Director, Ecosystem Development

REPORTS TO

Senior Vice President, Head of Programs

ABOUT PROJECT EQUITY

Project Equity grows community wealth by creating more equitable communities and

a resilient future through employee ownership (EO)

Do you want to see a world where the average employee has economic security and

businesses help build resilient communities? So do we! Project Equity helps employees,

especially those in low- to middle-wage jobs, become co-owners of the businesses where

they work. We provide direct services to private businesses exploring and transition to

employee ownership models.

Project Equity’s mission is to apply and advance employee ownership (EO) as a strategy to

preserve business legacies, sustain local economies and build wealth for LMI workers and

marginalized communities. We seek to achieve both (1) deep impact for workers through

our EO transitions work and (2) scale of EO by building EO awareness, capacity, and

infrastructure within local and national organizations that will sustain demand and support

for EO long-term. The Ecosystem Development team supports deep impact by helping us

identify key actors within regions that become points of referral for transition work and

helps to scale EO by embedding aspects of EO into regional anchor institutions and public

institutions.

HOW YOU WILL SUPPORT THE GROWTH OF EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP

The Director of Ecosystem Development will lead the Ecosystem Development work

nationally and in key regions. Our Ecosystem Development work includes the following

areas.

Leadership

• Lead the Ecosystem Development team and serve on the organizational Leadership Team, contributing to strategy and implementation.
• Develop and execute regional strategies in partnership with senior leadership.
• Supervise and support Ecosystem Development staff, fostering growth and collaboration.
• Represent Project Equity externally through key partnerships, conferences, and public speaking.
• Help advance and model Project Equity’s organizational culture.

Regional coordination

• Work with SVP, Head of Programs, to support cross-team collaboration to develop and execute regional work plans and meet regional commitments
• Where appropriate, manage relationships, coordination and reporting to regional funding partners

Engagement and activation

• Identify and engage institutions in strategic regions and nationally that can lead efforts to advance and sustain EO.
• Design, refine, and lead regional engagement processes to build relationships with public, nonprofit, and private sector organizations.
• Lead the Ecosystem Development team to cultivate and support key regional and national partners to take action on EO. These organizations include local government, economic development organizations, chambers of commerce, trade associations, philanthropic organizations, nonprofits, private sector business advisors, anchor institutions, and more.
• Collaborate with team leaders to coordinate engagement of regional organizations across all sectors to advance EO.

Capacity & infrastructure building

• Develop and deliver tools, resources, and training to help public sector, nonprofit, and anchor institutions embed EO into their programs.
• Build partnerships to ensure long-term adoption and use of EO tools and practices across key institutions.
• Lead the Ecosystem Development team in creating and testing resources to build EO awareness and pipelines, helping partners “make employee ownership stick.” Key tactics include:

1. Convenings and roundtables
2. Toolkits, case studies, and policy resources
3. Trainings and train-the-trainer programs
4. Coaching, advising, and implementation guides

Funding

• Support funding development—including grants and earned revenue—to advance the mission and Ecosystem Development work.
• Work with SVP, Head of Programs, and other departmental leads to develop a regional strategy, strategic regions, and regional funding approach
• Help design and implement processes to generate earned revenue, especially with public sector partners.
• Support the Development Team with philanthropic grants by developing concept notes, proposals, budgets, reports, and funder communications.

HOW YOU WORK

• You’re passionate about advancing EO. You care about creating systemic change and see the value in spreading knowledge about EO as a viable business succession strategy.
• You’re a natural coach and mentor. You care about your team and know how to provide means to advance their ability to learn and perform.
• You enjoy relationship and partnership building. You’re skilled at networking, deepening connections, and partnership development across different sectors.
• You’re proactive and goal oriented. You take initiative to identify new opportunities, refine strategies based on feedback, and stay focused on achieving sales goals.
• You’re a great communicator. You can effectively explain complex concepts to diverse audiences, both in person and virtually, and can adapt your message to meet their needs.
• You’re collaborative and flexible. You enjoy working closely with internal teams to align efforts and are comfortable with change and working in a dynamic, evolving environment.
• You enjoy traveling. You’re comfortable with regular travel to participate in events and meet with partners in person. Travel expectations of up to 25%.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Experience in developing revenue streams and funding partnerships
• Experience working with public and nonprofit sector partnerships, local government, economic development, and nonprofit organizations
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to drive multiple projects and teams
• Strong presentation skills with the ability to cater messaging to diverse audiences
• Management of staff experience required
• Proficiency in CRM platforms and outreach tools is a plus.
• Familiarity with EO, business transitions or related fields is a plus.
• Must be located within the United States (Pacific Standard Time Zone preferred)
• Must be authorized to work in the U.S. for any employer

LOCATION

This is a remote position that includes travel, up to 25%. We have a preference for an

individual based in California or Pacific timezone. The Project Equity team works virtually,

coming together regularly within and across teams for online meetings and once a year

in-person as a full team. Travel to/within California and nationally is central to the role.