Managing Director

Justice Democrats

20h•Remote

About The Position

Justice Democrats seeks a Managing Director to manage staff and organizational structure, support the Executive Director, coordinate work across departments and projects, and address gaps in organizational capacity. The role balances day-to-day operations with long-term organizational vision, supporting staff at all levels and ensuring resources are aligned to achieve organizational outcomes. The Managing Director reports to the Executive Director, Hodari Williams. The position is scheduled to begin in January 2027; the application deadline is November 19, 2026. The role drives strategic planning and alignment; provides executive-level advisory, administrative, and logistical support to the Executive Director; maintains organizational management systems; supports hiring, onboarding, management development, performance processes, and internal communications; and works with the Executive Director, operations consultant, and legal counsel on budgeting, operations, and compliance. The position is fully remote within the United States, with some travel.

Requirements

Depth of experience facilitating organizational goal-setting and translating vision into measurable departmental work plans.
Proven track record acting as a trusted advisor to an Executive Director or leadership team.
Demonstrated ability to align a full team and foster cohesive organizational collaboration.
Experience designing and executing full-cycle hiring processes, structured onboarding programs, and organizational staffing workflows.
Hands-on experience overseeing performance review cycles, progressive discipline policies, and management support interventions.
Background in coaching, training, and mentoring people managers.
Experience leading cross-team projects from conception to completion.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including drafting executive correspondence and synthesizing organizational updates.
Ability to assess organizational risk, exercise sound judgment, and solve problems analytically; willingness to collaborate with legal counsel on compliance.
Experience collaborating on annual budget development, resource allocation, and operational expense tracking.
High emotional intelligence, sound instincts, and maturity in handling sensitive personnel, operational, and executive matters.
Ability to operate well in a high-pressure environment.
Deep alignment with the organization's mission and commitment to racial and economic justice and dismantling institutional racism and wealth inequality.
Curiosity, creativity, problem-solving, collaboration, coalition-building, and ability to connect a broad political perspective with granular steps toward organizational goals.
Ability to identify systems, processes, and staff skill sets needed to complete work.
Ability to handle difficult conversations and disagreements respectfully while remaining grounded in organizational values and mission.
Self-awareness, empathy, flexibility, curiosity, and ability to build trusting relationships with colleagues and stakeholders; a low-ego approach to work.
Legally authorized to work in the United States.

Responsibilities

Work with the Executive Director and Directors team to set clear short- and long-term goals and communicate them to staff.
Promote alignment between departments' long-term strategy and daily operations.
Identify strategic gaps or problems and work with the Executive Director and Directors team to address them.
Lead planning and implementation of the annual staff retreat.
Help the Executive Director prioritize time and focus areas; prepare weekly reports based on department-head updates and needs.
Prepare or delegate meeting and event briefings, attend key meetings and events as needed, and ensure timely follow-up on action items.
Draft correspondence for the Executive Director and review or edit correspondence and remarks prepared by colleagues.
Support the Executive Director's direct reports by promoting accountability, communication, and alignment.
Provide executive-level administrative and logistical support, including meeting coordination, scheduling, follow-up communications, and preparation of materials.
Maintain an overview of the organizational management structure and identify gaps and needs.
Manage onboarding for new staff.
Provide management training or support to people with management responsibilities, including those managing volunteers, contractors, or staff.
Convene and coordinate Directors and all-staff meetings and retreats, including managing agendas.
Coordinate ad hoc decision-making about whether to pause, substantially redirect, or assess the direction of major projects when needed.
Work with the Directors team to clarify weekly, monthly, and annual priorities.
Manage staff in executing hiring processes and maintain shared hiring resources.
Lead cross-team projects as assigned by the Directors team, supporting project planning, obstacle anticipation, and delivery follow-through.
Work with relevant managers to evaluate and implement performance management in accordance with the progressive discipline policy.
Ensure the organization operates in compliance with its handbook.
Manage annual or biannual performance review processes across the organization.
Identify management or human resources gaps and work with the Executive Director to resolve them.
Improve internal communication and decision-making processes within and across departments.
Collaborate with the operations consultant to ensure organizational operations and compliance needs are met.
Work with the Executive Director and operations consultant to develop and approve the annual budget.
Work with legal counsel to ensure programming operates compliantly.