Senior Director, Development and Operations/Director Sénior de Desarrollo y Operaciones

Reports to: Poder in Action and AZ Poder Board of Directors, Co - Executive Director - Strategy

Supervises: Operations & HR Manager, Development Associate, and select contractors

Status: Full-Time, Exempt

Location: Phoenix, Arizona (Hybrid Work Environment)

Compensation: $110,000 - $130,000*

English job description https://bit.ly/piasrdevenglish

Español descripción del trabajo https://bit.ly/piasrdevespanol

PURPOSE OF ROLE

The Senior Director, Development and Operations co-leads Poder in Action (501(c)(3)) and AZ Poder (501(c)(4)) alongside the Co-Executive Director of Strategy. Together, you share responsibility for the organization's strategic direction, day-to-day operations, external relationships, and long-term sustainability.

This role builds and maintains key relationships and systems for successful fundraising and the internal foundation that makes our work possible. You'll ensure our operations, finances, and fundraising systems work well, reflect our values, and support rather than hinder our mission. This work involves managing across multiple legal entities—navigating IRS requirements, campaign finance rules, lobbying disclosures, and maintaining the compliance between our entities.

You'll help create the conditions where our staff and culture embody the abolitionist, transformative, and justice-centered commitments that drive everything we do. You'll lead staff, strengthen how we work internally, represent us with funders and coalition partners, and help shape our transition toward worker self-directed governance. This is a true co-leadership position—you and the Director of Strategy hold equal accountability for the health and impact of the organizations.

ABOUT US

Poder in Action (PIA) is a 501 (c)(3) grassroots organization that builds the power of people of color and working-class communities to disrupt and dismantle systems of oppression and determine a liberated future in Arizona by developing organizers, civic advocacy, and movement building.

AZ Poder (AZP) is a 501 (c)(4) that builds political and social power among working-class communities to disrupt and dismantle state violence through community governance, organizing our base to take action, and shifting our culture away from punishment towards health and wellness.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply for this position, please submit the following materials in a single PDF file to admin@poderinaction.org with the subject line “Senior Director Development & Operations”:

• A cover letter describing your interest in the position:
  • Why are you interested in working for Poder in Action/AZ Poder?
  • What parts of the role feel most aligned with your professional interests?
  • What is an example of your past development experience?
• A current resume.
• Contact information for three professional references.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and accepted until the position is filled. Application by January 30, 2026 strongly encouraged.

KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

Development and Fundraising (40%)

In 2026 and beyond, PIA & AZP will run a notable fundraising campaign, continuing to build on 10+ years of healthy growth. The Senior Director Development and Operations stewards critical relationships with major donors and foundations, and will co-lead development strategy and planning to ensure we reach our goal of $5+ million annually. You will often be the "face" of the organization to funders and will ensure that fundraising communications reflect the organizations’ voice, campaigns, and the priorities of the base.

Additionally, the Senior Director will have oversight of the fundraising apparatus:

• Supervise the Development Associate and external development contractors as needed.
• Oversee fundraising systems and infrastructure, including grant tracking, donor management, and reporting.
• Coordinate funder relationships, meetings, and grant-writing efforts to ensure timely and strategic submissions.

Organizational Administration and Operations (35%)

The Senior Director Development and Operations oversees organizational strategy, operations, and institutional development in partnership with Senior Leadership. Responsibilities include strategic planning, financial management, compliance oversight, risk mitigation, and contract administration across multiple entities. The Senior Director balances high-level institutional vision with operational execution, managing staff and contractors to make improvements.

You also manage:

• Hiring, onboarding, offboarding and termination processes with care and accountability.
• Oversight of administrative and financial functions, including compliance, contracts, and organizational infrastructure across all legal entities (ex., 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), PAC, LLC).
• Shepherding annual budget development process and multi-year financial planning.
• Adherence to federal, state, and local laws and regulations governing nonprofit, political, and business entities, including IRS reporting, campaign finance, lobbying disclosures, and entity separation requirements.
• Establishing and maintaining internal controls, documentation, and systems to safeguard compliance and prevent cross-entity risk.

Organizational Culture and Staff Development (10%)

As a member of the senior leadership team, this role models and nurtures practices that foster an inclusive, accountable, and liberatory workplace culture. In addition to the operational support of that culture, you help identify staff development needs related to organizational culture, equity, and collective leadership. In particular, ensuring success in the workplace across multiple languages, including bilingual and monolingual staff.

Shared Leadership and Governance (10%)

As the organization continues to move toward a worker self-directed governance model, the Senior Director will co-lead the design and implementation of shared leadership and decision-making structures. You will:

• Collaborate to create systems that promote transparency, distributed authority, and collective accountability.
• Support the organization’s evolution toward sustainable, non-hierarchical leadership practices.
• Document and contribute to ongoing governance development and evaluation.

External Representation (5%)

You will represent PIA & AZP in external relationships with partners, funders, coalitions, and movement allies to strengthen the organizations’ visibility and credibility. You will serve as a spokesperson in select meetings with funders, policymakers, and media.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in nonprofit, community-based, or movement organizations, with leadership experience in operations, finance, development, or organization building.
• 3+ years of experience leading fundraising efforts, including donor cultivation, grant writing oversight, or partnership development.
• Demonstrated experience managing budgets, supervising staff, and overseeing multiple projects or departments.
• Understanding of social justice, racial equity, and abolitionist principles.
• Proven ability to build and sustain healthy teams and organizational systems.
• Strong facilitation, strategic thinking, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Commitment to collaborative leadership, transparency, and shared decision-making.

Preferred

• Experience managing funder relationships and implementing development systems.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish)

Core Competencies

• Equity & Justice Orientation: Centers anti-oppression, abolitionist, and community-rooted frameworks in all decisions.
• Collaborative Leadership: Shares power, builds trust, and fosters collective accountability.
• Strategic Systems Thinking: Designs and sustains systems that promote organizational health and alignment.
• Relational & Reflective: Cultivates a people-centered culture rooted in care, learning, and growth.
• Integrity & Accountability: Leads with transparency and grounded commitment to community values.
• The salary range for this position reflects Poder in Action's structured pay tiers, which are intended to maximize equitable pay. A successful candidate will most likely have a starting salary at the bottom to middle of the range.

Poder is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where diversity is celebrated and all individuals are treated with respect and dignity. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, genetic information, marital status, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. We actively encourage individuals from underrepresented groups, veterans, and persons with disabilities to apply. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, and business needs. We are dedicated to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates and employees with disabilities during the hiring process and throughout employment.

The salary range for this position reflects Poder in Action's structured pay tiers, which are intended to maximize equitable pay. A successful candidate will most likely have a starting salary at the bottom to middle of the range.

El rango salarial para este puesto refleja la estructura salarial de Poder in Action, diseñada para garantizar una remuneración equitativa. Lo más probable es que el candidato seleccionado comience con un salario en la parte inferior o intermedia de dicho rango.

Bilingual (English/Spanish) strongly preferred

Bilingüe (inglés/español) preferido