Director, Public Safety

National League Of Cities Services, Inc.•Washington, DC

69d•Hybrid

About The Position

The National League of Cities (NLC) is seeking a Director of Public Safety, a senior management role based in Washington, D.C. This organization, with over 100 years of dedication to local governments, supports over 2,000 cities, towns, and villages nationwide. The Director will lead the development and implementation of technical assistance initiatives focused on public and community safety, emergency management, violence prevention, criminal justice reform, and jail reduction. This role also contributes to NLC University's educational programming and collaborates with research, data, and policy teams to inform evidence-based policymaking.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, emergency services, public policy or a related field plus ten years of experience managing and leading public safety, emergency management, criminal justice or a master’s degree in a related field and 7-8 years' experience.
Demonstrated experience building and maintaining effective relationships with key stakeholders, including government officials, law enforcement agencies, community organizations, and advocacy groups.
Experience in program development, planning, implementation, and/or contract administration, ideally focused on training, technical assistance, and/or information sharing.
Grant management expertise including writing grant proposals, budget development, and monitoring program deliverables.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to assess complex policy issues and propose effective solutions.
Ability to interact effectively with members, representatives of other organizations, elected officials, consultants, and all levels of NLC staff.
Ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams to leverage resources, share best practices, and achieve common goals in public safety.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills to articulate policy positions, engage stakeholders, and influence decision-makers.
Experience leading and mentoring a team to achieve organizational objectives and foster professional growth.
Experience monitoring and evaluating program performance, outcomes, and impact to assess effectiveness and inform continuous improvement efforts.
MS Office skills (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint)

Responsibilities

Create and sustain short- and long-term strategic plans for the Public Safety portfolio in alignment with NLC and Center for Municipal Strategies and Programs goals.
Design, create, lead, and support program opportunities in new directions in response to NLC member cities’ needs, emerging evidence, and leadership direction.
Ensure the high-quality performance of existing programs and initiatives, monitoring consistency and resolving conflicts.
Leverage past program successes, industry best practices, and existing partnerships to guide future initiatives.
Oversee the development of work plans and staff assignments for program implementation.
Contribute to the overall management of the People Families and Well Being practice group, including strategic planning and leadership of cross-Center initiatives.
Identify and cultivate prospective partners to sustain, improve, and expand the portfolio.
Identify and facilitate key partnerships with member cities, government officials, and other experts and stakeholders.
Meet with senior officials to understand city needs and forge partnerships to further program efforts.
Promote innovative solutions local elected officials are taking to address program issues.
Establish opportunities for members to have a national voice on program impacts and showcase their efforts.
Develop and lead internal partnerships within NLC to advance the portfolio and CMP goals.
Identify and cultivate potential funders interested in portfolio and practice group topics.
Develop grant, sponsorship, and other funding proposals.
Solicit funding for proposals and cultivate relationships with potential funders.
Manage the fulfillment of and compliance with grant and sponsorship agreements.
Manage relationships with program officers, fund administrators, and other staff at funders.
Prepare, provide, and present executive summaries and detailed reports to leadership and funders.
Oversee budget planning and fiscal management in collaboration with the Finance team.
Strategize the deployment of training, technical assistance, and information sharing to deepen city leader capacity.
Respond to requests for assistance from NLC members, municipal leaders, partners, and other organizations.
Establish long-term plans to educate city leaders, members, and potential members on program and service offerings.
Oversee the development of resources for city leaders to grow their capability to address key topics.
Direct and support marketing and communications initiatives focused on program goals, membership expansion, and supporting municipal officials.
Direct the development of program-specific content for conferences, meetings, and other events.
Make speeches and presentations to diverse audiences and represent NLC in public.
Build partnerships and strengthen existing collaborations with city leaders, foundations, corporate funders, and other stakeholders.
Provide thought leadership on innovative solutions to portfolio-related problems confronting city leaders.
Identify new and emerging opportunities for exploration to shape future NLC programs.
Direct efforts to conduct original research and collect best practice information for actionable recommendations.
Oversee the compilation of research and best practices to support technical assistance, communications, and learning.
Publish and present key information at relevant conferences and socialize key information with stakeholders.
Serve as a resource on relevant issues to other NLC staff and departments.
Define and establish measures to evaluate program strategy and goal achievement.
Use data analytics and research to track and assess program impact.
Solicit and incorporate feedback from members, participants, partners, and stakeholders.
Recommend changes to improve program effectiveness based on results, feedback, and changing needs.
Collect data and review progress on portfolio growth and success.
Provide feedback and reports to leadership regarding program success or failure.
Directly supervise all staff (or managers of specific staff), defining work goals, expectations, priorities, and measures for success.
Guide and direct the efforts of assigned staff members to complete necessary work.
Serve as a mentor and coach for staff, providing knowledge and technical expertise.
Plan and deliver professional development to staff.
Perform functions typically associated with managing and leading others, including performance management, recruitment, selection, and compensation and policy administration.
Perform other duties and lead special projects as assigned.