Senior Technical Lead, State Resilience

Search for Common Ground • Dc, DC

1d • Remote

About The Position

Common Ground USA (CG-USA) is dedicated to fostering collaboration across differences to address significant challenges and build a society where everyone can belong and thrive. As part of Search for Common Ground, CG-USA applies 40 years of global conflict resolution experience to transform conflict into cooperation within the United States. The Resilient States Project, a key initiative, convenes and empowers diverse leaders in states like Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Texas to build resilience and mitigate risks of division and political violence. This project unites leaders from various sectors, ideologies, and geographies to work collaboratively on transforming divisions and unifying their communities. The CG-USA team is dynamic, motivated, and diverse, committed to working across divides to generate locally-rooted, responsive, and sustainable solutions. The Senior Technical Lead will promote and support CG-USA initiatives nationwide, integrating the Resilient States framework, Common Ground Approach, and Search/CG-USA best practices into programming. This role serves as a primary advisor to state-level leaders aiming to expand CG-USA approaches and initiatives within the Resilient States Project. The Senior Technical Lead will also advance CG-USA approaches through partnerships, field advising, and public engagement. The ideal candidate possesses expertise in US-based peacebuilding and conflict resolution, a proven ability to cultivate leaders in resilience-building and conflict prevention, a deep commitment to working across differences, adaptability to evolving challenges, and a highly collaborative work style. This position reports to the Director of Programs.

Requirements

• Typically BS/BA with a minimum of 11 years’ experience.
• A minimum of 2 years experience in a leadership position is highly desired.
• Deep knowledge of and relationships with civil society and community leaders across multiple states and at the national level.
• Demonstrated ability to work with partners, leaders, and constituencies from different backgrounds and viewpoints.
• Experience in knowledge transfer and advising leaders at the state and national level.
• A commitment to working across differences to build a more peaceful and just America.
• A commitment to CG-USA and Search values.
• A highly collaborative working style.
• Ability to work collaboratively with senior managers and colleagues, sharing senior expertise and building teams for successful implementation of projects and programs.
• Ability to effectively influence vendors, organizations, professional associations, partners, funders, and CG-USA/Search's network of experts critical to the area of purview.
• Ability to make decisions on existing information when it may not be complete.
• Ability to adapt to the personal style and preferences of colleagues to assess their needs and preferences; tolerates ambiguity.
• Ability to articulate Search/function program/project goals and objectives within and external to Search; develop program objectives, indicators, and results; and participate in strategy development for the team.
• Ability to provide input for standards across functions globally within Shared Services teams with the ability to create a best fit that considers international norms and compliance while supporting an organizational culture for work.
• Ability to overcome obstacles, including personal biases, by following Search's ethics code in complex situations, displayed in activities as ethical principles and values that guide professional interactions.
• Ability to assess risks and opportunities in a complex environment and convene discussions to lead to a favorable outcome.
• Ability to establish tools to monitor quality of work and verification of information.
• Knowledge of project management tools, including technology as resources, and applies delegation skills to support the development of others, as well as the building of efficiency and reduction of stress.
• Remain alert and responsive to any safeguarding risks, acquire relevant knowledge and skills that will enable you to promote strong safeguarding practices, understand the safeguarding policy and procedures, and conduct yourself in a manner consistent with the Safeguarding Policy.
• Routinely coordinate with colleagues and consultants on-site and in the field and resolve problem situations with tact.
• Represent, as assigned, selected programs or projects and other organizations, including donors, vendors, and international and local partners.
• Interact with the country office and regional staff.

Nice To Haves

• A minimum of 2 years experience in a leadership position is highly desired.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage strategic processes for partner identification and management, ensuring program quality, learning goals, legal compliance, and safeguarding protocols.
• Lead coordination and partnership building with civil society leaders adopting resilience/conflict mitigation approaches in their states through the Resilient States Project, including programming in Minnesota and other US states.
• Deliver training and resources to support state leaders in coordination with CG-USA team members.
• Support existing partners and new leaders in strategy and communications to reduce conflict factors in rapid response scenarios.
• Represent CG-USA and promote its approaches through field advising and public engagement.
• Represent CG-USA on relevant coordination bodies, working groups, and communities of practice.
• Engage with local, state, and national media and social media channels to share expertise through op-eds, blog posts, interviews, or other mediums, in coordination with the CG-USA Public Engagement team.
• Collaborate closely with HQ and other state colleagues to contribute to the overall vision of CG-USA.
• Provide input to strategy development and planning, including new project design.
• Build and adapt strategy and methods to deliver Resilient State approaches to new and varied state contexts.
• Contribute to CG-USA Objectives and Key Results (OKR) development.
• Coach program staff and partners on the utilization of codified methodologies, share best practices, and offer assessment tools for program quality.
• Draft, review, and advise on project work plans, including monitoring and learning objectives.
• Draft, review, and provide input to reports related to the assigned programmatic area of work.
• Conduct training within the scope of expertise and provide technical input for the development of project activities, toolkits, and resources.
• Manage the budget under the programmatic area of work.
• Provide capacity building for partners related to technical expertise and ensure responsible stewardship of funds in partnership with CG-USA team members.
• Supervise consultants, trainers, and technical experts as needed; may directly supervise program staff if assigned.
• May engage in the recruitment of personnel.
• Ensure representation of CG-USA/Search in relevant coordination bodies, working groups, and communities of practice.
• Represent CG-USA/Search at events and in media related to the area of technical expertise.
• Provide input into program quality, reflection, and learning initiatives.
• Provide input into strategy development and planning related to the technical area of work.
• Conduct technical review of strategy, objectives, and key results (OKRs).
• Participate in new project design.
• Draft proposal components related to areas of expertise.
• Infuse organizational values into all work.
• Perform other duties broadly in line with the key contributions as assigned.

Benefits

• Search is an equal employment employer whereby we do not engage in practices that discriminate against any person employed or seeking employment based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, marital status, disability, veteran status, genetic information or any other status or characteristic protected under applicable law.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior