employment discrimination, and advancing Black worker power through organizing, advocacy, and collective action. You Are an Organizer & Political Strategist. You bring deep knowledge of the LA political landscape and experience in Black-led organizing, building campaigns that center Black voices, develop leaders, and grow collective power. You leverage data, community feedback, and lived experiences to understand what is happening on the ground, inform strategy, and advance campaigns that build collective power. You are invested in political education, with a deep understanding of labor rights, Black worker history, and the structural conditions shaping workers’ lives. You are committed to your own ongoing political learning and growth, and design and lead educational programs that equip organizers with the analysis, skills, and tools needed to expand their impact, deepen their leadership, and advance LABWC’s mission. Resource Mobilization & Donor Stewardship. You lead resource mobilization and donor stewardship, building trust-based relationships with partners and funders rooted in LABWC’s mission and the dignity of Black workers, while using data and insight to diversify funding streams and respond to shifting political and funding landscapes. Narrative Stewardship & Storytelling. You lead narrative strategy as a core power-building function, centering the lived experiences of Black workers to strengthen organizing campaigns, influence policy debates, shift public discourse, and advance collective action toward liberation. You Lead Through Principled Struggle by creating a culture where disagreement, feedback, and accountability are embraced as essential to growth, collective leadership, and Black worker liberation. You hold staff, members, and partners with care, dignity, and high expectations, navigating conflict directly and constructively while strengthening trust, alignment, and shared responsibility across the organization. Adaptive Leadership. Navigate ambiguity and shifting priorities with flexibility and sound judgment, responding to evolving community conditions, political contexts, and organizing needs in financial decision-making and resource allocation. Cultural Humility & Empathy. Operate with deep respect for communities of color, bringing equity, lived experience, and cultural humility into Co-ED leadership, collaboration, and decision-making. Change Management. You help stabilize and strengthen systems during periods of leadership transition, translating new direction into clear, workable processes while supporting teams to adapt with confidence and continuity.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT

This is an in-person position, located in Los Angeles, CA

COMPENSATION

$130,000 –$150,000 annually, plus benefits.

BENEFITS

LABWC provides a comprehensive benefits package including 100% medical, vision, and dental coverage, a 401(k) retirement plan annually, with an increased accrual rate based on the number of years of employment, 10 sick days, and additional paid holiday time off. #J-18808-Ljbffr Spirit League