Director, Opportunity Youth Campaign

Establish the National Council of Young Leaders as a respected, dynamic, center of action and opinion representing Opportunity Youth. Lift up the voices of young people to influence policy makers, business leaders, philanthropists, elected officials, media leaders, and others toward respecting the voices of young people and being influenced by their ideas. Organize the constituencies that support opportunity youth, and work with existing and new coalitions to effect the policy changes called for in the Council's recommendations. Maximize professional and leadership development of council members. Build robust constituency of active young people beyond the Council members themselves. Integrate Council into a dynamic global campaign for investment in Opportunity Youth. Support leadership development, global campaign, YouthBuild advocacy, and communications as appropriate.

Specific Responsibilities:

1. Support, coordinate, and mobilize the National Council of Young Leaders, and recruit, coordinate, and mobilize the Sponsoring, Supporting, and Endorsing Organizations to create maximum impact through advocacy for the recommendations of the Council.

• Maintain ongoing communication on a bi-weekly basis with all the members of the Council and the Sponsoring Organizations.
• Build and maintain mentoring relationships with all Council members.
• Organize monthly telephone meetings with Council and CEO.
• Coordinate the selection, appointment, and preparation of members to represent in various councils and public speaking engagements and oversee the report-outs of these events. Track and support the on-going impact of the organizations on which they serve, e.g. the Aspen Institute's Opportunity Youth Network; the Future of Service; and others as they arise.
• Organize the various campaigns for integrating youth voice into public policy, such as placing young adults on State Commissions for national service.
• Arrange strategic meetings and follow-up with key policy makers in the Administration with Council members, report the results, and maintain the relationships, e.g. the Secretary of Education, CEO of CNCS, Deputy Secretaries of various agencies, Youth Engagement Coordinator in the White House, etc.
• Manage three 3-day meetings of the Council for strategic purposes each year.
• Build number of SSE's (Sponsoring, Supporting, and Endorsing organizations) to at least 100; and maintain communication with all SSE's on a regular basis, mobilizing them as needed.
• Create a constituency of organized local youth, ready to move in support of the recommendations and perhaps developing their own recommendations for the next go-round. This aspect TBD.
• Coordinate the advocacy of SSE's toward the six recommendations, integrating with Council Members' activities and other coalitions, with each sponsoring organization in the lead on at least one.

1. Support the media campaigns to uplift the voices of young leaders: ad council, social media, music, books, editorials, etc. Work with YouthBuild USA staff and consultants and other Sponsoring Organizations and partners.

1. Coordinate relationships that build the emerging global campaign with corporations and others, starting with Starbucks and the Merckle Foundation..

1. Participate in fundraising for the Council and the Campaign.

• Write and edit proposals
• Develop contacts that might fund the initiative

Skills and Experience needed:

• Experience and commitment to working with low-income young adults to motivate and support their aspirations, and to integrate their ideas into policy and action.
• Experience working with a national network of creative, entrepreneurial leaders toward impactful collaboration; ability to synthesize diverse sets of institutional perspectives to ensure success.
• Experience with advocacy for public policy in Congress and federal administrations.
• A diplomatic personality able to work with people of all positions, backgrounds, and persuasions.
• High level project management and planning skills.
• Fluency in multi-cultural settings and a deep understanding of the issues faced by low-income communities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills – ability to produce well written and analyzed reports, accurate and high level electronic and paper communication, sophisticated proposals and presentations.
• Partnership building skills that include the ability to influence others, get buy-in and action from them and build credibility to lead on this issue within and outside the organization.
• Ability to travel nationally
• Knowledge of current issues and research in some of the following: alternative and career technical education, higher education and career development for low-income youth, issues affecting opportunity youth, re-entry and criminal justice reform, poverty alleviation.
• A Bachelor's degree or higher in a relevant field and seven to ten years' experience in youth development, advocacy, government relations, and/or program management is required.

Reporting: The Director will report to the CEO of YouthBuild USA, and will be a member of the advocacy team and a supporting member of the Graduate Leadership Development team.